Companies need to define their relevance for the future in a purpose-driven way
DÉSIRÉE VAN GORP is the Founder of Young & Bold and Professor of International Business at
Nyenrode Business University (Nyenrode), where she is also Chairman of the International Advisory Board and of the Full Time MBA. Previously, van Gorp has held the roles of, among others, Associate Dean for Academic Degree Programmes and MBA Programme Director at Nyenrode.
to exchange best practices and support projects across the world. There’s so much power in uniting. If we want to make a positive impact on society, we must work together. How important is it that Business Schools are ahead of the curve in terms of engaging students and alumni with social impact programmes and what more could, and should, they be doing? Business Schools have a responsibility to educate the next generation of leaders who have a responsibility not only to [ensure their business operations do] not harm society but moreover, to proactively contribute in a positive way to society. This is the only way we can respond to the major challenges we are facing on a worldwide scale effectively – including poverty, climate change and the scarcity of resources. Through this network, you believe simple ideas can become powerful initiatives. Can you expand on this a little? The power of small acts of kindness should not be underestimated. Many small acts of kindness can make a world of difference and result in a movement that infects others in a positive way. We have seen that with the MOTG projects. They served as a magnet for people wanting to contribute in a positive way to society. We shouldn’t just wait for others to initiate change. Let’s be that change and inspire others to join.
An important focus over the next few months will be on educating refugees to help them prepare for the labour market. We see Young & Bold as a proxy that can bring communities together to make a real difference. This means there’s room for everyone who wants to help and there’s room for all companies that want to show their support. As long as we’re able to reach those who want to get involved and who are aligned to our mission to do good, then we can help them expedite their understanding of our values and involve them in projects aiming to have a positive impact on society. The first component is to educate others in the same values that we have and then bring them into our growing community. We have a growing digital community on our Instagram page where – during the pandemic – we organised weekly sessions with experts on topics such as ‘how to stay bold and resilient in times of crisis’ and the future of work. Soon, we will launch a series of blogs and interviews on YouTube and much more that we can share with our community, either on our website or through our social media channels, to inspire young people to take that first step and to contribute to whatever they think is worthwhile and make a real positive impact. We want to grow and we think social media will allow us to do that. We believe that strong collaboration between commercial, social organisations and academia can make a big difference in the way we tackle societal challenges – and together, we can achieve great things. All Business Schools are welcome to join us in our pursuit for good, and
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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