Solving Society's Complex Challenges Using a Systems Approach
Course Number 1505
Despite the promise and potential of individual social enterprises, the scale and complexity of the world’s problems is often beyond the capacity of a single organization. The SSCC course, therefore, attempts to address the problem from the lens of a system. From the billions around the world who lack access to safe drinking water, power, affordable healthcare, and secure housing, to the millions in the United States who are underemployed, food or housing insecure and lack access to adequate healthcare or equitable financial services, this course will attempt to elicit best practices and frameworks that address such complex problems.
Complementing the fall semester EC course, Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change (but not required as a pre-requisite), this course will take a deep dive into how systems entrepreneurs approach solving complex social problems at scale. In this half course, we will study how effective leaders develop a coherent systems strategy, and lead through change. The course will use a mix of cases, readings, and books, supplemented by talks and discussions with changemakers from the field. In addition to class participation, the course requirement will consist of a cumulative (little every week after the half- way mark) project on applying the tools and principles developed in the course to solve a societal challenge of the students’ choice.
The course will be jointly taught by HBS alum and founder of the highly successful social enterprise, Year Up and Baker Foundation Professor Kash Rangan, co-founder of the school’s social enterprise Initiative.
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