The corporate sector used to be synonymous with nancial return and business schools fed into that world. Social responsibility has now come to the fore and, in a competitive market for talent, business leaders can no longer ignore those outside their immediate orbit. Perhaps it has something to do with the fallout of 2008’s nancial crash and the realisation that those in power must shoulder responsibility. What is certain is that more questions are circulating about who big business serves and interest in holding decision-makers to account is rising. “Having a positive social impact is a vital element in projects and ventures for me and my peers,” says Sam Ferdinand, a business and international relations student at IE Business School. “Many of us agree that the best way to have a positive impact on society is by doing well ourselves and then channelling our resources for a social purpose. “Business schools train many of tomorrow’s business leaders and must include education in sustainability and social impact as a mandatory part of their curricula if we wish to have a society with more socially responsible operations in the future. Their role is key.” Deans at the world’s top business schools are listening to students such as Ferdinand and have acknowledged that their incoming cohorts want to combine ‘doing well’ and ‘doing good’. In addition, employers want to align themselves with institutions that are bringing about positive change beyond their campuses and, in recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of ranking systems with a focus on social impact. Simply put, the onus is on business schools to show that they are doing their bit for the planet, both in terms of social justice and sustainable development. INCORPORATING COMMUNITY PROJECTS THAT DELIVER As part of e orts to do good beyond their campuses, a number of leading European business schools, including Essca, IE Business School and Insead, have adopted learning and development assignments from Splash Projects. These bring students together to build facilities out of timber for charitable initiatives that would otherwise not be able to a ord the infrastructure. As teams, they are able to contribute to bringing about lasting positive social change in their schools’ local communities and experience what it feels like to make someone else’s life better. Some schools include these projects at the start of their programme to help inspire and motivate students
STEPHANIE VILLEMAGNE
Chief operations officer, Essca School of Management; formerly of IE Business School, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Insead
good while getting to know each other. Splash Project Zambia with the Chinese University of Hong Kong took students on an unbelievable journey; as alumni, they are still talking about it, years on. “When I was with IE, building a garden at a home for people with Alzheimer’s moved students to tears. Now with Essca, the power of getting six campuses aligned on a project that impacts their environment is tremendous to the integration of our students. “At 20 years old, you’re not going to revolutionise the world with a hammer. But through the experience of using that hammer, students realise the impact that working together can have.”
“Positive impact and sustainability are things
we’ve been talking about for years, but we were probably thinking a lesson or two was enough; it isn’t. These issues have become more prevalent and it’s crucial that we teach them to our students. Business schools are finally getting their act together to bring about positive impact. “I’ve worked with Splash for 15 years, starting with an Insead MBA project in Singapore. It was just what we needed to help students have a positive impact on their immediate environment, doing
beginning their learning journeys. It also gives new students the chance to bond over meaningful experiences. Other schools opt, instead, to place these projects at the culmination of their students’ learning journeys, giving graduates-in-waiting the opportunity to say “thank you” to their host countries. While each business school may have speci c learning objectives for community projects, the overriding reason to include them is to give students the chance to experience positive social impact. Current demand for such projects is unprecedented.
26 Business Impact ISSUE 3 2023
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