Responsible Leadership

2-Day Certificate Program

Upcoming Dates: July 18-19, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Cost: $2,800
Location/Format: UH Campus

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Day 1: Ethical Leadership and Stakeholder Strategy

Ethical leadership enhances an organization's bottom line by boosting its reputation and legitimacy in a competitive environment. However, many firms struggle with developing ethical leadership effectively. This course is designed to help professionals, strategic leaders, and business consultants understand how to integrate ethics into their decision-making processes to improve firm performance. Participants will gain a fundamental understanding of stakeholder management, learn strategies for analyzing solutions and alternatives, and implement ethical decision-making in a business context. The course will also cover various ethical issues and controversies related to technology, employees, and consumer stakeholders, as well as potential strategies for developing ethical leadership for the future of business.

• Module #1 Ethical Principles and Stakeholder Management

  Ethical leadership is crucial in creating responsible business strategies and activities that support better organizational performance and sustainability. This session will cover the key concepts and fundamental principles of management ethics. We will discuss examples of business ethics scandals and their implications for firm strategies and performance. You will learn strategies for making ethical judgments, developing positive ethical behaviors of moral leaders, and performing ethics checks and tests in your organization. Since business ethical issues often affect multiple stakeholders such as employees, customers, and investors, you will also learn the stakeholder management framework, as well as opportunities and challenges in managing firms' stakeholders effectively.

• Module #2 Ethical Reasoning Process and Crisis/Risk Management

  No single business solution can universally solve ethical dilemmas, as each situation is unique. In this session, you will learn a step-by-step process for conducting an ethical analysis of your organization using a stakeholder approach. We will discuss how to identify ethical issues and determine the key stakeholders involved, analyze potential conflicts and trade-offs between their interests, and develop strategies to address the ethical challenges in the organization. As ethical issues can pose a high level of risk and threaten a company's legitimacy and reputation, you will also learn practical strategies for effective crisis management. You will have the opportunity to apply the ethical reasoning process and crisis management techniques to a real business case.

• Module #3 Leading to Sustainability Ethics

  Strategic leaders have a responsibility to address the interests and demands of various stakeholders. In this session, you will learn about business ethics and the challenges related to the technological environment, including digital waste and transformation, data privacy, and cybercrime. We will also discuss biotechnology and bioethics and how they affect consumer stakeholders and the natural environment. Furthermore, we will examine business ethics related to employee treatment as well as marketing and advertising practices. We will use several business cases to illustrate ethical issues and discuss strategies to overcome those challenges to safeguard firms’ legitimacy and reputation.

By the end of Day 1:

Participants will have a greater understanding of the following:

• Key principles of ethical leadership and stakeholder management in the organization.
• Identifying situations in which unethical conduct might be likely.
• Learning a structured process for conducting an ethical reasoning analysis.
• Describing the process for dealing with an ethical crisis in the organization.
• Developing strategies for the ethical issues related to technology, employees, and customers.

Day 2: Sustainability Leadership: People, Planet, and Profits

In today's world, sustainability is more crucial than ever for all stakeholders, including shareholders, customers, employees, the community, and the environment. Challenges related to the environment, social responsibility, and governance (ESG) have become critical strategic issues for companies. As stakeholders are becoming increasingly aware of sustainability issues, business leaders must adapt quickly for the benefit of their organizations, stakeholders, and environment while also pursuing growth and profits. This course aims to provide strategic leaders and business professionals with a holistic understanding of the key concepts, frameworks, and principles associated with corporate sustainability and social responsibility. Participants will learn how to integrate sustainability/ESG issues into their organization. This course will be useful for those who aspire to become effective change agents and responsible leaders who want to develop critical thinking skills to address sustainability and ESG challenges in the 21st century.

• Module #1 Corporate Purpose and Sustainability Strategy

  Business managers and owners are facing increasing stakeholder demands to incorporate sustainability and ESG practices in their organizations. This session aims to introduce the fundamental principles of sustainability and ESG strategies. We will explore the "Triple Bottom Line" concept, which considers the impact of business activities on people, the planet, and profits. We will examine the arguments for and against pursuing ESG and sustainability activities and their critical impacts on a firm's financial performance, reputation, and innovation outcomes. By the end of the session, you will better understand the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

• Module #2 Enterprise-level Thinking and Social Driver of Sustainability

  In this session, you will learn about the strategic formulation and implementation process for corporate sustainability. You will learn to analyze sustainability and ESG issues at an enterprise-level. We will focus on the social aspect of ESG and discuss its implications for organizational performance by examining real business cases. You will also learn about effective strategies, precautions, controversies, and best practices in conducting social, community, and philanthropic initiatives for organizations.

• Module #3 Strategies for Tackling Environmental Challenge

  Environmental and climate change issues can significantly impact firms' business operations and long-term prospects. To become responsible future leaders, you will learn about the key trends, potential solutions, and responses to environmental, climate change, and biodiversity issues that affect business and society worldwide. You will gain fundamental knowledge of why we need to shift from a linear business model (take–make–waste) to a circular economy business model using tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This session will use real business cases to analyze different options firms can take when confronting environmental challenges.

• Module #4 Becoming a Sustainability Change Agent in Your Organization

  In our final session, we will discuss socially responsible investing (SRI) and its impact on businesses, society, and the environment. We will explore the issue of "greenwashing" and provide practical strategies to avoid it. You will also learn about various activities and tips to enhance ESG and sustainability practices to build a more sustainable organization. Lastly, we'll discuss the future of business, including sustainability-related careers and their implications for corporate managers, strategic leaders, and consultants.

By the end of Day 2:

Participants will have a greater understanding of the following:

• Key components in corporate sustainability and ESG.
• Major trends for the future of business in achieving sustainability.
• Strategies to enhance company response to social and environmental challenges.
• Learning practical tips to build a sustainability-focused organization.
• Learning effective business models and tools that support the success of ESG efforts and better organizational performance.

Who Should Attend

• Seasoned executives, directors, and strategic leaders who want to understand the impact of sustainability and the future trends in ESG.
• Middle managers who want to learn how to integrate sustainability and ESG efforts in their organizations.
• Individual contributors, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who want to gain fundamental knowledge of developing an effective sustainability business model.

Instructor