ETHICS & GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Dr. Amar KJR Nayak

Dr. Nayak is a tenured full time Professor of Strategic Management at the Xavier Institute of Management, Xavier University Bhubaneswar. He has been the NABARD Chair Professor for two terms and now the Chairperson of the Centre for Sustainable Ecological Systems at XIMB. https://xub.edu.in/cses/ Prof. Nayak engages in research, teaching and policy advice on transition strategies for rebuilding sustainable ecological systems.

Dr. Nayak’s research primarily has been towards understanding asymmetries in human actions and the antecedent issues of control and freedom. The key assumption of this analysis has been all human actions are either asymmetry generating actions or asymmetry reduction actions. Among other research methodologies, he largely adopts action research from an ‘all interacting dynamic systems science perspective’ in both rural and industrial ecosystems to test his hypothesis and theories. He has been involved in various action research projects on sustainability of Organizations, Institutions, Production (primary-secondary-tertiary), Governance, Ecology and Relationships in small ecosystems with research grants from various national and international bodies. He has published over 100 journal articles, cases, monographs, books, and research reports so far.


Dr. Nayak teaches and trains graduate students, doctoral students, development leaders, corporate leaders, government officials and administrative bureaucrats on Research Methodologies and Transition Strategies for Sustainability (10 Levels). He has been an advisor to various organizations and institutions such as Government of India, various State Governments, FAO-UN, UNDP, World Bank, NABARD, BIRD, NIAM, DMI, Corporations, Foundations, and Not for Profit Organizations. He has widely travelled to and has lived in different parts of the world including Asia, Europe, North America and South America for studies, lectures, seminars, and conferences. He is currently also a practising ecological farmer.


For further details, please visit : https://xub.edu.in/cses/index.html

  1. Course Objectives

Sustainability of Organizations has been an issue of great concern to top leadership of organizations and institutions in the 21st Century. This course will help students understand and deliberate on the foundations of principles, values, ethics, and governance that can facilitate sustainability or the long-term survival and prosperity of organizations.

Without the above orientation, the managers or executives of modern organizations may not have the orientation and bearing to achieve corporate success and a fulfilling professional life.

2. Student Learning Outcomes

As a result of succeeding in this course, executive students will be able to achieve the following objectives.

  • Learning Outcome 1: Understand the fundamentals of sustainability and appreciate the significance of intergenerational perspectives of an organization.

  • Learning Outcome 2: Understand the significance of inter-connections, interdependence of an organization to other entities in an ecosystem and perspective of all interacting systems dynamics.

  • Learning Outcome 3: Get a glimpse on how to redraw the world of corporations towards building sustainable communities and holistic economic engagements that is how could firms transition from a linearized model to circular model of production and organization.

3. Organization & Delivery of the Course

The first 6 sessions are basic introduction to the context of business world, the contradictions and dilemmas on fundamental beliefs, values, language and practices principles sustainability and the trends of global corporations that are embracing the values, principles of sustainable development goals through SDG Compass and Circular Economy models.

The next 8 sessions using the moral foundations and principles to understand sustainability. The following 5 sessions bring in the rational, scientific and systems science principles and foundations to understand sustainability in general and corporations in particular. The last session synthesis the different philosophical foundations and principles to get an overall ethical and governance principles for building sustainable organizations of the future.

The sessions shall adopt the dialectic method for discussions and analysis of principles and values. The readings for the course shall include articles, cases, videos, and book chapters. The sessions shall also include classroom exercises to understand and appreciate the core concepts behind the philosophical foundations of ethics and governance for sustainability.

A live term project shall be an important part of learning process where the concepts and principles discussed and deliberated in the class can be observed or violated in the live project. Through the project students are expected to study the stages and processes of implementation and consequences of the approach on the corporation in the medium to long term period.

4. Course Resources

Text Book

  • Robert M Grant (2015). Contemporary Strategy Analysis: Text and Cases, Edition, 9th Edition.

Additional References

  • Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: Free Press, 1980.

  • Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good strategy, bad strategy: The difference and why it matters. New York: Crown Business.

5. Live Project

The term assignment can be chosen from any one of the following themes:

  1. SDG Compass: Analyze the value chain of a company/corporation using the SDG Compass and suggest recommendation to the organization.

  2. Circular System of Production and Organization: Pick up any case/organization from either ‘for profit’ or ‘not for profit’ organizations (in primary or secondary or tertiary sector) that follows circular system of production and organization and assess its sustainability performance.

Depending on the situation and convenience, a team of two to three students can jointly undertake this assignment.

The final report shall be within 20 pages (12 font size, Times Roman, 1.5 spacing), including the references. The report is to be accompanied with a similarity test report. XIMB library can be contacted to get the similarity test report.

6. Evaluation

Class Participation & Quizzes: 20%

Live Project/Term Paper: 40%

End Term Examination: 40%