Abstract:

The clarifications of regulations and directives concerning different areas of corporate responsibility in the EU oblige companies involved in the value chains of large companies to inform their stakeholders about their responsible operations actively. In addition, the UN's 2030 Agenda targets different organizations and companies globally through its 17 different sustainability development goals. Practical implementation of responsibility in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is essential for achieving long-term sustainable development goals and society requirements. Traditionally, universities of applied sciences have concentrated on enhancing regional competitiveness, practical development, and cooperation with local SMEs and firms. Therefore, universities of applied sciences in Finland have started to support and promote responsible actions and education of SMEs through various projects.

For example, Laurea UAS´s Learning by Developing Pedagogy (LbD) can be used to develop responsibility in SMEs by combining theory and practical activities, for instance, by strengthening the responsibility competencies of SME personnel through joint development workshops and online courses for example. It can reinforce the responsibility competencies of SME personnel through joint development workshops, online courses, the creation of development plans, etc.

This study shows how SME employees can strengthen their responsibility skills by participating in three online courses:
1) Responsible Business Strategy,
2) Responsible Recruitment, and
3) Responsible Commercialization and Sales.

Our study is based on the VALIOT project of Laurea University of Applied Sciences and LAB University of Applied Sciences. In this study, we aim to understand how SME personnel can strengthen their responsibility competence by implementing the learning pedagogies and learning contents used in the VALIOT project.

In the VALIOT project courses, participants, for example, co-create in teams’ practical development and implementation plans for their firms´ responsible actions and operations (in three courses/responsibility areas). The project studies combine theory, promoting responsible business in practice, and developing competence to promote EU and global sustainability goals and maintain companies' competitiveness.

Students implement team learning within their firm teams and with other SMEs in the courses to strengthen peer support and knowledge sharing, enhancing their problem-solving skills. When the target group of the project's studies works full-time, the studies are carried out online, and thus, we utilize gamification with the help of the SEPPO platform.

Keywords:

Responsility, Sustainability, SME, Education.