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What schools and faculty
are at the forefront of incorporating social and environmental
stewardship issues into the fabric of
their MBA programs? That was the question answered in a report
released last October by The Aspen Institute and the World Resources
Institute (WRI), which challenged business schools to better arm
graduate business students with skills critical for effective leadership
in a changing world.
The report, Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2003: Preparing MBAs for Social
and Environmental Stewardship, highlights six cutting-edge schools
preparing future executives with a solid training in environmental
and social impact management. The report includes data reported
from 100 business schools in 20 countries.
“
We’ve seen positive change this year and a lot of innovation
taking place in selected schools,” said Judith Samuelson,
executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Business and
Society Program (Aspen BSP). “But the reality is too many
MBA students still graduate without an understanding of social
impact and environmental management.”
Recognized in Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2003 as schools with cutting-edge
MBA programs are:
• George Washington University’s School of Business
and Public Management, Washington, DC
• University of Michigan Business School, Ann Arbor, MI
• University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel
Hill, NC
• Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, CA
• Yale School of Management, New Haven, CT
• York University’s Schulich School of Business, Toronto,
Canada
According to the report, these schools are setting a high standard
and are among the few schools that focus on the relationship of
social, environmental and financial factors.
“
Cutting-edge programs like these are producing leaders who can
change tomorrow’s business landscape,” said Jonathan
Lash, president of WRI. “But a gap remains between the skills
that are taught today and the challenges business will face tomorrow.”
On average, these six schools offer four times as many courses
with this type of content as other schools that participated in
the survey. In addition, they report an extensive array of extracurricular
activities and have faculty who conduct research on social and
environmental topics.
Specifically, Beyond Grey Pinstripes examined what happens inside
and outside the classroom and at the content of faculty’s
academic research.
INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
1. Compared to the previous survey, the number of core courses
with social and environmental content increased, but the improvement
is marginal. Infusion of environmental and social impact management
into the core curriculum—those courses required of all MBA
students—is critical because it ensures that each student
examines those issues before graduating.
A higher percentage of schools (45 percent in 2003 versus 34 percent
in 2001) require one or more courses in ethics, corporate social
responsibility, sustainability or business and society. Integration
of social and environmental topics into other required courses—such
as accounting, economics, finance, information technology, marketing,
operations and strategy—remains limited.
Of the core courses offered by the 100 surveyed schools, only a
handful of accounting, economics, marketing, operations and information
technology classes incorporate content on social impact and/or
environmental management.
2. Experimentation through electives is on the rise. Over 950 elective
courses with social and environmental content were reported in
the 2003 survey, an increase of nearly 70 percent over the number
of qualifying courses reported in the previous survey. This trend
bodes well for the future content of core courses; experience suggests
that if electives are well received, their content can migrate
into the core.
The array of electives at some schools is impressive, with dozens
of relevant courses on offer. However, half of the surveyed schools
report fewer than five electives with any social or environmental
content.
3. Course content featuring a systemic look at the complex interrelationship
of financial, social and environmental factors in business—that
is, sustainability in its broadest sense—continues to be
relatively rare. There is scant coverage of sustainability in core
courses. In addition, although the number of electives that focus
on sustainability has increased, there are still only 40 in total
across 100 surveyed schools. In many instances, students seeking
integration of the triple bottom line throughout their MBA programs
must opt for a specialized joint degree or concentration or create
a customized course of study to suit their needs.
4. Joint degrees and concentrations offer students opportunities
to obtain specialized training in social impact and environmental
management topics.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
1. The presence of institutes and centers dedicated to social and
environmental topics also is a key factor in the depth of teaching
and research on these issues at business schools. Virtually all
of the top performing schools have at least one academic center
or institute housed in the business school that focuses research
and other activities on social impact management, environmental
management or sustainability.
2. Orientation activities, those activities required for all new
MBA students, provide an opportunity for schools to highlight the
importance of social and environmental stewardship and set the
tone for their MBA experience.
3. Survey findings indicate that extracurricular activities and
events contribute to a vibrant discussion of topics related to
social impact and environmental management. More than 700 conferences,
speakers, seminars, or other events were reported, addressing such
themes as corporate ethics, sustainability, globalization, and
women in business. This total represents a near doubling since
the last survey.
4. Consulting and internship opportunities give the students a
chance to engage with community organizations and gain valuable
experience in companies on pressing social and environmental issues.
Half of the participating schools report that their students have
opportunities during their MBA programs to work with non-profit
organizations and/or small businesses in economically disadvantaged
communities. In addition, schools give students the chance to work
with managers in corporations who are facing the challenge of integrating
social, financial and environmental objectives into their everyday
decisions.
5. Loan forgiveness and subsidies are forms of institutionalized
financial support and commitment to training leaders for all three
sectors—public, private and non-profit.
6. Competitions can serve to build awareness of social and environmental
issues and business complexity among students. Of the 100 business
schools surveyed, 49 reported case competitions in which students
participate. Most of these competitions are organized and operated
by the schools themselves building wider support and awareness
on campus.
7. Student involvement is a significant driver for activities at
schools. The number and influence of student clubs and groups is
growing. Net Impact chapters, for example, bring together emerging
business leaders who are committed to using the power of business
to create a better world.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
The Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2003 review of academic literature reveals
business faculty’s growing interest in research on social
impact and/or environmental management. Classroom teaching is heavily
influenced by faculty research interests; thus, this development
is a harbinger of increased course content on topics related to
social and environmental dimensions of enterprise management. Published
research covers a spectrum of relevant topics, including diversity
in the workplace, sustainable development, stakeholder theory,
globalization and environmental management strategies. Despite
the general increase in such research, there remains a dearth of
research addressing sustainability as a systemic issue.
Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2003: Preparing MBAs for Social and Environmental
Stewardship is the fourth in a series started in 1998. Its companion
Web site, www.beyondgreypinstripes.org, allows prospective MBA
students to access a global database of more than 1,000 courses
and 800 extracurricular activities at 100 business schools. |
