Business in a Complex World

How do people and organizations make sense of a world shaped by rapid change, economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and global interdependence? How does this all interconnect and how can individuals influence the system?  What does it mean for individuals as both consumers and employees to act with purpose, think systemically, and make ethical choices in complex and uncertain environments?

This two-quarter coordinated studies program invites students to explore how individuals, organizations, and institutions operate within an increasingly complex world and how business practices intersect with social, technological, ecological, and ethical systems. Rooted in Evergreen’s interdisciplinary liberal arts tradition, the program emphasizes systems thinking, reflection, and real-world application. Students will develop a holistic understanding of organizations across private, public, and nonprofit contexts while building practical skills in leadership, financial literacy, strategic thinking, and communication that are transferable across many life paths.

Rather than treating business as a standalone discipline, the program examines it as one way people organize resources, make decisions, and create value within broader human systems. Students will explore how values, power, culture, and ethical considerations shape organizational choices, and how professionals navigate uncertainty while designing thoughtful, responsible responses to real-world challenges.

The Winter quarter focuses on building foundational lenses for understanding complexity. Students explore how value is created, how markets and institutions evolve, and how organizations function as interconnected systems influenced by human behavior, social norms, and environmental constraints. Attention is given to leadership and collaboration, examining how identity, communication, inclusion, and organizational culture affect individual experience and collective outcomes.

Students also develop essential technological and data literacy, learning how digital tools, analytics, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence shape decision-making and reshape work and society. These perspectives are paired with an accessible introduction to finance and economics, emphasizing budgeting, trade-offs, risk, and decision-making under uncertainty as everyday life skills, not just organizational tools.

The Spring quarter moves from understanding systems to engaging with them. Students apply what they have learned through innovation-focused, project-based work that emphasizes creativity, strategy, and experimentation. By adopting an entrepreneurial mindset, students identify opportunities for change, design solutions to contemporary challenges, and test ideas that reflect both feasibility and values.

Throughout the quarter, students critically examine the broader responsibilities of organizations and individuals within global systems, engaging with sustainability, ethics, social impact, and long-term consequences. These explorations encourage students to reflect on their own roles within complex systems and to approach strategy, leadership, and problem-solving with a sense of responsibility, curiosity, and purpose.

Students joining this program for 12 credits should contact the faculty to discuss expected workload and specific credit equivalencies. 

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies (for 16 credit students):

Winter:

4 - Foundations of Business in a Complex World

4 - Human Behavior, Organizations, Leadership and Individual Responsibility

4 - Technology, Data and Emerging Systems in Business and Life

4 - Finance, Economics, and Decision-Making Under Uncertainly

Spring

4 - Entrepreneurship & Innovation for a Changing World

4 - Marketing, Branding, and Customer Experience

4 - Sustainability, Social Impact and Ethical Systems as a Choice

4 - Business Strategy & Simulation Capstone