• Instructor(s): Tony O’Driscoll
• Semester(s) typically taught: Pilot course in Fall 2025
• Units: 3.0
• Grading scale: Graded (A-F)
• Required or elective for MEM degree? Elective
• If elective, applicable elective track(s):
• Pre-requisites: for 3rd and 4th semester MEM students only
• Recommended previous courses: n/a

Course Description

In a world grappling with unprecedented global challenges—climate change, economic inequality, geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological shifts—the role of organizations and leaders has never been more critical. This course empowers Master of Engineering Management students to explore how businesses can evolve into transformative forces for good, reshaping industries while addressing societal, environmental, and economic imperatives.
Through a dynamic and interactive learning journey, students will investigate exemplary organizations that lead with purpose, innovate responsibly, and prioritize sustainable impact. Anchored by real-world research and collaborative analysis, this course invites you to envision how engineering management can drive meaningful, systemic change to enable organizations to become a “Force for Good.”

Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, students will:

1. 1. Understand the root causes of global systemic challenges, or the “Metacrisis,” and analyze how organizations can address them.
   2. Explore how corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives have been leveraged to create meaningful societal impact.
   3. Identify the structural, procedural, and ideological elements that characterize organizations that have become a “Force for Good.”
   4. Research leadership strategies and approaches required to transition organizations from being “Good” to becoming true “Forces for Good.”
   5. Craft and deliver a clear and compelling argument for a selected “Force For Good” organization.

The Five-Phase Quest:

This course is structured around a transformative five-phase “Force for Good” Quest that challenges students to uncover and articulate the “differences that make a difference” in creating impactful organizations:

1. 1. Getting Ready
      Lay the groundwork by exploring the “Metacrisis” and examining its implications for businesses, governments, and society.
   2. Identification
      Research and identify organizations that excel in leveraging CSR and sustainable innovation, utilizing analytical frameworks like the 4P and 4 Quadrant analyses.
   3. Validation
      Analyze and validate the key practices, values, and leadership strategies that enable these organizations to lead transformative change.
   4. Differentiation
      Discover the intangible elements—such as moral leadership and organizational culture—that propel organizations from “good” to exceptional.
   5. Pitch and Reflect
      Synthesize insights into a persuasive case study pitch presented to a panel of industry leaders. Reflect on the journey and explore how to apply these lessons in your career.

This course is a call to action for future leaders: to think beyond profit, embrace systems thinking, and engineer solutions that contribute to a brighter, more equitable future.

Are you ready to take the Quest?