Transforming Business: Valuing social and human capital (Coursera)

Offered by Capitals Coalition,
Transforming Business: Valuing social and human capital (Coursera)

The aim of this course is to introduce business employees to social and human capital within the context of the Capitals Approach and human rights. It will provide guidance on how to get started in making positive impacts for people, planet, and society within the business decision-making context.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

This course is an introductory course; no prior knowledge is needed. It is of particular relevance to those working in the domains of strategy, risk, finance, procurement, accountancy, auditing, human resources, and sustainability.
Drawing from the internationally recognized Social and Human Capital Protocol, the course provides a comprehensive introduction to social and human capital issues and their relationship with human rights and sustainability. Over four modules, the course will guide you through the process of understanding and integrating social and human capital issues into business DNA to improve people well-being and tackle inequalities.
In modules 1 and 2, you will be introduced to the concepts of social and human capital and human rights thinking, the Social and Human Capital Protocol, as well as the Capitals Approach. Here, you will be guided through the first stages and steps of conducting a capitals assessment.
In module 3, you will learn about impact and dependency pathways and how to measure and value those connected to your business activities. Finally, in module 4, using the Asses-Commit-Transform-Disclose framework you will learn about how to apply the findings of a social and human capital assessment to make commitments and transform business practices, and how to communicate and report on these elements.
The course features many real-world business examples, such as Natura, Novartis, Kering, Tony's Chocolonely, Jacobs, OFI, to demonstrate why and how other businesses have measured and valued social and capital, and the benefits this has brought to their strategy and management processes. These examples also show how companies make commitments to enact change and transform business practices, providing insight into different actions and commitments you can take.
By the end of the course, participants are expected to have learned about why it is essential to embed social and human capital into business decision-making, and how to get started with a capitals assessment.
This course has been developed by the Capitals Coalition in partnership with Nature^Squared, Social Value International, and the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality.

What You Will Learn

  • How the societal challenges affect businesses and why it is important to include social and human capital in business decision-making.
  • How to identify, measure and value relevant social and human capital impacts and dependencies within your business context.
  • How you can take action, make commitments, and transform business decision-making to respect human rights, tackle inequality and improve well-being.

Syllabus

WEEK 1: Welcome to the course
WEEK 2: Why business cares about inequality: the key concepts of human rights and social and human capital
WEEK 3: How to get started with measuring and valuing impacts and dependencies on social and human capital 
WEEK 4: How to integrate social and human capital into business: commitments and transformation 

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Managerial Accounting Fundamentals (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Managerial Accounting Fundamentals (Coursera)

This course will teach you the fundamentals of managerial accounting including how to navigate the financial and related information managers need to help them make decisions. You'll learn about cost behavior and cost allocation systems, how to conduct cost-volume-profit analysis, and how to determine if costs and benefits are relevant to your decisions.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Behavioral Finance (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University

Behavioral Finance (Coursera)

We make thousands of decisions every day. Do I cross the road now, or wait for the oncoming truck to pass? Should I eat fries or a salad for lunch? How much should I tip the cab driver? We usually make these decisions with almost no thought, using what psychologists call “heuristics” – rules of thumb that enable us to navigate our lives. Without these mental shortcuts, we would be paralyzed by the multitude of daily choices.

Aug 17th 2026
3 Weeks
Costos para los Negocios (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de Chile

Costos para los Negocios (Coursera)

Al completar el curso, los participantes podrán: a) Analizar los elementos, las estructuras, los métodos y los sistemas de costeo propios de una empresa, utilizando diversas herramientas, para identificar los posibles tipos de cálculos a generar. b) Calcular costos, utilizando diversos procedimientos acordes a los tipos de objetos de costos, estructuras, procesos y sistemas, con el propósito de obtener información relevante para la empresa que permitan una adecuada toma de decisiones. c) Elaborar e interpretar informes de costeos de objetos del costo, basándose en la información recabada y los datos obtenidos, con la finalidad de proponer diversas recomendaciones que permitan efectivas toma de decisiones.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Sustainable Fashion (Coursera) Coursera
Copenhagen Business School

Sustainable Fashion (Coursera)

Sometimes when we say we work with sustainable fashion people look at us like... "Mmmm, is it really possible for something like fashion to be sustainable?" And let's face it, people are right being suspicious. If anything the fashion industry has become increasingly unsustainable over the last decades, using more and more natural resources and creating more and more waste.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Boards and the Governance Process (Coursera) Coursera
University at Buffalo,The State University of New York

The Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Boards and the Governance Process (Coursera)

The third course in this Specialization introduces you to the factors that influence how effective boards of directors will be in carrying out their roles and responsibilities and hence the impact they have in shaping the success of the organization they govern. While this course has been developed with North American culture in mind, we do appreciate that, in other parts of the world, the nature of the factors that influence the effectiveness of nonprofit boards of directors may vary. Nevertheless,it is our hope that much of the course content will still be of value to those in other parts of the world.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Designing and Implementing Your Coaching Strategy (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Davis

Designing and Implementing Your Coaching Strategy (Coursera)

In order to be an effective manager in increasingly fast-paced and complex organizational environments, coaching skills to develop and get the best work out of employees has become essential. Throughout the Coaching Skills for Managers specialization, we’ve discussed many topics for improving coaching conversations with our employees. It is now time to put all of that theory and discussion into practice as you solidify your coaching philosophy, develop your coaching practice and agendas, and demonstrate mastery at handling everyday coaching conversations!

Aug 24th 2026
3 Weeks
International Business I (Coursera) Coursera
University of New Mexico

International Business I (Coursera)

We live in a world of intensifying global relationships, one in which international business has become the key determinant of economic development and prosperity. This course, Global Business Environment, Part I, introduces students to a fundamental understanding of the socioeconomic political, cultural, and linguistic environment in which international businesses operate.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries (Coursera)

This course challenges you to consider how one might lift societies out of poverty while also mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. We explore the inherent complexity of developing country governments wanting to grow their economies in a climate friendly way. You will be introduced to an approach with which to address this challenge. The approach consists of a facilitated process whereby academic researchers and high-level influential actors within society co-produce knowledge. You will track this process in four Latin American countries - Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and South Africa. You will hear from various professionals about their contexts and the different challenges and opportunities the process includes.

Aug 24th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Effect of Fires on People, Property and the Environment (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

The Effect of Fires on People, Property and the Environment (Coursera)

Fires impact people, property and the environment in all countries around the world. In some cases, the resulting losses are extraordinary, causing hundreds of deaths, widespread damage to property and contents and significant impacts on the environment. More often, fires may cause a single casualty or affect a single home, though the effects are still highly significant to those affected and collectively are substantial. This course will provide an overview of the challenges posed by fire as well as the fire safety solutions that are available to meet those challenges.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Creative Problem Solving (Coursera) Coursera
University of Minnesota

Creative Problem Solving (Coursera)

This course deals directly with your ability for creativity which is a critical skill in any field. It focuses on divergent thinking, the ability to develop multiple ideas and concepts to solve problems. Through a series of creativity building exercises, short lectures, and readings, learners develop both an understanding of creativity and increase their own ability.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks