Responsible Leadership and Sustainable Human Resource Management

About

This course aims to introduce students to the concepts of Responsible Leadership (RL) and Sustainable Human Resource Management. The reciprocal relationship between leading people in organizations and Corporate Social Responsibility is explored. Sustainability’s meaning, relevance, importance, and contribution to organizational performance is discussed. The course highlights the role of responsible leadership as the decisive factor for individual, organizational and social growth.

Organizations have always had a key role to play in societies. Social and environmental issues, as well as shared accountability for our collective future, call for a turn in the way companies approach and operationalize their strategic planning and everyday functioning. The importance of leadership and people management for the ESG-based operation of current businesses cannot be overestimated.

Sustainable Human Resource Management is seen as both a “means” to reach corporate sustainability objectives of the firm, and an “end” in designing human resource management practices and processes that enhance human (e.g., employee wellbeing) and environmental (e.g., reforestation projects) sustainability (Aust et al., 2020). Human Resource Management practices impact not only employees but also the human, social, and environmental contexts of organizations (Renwick et al., 2016), and people in organizations play a vital role in the effectiveness and success of a company’s sustainability strategy (Cohen et al., 2012). Responsible leadership, on the other hand, shifts the focus of leadership responsibilities by broadening the view on leadership from a narrow leader–subordinate relationship to the wider leader–stakeholder relationships (Pless & Maak, 2011). On top of its ethical foundations, responsible leadership has been treated as a source of extra economic value for the firm (Siegel, 2009).

Based on the principles of Problem Based Learning (Barrows, 1996; Schmidt et al., 2011) and following the Evidence-Based Management (Dietz et al., 2014) approach, the Responsible Leadership and Sustainable Human Resource Management course actively engages students in learning with a dual objective: think and act. Pragmatic competences development frameworks, like the Internal Development Guide (Ives et al., 2023), form the foundation for student’s development. Students take a hands-on approach by working on real-life issues in order to apply the theoretical knowledge gained in class. The work is done in small teams and is presented to the class. A personal development plan following the principles of the Intentional Change Theory (Voyatzis, 2006) is also prepared by each of the participants

Course leader

Aristotelis Alexopoulos

Target group

Enrolled as an undergraduate student or holder of an undergraduate diploma, including those pursuing advanced studies or professional careers.

Participants are expected to have basic theoretical knowledge in the fields of management and leadership

Course aim

By the end of the course, the students are expected to:
• Introduce key issues related to the meaning and operationalization of Sustainable Human Resource Management.
• Present the reciprocal relationship between Human Resource Management and, internal and external, ESG strategy.
• Discuss the relationship between Sustainable Human Resource Management and organizational efficiency.
• Outline the key elements of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy for inclusive and respectful work environments.
• Present and discuss main aspects of responsible leadership and its contribution towards healthy, supportive, successful and productive organizational and societal settings.
• Demonstrate the importance of acquired knowledge implementation or real-life scenarios help participants in developing own personal development plans

Fee info