Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University is proud of the rich diversity of inquiry around research and teaching that is relevant to management students, practitioners and society at large.
The Weatherhead School’s accredited offerings on sustainable value and appreciative inquiry are among the best in the world and have firsthand access to the pioneering work and field research of the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit and its experts.
Explore our programs and courses related to the Fowler Center.
Undergraduate and Graduate-Level Courses
Experience in Business Problem Solving for Sustainability (MGMT 198)
This experiential learning course introduces first and second-year students to the experiential learning model, problem solving methodology, the value of building strong client relations in the business world, and the ways in which sustainability topics are addressed in organizations. Working in teams, students are exposed to a real-life business project in the sustainability realm, meeting both a set deadline and client expectations and culminating in a live presentation to the client at the end of the semester.
In this course students will have the opportunity to:
- Develop an understanding of the experiential learning model and apply the components of our problem-solving methodology
- Work within a team structure to meet client expectations and deliver a professional oral presentation tailored to the audience
- Build and apply an understanding of contemporary sustainability problems facing organizations
Experience in Business Consulting for Sustainable Impact (MGMT 396)
Experience in Business Consulting for Sustainable Impact is a real-world learning opportunity for undergraduate students to step out of the traditional classroom and work with company leaders. It is an immersive, applied learning project, providing an exciting and rigorous educational platform to learn what makes a truly sustainable business, while engaging and assisting the business community to become more sustainable in their practices.
In this course you will have the opportunity to:
- Develop a professional working relationship with a client
- Contribute to team success in meeting client expectations
- Learn about and apply knowledge of contemporary sustainability issues organizations are facing to consult with clients looking to better measure their positive impact
- Meet your GER Capstone requirement and/or Local and Global Engagement Perspective requirement.
Managing in a Global Economy: Exploring Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability in Iceland (MGMT 315)
Entrepreneurs all over the world create organizations to help solve local and global pressing challenges. In the course we will explore social entrepreneurship globally and then specifically focus on Iceland. Additionally, we will learn more about sustainability initiatives in Iceland and how that has contributed to entrepreneurial ventures. This is a 3 credit hour faculty-led short-term study abroad class taught in the Spring semester. Most of the class takes place over Spring break when we will travel to Iceland, however there will be a few pre- and post-trip meetings. The course counts towards students' Local and Global Engagement Perspectives GER requirement. Learn more on the Study Abroad website.
Quantum Leadership: Creating Value for You, Your Organization, and the World (ORBH 330/430)
Course Objective
This course builds on the business case for sustainability to develop leadership capabilities aimed at flourishing enterprise and business as a force for good. It emphasizes emerging market expectations for businesses to have a positive impact and the growing desire for inner wellbeing through self-cultivation. Together these trends are changing who leaders are (not only what they are doing) by increasing their awareness of how their actions impact others and the world.
The most exciting aspect of this class will be encouraging students to see themselves as positive change agents, with the ability to enact positive impacts on our environment and society, in their search for a flourishing life and career.
Sustainable Value Innovation (MBAC 501C)
The relationship between business and society — and the search for mutually beneficial advances between industry and the world’s most pressing challenges — has become one of the defining issues of our time. In every sector, immense entrepreneurial creativity is used to create a better world. Positive entrepreneurial energy is growing in direct proportion to the magnitude of today’s social and global challenges.
It is in such a context that this course explores one overarching proposition: that business, the motor of our society, has the opportunity to be the most positive and creative force on the planet, a force that contributes to the well-being of many as we transition to a more sustainable world economy. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, guest speakers, and interactive activities, students will explore the historical context, current practices, and future trends in sustainable business.
Appreciative Inquiry (ORBH 412)
This course is designed to advance your understanding and skills in leading positive change in groups and organizations, and on how to create, foster and manage organizations in which people thrive and perform at their best. This course presents a proven, innovative and strength-based approach to accelerating organizational change -- Appreciative Inquiry.
The original theory and method of Appreciative Inquiry was invented in Case Western Reserve University's Department of Organizational Behavior in the 1980's by Dr. David Cooperrider and Dr. Ron Fry. In the years since there have been hundreds of scholars, leaders, consultants, and students involved in bringing Appreciative Inquiry's strength-centric spirit of inquiry into organizations and communities all over the world. As one scholar recently wrote, "Appreciative Inquiry is revolutionizing the field of organization development and change." Appreciative Inquiry focuses on searching systematically for those capacities and processes that give life, strength, and possibility to a living system. As a constructive mode of practice, it aims at designing, improving, and innovating human organizations through a process in which valuing and creating are viewed as one, and where inquiry and change are powerfully related and understood as a seamless and integral whole.
See other courses offered through the Department of Organizational Behavior and the Department of Design and Innovation.
Executive Education Courses
Appreciative Inquiry Certificate in Positive Business and Society Change
Designed by appreciative inquiry (AI) co-creators David Cooperrider and Ronald Fry, this executive education program presents a proven approach to accelerating organizational change by redirecting focus to core strengths. Through a combination of coursework and fieldwork, students earn advanced professional education in the foundations of AI and work on projects specific to their own organizations.
The focused work bridges high ideals with the results-orientation of business and industry. Learn more about the AI Certificate in Positive Business and Society Change.
Additional Executive Education Sustainability-Themed Programs
Weatherhead Executive Education sustainability-themed programs include:
- Coaching
- Emotional Intelligence
- Leadership Deep Dive™
- Managing Others
- Personal Impact and Empowerment
- Women in Leadership
- Seizing Innovation in a Greening World
- Creating Actionable Sustainability Plans
- Launching and Implementing an Impactful Sustainability Program
- Being a Sustainability Leader
- More Than Ethics: Expressing Values in Voice and Practice
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Designing Innovation and Strategy
- Sustainable Value
- Mindfulness for Enhanced Performance
See a full list of programs offered by Weatherhead Executive Education.