Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Plenary 1: PRME Principle 1- Purpose: We will develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of
sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy.
Keynote: Nick Main, Global Managing Director, Sustainability and Climate Change Services, Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu Limited
Panelists:
1. Carlo Gallucci, ESADE’s International Deputy Director General
2. Katrin Muff, Dean, Business School Lausanne
3. Kai Peters, Chief Executive, Ashridge
4. Michael Powell, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Business), Griffith University
Moderator: Mark Drewell, Chief Executive GRLI
Principle 1 - Purpose: Challenge
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Differing views/understanding/definitions/interpretations  students : professors, cross culturally, etc.
(e.g. cultural relativism vs. absolutism; technical and/or generational gaps; what is private property in cyber
space? Policy issues across different parts of the world)
o Is a universal definition possible? Contextual interpretations?
o Addressing tradeoffs and dilemmas (culture, technique(s) to find answer(s), complexity of issues)
o Understanding/recognizing the complexity of the issues
o Determining what is “right”
How to define purpose in large terms
Overwhelming scale of the challenge
Alignment between business schools and business
How to meaningfully politicize the challenge/the business role
How to convey the role/importance of CSR/sustainability  need to build credibility/legitimacy
o Idea of sustainability undermining capitalism
Existing relationship between the market and regulation
Existing approach/framework/curricula/mentality of b-schools
o How unlearn? How adopt new approach?
o Schools/programs don’t really have the difficult, thought provoking discussions about values, etc.
o Vested interest(s)
o Hard to meet expectations given current parameters
o Challenge of creating educational content
o Internal tensions, how to prioritize
o Internal b-school/university/program debate over whether sustainability is an appropriate focus
o Integration into all levels of education, basic  higher  graduate
o Challenge of reorienting perspective: shareholder value to societal value
o Faculty have to be (re)trained before than can teach about “new” issues/topics
o Faculty development, including leadership – practical experience preferred = challenge to hiring
Faculty may be uncooperative
o Need for sense of individual responsibility = How to awaken intrinsic motivation?
o Need champion
Homogeneity – of teaching materials, journals, political agendas – (e.g. where is the space for feminist
economics? e.g. economic text books often based in neo-classical thinking/framing = difficult to incorporate
alternative thoughts) o How to integrate CSR into each course (marketing, HR, FINANCE…)?
Making it practical/relevant for students’ aspirations/ personal agendas
How to measure the success of implementation?  to prove credibility
How to best demonstrate/package what has been done/tangible progress made?
Federating people around the cause
How involve students?
Some industries (like tobacco, tourism) would be classified as non-CSR-friendly and would require
resources, efforts and time to engage in responsibility-related activities = TIME
How do students take lessons from the classroom and implement them in the organization?
o How to become activists in organizations that don’t want to hear/are not yet ready for this change?
o If their values are misaligned, what options are there other than to leave the org?
o Bridging gap between student experience (theories) and reality – the economic lessons taught do not
necessarily align with sustainability goals
Prevent PRME from becoming wishful thinking
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Principle 1 - Purpose: How to overcome challenge
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Role modeling = “walk the walk,” “practice what preach,” start at home  with campus,
professor/leadership behavior
Incorporate Principles/role of business in society into vision/mission of school
Champion can be any stakeholder group
o Leverage existing enthusiasm
o Want commitment of doers, not just talkers (less rhetoric, more action)
o Committed/open minded/enthusiastic/inspiring dean = role model to guide faculty, not just notify
o In-classroom discussion (practitioners and students) and other student experience creates
champions
o Provide space for students (Net Impact, etc.) to challenge/influence faculty – ex/ with project topic
choice (bottom up)
o Dialogue with students regarding “What is sustainability?”
o Group work/collaboration, including students
Engage variety of stakeholders (inside and outside of school), including students, alumni, faculty,
corporations, NGOs and embed them within the curriculum
Create steering committee to bring stakeholders together (staff, faculty, students, business)
Contribute/participate in social institutions and politics = get involved, be the (social) change
Create reward systems
o Possible to motivate/win over faculty through exposure (conference
speaking/presenting/attending, funding of research and other academic activities)
o Accreditation requirements can be used to reinforce activity
Prevent PRME from becoming wishful thinking by advocating patient, long term, slow-but-steady
commitment approach = not flash in the pan issue anyway  “Give the dollar and save the beggar” =
take steps now rather than worrying too much about whole project
Have the intention to create planet-minded leaders
Start by introducing sustainability/CSR as early as possible
Contextual sustainability training within curricula
Creating space for change in paradigms, culture of openness for alternatives, new imagery
Change curriculum/program approach/teachings to incorporate non-mainstream/”alternative” theories
Taking the approach of explicitly training/developing socially responsible persons, no matter what
specific discipline we train or educate them in
Engage faculty and challenge them to include new CSR/sustainability topics into their courses
o Create appropriate teacher training
Explaining/teaching the relevance/importance of sustainability
o Need to go beyond the business case
o Teach that it’s OK to care about more than bottom line – celebrate passion!
Work/make effort to improve syllabi
Highlight mistakes, not just successes = teaching decision making, approaching complex dilemmas
To prepare students for a potentially challenging workplace, need to teach more complex
thinking/challenging students to think about the hard questions
Educate students not only about compliance – create opportunities for creativity and innovation
Create toolkits/better selection of teaching materials (video, case studies, best practices)
o Experiential learning
o Guest lectures = share ideas  engage alumni (can help teach both students and professors)
o Build business cases to discuss the “why” examples
o Projects and internships with reporting of experience related to CSR/sustainability
o Show placements opportunities
Relevance – encourage student voice, personal experience and aspirations
Not just focus on MNCs but also SMEs, NGOs
Link the impact on profitability
Measuring success – through longitudinal studies
Work with companies on taking long-term perspective (not just focus on investors/shareholders)
Blue ocean strategy
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Plenary 2: PRME Principle 2 - Values: We will incorporate into our academic activities and curricula the
values of global social responsibility as portrayed in international initiatives such as the United Nations
Global Compact
Keynote: Josef Winter, Siemens AG, Chief Compliance Office - The Business Case against Corruption
Panelists:
1. Mathias Kleinhempel, IAE Business School, Argentina
2. Lydia Price, Associate Dean, MBA Director, CEIBS, China
3. Thomas Dyllick, Vice President, University of St Gallen, Switzerland
4. Alain Lempereur, Business and Peace Working Group
Moderator: Jonas Haertle, Head of PRME Secretariat
Principle 2 - Values: Challenge
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Need to investigate the values that underpin sustainability = practical tools on how to apply values
Lack of willingness to investigate personal values as faculty member
Scattered approach across all levels = need better program integration across institute/school
Existing values measurement reveals values driven approach results in higher performance
Leadership? CEO?
Convincing faculty the value of values = present cases
Finding the appropriate motivational leader
Checking for feedback = make room/establish known channels for dialogue
No absolute answers = need to create space to continuously discuss complicated moral dilemmas
Shifting frameworks are gradual, like societal norms = may be helpful to get non-business/old schoolminded guest lectures, case studies to learn from and innovate on
Who/how decide what is acceptable?
Many competing pressures on curricula – how to find a balance?
Need to train academic staff in practical ways
False assumption that there is one agreed upon set of values and standard interpretations
Existing MBA/business incentives are based upon financial interests
Getting CSR values in the curriculum
o Need resources for faculty, need champion, long term view
How do you involve faculty and change their habits/convince them? Compulsory vs. voluntary
Problem of cherry-picking issues
What must be done to ensure integration? How far to take the integration?
How bring CSR/sustainability into individual research agendas?
How educate “universal” values in a diverse world with different cultures/legislation  relativism trap
How to sensitize professors to the fact that the principles do make a difference? = good leadership
from the Dean
Need interdisciplinary/holistic approach and an understanding of one’s own sphere of influence
Business-government-society axis, but students not taught about legislative context
Challenges of implementation , lack of trained/interested/committed faculty
o Resource allocation, faculty development and motivation
Importance of curriculum vs. learning environment
How help faculty integrate CSR/sustainability/values into individual subject material, and how to put it
into action?
While there is more opportunity to move from teaching theory to practice, there is still reluctance of
faculty, academic leadership, and validating bodies to move toward new criteria
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Principle 2 - Values: How to overcome challenge
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= need practical tools on how to apply values
= need better program integration across institute/school
To win over faculty, present cases from business, PRME signatories, successful motivating examples
Strong leadership via respected champion to organize process and garner support
Ensure feedback by making room/establish known channels for dialogue
Sharing and communicating better, reinforces and clarifies values
Establish means of learning through behavior, practice doing, not just acquiring knowledge
o Transparency, sustainability, critical thinking, diversity, integrity, innovation
No absolute answers = need to create space to continuously discuss complicated moral dilemmas
Emphasize the achievable
Make it real through case studies and on-site visits/internships
To create relevant education, include students in process of topic choice
Shifting frameworks are gradual, like societal norms = may be helpful to get non-business/old schoolminded guest lectures, case studies to learn from and innovate on
Students can create future social norms = work collaboratively to teach/learn “right” thing to do
To change curricula, integrate values into existing and new lectures, create new/specific modules and
other teaching materials – toolkits
Train faculty through case studies and concrete examples – helpful if companies are on board
Explicit expression of values = agree to/overtly state the talk that you plan to walk
Provide opportunity for dialogue in classroom to discuss/reconcile differing views
To successfully confront ethical issues/dilemmas, help students to develop skills to act upon values
Need to incorporate CSR values into key courses, bring in lecturers from outside
To win over faculty, get them involved  forum discussions, practical activities/examples
Need theorypractice transfer = applicable course material including case studies
To inspire sustainability-inclusive research, need to improve the acceptability of broader-based
research and publications = not just A-journals
Demonstrate and model behavior from within the business school setting
“Make a stand” – annually reaffirm (with signature), anti-plagiarism, etc. = helps to incorporate future
life values when sign off on accounts, etc. = personal modeling of appropriate behavior/ responsibility
Create awareness about the real value of ethical behavior
Introduce move “game theory” exercises to make “dilemmas” more operational
Expose students to real cases
Bring alive “scary stories”
How sensitize professors to fact that the principles do make a difference? = good leadership (Dean)
Clarify/expose existing values (in b-school, big biz, personal ambition), and question relevance –
profit maximization, growth, competitiveness, personal ambition and look beyond MNCs to SMEs,
social enterprise, coops, family firms, public sector, NGOs
Help students build the confidence to talk about values while at school
Need interdisciplinary/holistic approach and an understanding of one’s own sphere of influence
Sustainability/CSR/business ethics should be a requisite course in all programs, in addition to
marketing/finance/strategy
B-schools should act with integrity (i.e. expel students for cheating/plagiarism)
Include coursework/education about legislation, challenge existing perceptions that governments play
no role; recent market failures have turned orthodoxy upside down
Need to develop global leaders  Context, Complexity, Connectedness as skill framework for bschool curricula  students NEED first-hand exposure/engagement with a variety of stakeholders
Need to teach complexity, can’t just cherry pick the challenges of real life
Need facilitate learning, not “pure” teaching
Need to create incentive systems for incorporating values into curricula
Engage academics and students in the practical challenges of change, in collaboration with corps
Making the “right” decision is a personal decision that needs support through academic mentorship
Integrate horizontally, not just across curriculum, but also extra-curriculars and get all stakeholders
involved (students, faculty, administration, alumni, corporations, etc.)
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Plenary 3: PRME Principle 3 – Methods: We will create educational frameworks, materials, processes and
environments that enable effective learning experiences for responsible leadership
Keynote: Olivier Marquet, Chief Executive, Triodos Bank Belgium
Panelists:
1. Elaine Rumboll, Director of Executive Education GSB, UCT Cape Town, SA
2. Jonathan Gosling, Director, University of Exeter
3. Maurits van Rooijen FRSA, Rector Magnificus and CEO, Nyenrode Business School
4. Anthony Buono, Professor and Coordinator, Alliance for E&SR, Bentley University
Moderator: Michael Powell, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Business), Griffith University
Principle 3 - Methods: Challenge
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How integrate Principles into curriculum and engage faculty members?
What specific methods will get students to question these issues? Are case studies enough?
Need better definition/differentiation of beliefs, assumptions, facts
Need more examples of quality materials to use in teaching sustainability, CSR, and other PRMErelated areas
Building time into existing curricula to focus on PRME area and making them part of the core, rather
than simply the fringe
Existing accreditation framework
Need to embed the Principles within core business strategy, not just core curriculum
Need better integration of existing relevant parts of patchwork = strategy
How collaborate, create, and share effective case studies/lessons learned?
Pre-program expectations of students?
How support teamwork?
How make urgency durable? Managing energy and attention
How measure outcomes, successes?
How commit faculty to curricular change?
Ability to unlearn?
Need to clarify/agree upon assumptions
How to develop self-awareness, integrity, recognition of leadership/role as leader
Need universal analysis of current situation and agreement why status quo is not sustainable
Break out of the hegemony of the MNC  They are a small proportion of the organizational forms
relevant, and b-schools/students/professors should stop worshipping them = need more realistic
approach to organizational responsibility
Need better alignment between different accreditation agencies
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to curriculum implementation = customization is important
Need supportive teaching material (articles, case studies, books, guest lectures, etc.) = availability?
Tension between normative approach and critical (unlearning, questioning, dilemmas)
New pedagogical methods may not be consistent with how faculty are trained – how to “let go”
Change, challenge, and relearn conceptual models and assumptions
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Principle 3 - Methods: How to overcome challenge
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Need to teach more critical thinking (training both staff and students)
Need acceptance and sharing of alternative research areas and credit for innovative pedagogical
development for use in teaching
Although issues may already exist within the curriculum, the link between Principle issues and other
topics need to be explicitly linked = use language that will create change
Accreditation agencies need to focus on “important” newer issues and provide incentives = embrace
role as leaders/change inducers
Invite other stakeholders into teaching/education environment – entrepreneurs, business, gov’t, etc.
to provide case studies from the real world/visible outcomes/application/functionality
PRME to serve as forum/learning platform, encouraging collaboration and exchange of best practices
identified by signatories  challenge in disseminating effective actions
Experiential learning
Need more co-creation of educational tools, by all stakeholders
Faculty needs to develop new skills and recognition of self-awareness, role as leaders
Join forces with consulting firms and other influential stakeholders of business schools
Set the “right” expectations of students from the very beginning, helping them remain open to change
Commit school/program/faculty early and then learn by doing
Co-teaching across disciplines can help integrate different/new pedagogical approaches, train faculty
and students at the same time
Need motivating stories/examples for students
Good role modeling by professors, guest lecturers
Create training programs for academic staff – sharing knowledge and solidifying legitimacy
Reframe as zeitgeist  value proposition for business to form relationship with b-schools
Create an exploratory/curious student culture = convince students the value of (continuous) learning
Possible to change grading methods? Swap exams for reflective sessions
Small changes/trial classes/models  not huge paradigm shift
Conferences and inspiring speakers
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Plenary 4: Principle 4 – Research: We will engage in conceptual and empirical research that advances our
understanding about the role, dynamics, and impact of corporations in the creation of sustainable social,
environmental and economic value
Keynote: Bruce Haase, Head of Climate Business Engagement, WWF
Panelists:
1. Guido Palazzo, HEC Lausanne
2. Frank Vidal, Dean, Audencia
3. Maurizio Zollo, Professor department of management and Technology, SDA Bocconi
4. Armando Dal Colleto, Dean, Business School São Paulo
Moderator: Simon Pickard, Director General, EABIS
Principle 4 - Research: Challenge
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Nomenclature/terminology – need clear concept definitions of CSR, sustainability, ethics, etc.
How to translate academic concepts, research, and results into business/corporate solutions
How to get an approach from different fields to complete CSR research (biology, physiology,
anthropology, etc.) needed beyond a pure management and/or business approach
Existing disciplinary silos = need ecosystem approach
Existing publishing channels are too narrowly defined
Dominance of American journals
Dominance of quantitative methodology = publishers need to rethink their business model
Need to create incentives and build links to better engage faculty
How engage other sectors, i.e. engineers, scientists, etc.
Existing view that pure research is more valued than applied research and teaching
History of hiring faculty who have only been published in A journals
Rigid assessment/research expectations of systems and schools  need acceptability of CSRfocused research in top journals and acceptability of non-A journals
Pressure of research funding-related quality control governance structures i.e. UK Research
Excellence Framework (REF), replacing Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)
Need more focus on existential questions about the future of capitalism
Lack of access to actual practice of CSR in companies for basis of research
Need to change orthodoxy of producing research, publishing, and other recognition
Existing focus  short term : long term view, focused : holistic, silo : multidisciplinary
Accreditation agencies need to change the institutional framework of journals
How do we get scholars of sustainability/CSR to become journal editors?
Personal interest (lack thereof) by faculty in sustainability issues
Can we actually ask the big questions?
Who pays for research?
Anglo-Saxon domination regarding what is acceptable in publishing
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Principle 4 - Research: How to overcome challenge
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Get various stakeholders involved to help them realize the benefits of research
Engage with corporations could help to identify and develop case studies – use relationships of
students, alumni, professors
Integrate research with teaching to help bottom up piece of holistic approach
Research training seminars that include a mix of department representatives/professors  collective
research design
Interdisciplinary research!, including partnership with business
More team research
Direct industry research
Develop alternative research models
Guidance from b-school’s strategic planning
Include voice/representative of alternative paradigms on editorial boards of highly ranked journals
Take multiple approaches, continue some existing publication, some time on other topics with hope of
A journal publication and/or alternative journal publication  gradually increase time spent on CSR
Accreditation agencies need to change the institutional framework of journals in order to widen the
field = schools/stakeholders (students/faculty) need to collectively lobby these institutions
Accreditation bodies can create a list of second tier/non-traditional A journals where
sustainability/CSR are more regularly/easily published  could help to begin foundation of
credibility/legitimacy for these topics
To bolster sustainability/CSR research by faculty, change recruitment strategy AND incorporate
relevant study into PhD programming
Find ways to leverage business interest (as funders of journals, etc.)
Provide incentives through funding opportunities of specific conferences/budgets want faculty to
participate in
Older, tenured, established professors can afford to take the risk
Create partnerships for new research funding (NGOs, foundations, business) – engage them, rather
than simply allow them to criticize from the sidelines
Remember and focus on PhD students as an important cohort/stakeholder group
Outcomes of the 2011 PRME Summit Roundtable Discussions (7-8 June 2011)
Roundtables discussed 3 key challenges to implementing a Principle and how to overcome them?
Plenary 5: PRME Principle 5 - Partnership: We will interact with managers of business corporations to
extend our knowledge of their challenges in meeting social and environmental responsibilities and to explore
jointly effective approaches to meeting these challenges
Keynote: Jean-Philippe Courtois, President, Microsoft International
Panelists:
1. Allan K.K. Chan, Associate Dean and MBA Director, Hong Kong Baptist University
2. Jean-Christophe Carteron, Director for Corporate Social Responsibility, Euromed, France
3. Dennis Hanno, Dean, Dean Undergraduate Education Babson College
4. Kai Hockerts, Associate Professor of Corporate Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship,
Copenhagen Business School
Moderator: Ulrich Hommel, Director, Research & Surveys Unit at EFMD; Associate Director, Quality
Services Department at EFMD
Principle 5 - Partnership: Challenge
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Principle language (use of business corporations) may alienate SMEs, non-profits, entrepreneurs…
What is the value of CSR and/or partnership with academia for corporations, for shareholders, etc.?
Dangers of limit on academic freedom with close ties to private industry = keep autonomy
Not all multinationals ready to adapt to sustainability/CSR needs/cultures of their subsidiaries’
respective host countries
Companies ready to recruit/hire students who were trained in different methods of thinking and
making decisions?
Managing expectations
Creating true collaborative relationships  co-creation challenge
Are b-schools structured in a way that will facilitate collaboration? Silos vs. interdisciplinary approach
How to build trust between universities and companies
Lack of common understanding of sustainability issues
Lack of resources on behalf of SMEs regarding strategic issues/ability to commit
Short time frame of academic programs = 1 semester interaction with SME may not be efficient
Partnerships are often with CR professionals within organization and the impact on the company as a
whole is unclear
Principle 5 - Partnership: How to overcome challenge
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Work through advisory board, liaison officers = meeting with academics at corp. board meetings, etc.
Great opportunity for industries in crisis (oil, mining, finance) to partner with academia for new solutions
Position academia as a resource, avenue for help, not just challenge
Clear and regular communication and definition of roles helps to manage expectations
o Establish bi/multi-directional information channels = not just ask answer, or tell  wait for answer
o Clarifying definitions before begin partnership/launch relationship
Remember that partnerships reach far beyond PRME = use/bolster existing relationships to expand
upon PRME, leverage PRME as potential means of greater other partnership opportunities
Create incentives (monetary, publishing, etc.) for interdisciplinary collaboration, dialogue, etc.
Help unburden SMEs through active collaboration, easy-to-use tools, show value of student interaction
Not just one semester, one year, one professor  BUILD relationships over time to increase trust and
legitimacy
Show that partnership with students may result in “pre” trained individuals, who are more efficient to
hire (class projects, not just internships)