Teaching

Classes

Strategic Environmental Management

Recently, we see more extreme, sometimes catastrophic events in many parts of the world. Scientists demonstrate better evidence indicating the link between our economic activities and the environmental degradation. We are beginning to realize that environmental issues are no longer negligible in business operations. Negligence of the issues may result in serious economic loss for a company. On the other hand, many companies have begun to recognize environmental management as a way forward to generate profitable opportunities. Toyota made a major investment to produce hybrid cars. The hybrid cars have been sold well in the international market. DuPont placed research and development efforts in producing alternative chemical to the ozone-depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). The company successfully developed alternative chemical to CFCs and altered its strategic position on international regulation (Montreal Protocol) to ban CFCs.

This course introduces essential concepts of strategic environmental management as well as leading practices of environmental management. To begin with, we will review essential theoretical approaches in strategic environmental management. Through the review, we will be able to gain conceptual foundation on this subject. We will use several case studies to help us understand environmental management in practice. We will then explore the linkages between concepts and practices.

Business Strategies for Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important area for corporate managers (and for public policymakers) to handle in global business operations. Climate change is an example of sustainability issues. What strategic and management vision to demonstrate towards global climate change is becoming a key strategic and managerial issue for the companies in the energy-intensive industry sectors. Human rights are another example of sustainability issues. For the companies operating in the developing countries (such as oil and gas, chemical, pulp and paper, and trading companies), poor strategy and management of human rights often addresses serious risk to their business in the global market.

This course introduces concepts and practices of business strategies for sustainability. We will examine several company case studies through the course to understand how the leading companies cope with different sustainability issues such as human rights, the environment, product safety and labor relations. Through the case studies, we will explore how companies strategize and operationalize sustainability issues in practice. We will also pay attentions to the roles of different stakeholders surrounding them including customers, shareholders and employees as well as suppliers, financial institutions, governments and local communities. In addition, we will look into the business cases of the base-of-the-pyramid and Creating Shared Value (CSV). We observe that in some cases, successful business models and operations lead to the improvement of social and economic conditions of the people around the world.

Energy and Environmental Technology

To solve energy and environmental crisis, the innovation and diffusion of new, clean and dynamic technologies are crucial. The innovation and diffusion of the technologies bring new and exciting business opportunities likewise in future sustainable society. This class overviews a landscape of energy and environmental technologies. Part of the class introduces a research project where students select a technology of their interest and investigate potentials and barriers in innovating and/or diffusion the technology of their choice. The research questions for this project include: 1) how the technology help to solve energy and environmental crisis; 2) what level of business opportunities exist in the development of the technology and: 3) what benefit the technology may bring to society. Moreover, the project is designed for students to highlight the barriers in the development and address roles of the public (national and local government) and private actors (companies) in promoting them.

The goals of this class for students include: 1) to understand different energy and environmental technologies; 2) to explore how the technologies help to solve energy and environmental crisis, what level of business opportunities exist in the development of the technologies, and what benefit the technology may bring to society; 3) to highlight barriers in the development of the technologies; and 4) to address roles of the public (national and local government) and private actors (companies) in promoting them.

Seminar I/II/III/IV （英語による講義）

The series of the seminars is design for students to obtain essential knowledge and tools to conduct individual research at the graduate school level. Through the course of the semester, students are encouraged to make several presentations on their research topic, research progress and tentative results of their research. In parallel, the instructor provides guidance for students to prepare for their graduation thesis. The guidance includes instructions on quantitative/qualitative analytical skills as well as research skills to articulate research questions, collect proper data, and structure thesis. The instructions to improve academic writing, presentations, and research proposals are also provided in working toward the completion of a graduation thesis.