Study Programmes 2015-2016
GEST3024-1  
Social Enterprise and Sustainable Development
Duration :
30h Th
Number of credits :
Master in multilingual communication (120 ECTS)4
Bachelor in psychology and education : general3
Lecturer :
Sybille Mertens de Wilmars
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
Course description
The economic and financial crisis, the growing inequality and the prospects of climate change are arguing for a fundamental change in the economic system. Through their activities and the choices they make, some enterprises are more directly inspiring for this transition. They are called "social enterprises". They fit totally in the perspective of sustainable development when they feature, sometimes as a priority, the social and environmental concerns in their economic objectives. This is usually expressed in their interactions with their stakeholders (employees, suppliers, consumers, financiers, civil society, etc..) This course provides students with a reading for their critical analysis of firm behavior vis- à-vis its main stakeholders.
Content
1 - Systemic crisis and transition
  • Triple crisis
  • Sustainable development
  • Transition management
2 - Enterprises
  • Definition
  • Diversity of the business world
  • CSR, externalities, stakeholders
  • Social enterprises
3 - Enterprise and State
  • Regulation, multinational firms, NGOs
  • Public production, privatisation, liberalisation, nonmarket sector
4 - Enterprise and consumers
  • Solvent demand and exclusion
  • Asymetry of information and trust goods
5 - Enterprise and financers
  • Revenues, property and power 
  • Financing-mix and sustainable development goals
  • Socially responsible investment
6 - Enterprise and workers
  • Evolution of work forms
  • Self-management
7 - Enterprise and Environment
  • Links between Economic activity and environmental degradation
  • Circular economy
8 - Synthesis
Learning outcomes of the course :
At the end of this course , students will be specifically able to :
  • Develop a critical reflection on our current production modes
  • Translate sustainable development into concrete terms of relations between the company and its stakeholders
  • Search and process information concerning the relationship between the company and its stakeholders
  • Evaluate the potential for innovation and the risks ofsocial enterprises models
These specific learning outcomes reinforce the following generic learning outcomes of our bachelor program in Economics and Management Sciences :


  • ILO 4 - know and understand the social issues within organizations
  • ILO 5 - know and understand the political issues influencing organizations
  • ILO 8 - analyze and understand the relations between the main functions in a firm, the law context and the social issues in order to solve a concrete management or economics problem
  • ILO 9 - research autonomously and methodically for the information needed to solve a problem linked to professional practice and to propose, following analysis, concrete solutions in a critical manner
  • ILO 12 - assess critically political, economic and business information at national and international levels
  • ILO 13 - develop a global vision
  • ILO 16 - communicate in writing
  • ILO 17 - identify ethical and responsible behavior in organizations and the opposite
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
  • Students must have completed an introductory course in economics and, if possible , in microeconomics and public economics
  • Students must be able to express themselves in French or English and must be able to read fluently French and English.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Learning activities include
  • Conceptual and theoretical presentations by the teacher (powerpoint)
  • Readings and discussion in class
  • Case studies prepared in the classroom
  • Corporate visits and meetings with social entrepreneurs
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
The course is organized into two parts. The first part of the course recalls the theoretical rationale of the entreprises and justify the great diversity that exists in this field (private, public, SMEs, large companies, multinationals, with profit or social purposes) . This part also describes the conceptual and theoretical foundations of sustainable development and transition. The second part is devoted to the analysis of relationships between enterprises and their key stakeholders. The analysis is complemented by cases presented by students.
Recommended or required readings :
  • A bibliography containing books and reference articles will be suggested for each topic. These documents will be made available (Lol@ or Louvrex Library).
  • Movies, company visits,
  • The course will use the virtual interface Lol @, on which will be mailed: PowerPoint presentations of the various sessions, the cases presented by the students .
Assessment methods and criteria :
The overall assessment will combine two elements:
  • Essays (6 short essays and 1 portray of social enterprise/entrepreneur) (50%)
  • A written exam (50%) in June (List of typical questions available)
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
The course takes place in the second term , Mondays from 16h to 18h at B31 (room to be confirmed) on the Sart Tilman campus . The course starts on Monday, February 1 , 2016 and ends on Monday, May 2, 2016 .
Contacts :
Sybille Mertens Cera Chair- Center for Social Economy HEC-Management School - University of Liège - B33/box 4 - 4000 Liège Tel : + 32(0) 4 366 27 51 - smertens@ulg.ac.be
All students' e-mail should mention in the subject the course code (GEST 3024).
Please contact Mrs Lovens (clovens@ulg.ac.be) to make an appointment.