Revised 10/06

Course Title: Integrating Green Business Strategy

Quarter: Winter 2016

Dates: January 11, 2016 to March 13, 2016

Instructor: Steve Rubens

Office Hours: By Appointment

Course Description:

This course will study key trends in the emerging field of sustainable business strategy.

Environmental issues are playing a larger role in various areas of business strategy including

operations, balance sheet management, legal compliance, and marketing. We will discuss the

relevance of this developing area and review theories on the design and implementation of business

strategies that incorporate the principles of sustainability. The format of the course will include

interactive discussions among participants on reading material and case studies. Students will also

complete a green business strategy project in their field of interest.

The objective of the Lecture Notes is not to repeat the reading material but rather to provide you

with an organized manner of addressing the reading material and understanding how it relates to

other areas we are studying and its role in the big picture.

Goals & Objectives:

Upon completion of the course students will have an understanding of the current

landscape of sustainability in the business context including the major institutions,

standards. Students will also possess knowledge of current theories regarding

green business strategies. They will be equipped with various methodologies to

address sustainability issues in business operations, marketing and balance sheet

management. Students will achieve these goals by analyzing and discussing issues

and cases and completing a project that allows them to apply the theories in a

practical context.

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Required Readings:

Course Text: Students will be provided with various reading material

including articles and case studies.

Grading:

Course grades will be based the on the completion of exams, assignments, and

classroom participation as follows:

% Item

30% Project

40% Case Analysis (10% each)

20% Issue Analysis (5% each)

10% Participation

At a minimum 5 relevant and thought out posts on the discussion board are

required to receive full credit (this does not mean that 5 posts automatically results

in full credit, but that full credit is not possible without at least 5 posts).

This class is as much about learning information as performing analysis and

thinking critically about evolving issues. Students are therefore expected to

interact and engage in a discourse on the nature of green business strategy and the

current approaches to this area. To guide the discussion and focus the students’

analysis, the course will raise key topics and cases and the students will be

required to perform an analysis on these areas.

Please note that ALL COURSE GRADES ARE FINAL.

Incompletes: The interim grade Incomplete may be assigned when a student's work is of

passing quality, but a small portion of the course requirements is incomplete for good

cause (e.g. illness or other serious problem). It is the student’s responsibility to discuss

with the instructor the possibility of receiving an “I” grade as opposed to a non-passing

grade. The student is entitled to replace this grade by a passing grade and to receive unit

credit provided they complete the remaining coursework satisfactorily, under the

supervision of and in a time frame determined by the instructor in charge, but in no case

later than the end of the next academic quarter. At that time, the Registrar will cause all

remaining Incompletes to lapse to the grade "F". Note: Receiving an “I” does not entitle a

student to retake all or any part of the course at a later date.

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Expected student behavior should be stressed during

the first class meeting.

Student Behavior involving cheating, copying other’s work, and plagiarism are not

tolerated and will result in disciplinary action. Students are responsible for being familiar

with the information on Student Conduct in the General Information Section of the UCLA

Extension Catalog or on the website at www.uclaextension.edu

Revised 10/06

COURSE OUTLINE

The outline section is an advance organizer

for you and your students. A well

planned outline will

help to ensure that course goals and

objectives are covered

in an orderly and timely fashion. All

courses must have a

course outline that includes relevant

assignments and/or

readings for each class session, with the

possible exception of

the first meeting.

Date/Topic Assignments Readings

Week 1 (1/11)

Green Business

Strategies:

Definition and Purpose

Triple Bottom Line

Identifying

Stakeholders

Werbach, pages 21-

33; Savitz xiii-xiv,

69-73, 179-189

Week 2 (1/18)

Feasibility and Analysis:

Carbon Footprint

SWOT Analysis

PESTEL Analysis

StAR Analysis

Issue Analysis I Due Werbach pages 52-

61; Friend 58-60

Week 3 (1/25)

Green Management and

Leadership:

Designing a Plan

NorthStar Goals

Issue Analysis II Due Werbach pages 70-

81; Savitz 146-155;

Phyper/MacLean

44-46

Week 4 (2/1)

Sustainable Operations

Strategy Pt. I:

Product Design

EcoDesign

Cradle to Cradle

Phyper/MacLean

pages 140-142;

Friend 110-112

Week 5 (2/8)

Sustainable Operations Pt.

II: Green Process

Lifecycle Assessments

LEED Facilities

Green Supply-Chain

Issue Analysis III Due Friend 98-100, 138-

144

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Week 6 (2/15)

Project Discussions

Case Study I Due: Herman

Miller

Savitz page 143

Week 7 (2/22)

Sustainable Marketing Pt.

I: Green Marketing Plan

Three Cs/Four Ps in Green

Context

Greenwashing

Issue Analysis IV Due Friend 78-80; Estes

124-127

Week 8 (3/1)

Sustainable Marketing Pt.

II: The Green Consumer

Sustainable People

Management

Case Study II Due:

Walmart.

Week 9 (3/8)

Plan Implementation &

Follow-up

Case Study III Due: Nike

Week 10 (3/13)

Measuring & Reporting

Case Study IV Due: Fiji

Water

Werbach 112-116;

Savitz 209-217;

Estes 102-111

Week 11 (3/15)

Project Due on 3/23