Undergraduate Course: Organising for Social Change: Creating Value and Impact (BUST08037)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is intended for students who are interested in developing a critical understanding of social enterprises and other mission-driven 3rd sector organisations whose primary purpose is to address social inequality and/or environmental sustainability. Students will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of both opportunities and challenges facing these organisations with particular emphasis on how they create value, assess social impact and communicate with crucial stakeholders. In addition to relevant theories and concepts, the course will engage students through discussions with 3rd sector managers, reflective approaches to writing, and an interdisciplinary group project with 3-5 days 'in the field' at a 3rd sector organisation.
This Level 8 course is also open to year 1 students. |
| Course description |
In recent years we have seen substantial growth in the number of '3rd sector' organisations such as social enterprises, B-corporations and other organisational forms whose primary organisational purpose is to further social and environmental objectives. Increasing interest is evidenced by the growth of events such as SE Career Days, Makeyourmark#, and student societies such as FreshSight. This course covers a range of issues relevant to 3rd sector organisations including:
1. Why the 3rd sector? The history and context of how and why 3rd sector organisations serve needs that are unmet by the private and governmental sectors. How do these organisations create value and generate impact for the community?
2. Understanding the stakeholder environment. These organisations compete in a complex political economic environment of diverse and often conflicting stakeholder demands. Understanding this environment is crucial for survival and growth.
3. Current issues in the 3rd sector. 3rd sector managers consistently face a number of issues including: procuring and allocating resources, measuring social impact and stakeholder communications.
This course has several features including:
(a) Learning engagement
i. Practical contextualisation - discussions with guest speakers from Edinburgh's 3rd sector
ii. Experiential learning - students will be required to volunteer at least 3 days in a 3rd sector organisation
iii. Workshops - to allow for more engaging discussion.
b) Reflective learning - students will make regular blog entries to reflect on their progress in understanding the 3rd sector, make sense of their experience within their 3rd sector organisation and challenges faced in their groupwork project.
c) Groupwork project - students will work in multidisciplinary groups to do a research project on some issue or topic of relevance to the 3rd sector, which will be delivered in a video format.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of opportunities and challenges facing 3rd sector organisations.
- Demonstrate a capacity to work in groups and resolve difficulties.
- Display an ability to reflect upon one¿s experience and its significance to learning.
- Be able to critically analyse the stakeholder environment of an organisation engaged in social enterprise.
- Demonstrate the ability to gather, synthesise and analyse information to develop a compelling argument.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research & Enquiry: An enhanced ability to conduct independent research in a 3rd sector social innovation organization.
Personal & Intellectual Autonomy: Students will gain some understanding of how to reflect and analyse their experiences in a host organisation and also to synthesise these understandings.
Personal Effectiveness: Students will gain some understanding of techniques for personal effectiveness through engagement with readings in order to complete quizzes, and the need to manage people and process in order to develop the group project.
Communication skills: An ability to communicate through the medium of video, written blogs and between group members through a virtual environment.
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| Keywords | Social enterprise,strategy,governance,3rd sector,social innovation,stakeholders |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Winston Kwon
Tel: (0131 6)51 5980
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Rebecca Speedie
Tel: (0131 6)50 3825
Email: |
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