Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
- Course description
Some companies go even further, fully integrating social and environmental concerns into their core priorities, often reshaping their business models around "strong sustainability" goals. However, beyond the rhetoric, it is crucial to examine these models closely-not only to understand their underlying principles and evaluate their potential-but also to identify their limitations and the obstacles they encounter.
- Content
Part 1 - Conceptual and theoretical background
1 - Introduction - market and capitalist firms failures
2 - Weak and strong sustainability
3 - Social and sustainable enterprises
4 - Financing Mix and Financing Social and Sustainable enterprises
5 - Governance of Social and Sustainable entreprises
6 - Business Models and strong sustainability features
Part II - Applications
6 - Inclusive economy
7 - Circular and regenerative economy
8 - Sharing economy
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of this course, students will have been specifically brought to:
- Understand the economic rationality of sustainable business models
- Understand the challenges of new sustainable business models
- Establish a strategy (from a sustainable perspective)
- Translate the strategy operationally and think about its implementation
- Implement performance monitoring in a holistic approach
- Communicate effectively on the business project
- Adapt its managerial practices to a constantly changing world, developing both its entrepreneurial spirit and its ability to understand economic, social and environmental issues
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
- Students must be able to express themselves in French or English and must be able to read fluently French and English.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Learning activities include
- Conceptual and theoretical presentations by the teacher (powerpoint)
- Readings and discussion in class
- Case studies prepared in the classroom
- Corporate visits and meetings with social entrepreneurs and/or entrepreneurs committed to the strong sustainability - Awesome Tour
- Participation in the "Nourrir les campus" festival as part of "Nourrir Liège" (April 2025)
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
The course is mainly face-to-face. Students will also be invited to prepare sessions by home working.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
The course will use the virtual interface Lol @, on which will be mailed:
- PowerPoint presentations of the various sessions,
- A bibliography containing books and reference articles will be suggested for each topic
- the cases presented by the students.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
- Remote
oral exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
In first session, the overall assessment will combine three elements:
- An oral exam (60%)
- Group assignment (30%)
- Continuous assessment (10%)
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The course is given in the second term, on Thursday afternoons (1pm-4pm) at N1a(room 49) i1st floor , rue Louvrex.
1st class: February 6, 2025
Contacts
Prof. Sybille Mertens, Centre d'Economie Sociale - HEC Université de Liège - N1d 5th floor- smertens@uliege.be
Secretary (Mrs Jourdan) : nathalie.jourdan@uliege.be
Assistant : Romain David - r.david@uliege.be