| An interactive one day program designed for senior managers interested in implementing a sustainability program in their organization or individuals tasked with leading a sustainability initiative. We begin with a top-leadership perspective on sustainability: Firms have implemented sustainability programs to reduce costs, manage risks, build reputation, brand products and express values. Given the wide range of goals assigned to sustainability programs, it is important to understand the need to develop a clear vision of what will be achieved through sustainability efforts. Implementation: • Designing the mandate of a sustainability office or executive to lead new initiatives • Strategies toward incorporating external stakeholders into an on-going dialogue as a source of ideas and support • The criteria and processes by which individual projects are chosen and evaluated • Aligning vision of sustainability with the internal capabilities including marketing & operations Functional strategies designed to achieve sustainability goals: • New approaches toward internal operations that have led firms to reduce costs while decreasing their environmental footprint. • Explore the issues involved in selling and branding sustainable products, including marketing and product certification. • Examine the need to align functional strategies with broader organizational vision and strategy. Teaching Method The program is interactive designed for participants to think through the full range of issues and challenges in implementing a sustainability program within their own organization. To achieve this goal, we will use an extended case analysis of Walmart’s sustainability initiative. In partnership with the Sam M. Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas, the Darla Moore School of Business has conducted over 25 interviews within Walmart about the lessons learned from its experience in sustainability. The cases developed through this project will represent the primary course material for this program. Participants will learn about Walmart’s experience as they discuss the opportunities and challenges of implementing a sustainability program within their own organization. Here’s what you’ll learn: • Understanding the broad range of social and economic forces driving corporate sustainability (CS) programs • Communicating to stakeholders the business and social cases for a CS program; • Envisioning the possible range of goals that a CS program might encompass; • Identify actionable goals that are most appropriate for your organization; • Design an implementation plan to achieve sustainability goals and objectives. |