Based on the results of these interviews, 30 competencies were drafted with associated learning objectives, using the four levels derived from Bloom’s Taxonomy. The draft was reviewed internally by professors from each business subject and competencies were then re-drafted, expanded or consolidated in order to address any identified gaps. The end result was the framework’s comprehensive list of 34 subject‑level competencies. Once the competency framework was established, we looked at how it could be formally applied to each of the school’s MBA courses using a robust change management approach. In this, there were six phases, starting with a kick-off session designed to create a sense of urgency among faculty, as well as to engage and set objectives. An analysis of the existing integration of SDG competencies in each course was then conducted, followed by the formulation of an SDG strategy for each course and programme. The next steps were to carry out a gap analysis, create an action plan to reduce identified gaps and accentuate a common thread that could run through the programme and, finally, establish a roadmap for each course and the programme as a whole. In practice, there are two interdependent levels to SDG Inside: the individual course level for members of teaching faculty and the ‘portfolio’ level of the programme for programme directors. Teaching faculty are first asked to self-assess the extent to which they currently cover ERS topics with the help of an SDG Inside coordinator and other internal resources. After this initial exercise, all teaching faculty and administrators attend a programme-specific workshop to consolidate and share findings collectively. This is an opportunity to learn from each other and explore, in a supportive environment, how they might integrate more ERS content into their teaching pedagogy. The next step is for the programme director to summarise the framework’s inventory and challenge faculty on how the CSR content of the programme might be reinforced, including innovative ways to cover the majority of the framework’s competencies. Following the workshop, teaching faculty are asked to go over their initial self-diagnostic evaluation, this time reflecting on how they might adapt their content to better complement or align their efforts and depth of engagement with that of their colleagues. The results are, again, consolidated and presented to the group as a benchmark for future dialogue. This cooperative approach helps overcome much of any initial resistance displayed by faculty members and can be further leveraged to collect constructive feedback towards incremental improvements. It also has the advantage of creating programme‑level synergies between courses and across disciplines. These can shed additional light on some of the system-level bottlenecks that may impede implementation, which is especially valuable for programme designers and directors as they decide where and how school-level resources can best support the ERS efforts of the teaching faculty.
the impact of carbon, resource depletion, pollution or changing global geopolitics. The instructor chooses the level of engagement (ie from levels one to four) that is appropriate for their students and uses the associated learning objective in their course design. A subject-level competency such as CSR trends and scenarios could be developed into a dedicated course – for instance Emlyon’s sustainable futures module – or integrated into another subject, such as a marketing or product development course, as an auxiliary attribute. Individual courses may integrate one or more subject-level skills; at programme level it is up to the programme director to ensure that a strong ‘portfolio’ of subjects is delivered to MBA students. Learning objectives are also complemented and reinforced by other activities, ranging from conventional exams that assess fundamental levels of skills and knowledge to more innovative approaches, such as using creative design fiction that gives MBA participants a way to experience and test their ideas in alternative futures. The 17 SDGs are made visible to students through the content and assessment tools used in each course. For example, leadership courses often incorporate content about gender equality (SDG 5), product design courses may consider the principles of circularity (SDG 12) and courses on human resource development may explore elements that make up decent working conditions (SDG 8). A faculty-led approach The SDG Inside initiative has been developed for teaching faculty by teaching faculty. It therefore follows a bottom- up design approach, inviting colleagues to become critically aware of the
values embedded in the courses they teach and to support and challenge each other to do better. The framework outlined above is the product of a collaborative research study conducted with a broad group of faculty members. The process began with an extensive literature review of CSR topics and benchmarking of relevant programme content available at other highly ranked business schools. MBA professors were then interviewed to assess the extent to which they included these topics in their courses and viewed them as applicable to leading practices in
their relevant subjects. They were also asked to contribute additional pertinent topics.
26 | Ambition | JUNE 2023
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