T The turbulent business context that leaders have navigated in the past couple of years is unlikely to be any more settled in the years ahead. Challenges such as supply chain disruptions, sustained inflation and high interest rates are now overshadowed by geopolitical tensions and social unrest, as well as the effects of climate change, among other issues. The increasingly complex social and environmental problems faced across the world are a case in point and ensure that the relevance of responsible management education is not disputed. Simply put, leaders from all sectors must be equipped with a mindset and skillset that ensures value not only in financial terms, but also in social and environmental dimensions to guarantee the long-term feasibility of their organisations. This is where institutions of higher education come in, as they have the power to develop the competencies these leaders need. Upping the ante on PRME Egade Business School’s engagement with responsible management education can be traced back to its foundation in 1995, but its efforts on this front have been reinforced since becoming a member of PRME in 2008, just after the UN initiative was launched. PRME responds to the need to develop leaders who will guide organisations in the pursuit of sustainability in its economic, social and environmental dimensions. Its six principles guide higher education institutions to embed a socially responsible and sustainable perspective in all their main activities – from values,
RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT
purpose, teaching methods and research to outreach efforts and even their operations. With just seven years remaining to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the actions of PRME and its signatories must now come at a faster pace. We hope that Egade’s recent experience with PRME can serve to inspire other institutions and people that may want to join our community and efforts. Purpose and prioritisation In the context of a post-pandemic environment and the arrival of a new dean, Egade had the chance to revise its strategic intent to better serve stakeholders’ needs. The culmination of this was the school’s new purpose – to rethink the future of business to impact sustainable development in Latin America. During this process, the school also consulted with members of its community to identify priority SDGs for the school to work towards. The result was the selection of SDG8 (decent work and economic growth) SDG9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG10 (reduced inequalities). Attaining these goals requires the participation of multiple actors, so the school has also embraced SDG17 (partnerships for the goals) as an additional priority SDG. Defining priority SDGs does not mean that we work on these goals alone. Instead, they provide recognition of the areas in which we believe the school can have the most positive impact. In Mexico, unemployment rates have decreased but around 37 per cent of the working population still does not have enough income to satisfy their basic needs. As such, SDG8 is a particularly relevant way for Egade to have a positive impact. Alongside the school’s new vision, it was clear that there were paradigms and ways of working that needed to be rethought. Faculty development To develop new competencies in our students, and to work on both the affective and cognitive components of learning, we had to start with ourselves and put the behaviours we want to promote into practice. To advance our teaching principles, Egade reached out to three PRME working groups, each of which has proven to be an effective means of connecting with a network of experts and acquiring up-to-date knowledge of critical sustainability topics. Working group on sustainability mindset : With the help of this group’s leader, professor Isabel Rimanoczy, our professors received customised online training
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Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2023
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