SOCIAL IMPACT
MiM students from IE Business School taking part in a 2022 project to build shaded seating and a walkway at a centre for the elderly in Madrid
“The projects prompt the students to ask themselves the question ‘How can I do more?’” continues Brown-Varnier. “There aren’t many of them not crying their eyes out at the end of a project because they’ve seen the impact they’ve had directly. They see what is needed to help others and want to be part of the solution. In the classroom, they’re not making an impact on anyone. The projects allow them to use what they’ve learnt and then leave a meaningful impact on others, so it completes the circle.”
Last September was Splash Projects’ busiest month to date, with 10 projects for eight charities, involving 1,650 participants in London, France and Spain. The project with Essca alone involved 1,200 students across six campuses and impacted six charities. At the other end of the scale for size, the company’s work with Insead’s executive education programmes, which dates back more than 16 years, often involves no more than 20 participants who have a day, or less, to build something that will have a huge impact for years to come. Loïc Sadoulet, a liate professor of economics at Insead, requests that projects incorporate a complex problem deliberately designed to thwart their delivery approach and help produce impactful learning outcomes for the teams. “We have an obligation to give the future leaders of the world the chance to understand the responsibility they have in helping society be a better place and to set that social barometer,” notes Patti Brown-Varnier, executive director for academic a airs and programme delivery for MBA and executive MBA programmes at HEC Paris. “Business schools used to be about pro t margins, nance, accounting and marketing – all of which can be learnt online,” Brown-Varnier explains, “but we’re seeing a shift towards what really matters – social responsibility and sustainable development.” A recent project with HEC Paris in April involved 156 MBA students leaving their mark on the community they’d called home for 16 months in the form of a play area featuring a three-part shipwreck, seating areas and a chicken ‘hotel’. By building this at the Diapason Juvenile Behavioural Facility in central France, the cohort not only got to experience e ective leadership and the power of teamwork, but also had the opportunity to give back to others less fortunate.
BENJAMIN MORISSE
Vice-dean, Essca School of Management
it’s part of ours. It is therefore an improvement that business schools are now judged on their social impact and approach to sustainability. “We want to have a tangible impact on society and for our students to understand the role they can play in bringing about positive change. This is where Splash Projects come in. They give students a meaningful experience, involving them building facilities for medical institutes and charities for people less fortunate than themselves. This helps them understand their position of privilege and responsibility.”
“Essca’s value system is aligned with the expectations our students have. Recent history and the perception that business could have been better to our planet has contributed to the younger generation’s desire to be part of a more sustainable future. “Considering the leverage that one decision can generate and the impact it can have on people within and outside an organisation, geopolitically and financially, future managers should be fully aware of the impact of their decisions. It’s part of their responsibility and
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Business Impact ISSUE 3 2023
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