Module: Responsible Management & Leadership for Sustainable Business

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Responsible Management & Leadership for Sustainable Business
Module Code	MNA1099 (ITS: MT340)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

The course focuses on sustainability as an organizational practice. We will spend less time on studying sustainability as a theoretical concept and more time on how organizations can embrace and pursue sustainability as a practice through their activities. As future business leaders and managerial decision makers, you will be expected to understand the various socio-economic-environmental-political issues surrounding organizations and institutions, and act in ways that are not only beneficial for the organizations you represent, but also for the planet. This approach has never been more more crucial than now with the climate deteriorating and social concerns garnering attention across the globe. The course will attempt to provide a first step in helping you prepare for such future. Tentative content: Intro to Sustainability (social + environmental basics), module positionality, firm legitimacy & double materiality (incl. TBL, CSR & reputational risks) Social entrepreneurship, Non-profits, hybrids & alternative orgs (incl. mission drift) Environmental Intensive 1: Circularity & firm challenges (incl. scope 1-3 emissions & supplier management) Self-Audit 1 - part of assessment Social Intensive 1: Equity & discrimination (incl. algorithmic bias and case study) Social Intensive 2: Human rights, refugees & migration (UNGPs/HRDD) Environmental Intensive 2: Systems & Power (incl. simple climate/circular primers, climate & distributive justice) Reading Week: Calibration Week & Self-Audit 2 - part of assessment Responsible Leadership or Guest Lecture Sustainable innovation (problem framing, inclusive innovation & supply chains) Extra-Organizational or Responsible Leadership or Guest Lecture Sustainable organisational change (levers, coalitions, goals & resistances) Wrap up & Diary Assessment Masterclass Additionally, there will be two tutorials.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the concepts of sustainability, responsible management and responsible leadership from a practical perspective by going beyond theoretical engagement. Be able to apply theoretical concepts to real world cases and provide recommendations. Show an initiative behavior as students are encouraged to select the topics and cases of their choice which also means that they need to justify their choices.

Total Workload: 0

Section Breakdown
CRN	20833	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	100%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Sriteja Reddy Wudaru	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Portfolio	The students will be assessed for a 100% of grade through a Sustainability Diary that they keep for the entire duration of the semester. Submitted on Loop in 3 parts, the diary will evolve as the semester progresses. The students will have very detailed, comprehensive guidelines through Loop, in-class discussion, one-on-one meetings, and 2 tutorial masterclasses throughout the semester. The students will submit the 'Foundations' and 'Sprint' packs at the end of week 3 and week 6 as ungraded submissions. They will also do an ungraded self-audit quiz to ensure they are on the right track. The students will only be graded for a 100% of the total grade through the end-of-the-semester submission of the Sustainability Diary which will have different components that they would have updated throughout the semester. Both 'Foundations' and 'Sprint' packs are mandatory to be included in the final submission too along with other required components such as the Knowledge Expansion Log, Rights Trace Map, Interventions, and use of AI disclosure.	100%	Sem 2 End
Loop Quiz	Self-Audit 1 - ungraded quiz for the students to assess their evolution on their own	0%	Week 3
Loop Quiz	Self-Audit 2 - ungraded quiz for the students to assess their evolution on their own	0%	Week 6

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Reading material
For each class, mandatory and suggested reading material is provided on Loop. Students are expected to read the mandatory material prior to the class but the suggested material is for if they choose that week's topic for the assignments.

Class slides
Class slides are made available on Loop along with audio recordings.

Indicative Reading List

Books:
None

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None