has changed so dramatically, Schnarch argued that MBAs need to be shaped by this new organisational context. He referenced how the role of the office has changed in most organisations, how more jobs will be taken over by AI and digital technologies, and the hard and soft skills that are needed in this kind of set-up. Schnarch suggested that his school’s approach to this new context was still a work in progress, but included a new portfolio of MBAs with multidisciplinary courses. Some courses are being taught by two professors from two different areas – looking for a solution to an issue. The school has also been introducing more electives, allowing students to personalise programmes to their needs. He also pointed to the fact that Unversidad de los Andes School of Management offers digital technologies with revitalised face-to-face experiences. Wellbeing in the workplace Lina Martínez, associate professor of public policy and director of the Observatory of Public Policies (POLIS) at the Universidad Icesi, began her talk on wellbeing with a shocking statement: Covid-19 triggered a 25 per cent increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. She said she believed that this statistic was behind the trend for HR professionals to move away from focusing so much on productivity and towards employees’ mental health. Indeed, HR chiefs across Europe believe that shifting to people- centric policies will help them attract and develop talent. Moreover, there is a move towards allowing staff to bring “the whole person” to work, with all the various negative traits of incompetence, personal problems and insecurities which that implies. In a recent survey that appeared in the Harvard Business Review , some 89 per cent of respondents said their workplace wellbeing had declined since the pandemic; increased work demands, the prevalence of new technology and a poor work/ life balance were all cited as the main reasons. What impact
people that diversity and inclusion is not just a moral decision, but also has a solid business case. Given the importance of these factors, Doyle asked each of her panellists to outline the initiatives their schools had implemented to tackle them. Giraldo described how the Universidad del Norte has been doing research and consultancy within the informal economy, looking at financial inclusion and how street vendors are entrepreneurs. Alongside this, the school is also conducting a study on the plight of Venezuelan refugees. Valencia, meanwhile, spoke about how the Universidad EAFIT is creating space for EDI within its institution, describing how the school has taken a semi-maximalist approach that centres around having open debates with faculty, students and communities about promoting diversity. She pointed out that this open dialogue had successfully created an environment where people feel more comfortable coming forward with complaints. Promoting sustainable management Enrique Bolaños, president of INCAE Business School, explained that its mission is to actively contribute to the sustainable development of the regions it serves, with the transformational education of leaders across key sectors of society. The school aims to improve lives in Latin America, not just the GDP. Bolaños summed this up with the statement: “Economic development is not enough; it has to be for the purpose of everyone in the region having a better future for themselves.” One example of INCAE’s impact in the community occurred when lockdown hit; the faculty committed full-time to helping the country, first by establishing health protocols and second by opening business again to create economic activity. The school worked with multiple sectors in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and several governments in Latin America, investing significant materials, to help tackle the health crisis. Looking to the future, Bolaños recognised there is still serious disruption coming with the fourth industrial revolution and climate change. He argued that academics have to “shape the dialogue about climate change in the region and be involved in social progress”. The impact centre at INCAE is deeply involved in the country’s social progress index, with initiatives in the areas of economic development, social progress, governance and environmental progress. One example of this is tourism in Costa Rica. Although the country has successfully developed its tourism strategy, INCAE is helping to improve the wellbeing of the population in specific tourism locations. The evolution of MBA content David Schnarch, MBA academic director at Unversidad de los Andes School of Management, remarked that “we cannot pretend everything is going back to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic”. The past two-and-a-half years pushed people, organisations and universities to transform the way they operate, so “we are different and processes are different”. Because the world of work
AMBA & BGA chair Bodo Schlegelmilch outlined the various pressure points currently impacting on the management education sector
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