oikos Case Quarterly: Energy | Issue 9, March 2013

The topic of our Winter 2013 issue is energy. In this issue we present three cases relating in different ways to the core topic.Two out of the three cases come from the oikos online case collection and the third one is provided by the SEKN Network. Additionally we count on the collaboration of Professor Debapratim Purkayastha (IBS Hyderabad, India) who shares his learnings and experiences on teaching cases related to energy and clean technology in the classroom.

Table of contents:

  • Debapratim Purkayastha (IBS Hyderabad, India). Using Energy & Cleantech Cases in Business Schools.
  • Esther Hennchen and Josep Maria Lozano (ESADE Business School, Spain). Royal Dutch Shell’s Sustainability Agenda in Nigeria.
  • Roberto Gutiérrez (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia), Elsa Margarita (Universidad Javeriana, Colombia) and Andrés Barragán (MBA Universidad de los Andes, Colombia). Hocol.
  • Anne-Marie Carrick and Filipe Santos (INSEAD, France). Nuru Energy.

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oikos International

posted February 26, 2013

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Sustainable Memes

Sustainability is a 'meme', or an irresistible idea that catches on in society. A big idea such as sustainable or 'sustainable' products http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_products is not just an abstract idea, but it's also a motive and an intention.

More and more people simply want to live in ways that could continue in harmony with the planet, rather than live in ways that cannot continue without also continuing to endanger this planet. It's a simple meme that can be applied to just about anything.

Memes and Changes

The rise of memes in general (both positive, like sustainability, and relatively negative, like the anti-smoking movement or some political ideas) comes on the heels of new social technologies that allow people to share.

That is why on Facebook we often see pictures on top of which people have placed simple messages or captions or quotes — these are commonly called 'meme pics' or something similar, but they're actually just semi-memes, if you like.

Those are ideas that certain people find catchy, or that large numbers share back and forth. This kind of idea and maybe a picture to boot is merely 'viral' — whereas a fully baked meme has already entered the bloodstream of society and everyone suddenly seems to know about it.

So Familiar it Disappears

The only problem with memes is that, like a cliche, people can get so familiar with it, and hear or see it so much from every direction, every day, that they stop thinking about it as much as when it was first encountered.

The other force that influences a newer meme is the mass media. Let's face it: some politicians, pundits and economists do not subscribe to the principle of sustainability, being in favour of the conventional growth-obsessed business logic. Media channels, at certain times and for certain reasons, will censure discourse with pro-sustainable content.

Fun and Memes

The functions of memes may grow into a social reality, or a basic way that people learn. It's just like a normal 'word of mouth' phenomenon, but super-charged by the Web, for instance.

The Web is a neutral creative space in which strong ideas can pass freely, some of which naturally take root in a big way. We find everything on the Web, since it is open and largely uncensored. Webpages for fun like www.classycasinos.co.uk/no-deposit-casino exist alongside webpages for social awareness, like this one. This sort of an open atmosphere is essential for us to benefit and learn from the meme-sharing phenomenon.

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oikos International

posted February 9, 2013

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oikos Newsletter February 2013

Pranav Gajar

With the start of a new year, we bring you new opportunities to reconnect with your oikos roots. Looking ahead, we are gearing towards our first big meeting of the year – the oikos Spring Meeting in Maastricht.  On the academic side, we are excited to announce the call for papers for the 4th oikos Young Scholars Entrepreneurship Academy. Also, don’t forget to spend 30 seconds with Pranav Gajjar, our dynamic Executive Board member from Ahmedabad, India, who is re-defining waste and papermaking. Read more

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oikos International

posted February 3, 2013

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