Roundtables Discussed 3 Key Challenges to Implementing a Principle and How to Overcome Them?

Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)

Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?

Plenary 1: PRME Principle 1- Purpose: We will develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy.

Keynote: Nick Main, Global Managing Director, Sustainability and Climate Change Services, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

Panelists:

Carlo Gallucci, ESADE’s International Deputy Director General
Katrin Muff, Dean, Business School Lausanne
Kai Peters, Chief Executive, Ashridge
Michael Powell, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Business), Griffith University

Moderator:Mark Drewell, Chief Executive GRLI

Principle 1 - Purpose: Challenge

Differing views/understanding/definitions/interpretationsstudents : professors, cross culturally, etc. (e.g.cultural relativism vs. absolutism; technical and/or generational gaps; what is private property in cyber space? Policy issues across different parts of the world)
Is a universal definition possible? Contextual interpretations?
Addressing tradeoffs and dilemmas (culture, technique(s) to find answer(s), complexity of issues)
Understanding/recognizing the complexity of the issues
Determining what is “right”

How to define purpose in large terms
Overwhelming scale of the challenge
Alignment between business schools and business
How to meaningfully politicize the challenge/the business role
How to convey the role/importance of CSR/sustainability need to build credibility/legitimacy
Idea of sustainability undermining capitalism
Existing relationship between the market and regulation
Existing approach/framework/curricula/mentality of b-schools
How unlearn? How adopt new approach?
Schools/programs don’t really have the difficult, thought provoking discussions about values, etc.
Vested interest(s)
Hard to meet expectations given current parameters
Challenge of creating educational content
Internal tensions, how to prioritize
Internal b-school/university/program debate over whether sustainability is an appropriate focus
Integration into all levels of education, basic  higher  graduate
Challenge of reorienting perspective: shareholder value to societal value
Faculty have to be (re)trained before than can teach about “new” issues/topics
Faculty development, including leadership – practical experience preferred = challenge to hiring
Faculty may be uncooperative
Need for sense of individual responsibility = How to awaken intrinsic motivation?
Need champion
Homogeneity – of teaching materials, journals, political agendas – (e.g. where is the space for feminist economics? e.g. economic text books often based in neo-classical thinking/framing = difficult to incorporate alternative thoughts) o How to integrate CSR into each course (marketing, HR, FINANCE…)?
Making it practical/relevant for students’ aspirations/ personal agendas
How to measure the success of implementation? to prove credibility
How to best demonstrate/package what has been done/tangible progress made?
Federating people around the cause
How involve students?
Some industries (like tobacco, tourism) would be classified as non-CSR-friendly and would require resources, efforts and time to engage in responsibility-related activities = TIME
How do students take lessons from the classroom and implement them in the organization?
How to become activists in organizations that don’t want to hear/are not yet ready for this change?
If their values are misaligned, what options are there other than to leave the org?
Bridging gap between student experience (theories) and reality – the economic lessons taught do not necessarily align with sustainability goals
Prevent PRME from becoming wishful thinking

Principle 1 - Purpose: How to overcome challenge

Role modeling = “walk the walk,” “practice what preach,” start at home with campus, professor/leadership behavior
Incorporate Principles/role of business in society into vision/mission of school
Champion can be any stakeholder group
Leverage existing enthusiasm
Want commitment of doers, not just talkers (less rhetoric, more action)
Committed/open minded/enthusiastic/inspiring dean = role model to guide faculty, not just notify
In-classroom discussion (practitioners and students) and other student experience creates champions
Provide space for students (Net Impact, etc.) to challenge/influence faculty – ex/ with project topic choice (bottom up)
Dialogue with students regarding “What is sustainability?”
Group work/collaboration, including students
Engage variety of stakeholders (inside and outside of school), including students, alumni, faculty, corporations, NGOs and embed them within the curriculum
Create steering committee to bring stakeholders together (staff, faculty, students, business)
Contribute/participate in social institutions and politics = get involved, be the (social) change
Create reward systems
Possible to motivate/win over faculty through exposure (conference speaking/presenting/attending, funding of research and other academic activities)
Accreditation requirements can be used to reinforce activity
Prevent PRME from becoming wishful thinking by advocating patient, long term, slow-but-steady commitment approach = not flash in the pan issue anyway “Give the dollar and save the beggar” = take steps now rather than worrying too much about whole project

Have the intention to create planet-minded leaders
Start by introducing sustainability/CSR as early as possible
Contextual sustainability training within curricula
Creating space for change in paradigms, culture of openness for alternatives, new imagery
Change curriculum/program approach/teachings to incorporate non-mainstream/”alternative” theories
Taking the approach of explicitly training/developing socially responsible persons, no matter what specific discipline we train or educate them in
Engage faculty and challenge them to include new CSR/sustainability topics into their courses
Create appropriate teacher training
Explaining/teaching the relevance/importance of sustainability
Need to go beyond the business case
Teach that it’s OK to care about more than bottom line – celebrate passion!
Work/make effort to improve syllabi
Highlight mistakes, not just successes = teaching decision making, approaching complex dilemmas
To prepare students for a potentially challenging workplace, need to teach more complex thinking/challenging students to think about the hard questions
Educate students not only about compliance – create opportunities for creativity and innovation
Create toolkits/better selection of teaching materials (video, case studies, best practices)
Experiential learning
Guest lectures = share ideas  engage alumni (can help teach both students and professors)
Build business cases to discuss the “why” examples
Projects and internships with reporting of experience related to CSR/sustainability
Show placements opportunities
Relevance – encourage student voice, personal experience and aspirations
Not just focus on MNCs but also SMEs, NGOs
Link the impact on profitability
Measuring success – through longitudinal studies
Work with companies on taking long-term perspective (not just focus on investors/shareholders)
Blue ocean strategy

Plenary 2: PRME Principle 2 - Values: We will incorporate into our academic activities and curricula the values of global social responsibility as portrayed in international initiatives such as the United Nations Global Compact

Keynote: Josef Winter, Siemens AG, Chief Compliance Office - The Business Case against Corruption

Panelists:

Mathias Kleinhempel, IAE Business School, Argentina
Lydia Price, Associate Dean, MBA Director, CEIBS, China
Thomas Dyllick,Vice President, University of St Gallen, Switzerland
Alain Lempereur, Business and Peace Working Group

Moderator:Jonas Haertle, Head of PRME Secretariat

Principle 2 - Values: Challenge

Need to investigate the values that underpin sustainability = practical tools on how to apply values
Lack of willingness to investigate personal values as faculty member
Scattered approach across all levels = need better program integration across institute/school
Existing values measurement reveals values driven approach results in higher performance
Leadership? CEO?
Convincing faculty the value of values = present cases
Finding the appropriate motivational leader
Checking for feedback = make room/establish known channels for dialogue
No absolute answers = need to create space to continuously discuss complicated moral dilemmas
Shifting frameworks are gradual, like societal norms = may be helpful to get non-business/old school-minded guest lectures, case studies to learn from and innovate on
Who/how decide what is acceptable?
Many competing pressures on curricula – how to find a balance?
Need to train academic staff in practical ways
False assumption that there is one agreed upon set of values and standard interpretations
Existing MBA/business incentives are based upon financial interests
Getting CSR values in the curriculum
Need resources for faculty, need champion, long term view
How do you involve faculty and change their habits/convince them? Compulsory vs. voluntary
Problem of cherry-picking issues
What must be done to ensure integration? How far to take the integration?
How bring CSR/sustainability into individual research agendas?
How educate “universal” values in a diverse world with different cultures/legislation  relativism trap
How to sensitize professors to the fact that the principles do make a difference? = good leadership from the Dean
Need interdisciplinary/holistic approach and an understanding of one’s own sphere of influence
Business-government-society axis, but students not taught about legislative context
Challenges of implementation , lack of trained/interested/committed faculty
Resource allocation, faculty development and motivation
Importance of curriculum vs. learning environment
How help faculty integrate CSR/sustainability/values into individual subject material, and how to put it into action?
While there is more opportunity to move from teaching theory to practice, there is still reluctance of faculty, academic leadership, and validating bodies to move toward new criteria

Principle 2 - Values: How to overcome challenge

= need practical tools on how to apply values
= need better program integration across institute/school
To win over faculty, present cases from business, PRME signatories, successful motivating examples
Strong leadership via respected champion to organize process and garner support
Ensure feedback by making room/establish known channels for dialogue
Sharing and communicating better, reinforces and clarifies values
Establish means of learning through behavior, practice doing, not just acquiring knowledge
Transparency, sustainability, critical thinking, diversity, integrity, innovation
No absolute answers = need to create space to continuously discuss complicated moral dilemmas
Emphasize the achievable
Make it real through case studies and on-site visits/internships
To create relevant education, include students in process of topic choice
Shifting frameworks are gradual, like societal norms = may be helpful to get non-business/old school-minded guest lectures, case studies to learn from and innovate on
Students can create future social norms = work collaboratively to teach/learn “right” thing to do
To change curricula, integrate values into existing and new lectures, create new/specific modules and other teaching materials – toolkits
Train faculty through case studies and concrete examples – helpful if companies are on board
Explicit expression of values = agree to/overtly state the talk that you plan to walk
Provide opportunity for dialogue in classroom to discuss/reconcile differing views
To successfully confront ethical issues/dilemmas, help students to develop skills to act upon values
Need to incorporate CSR values into key courses, bring in lecturers from outside
To win over faculty, get them involved  forum discussions, practical activities/examples
Need theorypractice transfer = applicable course material including case studies
To inspire sustainability-inclusive research, need to improve the acceptability of broader-based research and publications = not just A-journals
Demonstrate and model behavior from within the business school setting
“Make a stand” – annually reaffirm (with signature), anti-plagiarism, etc. = helps to incorporate future life values when sign off on accounts, etc. = personal modeling of appropriate behavior/ responsibility
Create awareness about the real value of ethical behavior
Introduce move “game theory” exercises to make “dilemmas” more operational
Expose students to real cases
Bring alive “scary stories”
How sensitize professors to fact that the principles do make a difference? = good leadership (Dean)
Clarify/expose existing values (in b-school, big biz, personal ambition), and question relevance – profit maximization, growth, competitiveness, personal ambition and look beyond MNCs to SMEs, social enterprise, coops, family firms, public sector, NGOs
Help students build the confidence to talk about values while at school
Need interdisciplinary/holistic approach and an understanding of one’s own sphere of influence
Sustainability/CSR/business ethics should be a requisite course in all programs, in addition to marketing/finance/strategy
B-schools should act with integrity (i.e. expel students for cheating/plagiarism)
Include coursework/education about legislation, challenge existing perceptions that governments play no role; recent market failures have turned orthodoxy upside down
Need to develop global leaders  Context, Complexity, Connectedness as skill framework for b-school curricula  students NEED first-hand exposure/engagement with a variety of stakeholders
Need to teach complexity, can’t just cherry pick the challenges of real life
Need facilitate learning, not “pure” teaching
Need to create incentive systems for incorporating values into curricula
Engage academics and students in the practical challenges of change, in collaboration with corps
Making the “right” decision is a personal decision that needs support through academic mentorship
Integrate horizontally, not just across curriculum, but also extra-curriculars and get all stakeholders involved (students, faculty, administration, alumni, corporations, etc.)

Plenary 3: PRME Principle 3 – Methods: We will create educational frameworks, materials, processes and environments that enable effective learning experiences for responsible leadership

Keynote: Olivier Marquet, Chief Executive, Triodos BankBelgium

Panelists:

Elaine Rumboll, Director of Executive Education GSB, UCT Cape Town, SA
Jonathan Gosling, Director, University of Exeter
Maurits van Rooijen FRSA, Rector Magnificus and CEO, Nyenrode Business School
Anthony Buono, Professor and Coordinator, Alliance for E&SR, Bentley University

Moderator: Michael Powell,Pro-Vice Chancellor (Business), Griffith University

Principle 3 - Methods: Challenge

How integrate Principles into curriculum and engage faculty members?
What specific methods will get students to question these issues? Are case studies enough?
Need better definition/differentiation of beliefs, assumptions, facts
Need more examples of quality materials to use in teaching sustainability, CSR, and other PRME-related areas
Building time into existing curricula to focus on PRME area and making them part of the core, rather than simply the fringe
Existing accreditation framework
Need to embed the Principles within core business strategy, not just core curriculum
Need better integration of existing relevant parts of patchwork = strategy
How collaborate, create, and share effective case studies/lessons learned?
Pre-program expectations of students?
How support teamwork?
How make urgency durable? Managing energy and attention
How measure outcomes, successes?
How commit faculty to curricular change?
Ability to unlearn?
Need to clarify/agree upon assumptions
How to develop self-awareness, integrity, recognition of leadership/role as leader
Need universal analysis of current situation and agreement why status quo is not sustainable
Break out of the hegemony of the MNC  They are a small proportion of the organizational forms relevant, and b-schools/students/professors should stop worshipping them = need more realistic approach to organizational responsibility
Need better alignment between different accreditation agencies
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to curriculum implementation = customization is important
Need supportive teaching material (articles, case studies, books, guest lectures, etc.) = availability?
Tension between normative approach and critical (unlearning, questioning, dilemmas)
New pedagogical methods may not be consistent with how faculty are trained – how to “let go”
Change, challenge, and relearn conceptual models and assumptions

Principle 3 - Methods: How to overcome challenge

Need to teach more critical thinking (training both staff and students)
Need acceptance and sharing of alternative research areas and credit for innovative pedagogical development for use in teaching
Although issues may already exist within the curriculum, the link between Principle issues and other topics need to be explicitly linked = use language that will create change
Accreditation agencies need to focus on “important” newer issues and provide incentives = embrace role as leaders/change inducers
Invite other stakeholders into teaching/education environment – entrepreneurs, business, gov’t, etc. to provide case studies from the real world/visible outcomes/application/functionality
PRME to serve as forum/learning platform, encouraging collaboration and exchange of best practices identified by signatories  challenge in disseminating effective actions
Experiential learning
Need more co-creation of educational tools, by all stakeholders
Faculty needs to develop new skills and recognition of self-awareness, role as leaders
Join forces with consulting firms and other influential stakeholders of business schools
Set the “right” expectations of students from the very beginning, helping them remain open to change
Commit school/program/faculty early and then learn by doing
Co-teaching across disciplines can help integrate different/new pedagogical approaches, train faculty and students at the same time
Need motivating stories/examples for students
Good role modeling by professors, guest lecturers
Create training programs for academic staff – sharing knowledge and solidifying legitimacy
Reframe as zeitgeist  value proposition for business to form relationship with b-schools
Create an exploratory/curious student culture = convince students the value of (continuous) learning
Possible to change grading methods? Swap exams for reflective sessions
Small changes/trial classes/models  not huge paradigm shift
Conferences and inspiring speakers

Plenary 4: Principle 4 – Research: We will engage in conceptual and empirical research that advances our understanding about the role, dynamics, and impact of corporations in the creation of sustainable social, environmental and economic value