The Challenge of Sustainable Global Growth - RE-SIT-EXAMINATION

Introduction

Both markets, production and sustainability challenges have globalized over the past decades. Firms face opportunities to reach new markets and to tap into advantages such as lower labor costs, economies of scale and resource security. At the same time, and there is growing pressure for sustainable growth while the dynamic competitive landscapes are increasingly difficult to navigate.

In this course, we introduce frameworks and tools to support sustainable global growth. We discuss how external and internal factors influence how firms develop sustainable organizations in global contexts. We discuss internationalization of decision making for sustainable global growth, strategies for global competitiveness and green growth, institutional and cultural influences, and global sustainable value chains. Participants will also gain insight into the main differences between green economics and mainstream economics. We will also discuss controversies of “greenwashing”, the circular economy and radical resource productivity.

The sessions are taught by faculty members at BI Norwegian Business School with extensive experience in sustainable global growth and top tier research publications within the field.

Course content

This course focuses on the sustainable global business growth and how to navigate the complex globalization and sustainability pressures to reach sound business decisions. The sessions are interactive, blending cutting-edge research with practical examples. We challenge the boundary conditions of extant knowledge, comparing and contrasting traditional firms with new actors in the competitive landscape.

Key topics include (but are not limited to):

• The macro environment and the opportunities for growth
• Ideology and motivation: to what extent are "sustainability" and “profits” compatible?
• The role of location advantages and disadvantages for sustainable global growth
•  Green growth and Green Economics vs. mainstream economics
• Institutional and cultural influences
• Motives for internationalization
• Ideology and motivation for sustainable growth
• Global sustainable value chains
• Foreign entry and operating methods
• International strategies
• "Greenwashing: When is “green” a fraud?
• Circular economy and radical resource productivity - is sufficient decoupling of value creation from resource use possible?
• The communication of global climate and sustainability issues