Students

AFIN811 – Business and Global Environmental Change

2019 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer
Grace Lepone
221, 4ER
Consultation by appointment
Angela Chow
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
12cp at 600 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of the sustainability challenges facing organisations, and to highlight business risks and opportunities that are emerging as a consequence of global environmental change. Furthermore, the unit is designed to enable students to challenge the status quo of "business-as-usual" and to search for innovative solutions to some of the pressing issues impacting organisations, including changes in ecological parameters through climate change, more frequent and/or severe extreme weather events and natural resource scarcity. The unit seeks to use frame-breaking approaches to problem solving and the development of organisational strategies.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Understand the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions.
  • Explain, discuss and critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy developments related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Understand the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas / ca rbon emission and energy audit.
  • Be able to use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation.
  • Collaborate with team members to prepare and present a research project.

General Assessment Information

Assessment criteria for all assessment tasks will be provided on the unit ilearn site.

It is the responsibility of students to view their marks for each assessment on iLearn within 20 working days of posting. If there are any discrepancies, students must contact the unit convenor immediately. Failure to do so will mean that queries received after the release of final results regarding assessment tasks (not including the final exam mark) will not be addressed.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Group Presentation 40% No Reflection: 11PM 27/10/2019; Presentations: Wk 9&10 in class
Individual Assessment 60% No 11PM 10th of Nov 2019

Group Presentation

Due: Reflection: 11PM 27/10/2019; Presentations: Wk 9&10 in class
Weighting: 40%

Task Description: 

This task will be detailed in class. Students will be asked to form into groups. You will be working on scenarios. Each group will be allocated an industry - you will need to figure out strategic responses to the scenarios. These must be plausible. After the presentations, each student will submit an individual reflection on what they have learnt from the scenario exercise and how they will improve in future scenario exercises.

Type of Collaboration:

Group Report

Submission: 

In class and online via iLearn

Format:

Presentation and Reflection 

Marks:

62.5% of the total marks will be based on individual reflection,  i.e. 25 marks will be based on individual reflection. The remaining 15 marks will be based on quality of the presentation.

Inherent Task Requirements:

Refer to iLearn.

Late Submission:

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

 

 

 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions.
  • Explain, discuss and critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy developments related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Collaborate with team members to prepare and present a research project.

Individual Assessment

Due: 11PM 10th of Nov 2019
Weighting: 60%

Task Description: 

Students will be able to undertake one of the following options:

1. A detailed assessment and report in response to one of the questions detailed on iLearn.

2. A project on a designated topic that is worked out with the course convenor. The project could focus on evaluating an environmental response or adaptation strategy for an organisation or industry, an environmental risk assessment for an organisation's location or similar. If pursuing this option, you need to submit a short synopsis of your suggested topic by the end of week 4 to make sure that the scope of your topic choice fits the course and assessment requirements. No responsibility will be accepted for poor student performance occurring where the student works on an unapproved topic.

Type of Collaboration:

Individual

Submission: 

Online via ilearn

Format:

This assessment consists of a single long-form research report.

Length:

3,000 - 3,500 words

Inherent Task Requirements:

Refer to iLearn

Late Submission:

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions.
  • Understand the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas / ca rbon emission and energy audit.
  • Be able to use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation.

Delivery and Resources

Recommended Resources

Rockström, J. et al. (2010). A Safe Operating Space for Humanity. Nature, 461(24), pg. 472-475.

Whiteman, Gail, Brian Walker, and Paolo Perego. "Planetary boundaries: ecological foundations for corporate sustainability." Journal of Management Studies 50.2 (2013): 307-336.

Schiermeier, Q. (2010) The Real Holes in Climate Science. Nature, 463(21), pg. 284-287.

Climate Business | Business Climate - Harvard Business Review Special Report 2007 https://hbr.org/2007/10/climate-business--business-climate

IPCC (2013) Climate Change 2013: Summary for Policymakers. http://http//www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/docs/WGIAR5_SPM_brochure_en.pdf

Carbon tax v cap-and-trade: which is better? A debate published in The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jan/31/carbon-tax-cap-and-trade

Hoffman, A.J. (2005) Climate Change Strategy: The Business Logic Behind Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reductions. California Management Review, 47(3), pg. 21-46.

Wilbanks, T.J. et al. (2007): Industry, Settlement and Society. In M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (Eds.) Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pg. 357-390.

Adger, W.N., Arnell, N.W., & Tompkins, E.L. (2005) Successful Adaptation to Climate Change Across Scales. Global Environmental Change, 15, pg. 77-86.

Lash, J. & Wellington, F. (2007) Competitive Advantage on a Warming Planet. Harvard Business Review, 85(3), pg. 94-103.

Senge, P.M. & Carstedt, G. (2001) Innovating Our Way to the Next Industrial Revolution. MIT Sloan Management Review, 42(2), pg. 24-36.

Hart, S.L. (1997) Beyond Greening: Strategies for a Sustainable World. Harvard Business Review, 75(1), pg. 66-77.

Linnenluecke, M. & Griffiths, A. (2010) Beyond Adaptation: Resilence for Business in Light of Climate Change and Weather Extremes. Business and Society, 49(3), pg. 477-511.

Allenby et al. (2005) Toward Inherently Secure and Resilient Societies. Science, 309, pg. 1034-1036.

Linnenluecke, M. K. & Griffiths, A. (2012) Assessing organizational resilience to climate and weather extremes: complexities and methodological pathways. Climatic Change.

Linnenluecke, M., Stathakis, A. & Griffiths, A. (2011) Firm Relocation as Adaptive Response to Climate Change and Weather Extremes. Global Environmental Change, 21(1), pg. 123-133.

Gasbarro, F., & Pinkse, J. (2015). Corporate Adaptation Behaviour to Deal With Climate Change: The Influence of Firm-Specific Interpretations of Physical Climate Impacts. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 23(3), 179–192. 

Zucchella, A. & Urban, S (2014) Futures of the sustainable firm: An evolutionary perspective. Futures, 2014, pg. 86-100

Dilling, L., Pizzi, E., Berggren, J., Ravikumar, A., & Andersson, K. (2017). Drivers of adaptation: Responses to weather- and climate-related hazards in 60 local governments in the Intermountain Western U.S. Environment and Planning A, 15(1), 1–12.

Martina K. Linnenluecke and Andrew Griffiths (2015). The Climate Resilient Organization: Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change and Weather Extremes. Edward Elgar Publishing. Demski, C., Capstick, S., Pidgeon, N., Sposato, R. G., & Spence, A. (2018). Experience of extreme weather affects climate change mitigation and adaptation responses. Climatic Change, 1–16.

Star, J., Rowland, E. L., Black, M. E., Enquist, C. A. F., Garfin, G., Hoffman, C. H., et al. (2016). Supporting adaptation decisions through scenario planning: Enabling the effective use of multiple methods. Climate Risk Management, 13, 88–94.

Rekker, S. A. C., Brien, K. R. O. X., Humphrey, J. E., & Pascale, A. C. (2018). Comparing extraction rates of fossil fuel producers against global climate goals. Nature Climate Change, 1–4.

Plewnia, F., & Guenther, E. (2018). Mapping the sharing economy for sustainability research. Management Decision, 56(3), 570–583. 

Unit Schedule

Week Content
1 Introduction (Lecture): Business and Global Environmental Change
2 The Threat of Climate Change (Lecture): Risks and Opportunities for Industries & Companies
3 Mitigation Efforts: The Climate Policy Landscape (Lecture): Emission Targets & Self-Regulation
4 Greenhouse Gas, Carbon Emission and Energy Audits (Workshop): Driving Opportunity in the Australian Context 
5 The Mitigation and Adaptation Challenge (Lecture)
6 Frameworks for Business Strategy and Innovation (Lecture)
7 Future Scenarios (Workshop): Developing Strategies for Business Sustainability
  Semester Break
8 Future Scenarios (Workshop): Developing Strategies for Business Sustainability
9 Group Presentations (Presentation)
10 Group Presentations (Presentation)
11 Building Organisational Resilience (Lecture)
12 Responses to Extreme Environmental Changes (Lecture): Organisational Survival and Migration
13 The Path Forward (Discussion)

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Supplementary exams

Information regarding supplementary exams, including dates, is available at: 

http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/how_do_i/special_consideration

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Be able to use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation.

Assessment task

  • Individual Assessment

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions.
  • Explain, discuss and critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy developments related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Understand the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas / ca rbon emission and energy audit.
  • Be able to use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation.
  • Collaborate with team members to prepare and present a research project.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Presentation
  • Individual Assessment

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions.
  • Explain, discuss and critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy developments related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Understand the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas / ca rbon emission and energy audit.

Assessment task

  • Group Presentation

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas / ca rbon emission and energy audit.
  • Be able to use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation.
  • Collaborate with team members to prepare and present a research project.

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Explain, discuss and critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy developments related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Collaborate with team members to prepare and present a research project.

Assessment task

  • Group Presentation

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Understand the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions.

Assessment task

  • Individual Assessment