Fundamentals of Intelligent Sustainable Business
What you'll learn
- Understand the many hidden negative results of conventional business in terms of both energy and materials processing
- Re-imagine a system of profitable businesses delivering the goods and services we need with none of the hidden negatives that we do not want
- Understand the essential requirements for profitable, durable, and healthy businesses that consistently support their entire community thru time
- Draw insight from the most successful design consultant available and use that insight during the redesign of business process
- Develop effective and accurate systems that measure sustainable business progress within organizations over time
- Identify deceptive marketing techniques of impostor organizations that pose as legitimate practitioners of sustainable business
Requirements
- Any casual knowledge of business management, accounting, finance, and marketing will enhance the learning experience
- Any casual knowledge of natural world processes such as nutrient cycling or the interactions among species will enhance the learning experience
- Occasionally the instructor will suggest supplemental readings that will be appropriate either during or after the course experience
Description
This course exposes the hidden and serious problems of current business, outlines a revolutionary redesign for continuously profitable, healthy, durable, and community-supporting commerce, and then prepares the student to reform existing organizations. 24 learning sessions engage a variety of topics that are fundamental to potent sustainable business. Examples of the topics include include the myth of today's recycling systems, the insidious and mostly unintentional poisoning of communities, and the misrepresentation of climate change by both sides of the debate. No business issue is beyond scrutiny and all suggested changes are solidly supported. You will learn about the components of the brilliant new comprehensive design for business as well as the professional opportunities that await knowledgeable, creative, out-of-the-box thinkers and leaders in a variety of business sectors. During our time together, you will begin to develop the ability to apply profitable and paradigm-changing business practices in a variety of business settings. In the end, you will have an intensely positive professional vision and actionable competency that will prove more and more valuable as you move through your business career. This revolutionary message has been categorized as inspired, timeless, provocative, distinguished, paradigm-busting and the "gold standard" in sustainable business design. You can expect your current understanding of the business world to change dramatically!
Who this course is for:
- This course is best suited for open-minded students who are aware of at least some problems of business and are looking for a clear and practical solution to this dilemma
- This course will satisfy sustainable business participants who want to learn the most potent version of this revolutionary movement
- This course is perfect for business professionals who are looking for the ability to direct the most sensible pathway to potent sustainable business
- This course is not a good fit for those expecting a rehash of currently popular but drastically inferior versions of sustainable business
- This course does not provide techniques to disengenuously market existing organizations as reputable sustainable businesses
Instructor
- 4.4 Instructor Rating
- 3,757 Reviews
- 7,739 Students
- 3 Courses
Worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for over 20 years. Earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Oklahoma State University in 2000. Designed and implemented the first Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Business degree program in the world in 2003 at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. Chairperson for the Sustainable Business Department at Aquinas College for 12 years. Retired at the position of full professor and the Steelcase Professor of Sustainable Business. Traveled extensively throughout the state of Alaska, guiding six college field course through three national parks.