Course Syllabus for students Spring 2025

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

1. explain theories, concepts and models that focus on the spectrum of organizational theory for purpose and profit.
2. explain theories, concepts and models that focus on organizing processes for the development of an organizational purpose.

3. identify and apply key approaches for organizing socially, ecologically and economically sustainable enterprises, including NGOs and public-sector companies,
4. develop strategies for integrating organizational purpose driven methods into more traditional profit driven methods.

5. analyze the contextual driving forces influencing processes for organizing socially, ecologically and economically sustainable enterprises, including NGOs and public-sector companies,

This course presents a spectrum of theories, concepts and models in the fields of organizational theory that broaden students’ understanding of purpose and profit. The course looks at purpose from beyond a profit-driven view and includes social, ecological and economical perspectives on what drives human organizing activity. The course provides frameworks to develop business models, partnerships, and/or joint ventures to eliminate poverty, inequalities and/or ecological deterioration, including:

• organizing as an outcome of institutional logics for sustainability such as a purpose-driven logic, a business-driven logic (including a shareholder driven logic, a profit-driven logic, and a hybrid-driven logic,
• organizing as an outcome of a sensemaking process for sustainability,
• organizing as an outcome of an imprinting process for sustainability,
• organizing as modelling sustainable enterprises, including NGOs and public-sector organizations, and
• organizing for different markets – including the bottom of the pyramid and the lifestyle of health and sustainability.
• problems and limitations of purely profit-driven purpose
• problems and limitations of social and ecological approaches to organizational purpose

Connection to Research and Practice
The course is focused on organizational theories and sustainability and connects to research in this area by the following:

• Connecting students with internal and external faculty who are research focused in the areas of organizational theories and sustainability through lectures and seminars.
• Introducing students to the traditional and contemporary organizational theories in structural and human organizing

Lectures, seminars, guest lectures, tutoring, group projects, seminar discussions, and presentations.

The teaching is conducted in English.

Taken 15 credits in Business Administration including the course The Sustainable Enterprise – Social and Ecological Perspectives, 7,5 credits (or the equivalent).

The course is graded A, B, C, D, E, FX or F.

The ILOs listed above are assessed through the following types of examination:
Individual assignments (ILO:´s 1-2) representing values 4.5 credits
Written group report (ILO:´s 3-5) representing values 3 credits.

Name of the Test	Value	Grading
Individual assignments1	4.5 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F
Written group report1	3 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F

¹ All parts of the compulsory examination in the course must be passed with a passing grade (A-E ) before a final grade can be set. The final grade of the course is determined by the sum total of points for all parts of the examination in the course (0-100 points). Grade is set in accordance to JIBS grading policy.

It is the responsibility of the examiner to ensure that each course is evaluated. At the outset of the course, evaluators must be identified (elected) among the students. The course evaluation is carried out continuously as well as at the end of the course. On the completion of the course the course evaluators and course examiner discuss the course evaluation and possible improvements. A summary report is created and archived. The reports are followed up by program directors and discussed in program groups and with relevant others (depending on issue e.g. Associate Dean of Education, Associate Dean of faculty, Director of PhD Candidates, Dean and Director of Studies). The next time the course runs, students should be informed of any measures taken to improve the course based on the previous course evaluation.

Academic integrity
JIBS students are expected to maintain a strong academic integrity. This implies to behave within the boundaries of academic rules and expectations relating to all types of teaching and examination.
Copying someone else’s work is a particularly serious offence and can lead to disciplinary action. When you copy someone else’s work, you are plagiarising. You must not copy sections of work (such as paragraphs, diagrams, tables and words) from any other person, including another student or any other author. Cutting and pasting is a clear example of plagiarism. There is a workshop and online resources to assist you in not plagiarising called the Interactive Anti-Plagiarism Guide.
Other forms of breaking academic integrity include (but are not limited to) adding your name to a project you did not work on (or allowing someone to add their name), cheating on an examination, helping other students to cheat and submitting other students work as your own, and using non-allowed electronic equipment during an examination. All of these make you liable to disciplinary action.

A list of articles will be supplied at the course introduction.