Special Issues in Responsible Management (5cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

The 5-credit course is divided into three parts:

Individual- and work community-level 0,5 credits
Organizational-level special topics in responsible leadership and management 2 credits
Global phenomena 2,5 credits

Objective

Purpose of the course

Responsible companies, organisations and communities play a significant role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Global sustainability challenges further emphasize the management of responsibility and ethics in organisations. Managers and supervisors can promote responsibility competence and ensure the implementation of ethics in their organisations. Responsibility and ethics can be taken into account in working life as the realisation of diversity and equality, and by taking inclusion into account in the management and decision-making of work communities and by carrying out profitable business without endangering the environment. It is important to produce competence with which responsible leaders can influence society, the environment and working life, also taking into account the stakeholders of organisations.

CSR competence is a key element of modern business and organisations and taking it into account promotes the success of organisations, creates competitive advantage and wellbeing for people, environment, and society. Jamk University of Applied Sciences, School of Business is committed to the Principles of Responsible Management Education initiative (PRME), which aims to develop responsible decision-makers for future and advance sustainable development. This course primarily supports the following UN's Sustainable Development Goals: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17.

Competencies

Responsibility management skills
You have profound theoretical framework of sustainable development and you are able to evaluate and analyse and apply this critically in business development and management. You are able to solve key sustainability challenges from the perspective of business development and management by utilising research and innovation activities.

Service Business Management Competence
You are able to utilise advanced problem-solving skills and practices in management and its research.

Learning to learn
You are able to acquire, critically evaluate and produce information from the perspectives of different fields of expertise.

Working life
You are able to develop the communication and interaction culture of work communities. You promote the resilience of the work community.

Ethics
You promote the implementation of the principles and values of professional ethics. You promote diversity and accessibility. You are able to lead socially influential activities based on ethical values.

Internationality and multiculturalism
You are able to develop practices that take multiculturalism into account in your work community. You are able to anticipate the effects and opportunities of global development and phenomena. You are capable of international interaction, communication and development of operations in your own field of expertise.

Sustainable development
You are able to apply the knowledge and future visions of sustainable development comprehensively as a basis for sustainable solutions. You are able to analyse and assess systemic dependencies of complex multidisciplinary problems and the different dimensions of solutions. You are able to manage the search, implementation and establishment of sustainable solutions and operating models in your work community.

Content

Sustainable development theory, systemicity, sociocultural responsibility, climate change, circular economy, biodiversity, diversity in working life, global wicked challenges affecting business and society.

Location and time

The course begins on January 19th, 2026, and ends on May, 20th, 2026.
The course is scheduled online study course.
You will study according to the schedule provided in Moodle.

You will find the detailed schedule in the Moodle learning environment, which opens on January 12th, 2026.

Attendance will be checked three weeks after the course start date. Participation in the course requires that you submit the first orientation assignment by February 8th, 2026.

Materials

Relevant literature related to the chosen phenomenon, recommended articles and other research literature for the course, as well as video and webinar recordings, research reports, and statistical data.

Teaching methods

Special Issues in Responsible Management is and online course. You study in the Moodle learning environment. In Moodle you will find course instructions, schedules, assignments and study materials. You participate in the introductory webinar of the study course, which includes the orientation and introductory lecture of the study course. You participate also three other webinars.

You will conduct independent information gathering and apply what you have learned in learning assignments done in group works or individually.

The 5-credit course is divided into three parts:
1. Individual- and work community-level 0,5 credits
2. Organizational-level special topics in responsible leadership and management 2 credits
3. Global phenomena 2,5 credits

Learning tasks:
1. Individual- and work community-level (discussion forum) 0,5 credits
2. Organizational-level special topics in responsible leadership and management (Blog) 2 credits
3. Global phenomena (mini-article) 2,5 credits

Your studies begin by familiarizing yourself with the course content, objectives, and completion requirements.
As an orientation assignment, you are asked to reflect on your thinking around responsibility and your personal values as a leader, and to highlight a phenomena of responsibility.

By submitting the task by February 8, 2026, you confirm your participation in the course.

Guidance
You will receive both qualitative and quantitative assessment and feedback on individual and group assignments.

Feedback
You will also provide mid-term and final feedback on the course.

Employer connections

Networking with fellow students, participating in the “Phenomena of Responsible Leadership” alumni event, and engaging in learning tasks within organizations.

International connections

Global phenomena as the perspective of analysis. You can utilize international research literature in terms of international aspects.

Completion alternatives

You can familiarise yourself with 18§ of Jamk's degree regulations when considering the recognition and recognition of course competence based on your previously acquired competence and the objectives of the course.

There are two main ways of accreditation of studies completed at a higher education institution: replacement and inclusion. Replacement means the replacement of studies included in the curriculum with higher education studies of at least the same level (EQF/NQF 6 or EQF/NQF7) and with similar learning objectives completed elsewhere in the same field of study. Inclusion means the inclusion of higher education studies of at least the same level (EQF/NQF 6 or EQF/NQF7) completed elsewhere as part of the degree.
An accreditation decision will be made of any re-placement and inclusion. Recognition of informal learning, prior to or during the studies refers to the ability of the student to analyse the competences they have acquired and to perceive them in the context of the learning objectives of the study module or course in such a way that they are able to describe and substantiate their competences. The recognition of competence acquired in other ways means approval of the competence acquired by the student by way of an assessment decision. The student has the right to apply for accreditation and recognition of prior learning but no obligation to do so. This does not apply to studies completed as part of the degree as cross-institutional studies or during international student exchange, the accreditation of which the student will agree upon as part of their personal learning plan. The student may apply for accreditation of higher education studies completed elsewhere (open studies or another institute of higher education) or recognition of competence they have acquired in other ways.

Student workload

Your indicative use of time during the 5-credit course is 135 working hours, which is divided as follows:

Online lectures and webinars 5 hours
Familiarization with study material 57 hours
Individual and group assignment 70 hours

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

You recognize (1) and define (2) the key concepts.

You justify the choice of your topic from the perspective of developing your own competence and/or work community. The topic you choose is challenging enough from the point of view of your interest. (1-2)

You utilise randomly chosen, irrelevant, national and secondary sources as a background for development. (1)

For the background of development, you choose sources that are mainly domestic originals. (2)

IIn your output, you demonstrate competence in the chosen topic, but there are shortcomings in the consistent presentation of the output. (1)

In your output, you demonstrate competence in the chosen subject area consistently, but do not adequately illustrate the presentation of the topic related to the phenomenon. (2)

Assessment criteria, good (3)

You use the key concepts in terms of the phenomenon fluently and correctly. (3)

You analyse and compare the key concepts of the phenomenon and summarise them. (4)

You justify the choice of your topic from the perspective of organisational and/or industry development. The topic you choose is challenging enough from the perspective of your interest. (3-4).

You choose sources relevant to the phenomenon as background for the development. You use current, reliable and partly international original literature. (3)

You demonstrate expertise in the chosen topic with an illustrated and consistent output. (3)

You demonstrate expertise in your chosen topic with justification, illustrative and consistent output. (4)

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

You master the key concepts you have consistently defined. You examine the relationships between the key concepts. (5)

You justify your choice of topic from the perspectives of industry, working life development and societal significance. The topic you choose is challenging enough from your point of view of interest. (5)

In terms of the topic, you choose mainly international research articles as background for the development. You utilise diverse literature relevant to the topic. (5)

You demonstrate special expertise in your chosen topic with justification, illustrated and consistent output, and produce new perspectives on the topic in terms of the phenomenon. (5)

Qualifications

Corporate Social Responsibility or equivalent competence.

Further information

Assessment Methods

The competences you gain in the course will be qualitatively and quantitatively assessed based on the learning objectives using various methods such as communal learning in webinars, feedback from the teacher, and the student's self-assessment.

The assessment of learning is developmental.
The assessment is based on learning objectives, qualitative, criterion-referenced, and self-assessment by the student plays an important role.