Business Continuity and Sustainability Management

Introduction

In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business environment, the course "Business Continuity and Sustainability Management" is designed to address several essential aspects that enhance a business's resilience and sustainability. It focuses on providing theories, tools, and frameworks that will help businesses tackle challenges and adapt effectively to changing business conditions. It explores strategies and approaches that enable businesses to not only withstand disruptions but also operate responsibly in a world increasingly concerned with environmental impact. 

Objective and expectations 

The primary objective of this course is to provide students with insights into the challenges and methods for business continuity. This includes developing competence in applying frameworks for identifying, assessing, mitigating, and responding to potential disruptions in various business contexts. Additionally, the course fosters an appreciation of sustainability perspectives and challenges, encompassing key areas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), environmental responsibility, social governance (ESG), and circular economy principles, all within the context of business continuity management. 

Aspects of business continuity management (BCM) are integral to our study. BCM includes planning, preparation, and mitigation activities that aim to deal with potential threats to a company, reduce vulnerability, and maintain operations after experiencing disturbing circumstances. This knowledge equips students with a holistic understanding of how to safeguard an organization's ability to continue its mission, serve its customers, and protect its reputation when confronted with adverse events or unforeseen challenges. To achieve these objectives, the course combines theoretical concepts with practical examples and interactive learning in-class discussions. This multifaceted approach ensures not only a solid theoretical foundation but also practical skills development, preparing you to effectively manage and ensure the continuity of business operations while embracing principles of sustainability management. 

Course content

This course is structured in three modules, which will be discussed separately in class. The course will also cover relationships between main themes in each module. The course will cover the following modules: 

• Module 1: Sustainability and Business Continuity Management framework and concepts  

• Module 2: Resilience management  

• Module 3: Supply chain risk management  

Subjects discussed within each module include: 

Module 1: Sustainability and Business Continuity Management (BCM) 

• What are the main components of BCM? Explore methodologies for devising robust strategies that safeguard business operations during disruptions, ensuring minimal downtime and rapid recovery. 

• How to develop a sustainable business practice: Introduction to the SDG and ESG frameworks. Examine the principles of sustainability within the context of business operations, emphasizing responsible resource management, reduction of environmental impact, and ethical considerations. 

• What do we mean by the environmental care: Delve into the strategies for integrating environmentally responsible practices and contributing positively to sustainable organizations. 

Module 2: Resilience management 

• How to define a resilient system? 

• How a resilience approach to BCM enhances an organization’s ability to navigate unforeseen challenges?  

Module 3: Supply chain risk management  

• Introduce main concepts and framework for supply chain risk management. 

• Application of decision support tools in sustainable supply chain risk management: practical case study combining all course elements