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New Models Of Business In Society

School: University of Virginia (Darden)

Source: Coursera

Link: New Models Of Business In Society

Start Date: Not Yet Available

Workload: 2-3 Hours Per Week

Instructor: R. Edward Freeman

Credentials: Professor Freeman is a Business Administration and Religious Studies professor at the University of Virginia, where he teaches courses like Business Ethics and Creative Capitalism. Among his leadership roles, Freeman serves as Academic Advisor to the university’s Institute For Practical Ethics and Academic Director of Darden’s Initiative For Practical Ethics. He has also earned teaching awards at Darden, The Wharton School of Business and The University of Minnesota.

Graded: Coursera will issue a Statement of Accomplishment for students who meet course requirements.

Description: In this course, Professor Freeman shares new ideas and business models on how companies are creating value beyond the balance sheet. From conscious capitalism to philanthropy to sustainability, students will learn how businesses can go beyond serving customers and shareholders to sharing benefits with employees, partners and communities. The course includes weekly topic-based video discussions, along with optional reading assignments. At the end of the course, students will create a business model that both generates revenue and makes society better.

Review: “Short, sweet & to the point, delivered by an inspiring, passionate professor. The course may make you think about business in ways that possibly hadn’t occurred to you eg:

Have you ever thought of your customer or your suppliers as STAKEHOLDERS?

What role can business (and individuals) play in ENVIRONMENTALISM?

Is PHILANTHROPY just a PR opportunity for big businesses with big budgets or are there some genuine role models out there?” For additional reviews of this course, click here.

Additional Background: Students can also preview lectures for this course on Coursera. Stanford also offers a Sustainable Product Development course on its NovoEd platform.