Dr Yally Avrahampour

This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange, MSc in Management (1 Year Programme) and MSc in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply:

Places on oversubscribed courses will be allocated via a random ballot process with priority given to students with the course in their Programme Regulations, followed by other Department of Management students, then students from elsewhere in the school. Providing you apply before the Department deadline of 10am on Monday 28 September 2026, the time you applied will not be taken into account. Please be aware that places on high demand courses cannot be guaranteed. By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student’s chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.

For further information and updates on course availability during Week 1, please see the Department of Management Electives Moodle page.

Deadline for application:

Please apply by 10am on Monday 28 September 2026 with your first course choices. No allocations are made before this date and time.

For queries contact:

Please view the Department of Management Electives page for contact emails.

The need for an environmentally sustainable economy addressing the challenges posed by climate change is well-documented. It is also generally agreed that business has an important part to play if we are to transition to an environmentally sustainable economy. As a result, enterprises seeking to balance between multiple objectives such as financial return and either environmental or social impact, or both, have emerged, creating an important research area in management. Managing the Environmentally Sustainable Enterprise focuses on the management of organizations with multiple objectives, in three sections.

The first section introduces integrated management: an approach to management in which sustainability is integrated into strategy. After considering market failures, notably externalities and public goods, and tragedy of the commons problems, we consider Porter & Kramer’s shared value theory; stakeholder governance theory and the natural resource based view.

In the second section we consider innovation as enabling the alignment of the multiple objectives of enterprises relating to financial return and environmental impact. We consider forms of innovation including new product and service development, sustainable business model innovation and tools such as design thinking and systems thinking.  

In the third section we consider a range of contemporary themes relevant to the context of the sustainable enterprise, including the energy transition, circular and regenerative business, management of sustainable supply chains and environmental management systems such as ISO 14001. The course introduces a practical perspective by making use of external speakers and group projects that require students to provide advice to a company regarding a real-world challenge relating to environmental sustainability.   

15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.

In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.

Essay (1500 words) in Winter Term Week 5.

• Amis, J., Barney, J. Mahoney, J. T. & Wang, H. (2020). “From the Editor: Why we need a theory of stakeholder governance - and why this is a hard problem.” Academy of Management Review. Vol. 45, No. 3:499-503. 
• Bansal, P. & Hunter, T. (2003) “Strategic Explanations for the Early Adoption of ISO 14001” Journal of Business Ethics Vol. 46: 289–299 
• Barney, J. B. (2018) “Why Resource‐Based Theory’s Model of Profit Appropriation must Incorporate a Stakeholder Perspective.” Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 39: No. 8: 3305–3325. 
• Battiliana, J. (2008) “Agency and Institutions: The Enabling Role of Individuals’ Social Position” Organization Vol. 13, No. 5:653-676 
• Bridoux, F.  ;Stoelhorst, J. W. (2022) “Stakeholder governance: solving the collective action problems in joint value creation” Academy of Management Review Vol. 47 No. 2:214-236 
• Epstein, M. J. (2008) Making Sustainability Work, Greenleaf Publishing 
• Hart, S. (1995) “A Natural Resource Based View of the Firm” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20: 986-1014. 
• Marshall, J. D. & Toffel, M. W. (2005) “Framing the Elusive Concept of Sustainability: A Sustainability Hierarchy” Environmental Science and Technology Vol. 39, No. 3:673-682 
• Ostrom, E. (1990) Governing the commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action Cambridge University Press 
• Porter, M. E. & Kramer, M. (2011) “Creating Shared Value: How to reinvent capitalism—and unleash a wave of innovation and growth” Harvard Business Review Vol. 89, No. 1-2:1-17 
• Tietenberg, T. & Lewis, Lynne (2018) Environmental and Natural Resource Economics 

Report (30%) in Winter Term Week 7.

This component of assessment includes an element of group work.

Essay (70%, 1500 words) in Winter Term Week 11.