Programme Outlines and Overviews

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