Sustainable Vikings: Sustainability & CSR in Scandinavia

This course gives you immediate access to the world leading sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Scandinavian firms dominate the major sustainability and CSR performance indicators including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). In this course we explore the concepts of sustainability and CSR and focus attention on how Scandinavian firms, like Novo Nordisk, have achieved superior sustainability and CSR performances. We consider what lessons can be drawn by managers and firms irrespective of where they may be located in the world. Through this course, participants will: • Gain appreciation of the concepts of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and be able to situate these concepts within the broader debates about the role of business in society • Understand the sustainability and CSR approaches by leading Scandinavian companies • Describe how partnerships between companies, NGOs, and government are fundamental to the sustainability and CSR by Scandinavian companies • Be able to describe the characterization of the “Scandinavian management” and the role Scandinavian management plays in sustainability and CSR approaches by Scandinavian firms • Become familiarized with concept of “Scandinavian Cooperative Advantage” and understand how it challenges the dominant view of strategic management

• Understand concepts of sustainability and CSR
• Analyze sustainability performance of leading Scandinavian firms
• Evaluate business roles in sustainable development
• Comprehend the impact of business ethics on sustainability
• Draw lessons for applying similar practices in other organizations

• Basic computer and internet skills
• Ability to read course instructions in English