Topic outline

  • General

    21E06050 Responsibility Management (book exam, 6 cr)

    Syllabus 2021-22

    Leena Lankoski (leena.lankoski@aalto.fi)

    Welcome to study for the book exam on Responsibility Management! The learning objective of this course is to strengthen and deepen your knowledge and theoretical understanding of key areas of corporate responsibility management and sustainability in business.

    This is a Master’s level course which is meant primarily for students in the Creative Sustainability Master's programme and secondarily for students in Aalto School of Business Master's programmes.  A prerequisite for the course is 21E16001 Sustainability in Business or equivalent. Thus, this exam requires that you already have previous studies in business management and in corporate responsibility.

    There are three exams during the academic year. In the academic year 2021-2022 the exam dates are 20.9.2021, 3.12.2021, and 18.3.2022. The March exam will be held normally on campus (using pen and paper), and it is not allowed to consult the learning materials during the exam.


    Literature to be studied for the exam in the academic year 2021-22 is listed below. All articles are available in electronic format through Aalto library. All articles are required, and passing the exam will require integrating and applying knowledge across several articles. Study the articles for a deep understanding of their substantive content (not methodological detail). Please note that this is an advanced level course, which is reflected in the level of sophistication that is expected of the answers.

    • Definitions and meanings: Lankoski, L. (2016). Alternative conceptions of sustainability in a business context. Journal of Cleaner Production, 139: 847-857.
    • Business models: Bocken, N. M. P., & Short, S. W. (2021). Unsustainable business models – Recognising and resolving institutionalised social and environmental harm. Journal of Cleaner Production, in press.
    • Innovations: Goodman, J., Korsunova, A., & Halme, M. (2017). Our collaborative future: Activities and roles of stakeholders in sustainability‐oriented innovation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(6), 731-753.
    • Organization and management: Eccles, R.G., Perkins, K.M., & Serafeim, G. (2012). How to become a sustainable company. MIT Sloan Management Review, 53(4), 43-50.
    • Marketing: White, K., Habib, R., & Hardisty, D. J. (2019). How to SHIFT consumer behaviors to be more sustainable: A literature review and guiding framework. Journal of Marketing, 83(3), 22-49.
    • Financial performance outcomes: Lankoski, L. (2008). Corporate responsibility activities and economic performance: A theory of why and how they are connected. Business Strategy and the Environment, 17: 536-547.
    • Social and environmental outcomes: Halme, M., Rintamäki, J., Knudsen, J.S., Lankoski, L., & Kuisma, M. (2020). When is there a sustainability case for CSR? Pathways to environmental and social performance improvements. Business & Society, 59(6), 1181–1227.
    • Creating shared value: Menghwar, P. S., & Daood, A. (2021). Creating shared value: A systematic review, synthesis and integrative perspective. International Journal of Management Reviews, in press.
    • Current topics / Climate change:  Cadez, S., & Czerny, A. (2016). Climate change mitigation strategies in carbon-intensive firms. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, 4132-4143.
    • Current topics / Biodiversity: Winn, M. I. & Pogutz, S. (2013). Business, ecosystems, and biodiversity: New horizons for management research. Organization & Environment, 26(2), 203-229.