Individuals, neighborhoods, organizations and nations live within environments. Each is shaped by, and responds to (and tries to shape) their environments. It does not take much ingenuity to be happy, vibrant, profitable, and open in environments that provide lots of resources, are stable and are nurturing. Thriving is much tougher when environments turn thin, unstable, dangerous and hostile: dissatisfaction grows, violence increases, legitimacy is lost, and citizens and employees leave. All actors - whether individuals or collectivities - go through declines. The questions asked in this course are how do - and how should - actors respond to declines.

Prerequisite - COMM 151

This course is restricted to students enrolled in the 4th year of the Commerce Program.