MBA 9001: Sustainable Development: Interactions between MNCs and International Organizations

Authors: de Lange, Debbie; Sandhu, Sukhbir; Young, Susan L.; Mitchell, Shelley; Benn, Suzanne; Banerjee, Bobby
Source: Teaching Sustainability Professional Development Workshop, Academy of Management 2011
Year: 2011
Number of pages: 28

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Abstract:

Sustainable development in emerging economies is of worldwide concern to many different stakeholders due to the global impacts that billions of people will collectively have and are having on climate change, energy supplies, natural resources (renewable and nonrenewable), employment conditions, working standards, and other critical issues. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are influential in these nations because of their economic interests and direct involvement in economic development; therefore, the environmental and social impacts of MNC behavior are of high consequence. However, given the lack of a global governance framework for MNCs, international organizations are important to ensure that MNCs operate in a sustainable way. International organizations can provide policy and partnering solutions that promote multiple actors’ interests. They can also act as arbiters and standards setting bodies. In this course, international organizations (IOs) include intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the UN and IMF, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International, and globally recognized think tanks such as the World Resources Institute.

This course incorporates learning about what IOs do in terms of affecting sustainable development, particularly in regards to affecting MNC behavior and working with them, in emerging economies. This course includes projects that encourage students to envision future roles IOs may play vis-a-vis MNCs’ affects on development in emerging economies, how they may learn to become more effective, and how they may evolve.

This syllabus was constructed by a team of academics at an Academy of Management professional development workshop (PDW) in 2011. We were Group 2: International Organizations and Sustainability and therefore, had a mandate to develop an MBA course around the assigned theme. The logos at the top of this document reflect the diversity of universities we come from and this syllabus reflects that diversity. We offer it as a syllabus that we expect will be tailored by whoever uses it based on his or her teaching preferences and institution-specific conditions. Therefore, course numbering, dates, and any other specific information is in the syllabus for illustrative purposes, as place holders for or reminders of information that should be replaced as appropriate for the circumstances. Also, there are extra suggested resources included that an instructor should select from such as cases, additional readings, videos, and peer feedback form examples.