ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lesson 1 – Sustainability .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Practical .................................................................................................................................................................. 3
What is sustainability? .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Why is it on the agenda? – 6 drivers of sustainability ................................................................................................... 5
Lesson 2 – Ethics ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
What is ethics? What is it not? ................................................................................................................................. 10
Business Ethics ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Cases .................................................................................................................................................................... 12
How can you approach ethical dillemas? ................................................................................................................. 13
Recapitulation........................................................................................................................................................ 16
Lesson 3 – behavioral economics................................................................................................................................ 17
Lesson 4 – EU Policies ................................................................................................................................................ 22
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ................................................................................................ 22
EU Taxonomy ......................................................................................................................................................... 26
(VSME) EUropean Sustainability Reporting Standards ............................................................................................... 29
Lesson 5 – The Triple layered BMC............................................................................................................................... 33
1. Innovation prejudices.......................................................................................................................................... 33
2. Short reminder-concepts .................................................................................................................................... 34
3. New Business Models ......................................................................................................................................... 34
4. Triple Layered BMC ............................................................................................................................................. 42
5. Hot spot theory ................................................................................................................................................... 45
Lesson 6 – Operational excellence .............................................................................................................................. 46
1. Reduce environmental impact ............................................................................................................................. 46
2. Lean................................................................................................................................................................... 49
3. Visual management ............................................................................................................................................ 53
4. Quality assurance ............................................................................................................................................... 54
5. Questions........................................................................................................................................................... 55
Lessen 7 – Purpose & organisational excellence .......................................................................................................... 57
Sustainable HR ...................................................................................................................................................... 57
Teamwork & sustainable leadership ........................................................................................................................ 59
Corporate governance ............................................................................................................................................ 64
1
,Lesson 8 – AI: ethical considerations........................................................................................................................... 66
1. The ethical implicaitons of AI on jobs, technology, and society .............................................................................. 66
2. Overview of today’s lecture ................................................................................................................................. 66
3. Why AI ethics matter ........................................................................................................................................... 66
4. AI’s broad impact on employement...................................................................................................................... 66
5. Ethical frameworks: Pragmatic (utilitarian) ethics ................................................................................................ 67
6. Ethical frameworks: Kantian (principle-based) ethics ........................................................................................... 67
7. Case study 1: AI replacing consultants ................................................................................................................. 67
8. Case study 2: AI and hiring discrimination ............................................................................................................ 67
9. Case study 3: AI and human problem-solving skills ............................................................................................... 68
10. Key ethical dilemmas from AI integration ............................................................................................................ 68
11. Ethical recommendations for AI practices .......................................................................................................... 68
12. Provocative questions for class discussion......................................................................................................... 68
13. Concluding reflections ...................................................................................................................................... 68
14. Recommended readings & further exploration .................................................................................................... 69
15. Q&A and open discussion.................................................................................................................................. 69
Guest Lecture: Van Moer Logistics .............................................................................................................................. 71
1. Van Moer Logistics .............................................................................................................................................. 71
2. Our sustainability Journey (The Perfect Flow) ........................................................................................................ 72
3. Decarbonisation of Road Transport ...................................................................................................................... 77
2
,LESSON 1 – SUSTAINABILITY
PRACTICAL
• Lesson overview
o Ethics and morality
o Sustainability topics
o Guest lectures
o Business game (decision pending)
➔ Lessons on Monday (recorded) but possibly not on March 17th.
• Requirements
o Written examination without oral presentation (no surprises)
▪ Closed book
▪ Multiple-choice (without gambling correction)
▪ Open question
o Other assessment methods
▪ Written assignment in group
o First assessment period:
▪ Exam: 15/20 points
▪ Group paper on 5 out of 20 points (typically groups consist of 5 students)
▪ Not taking part in all assessment components (group paper and exam) will result in no grade for
the first assessment period.
o Second assessment period - students that fail the course in the first exam period (June) are referred to
the second assessment period (August/September):
▪ Exam 15/20 points
▪ Individual assignment on 5 out of 20 points (instead of a group paper)
▪ The marks for the component that you did pass will be transferred to the second assessment
period, unless you appeal against this. In this way, in the second term you only have to retake the
part you failed before.
• Example exam questions
o Give different approaches to cases, apply this theory to this case, …
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
• Definitions - SUSTAINABILITY
o Sustainability is maximizing the added value of your activities for as many stakeholders as possible and
minimizing the waste of resources, financial resources, time and talent.
– Hans Verboven
▪ Lean management approach
• = a mindset
• Minimize waste, reducing all forms of waste (also for example waste of time) and
maximize the client value
• Wasting talent is also a thing, you can waste your resources by letting people do things
below their level and capabilities
o Human capital
▪ Maximize value for the stakeholders
3
, o Corporate social responsibility is a continuous process of improvement, whereby organizations
voluntarily incorporate economic, environmental and social considerations in an integrated manner
throughout their business operations. Stakeholders consultation is an important part of this process.
– MVO Vlaanderen
▪ Keep your stakeholders in mind! We don’t live on our own island, you have a responsibility to
others
o 80% Sustainable business optimization
20% Sustainable business innovation
▪ Business model innovation = innovation of a classic business model, for example with product
as a service solutions
▪ Incremental innovation = step by step improvement, you don’t really notice, until the moment
you look back at history (→ sustainable business optimization)
▪ Sustainable business innovation = when you have a great business idea
o = CSR (corporate social responsability) (= MVO, maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen)
▪ Responsibility of companies to act social
• Sustatool
o = optimization tool
o Addresses sustainability as business model optimization
▪ Improving a lot of things in terms of product service excellence, operational excellence and
organizational excellence
o Interesting way to look at how an organization organizes itself
• Sustainability = optimization + innovation
• Sustainability is being the solution instead of the problem
o Economic and social values are complementary.
o Companies have the knowhow, the organizations and the resources to influence the business in a
positive way as no NGO or foundation can influence it.
o Companies have the biggest impact in issues/domains which are related to their core business.
o Each company should identify a specific set of issues on which there is an impact on the value chain.
o The solution for all future problems will be found by innovative socially responsible companies in a free
market system. Governments will play but a small role!
o Sustainable growth is better growth
▪ Sustain = it keeps on going, you can sustain it
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lesson 1 – Sustainability .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Practical .................................................................................................................................................................. 3
What is sustainability? .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Why is it on the agenda? – 6 drivers of sustainability ................................................................................................... 5
Lesson 2 – Ethics ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
What is ethics? What is it not? ................................................................................................................................. 10
Business Ethics ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Cases .................................................................................................................................................................... 12
How can you approach ethical dillemas? ................................................................................................................. 13
Recapitulation........................................................................................................................................................ 16
Lesson 3 – behavioral economics................................................................................................................................ 17
Lesson 4 – EU Policies ................................................................................................................................................ 22
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) ................................................................................................ 22
EU Taxonomy ......................................................................................................................................................... 26
(VSME) EUropean Sustainability Reporting Standards ............................................................................................... 29
Lesson 5 – The Triple layered BMC............................................................................................................................... 33
1. Innovation prejudices.......................................................................................................................................... 33
2. Short reminder-concepts .................................................................................................................................... 34
3. New Business Models ......................................................................................................................................... 34
4. Triple Layered BMC ............................................................................................................................................. 42
5. Hot spot theory ................................................................................................................................................... 45
Lesson 6 – Operational excellence .............................................................................................................................. 46
1. Reduce environmental impact ............................................................................................................................. 46
2. Lean................................................................................................................................................................... 49
3. Visual management ............................................................................................................................................ 53
4. Quality assurance ............................................................................................................................................... 54
5. Questions........................................................................................................................................................... 55
Lessen 7 – Purpose & organisational excellence .......................................................................................................... 57
Sustainable HR ...................................................................................................................................................... 57
Teamwork & sustainable leadership ........................................................................................................................ 59
Corporate governance ............................................................................................................................................ 64
1
,Lesson 8 – AI: ethical considerations........................................................................................................................... 66
1. The ethical implicaitons of AI on jobs, technology, and society .............................................................................. 66
2. Overview of today’s lecture ................................................................................................................................. 66
3. Why AI ethics matter ........................................................................................................................................... 66
4. AI’s broad impact on employement...................................................................................................................... 66
5. Ethical frameworks: Pragmatic (utilitarian) ethics ................................................................................................ 67
6. Ethical frameworks: Kantian (principle-based) ethics ........................................................................................... 67
7. Case study 1: AI replacing consultants ................................................................................................................. 67
8. Case study 2: AI and hiring discrimination ............................................................................................................ 67
9. Case study 3: AI and human problem-solving skills ............................................................................................... 68
10. Key ethical dilemmas from AI integration ............................................................................................................ 68
11. Ethical recommendations for AI practices .......................................................................................................... 68
12. Provocative questions for class discussion......................................................................................................... 68
13. Concluding reflections ...................................................................................................................................... 68
14. Recommended readings & further exploration .................................................................................................... 69
15. Q&A and open discussion.................................................................................................................................. 69
Guest Lecture: Van Moer Logistics .............................................................................................................................. 71
1. Van Moer Logistics .............................................................................................................................................. 71
2. Our sustainability Journey (The Perfect Flow) ........................................................................................................ 72
3. Decarbonisation of Road Transport ...................................................................................................................... 77
2
,LESSON 1 – SUSTAINABILITY
PRACTICAL
• Lesson overview
o Ethics and morality
o Sustainability topics
o Guest lectures
o Business game (decision pending)
➔ Lessons on Monday (recorded) but possibly not on March 17th.
• Requirements
o Written examination without oral presentation (no surprises)
▪ Closed book
▪ Multiple-choice (without gambling correction)
▪ Open question
o Other assessment methods
▪ Written assignment in group
o First assessment period:
▪ Exam: 15/20 points
▪ Group paper on 5 out of 20 points (typically groups consist of 5 students)
▪ Not taking part in all assessment components (group paper and exam) will result in no grade for
the first assessment period.
o Second assessment period - students that fail the course in the first exam period (June) are referred to
the second assessment period (August/September):
▪ Exam 15/20 points
▪ Individual assignment on 5 out of 20 points (instead of a group paper)
▪ The marks for the component that you did pass will be transferred to the second assessment
period, unless you appeal against this. In this way, in the second term you only have to retake the
part you failed before.
• Example exam questions
o Give different approaches to cases, apply this theory to this case, …
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
• Definitions - SUSTAINABILITY
o Sustainability is maximizing the added value of your activities for as many stakeholders as possible and
minimizing the waste of resources, financial resources, time and talent.
– Hans Verboven
▪ Lean management approach
• = a mindset
• Minimize waste, reducing all forms of waste (also for example waste of time) and
maximize the client value
• Wasting talent is also a thing, you can waste your resources by letting people do things
below their level and capabilities
o Human capital
▪ Maximize value for the stakeholders
3
, o Corporate social responsibility is a continuous process of improvement, whereby organizations
voluntarily incorporate economic, environmental and social considerations in an integrated manner
throughout their business operations. Stakeholders consultation is an important part of this process.
– MVO Vlaanderen
▪ Keep your stakeholders in mind! We don’t live on our own island, you have a responsibility to
others
o 80% Sustainable business optimization
20% Sustainable business innovation
▪ Business model innovation = innovation of a classic business model, for example with product
as a service solutions
▪ Incremental innovation = step by step improvement, you don’t really notice, until the moment
you look back at history (→ sustainable business optimization)
▪ Sustainable business innovation = when you have a great business idea
o = CSR (corporate social responsability) (= MVO, maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen)
▪ Responsibility of companies to act social
• Sustatool
o = optimization tool
o Addresses sustainability as business model optimization
▪ Improving a lot of things in terms of product service excellence, operational excellence and
organizational excellence
o Interesting way to look at how an organization organizes itself
• Sustainability = optimization + innovation
• Sustainability is being the solution instead of the problem
o Economic and social values are complementary.
o Companies have the knowhow, the organizations and the resources to influence the business in a
positive way as no NGO or foundation can influence it.
o Companies have the biggest impact in issues/domains which are related to their core business.
o Each company should identify a specific set of issues on which there is an impact on the value chain.
o The solution for all future problems will be found by innovative socially responsible companies in a free
market system. Governments will play but a small role!
o Sustainable growth is better growth
▪ Sustain = it keeps on going, you can sustain it
4
