AOS238-B Sustainable Strategies

The course provides students with the knowledge and ability to participate in strategic decision-making and strategy implementation in Norwegian organizations committed to promoting sustainability in their operations. In addition to basic knowledge of strategy formulation and the strategy process, participants gain insight into concepts, tools, and models that help manage trade-offs and increased complexity when strategic decision-making includes financial and non-financial goals, multiple stakeholders, extended time horizons, and rapidly evolving regulatory requirements.

The topics covered in the course are external and internal analysis, strategic choices, and strategy implementation.

After completing the course, the student will have the following learning outcomes, divided into knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• has knowledge of the concept of sustainable strategy
• has theoretical tools to analyze the company's external environment, focusing on understanding how environmental and social challenges lead to changes in consumer behavior, investor behavior, industry norms, and regulatory changes in various sectors
• has knowledge of the main strategic alternatives and their advantages and disadvantages for realizing opportunities in the form of new products, markets, and vertical and horizontal collaboration for sustainable business

Skills

The student:

• can conduct a strategic analysis, present strategic alternatives, and provide recommendations for the company's future strategy based on analyses and subject knowledge
• can apply models to understand threshold resources and capabilities for sustainable businesses, as well as the development of the company's internal factors that can contribute to competitive advantage
• can describe and formulate strategy for sustainable businesses

General competence

The student:

• can propose and implement strategic processes that help sustainable businesses achieve their strategic goals
• can communicate about the organization and implementation of sustainable strategy, with an emphasis on stakeholder inclusion and managing organizational trade-offs