It’s time for business schools to go further and make good on their potential as agents of positive change, say the University of Bath School of Management’s Soheil Davari and Colin Higgins at Deakin Business School. Here, they detail how curricula, assessments and institutional structures can all be adapted to ensure schools play an active role in understanding and addressing societal challenges B usiness schools around the world have a responsibility to educate future leaders who can drive social change. In our times, graduates need more than just technical expertise; they must have the curiosity, motivation, values and insights to steer positive progress. This imperative warrants a rethink of curricula and assessment, as well as closer consideration of the value on offer from cross-university and interdisciplinary collaborations and meaningful co-creation with the community. Why schools must go further It is already widely accepted that business school curricula must stop treating ethics, responsibility and sustainability as an add on. Instead, programmes must allow students to bring values, knowledge and critical thinking skills to identify and evaluate issues, while advancing ethical and socially responsible decisions. Keywords related to sustainability and the Champions OF CHANGE
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may be common in unit outlines and descriptors, but all too often these are not integrated into teaching and assessment. Educators and students alike must realise that sustainability and social responsibility are essential in business education. Business schools also have a critical role in advancing social good through impactful research and active community engagement. Normally, this amounts to producing evidence-based research that helps shape public policies supporting sustainable development and sharing expertise
Evidence suggests that graduates often lack the critical understanding necessary to effectively address complicated, multi-stakeholder challenges, such as climate change, poverty and social inequality. Yet, business schools are in a privileged position to generate students’ moral ambition and create future leaders who can and will drive change.
10 Business Impact • ISSUE 6 • 2025
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