SDG233 Sustainable Leadership with Crises Management

Contents and structure

The aim of the course is to educate change agents for better Sustainable Leadership and Crises Management.

This course has two parts.

The first part on Sustainable Leadership program (5 ECTS) is designed to raise awareness for future leaders/leaders and employees in private and public companies of UN SDG goals and challenges on climate, nature, society, and economy.  Crises within the triple bottom line - business, environment and society will be discussed - Causes, effects, prevention, and measures. Possible paths for reaching climate reduction, biodiversity and goals for economy and society will be discussed. Anthropocene and risk society are important theories for framing sustainable leadership and crises management.

Central concepts: Competence on SDG, organisation, technology, complexity, discourse, leadership, management, preventing, preparedness

A learning sustainable leadership will help handle change processes at the system level in the organization and be one of the prerequisites for creating learning organizations. Creating good cultures for sustainability in business units will be central. There will also be theories of social responsibility and ethics.

The second part on Crises Management ( 5 ECTS) focuses on the role of information systems and involved actors in crisis and response management and organization. We study issues influencing the design, development, use, and evaluation of technologies and methodologies supporting individuals, organizations and communities in order to handle crises and be better prepared for response in a sustainable society. While many are under the impression that access to new technologies promises preparedness, this is not the case today. Tools and technologies can be powerful tools or great support, but also dangers or traps if not handled carefully.

We are going to discuss with experts from different areas and professions examples and lessons about the SDGs in crisis, and their need for better preparedness. We examine and discuss the possibilities and limitations of technologies and methods to support health, education, or to contribute to clean water and energy.

The course consists of lectures and discussion seminars. Students are required to prepare and present a project report in a group and submit an individual assignment.

SDG Goals 3, 7,8, 12, 13, 15 and 16 are addressed in Sustainable leadership part.

SDG Goals 3,4,9,11, 14 are addressed in Crisis Management part of the course.

The course is a part of the The Norwegian West Coast SDG educational initiative: Knowledge for Ethics and Sustainable Development.

Learning Outcome

This course will provide the following outcomes to the candidates:

Knowledge Sustainable Leadership

The candidates

• Has broad knowledge into theories, methods, models and tools on leadership, management, complex organisation and  Multi-Level Perspective (MLP)
• Has broad knowledge into basic theories, methods, models and tools on ethics, sustainability, and central SDG’s
• Has broad knowledge on central discourses, policies, resource allocation, regulation, and stakeholder theory relevant for SDG goals

Knowledge Crises Management

The candidates

• Is familiar with concepts and approaches about information systems in crisis and response management and organization
• Has broad knowledge of main issues regarding design, development, implementation, and use of technologies for crisis and response management and organization
• Can update contrasting views for handling SDGs - and information systems by different stakeholders

Skill Sustainable Leadership

The candidates

• Can reflect upon concepts on competence on sustainability, organisation, technology, complexity, discourse, leadership, management, preventing, preparedness.
• Can discuss a given case on organizing preparedness and preventing development  
• Can lead and master change processes to strengthen organizations' sustainability culturally and with organizational design.

Skill Crises Management

The candidates

• Can apply academic knowledge to analyze and discuss SDGs and crises and response management for different scenarios.
• Can find, evaluate, and refer to how state-of-the-art technologies can support crisis and response management and organization
• Master and apply methods for identifying and choosing support for better preparedness

General competences Sustainable Leadership

The candidates

• Understands discourse on Risk Society and Anthropocene human epoch and risk society
• Understands roles as a sustainable leader in local, regional and global context and in different situations.
• Understands challenges of building governance capacity and legitimacy

General competences Crises Management

The candidates

• Being able to critically examine and argue for activities, processes and support for achieving SDGs
• Having insight into relevant ethical issues influencing technology choice, use or non-use
• Can communicate and utilize information based on academic sources.

Entry requirements

None

Recommended previous knowledge

Familiarity with main theories regarding information and information systems is useful, but necessary principles will be covered when needed.

Teaching methods

Lectures, invited lectures, discussion seminars, project works and assignments. Students are required to submit and present a project report (group work) and an individual written assignment.

Compulsory learning activities

1. Group essay and group presentation

2. Individual presentation for a short article with a poster

Assessment

Oral examination covering both parts representing 40% of final result

Essay representing 60% of final result.

Grading scale is A-F where F is fail.

Examination support material

Course material

More about examination support material