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Business Transformation Case Study

Module description

This module focuses on the relationship between environmental and social performances and economic value. The aim is to use a transformational case study approach to understand how organisations can build capacity to become more regenerative.

By adopting a triple-bottom-line approach, you will explore the relationships and interdependencies as well as tensions between ecological, social and economic value dimensions, as they are faced by businesses.

You will work directly with a local or regional business, co-creating a business transformation plan with the aim of making that business more regenerative and sustainable. You will evaluate the business processes and capacities in the organisation as well as the wider regional economy to understand how meaningful transformation can be brought about. While business factors, such as resource efficiency, supply chain management and business strategy, are important, students will also analyse wider policy, governance, community and ecosystem factors to outline pathways for transformation that enable a company and the wider local economy to respond to ecological, social and economic challenges and crises, such as biodiversity loss, food poverty/malnutrition or climate change.

Given that these are system challenges, any business transformation plan is likely to have to involve other private, public and third sector actors to bring about a multi-agency, collaborative transformation effort.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will equip you to engage in practical and meaningful change efforts at business level. It will provide you with the practical skills to analyse business processes within the context of broader societal and ecosystems settings. The module will also give students the necessary academic skills to critically reflect on their engagement with businesses and the latter’s ambitions to become more regenerative and sustainable.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Develop a business transformation plan
• 2. Explain the relations and interdependencies as well as tensions between ecological, economic and social value.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Contrast sustainable business management knowledge with real-life scenarios by assessing the sustainable transformation process of business
• 4. Reflect on the challenges of transition towards sustainable business models

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Evaluate a business transformation plan
• 6. Exemplify business engagement implementation

Syllabus plan

The module will cover, but not be limited to, the following themes:

• Triple bottom line business approaches
• Doughnut economics approaches in business ecosystems
• Business transformation planning
• Relations and interdependencies between ecological, economic and social value creation
• Tensions and paradoxes between ecological, economic and social value creation
• Case studies of successful and failed business transformations
• Collaborative and multi-agency approaches to business transformation

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to sit a further examination. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will count for 100% of the final mark and will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut economics: seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.
• Elkington, J. (2013). Enter the triple bottom line. In The triple bottom line: Does it all add up? (pp. 1-16). Routledge.
• Waddock, S. (2020). Achieving sustainability requires systemic business transformation. Global Sustainability, 3, e12.
• Müller, A. L., & Pfleger, R. (2014). Business transformation towards sustainability. Business Research, 7, 313-350.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• The Library has useful Subject Guides to explore online, see the Business, Management, Accounting & Finance Subject Guide at: https://libguides.exeter.ac.uk/business 

Key words search

Business, environment, sustainability, climate change, ecology, community