MBA 541 Global Sustainability

The global economic system produces goods and services on a massive scale. Consumers benefit from access to necessities as well as increased comfort, convenience and choice. Producers benefit from opportunities to innovate and invest, while also providing employment and generating returns to investors. The question many are asking, however, is simple: Can the current system be sustained in the long run? To be sustainable, businesses and nonprofit organizations must find ways to generate value and minimize waste while simultaneously satisfying human needs and protecting ecological systems. This course examines the global economic system from a triple-bottom line perspective–planet, people and profit. It utilizes systems thinking and explores seven forms of capital: financial, manufactured, natural, human, social, cultural and spiritual.