Practicing Strategy in a Sustainability Context

Context

In courses focused on business strategy, the Green Business Lab places sustainability within the external forces shaping modern competition, including customer expectations, investor scrutiny, regulatory pressure, and stakeholder demands that extend beyond financial performance.

What participants do

Participants work as an executive team responsible for running the company as a whole and setting strategic direction in a dynamic market environment. With limited capital, competing priorities, and a Board evaluating performance, teams view enterprise decisions through a strategy lens, integrating sustainability into core strategic choices rather than treating it as a separate initiative.

What participants practice

Through iterative decision cycles, participants practice:

  • Incorporating sustainability considerations into corporate and business-unit strategy

  • Evaluating competitive positioning using financial, environmental, and social performance indicators

  • Weighing trade-offs between growth, risk, resilience, and long-term value creation

  • Applying strategy frameworks such as value chain analysis, PESTEL, strategy mapping, and balanced scorecards

  • Communicating strategic choices and outcomes to a Board of Directors

Closing

The experience concludes with a board-level discussion that reinforces how strategy is evaluated in practice when sustainability is treated as an integral part of enterprise decision-making.

The simulation is used to teach business strategy.

Working together, participants practice skills by integrating perspectives, aligning priorities, and discussing decisions within a shared strategic context.

  • Participants plan their leadership business strategy in the simulation game.
    Integrate functional area goals & perspectives to solve problems at the organizational level.
  • Executives plan their marketing business strategy.
    Set a long-term direction and strategy for the company based on company values and market analysis.
  • The simulation is a business leadership strategy game.
    Analyze company strategy and results using triple-bottom-line metrics.
  • Business strategy goals in the marketing simulation game.
    Explain the rationale for company strategy through debrief questions and presentation.
Diagram of the sustainability simulation game work process.
View the "Process" graphic
Description of the sustainability simulation game work flow.
Download the "Process" PDF

The following table describes in detail 3 Lab formats: Event, Short-Format Module, and Multi-Week Integration.

Labs with longer formats have more options for available features, content, and interactivity.

View this page as a PDF

Team Activity
Formats for Business Strategy
Event Short-Format Module Multi-Week Integration
Design and manufacture a product and make operational decisions. 1.Select a design and make operational decisions for a product using data about component cost, pollution and energy impact, and customer preferences.

1.Select a design and make operational decisions for a product using data about component cost, pollution and energy impact, and customer preferences.

2. Make operational decisions that are aligned with the company strategy.

1.Select a design and make operational decisions for a product using data about component cost, pollution and energy impact, and customer preferences.

2. Make operational decisions that are aligned with the company strategy.

3. Make sure that supply chain decisions are consistent with the company strategy.
Market the product. 1. Create either a storyboard or 30-second video commercial.

1. Create either a storyboard or 30-second video commercial.

2. Implement marketing decisions that are aligned with the company strategy.

1. Create either a storyboard or 30-second video commercial.

2. Implement marketing decisions that are aligned with the company strategy.

3. Qualify for green labels or certifications based on footprint and energy standards.
Promote the company and product through Social Media. Not Available. This is an optional activity described in the In-Depth format. 1. Post comments about the company and product to the Lab’s internal Social Media feed and comment on the other posts.
Engage with stakeholders designed into the Lab. This is an optional activity described in the Intermediate format. 1. Consider scripted stakeholder perspectives related to company activities.

1. Consider scripted stakeholder perspectives related to company activities.

2. Engage interactively with stakeholders played by the instructor via the Lab’s internal email app (optional).

Make leadership decisions for your company.

(The instructor selects the topics. For the In-Depth format, we can also create custom topics based on instructor input.)

 1. Make decisions for 1 leadership topic.

1. Make decisions for up to 3 leadership topics from the following list:

  • Life Cycle Innovation.
  • Water Stewardship.
  • Supply Chain Disruption and Ecosystem Services.
  • Product Take-back.
  • Remanufacturing and Circularity.
  • Supply Chain Safety.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility.
  • Product as a Service.

1. Make decisions for up to 8 leadership topics from the following list:

  • Life Cycle Innovation.
  • Water Stewardship.
  • Supply Chain Disruption and Ecosystem Services.
  • Product Take-back.
  • Remanufacturing and Circularity.
  • Supply Chain Safety.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility.
  • Product as a Service.

2. Make decisions for custom topics (optional).

Propose a solution to a business opportunity related to business strategy.

 

(The instructor selects the topics. For the In-Depth format, we can also create custom topics based on instructor input.)

 Not Available. This is an optional activity described in the In-Depth format.

1. Propose a solution to a business opportunity that relates to company strategy. Here are some examples:

  • Use an idea from SWOT analysis to improve company positioning.
  • Use core competencies to gain a competitive advantage.
  • Start a project with external stakeholders to create shared value.
  • Strengthen your supply chain.
  • Empower women and minorities in your company and supply chain.

2. Propose a solution to custom topics (optional).

 

Complete Debrief Questions & Surveys about company, team, and peer performance.

(For the In-Depth format, we can create custom surveys based on instructor input.)

Answer questions and surveys:

1. Business Strategy Debrief Questions.

Answer questions and surveys:

1. Business Strategy Debrief Questions.

2. Peer Evaluation Survey.

Answer questions and surveys:

1. Business Strategy Debrief Questions.

2. Peer Evaluation Survey.

3. Team Evaluation Survey.

4. Answer custom Debrief Questions or Surveys that we create for the instructor, based on their input (optional).
Make a final presentation to the Board of Directors. Not Available. This is an optional activity described in the In-Depth format. 1. Present company strategy, progress-to-date, and future direction to a volunteer Board of Directors.
Use the simulation to teach business sustainability.
The simulation game teaches business acumen engineering lessons.
Use simulation to teach business strategy.
Use the simulation to teach about leadership.
Use the simulation to teach about marketing.
Use the simulation to teach about sustainable supply chains.

Participants explore topics in greater detail and interactively as time allows.

View this page as a PDF
Data that describes the sustainability simulation game.

Focus Areas

Use the simulation to teach business sustainability.
The simulation game teaches business acumen engineering lessons.
Use simulation to teach business strategy.
Use the simulation to teach about leadership.
Use the simulation to teach about marketing.
Use the simulation to teach about sustainable supply chains.

Use in virtual, in-person, or blended classes.

Use in virtual, in-person, or blended classes.

The Green Business Lab logo for the simulation.

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