Developing and assessing systems thinking for sustainability in a competency-based extra-curricular course at a business school

Keywords: systems thinking for sustainability, course development, single case study

Abstract: Many sustainability challenges we face today are perceived as so-called “wicked problems”, because the elements that constitute them are so interconnected that it is impossible to identify single causes or solutions. To address such problems effectively, systems thinking has been considered highly relevant. However, the literature on how to design competence-oriented courses addressing systems thinking in management education is still scarce. Based on a widely applied framework of key competencies for sustainability and a typology for assessing such competencies, this paper examines how systems thinking for sustainability can be developed and assessed in business management education. We address this question through an exploratory case study of a voluntary and extra-curricular course at FHWien der WKW.