Exploring Sustainability, Ethics, and Social Responsibility in Business

The impact of production and consumption on the environment and society

Could you tell me the main benefits of the next smartphone that you're hoping to buy? Is it the 256GB of storage? The HD retina display? Perhaps the pixel resolution on the camera?

Now, could you tell me the impact that the production of that phone has on the environment and on society? Would you consider giving up your smartphone for the greater social good?

These types of questions, and the issues of ethics, social responsibility and sustainability in business, have moved from the marginal to the mainstream during the last 40 years. As such, society is increasingly looking to develop a long-term, sustainable vision for the future that considers the social and environmental impact of business decisions, not just the financial gains.

4. Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

· Identify factors within the marketing environment that are driving the need for pro-sustainable behaviour

· Assess the extent to which organisations are currently dealing with the sustainability issues facing their industry

· Critically evaluate different approaches to sustainable marketing activities within a specific organisation

· Demonstrate transferable skills that are essential to a career in business, such as commercial awareness and communication skills

· Factors driving the need for sustainability

o Identifies mainstream issues that are driving the sustainability agenda, including consumerism, climate change, social inequality and more

· Strategies for sustainable development

o Examines different strategic frameworks that may be used to achieve behavioural change among consumers and encourage businesses to adopt more sustainable practices

· Implementation of pro-sustainable marketing

o Considers the tools and techniques that could be used as part of the  organisation’s marketing mix in order to encourage pro-sustainable behaviour.

· The future of sustainable development

o Identifies the conditions that are needed to achieve long-term change andconsiders the future of sustainable development

We are sure that you will embrace your learning with enthusiasm and make the most of the opportunities this module offers. We are committed to providing an enriching and accessible learning environment with a wide range of resources and services to support you.

However, it is important to remember that learning is a partnership, so you need to take an active role! As such, the module leader and teaching team expect you to:

· Attend all sessions, arriving on time and staying for the entire session

· Behave appropriately - respect the tutor and other students

· Actively listen - keep phones on silent and out of sight

· Get involved with seminar / workshop / online activities

· Engage with online learning material and recommended literature

· Follow the news in order to identify relevant articles that may inform your work