Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Master in management, professional focus in Social Enterprise Management and Transition | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course critically interrogates how performance is defined, measured, and managed in a world facing systemic ecological and social crises. Traditional understandings of performance, centered on financial metrics, operational efficiency, and growth, are increasingly misaligned with the realities of the Anthropocene.
In the context of a strong sustainability transition, this course explores how global performance can evolve into a transformative and regenerative practice. Students will engage with a plurality of frameworks and tools that challenge conventional metrics and promote social, environmental, and intergenerational justice.
As part of the Master's specialization in "Social Enterprise and Transitio"n, the course emphasizes applied learning, interdisciplinary perspectives, and systemic thinking to equip future leaders with the ability to rethink value creation and accountability.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Identify and critique dominant performance ideologies in management
- Map extended responsibility across global value chains and understand how it reshapes global performance logics
- Integrate diverse epistemologies of value and care from global perspectives
- Analyze and design tools for global performance reporting
- Apply transformational frameworks (donut economics, theory of change) to real-world cases
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students must have completed prior coursework related to strong sustainability, systems thinking, or sustainability transitions.
Co-requisite: students must be enrolled in at least one other course within the 'Social Enterprise and Transition' specialization.
Students should be prepared to read and reflect critically in English, and engage with interdisciplinary content and alternative worldviews.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is structured around flipped-classroom pedagogy and low-tech methods. Activities include:
- Asynchronous readings, videos, and reflective prompts
- In-class debates, mapping exercises, and co-creation labs
- Critical discussion of ESG tools and decolonial theories
- Framework design challenges (dashboards, ToC)
- Optional participation in the Global Social Economy Forum
- Integration with the WISE Entranam case (in interaction with the course "Outils pour le management des entreprises sociales et de la Transition")
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
In-person learning complemented by asynchronous preparation.
Sessions are conducted in a low-tech, collaborative format using analog tools (kraft paper, whiteboards, etc.) and dialogic methods.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- LOL@
Further information:
All useful course materials will either be made available via the Lola platform or distributed in paper format at the beginning of the session.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Assessment is formative, reflective, and applied:
- Learning journal entries on key concepts (individual)
- Participation in workshops and co-creation labs (group)
- Theory of Change sketch and donut-based strategy mapping (group or individual)
- Final written exam based on an integrative reflection linked to WISE Entranam
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
This course is part of the Master's specialization in Social Enterprise and Transition. It prepares students for advanced engagement with transformational change in business and society.
The course is taught in English but requires at least a B2 level in French for passive understanding (reading materials, following presentations, understanding guest speakers), as some course content and guest contributions may be delivered in French.
Participation in external forums and collaboration with field actors is encouraged.
The course takes place on Fridays from 8:30 to 10:00 AM (N1d, room 0/88) and Mondays from 1:00 to 2:30 PM (N1a, room 224).
The first session will be held on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 8:30 AM.
The detailed session plan will be provided at the beginning of the course.
Contacts
Professor Virginie Xhauflair: v.xhauflair@uliege.be
Teaching assistant: Romain David r.david@uliege.be
Pedagogical support: Isaline Thirion I.Thirion@uliege.be