Sustainability Psychology & Corporate Responsibility (E)

Master

The participants:
• know key concepts and models of sustainability psychology.
• understand psychological factors influencing sustainable behavior.
• apply concepts to environmental and sustainability issues.
• analyze behavioral patterns and their underlying causes.
• evaluate interventions aimed at behavior change.
• develop approaches to promote sustainable behavior.
• know key CSR concepts and theories.
• understand the role of companies in sustainable development.
• apply CSR approaches to organizational contexts.
• critically analyze strategies and trade-offs.
• evaluate CSR measures and ESG approaches.
• develop sustainable CSR strategies.

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• Introduction and Foundations of Sustainable Development as a socio-ecological issue and in a business context (efficiency–consistency–sufficiency, CSR, governance)
• Key Theories and Models from environmental psychology and CSR (motivation, norms, habits, decision-making and cognitive theories, stakeholder vs. shareholder approaches)
• Psychological and Social Concepts at the individual level (values, emotions, motivation, identity, self-efficacy) and collective level (norms, group processes, participation), and their relevance for companies and stakeholders
• Resources and Well-being in the context of sustainable behavior (mindfulness, meaning, life satisfaction, resilience)
• Cognitive Processes and Behavior (biases, dual processes, perception of environmental problems)
• Behavior Change and Interventions (nudging, choice architecture, habit formation) and application in organizational contexts (CSR strategies, integration, business case)
• Sustainable Lifestyles and Transformation (health, individual vs. collective action, systemic change) in interaction with global challenges and globalization
• Governance, Reporting and Sustainable Finance (ESG, SRI, evaluation) as well as stakeholder management (engagement, conflicts, legitimacy)
• Criticism and Future Perspectives (greenwashing, trade-offs, sustainable business models)

• Blowfield, M., & Murray, A. (2019). Corporate social responsibility. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Hunecke, M. (2022). Psychology of sustainability: From sustainability marketing to social-ecological transformation. Cham: Springer.
• Scott, B. A., Amel, E. L., Koger, S. M., & Manning, C. M. (2026). Psychology for sustainability. Abingdon, OX: Taylor & Francis.

Exam
Presentation

English

6

The course is based on an e-learning concept that incorporates a didactically aligned combination of online and in-person phases. During the online phases, an inductive learning approach is applied, fostering the independent acquisition of knowledge and the completion of tasks. The in-person phases follow a deductive approach, in which learning processes are guided and deepened, and content is systematically delivered through lectures as well as practical examples.

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