Imagine you are part of the executive leadership team of MBT, a German family-owned SME specialising in high-precision forming and cutting machinery for composite materials. Due to new EU sustainability regulations (CSRD) and increasing client expectations, MBT must urgently build its sustainability capabilities. However, the company currently lacks the right people, structures, and processes to meet these challenges. What do you do?

This question is the focus of the session Sustainability Transformation Simulation, part of the MaastrichtMBA On-Campus module Managing Organisations in Times of Change, facilitated by Dr. Lukas Figge-Muschalik. Figge explains, “In this particular case, sustainability serves as the container we are using, but this approach is applicable to other transformation processes, such as digital transformation. The case is tailor-made for this course, drawing from real experiences of various sustainability managers, with additional input from ChatGPT.”

About Dr. Lukas Figge

Dr. Lukas Figge is a sustainability professional with 14 years of experience in research, education, and consulting. As a consultant, he has supported corporations, banks, and SMEs in CSRD reporting, ESG ratings, and impact investing. As a researcher and supervisor, he specialises in frameworks and assessment methods for business sustainability and strategy development. As an educator, he focuses on leadership development, learner-centric instructional design, and Education for Sustainable Development. In 2022-2023, he traveled across Latin America for 20 months, volunteering with various local NGOs in nature conservation, animal welfare, community development, permaculture, and eco-tourism. In addition to his academic degrees in Economics (BSc), Policy (MSc), and Sustainability Science (PhD), Lukas holds certifications as a Consciousness Coach, Trainer in Nonviolent Communication, and a Yoga Teacher.

And… Action!

MaastrichtMBA stands for an action-oriented approach that effectively connects academia with the business world. This session is a prime example of that philosophy in action. Lukas Figge begins with a short introduction and distributes the MBT case. Students are given time to read the extensive case, which outlines leadership roles, family representation, scenarios, challenges, and an invitation – along with tips and tricks – for using AI. They then roll up their sleeves and get started. In small groups, they work through the case, completing three assignments, each with clear deliverables. Each student assumes a leadership role, assessing challenges and proposing solutions from that perspective.

Iris Mardi, sustainability manager for a Dutch insurance cooperative: “It was interesting to really step into the shoes of any of the business roles (being it CEO, CFO or HR) and experiencing what it was like to view the same problem from a different perspective. It gives you a better understanding of the challenges you face in the boardroom when deciding on strategic matters. Since we were allowed and encouraged to use Chat GPT you’d think all the groups would come up with the same answers to seemingly straight forward questions (on for instance costs, time and resources), though everyone came up with different solutions.

Challenges and ChatGPT

The first challenge is talent acquisition: How and where can MBT find a sustainability manager, and how should the leadership team navigate divergent views on how to proceed? The other challenges are: sustainability governance—where in the organisation should sustainability sit? Defining an approach for sustainability transformation. And last but not least: hiring a consultant (or software) to get started and conducting an assessment of strategically vital sustainability issues for the company. After each challenge, the students present their findings with enthusiasm and a lot of energy. A healthy sense of competition between teams enhances the atmosphere, fostering creativity and engagement.

After the group presentations, Lukas Figge shares the solutions generated by ChatGPT. All participants agree that AI provides valuable insights and additional perspectives. Figge states: “I am an advocate of AI. This session clearly demonstrates the additional knowledge AI can bring to the table—whether in creating job descriptions, providing salary benchmarks, developing a sustainability roadmap, setting up training programmes, engaging employees and stakeholders, or dealing with resistance. It’s also fun, as it stimulates creativity and broadens perspectives.”

Valuable Insights

“A great session in a fantastic atmosphere,” says student Mark Splinter, Managing Director of South Axis. “And very useful as well. I’m currently considering launching a new company alongside my existing B2B marketing agency, with a focus on the financial market. This would require an entirely new vision, and I anticipate significant resistance. This session has helped me anticipate these challenges and develop counterstrategies.” Iris Mardi concludes: “This class helped me to ensure to address all perspectives when writing a business case. It seems so obvious to take this into account, but thus far I have only done so from my perspective as a sustainability manager. It really helps to review your own work by taking the time and basically ‘take the seat of the CFO, CEO, HR’ to assess possible gaps and prepare questions.”

This article displays the student insights and experiences of our On-Campus MBA Managing Organisation in Times of Change module. Our On-Campus MBA track is part of the executive modular part-time MaastrichtMBA programme and next to that, we offer also an Online MBA learning format. The programme has a Triple Crown accreditation and is aimed for professionals with at least 5 years of working experience.