The greenest MBA: Corporate Social Responsibility

Even business schools are going green. Sustainability, green tech, clean tech, triple-bottom line, bottom-of-the-pyramid and a host of other fashionable terms have been making their way into business school curriculums around the world. 

And it’s what students want. According to a November 2008 Net Impact/Aspen Institute study, 78% of MBA students surveyed wanted more content and case studies related to sustainability and corporate responsibility integrated into the curriculum. The environmental club Net Impact is one of the most active and popular clubs across business schools.

On October 21, Beyond Grey Pinstripes’ published its anticipated survey of the “Global 100,” which ranks business school programs on incorporating social impact and environmental issues into coursework and research. The Aspen Institute, which sponsors the survey, collected data from 149 schools in 24 countries. Most MBA programs are adding course content focused on some aspect of economic, environmental and/or social sustainability. Hundreds of business programs have infused the concept of sustainability throughout the MBA curriculum in both core and elective courses.  According to data from the Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey, 69% of schools surveyed require students take a course dedicated to business and society. Over the last four years, the number of green-related electives has risen from 12 per school in 2005 to 19 in 2009.

The MBA Channel has reviewed 15 accredited business schools (see sidebar) that have distinguished themselves in an aspect of sustainability. In the last of four articles, the three profiles below showcase the areas where the school has demonstrated a unique strength in Corporate Social Responsibility. Many of these programs have also incorporated into their curricula other elements of sustainability, such as social entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability. Please note that the ranking is alphabetical. 

Corporate Social Responsibility

University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business

With the announcement, “Corporate responsibility permeates Haas” it’s no surprise that the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times ranks Berkeley’s Haas Business School at the forefront of teaching, research and experiential learning opportunities for MBA students in corporate social responsibility (CSR). With gifts from Silicon Valley visionary Mike Homer, Paul Newman and a former chairman of Bank of America, in 2003 the school launched the Center for Social Responsibility (CSR) as a bridge between academia and the corporate world. The center integrates CSR into the general management core and also offers courses such as “Metrics of Sustainability.” Social enterprise courses are also offered. MBA and students in the Masters of Financial Engineering (MFE) program have the opportunity to work at the Haas Socially Responsible Investment Fund, which currently has $1.2 million in assets under management. The CSR oversees the “Strategic CSR & Projects” field course, where students can perform live consulting projects, or pair with senior executives at local firms such as Gap, Hewlett Packard and Levi Strauss. The Nonprofit and Public Management track is also available, offering interested students the added experience of non-profit board service. Financial aid is available for students interested in CSR and through fellowships such as the Social Enterprise Education Design (SEED) Fellowship. 

IE Business School

IE Business School (IE), based in Madrid and one of Europe’s premier business schools was not only ranked as the top school in that region in the Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2008 report, but also offers over 60 courses that relate to corporate responsibility and sustainability. According to the school, these courses “address triple-bottom line [people, planet, profit] issues on a horizontal basis (finance, accounting, marketing, operations management, etc.) but also vertically, bringing added depth thorough elective courses.” Specialized courses include “Business, Government and Society” and “Eco-Intelligent Management.” Much of the dedicated CSR research comes under the umbrella of the Social Impact Management department, supported by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, a full professor of social enterprise and the Director for the Center for Eco-Intelligent Management, among others. Students may also concentrate on a specific social entrepreneurship track. The upcoming fourth annual IE Social Responsibility Forum, scheduled for November 2009, is the school’s largest student-led event and attracts global experts and opinion leaders in sustainability and social innovation. IE also has a dedicated chair in ethics and the Corporate Governance Center, both of which serve as hubs for research and on-the-ground CSR-related activities. 

ESADE

ESADE, based in Barcelona, Spain, considers itself at the forefront of corporate social responsibility: “As a pioneer in corporate social responsibility, we strongly believe that beyond generating profits, sustainable businesses also need to contribute value towards society.” The school incorporates CSR-related material throughout the curriculum; and about 90% of ESADE’s MBA core courses include some social or environmental content. Dedicated courses include “Managing CSR: from Theory to Practice,” “Global Context of Management,” and “Social Marketing”. Through ESADE’s Institute for Social Innovation, students can work on research projects related to applying CSR in multinationals' corporate strategies.  Ranked by the Financial Times as one of the top schools in corporate social responsibility, ESADE boasts 23 core courses featuring CSR. The school is also home to the Institution for the Individual, Corporations and Society, which studies socially responsible investment, CSR policies and the environment, and companies and human rights. ESADE also offers a number of courses and activities focusing on entrepreneurship, including the Creapolis, a business park centered on cross innovation that allows start-up companies to take advantage of the ESADE community's experience and knowledge base.

• ESADE Business School
  Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA
• IE Business School
  Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA, Distance MBA