QS Global 200 Business Schools Report 2012 - International ...

Corporate social responsibility
The role of corporate social responsibility (CSR)
on MBA programs is rapidly evolving as a result
of the economic difficulties over the past five
years.
After the global recession at the end of the
last decade, some, rightly or wrongly, placed
blame at the doors of business schools for
failing to ingrain the importance of CSR values
on their alumni. Further, protests around the
world against the perceived greed fostered in
some industries shows a global population
becoming increasingly frustrated with a lack of
consideration of CSR in business.
Will McDonald, European director of academic
programs at Thunderbird School of Management
explains the value of CSR to business: “The game
has changed—it is essential that all managers
consider full stakeholder value over the longterm.
Customers seek it, communities in which
we operate insist on it, and your clients, business
partners and even employees will hold you
accountable for making a positive contribution.”
With such importance being placed on how
companies and organizations add to the
world they exist in, there is a strong argument
for general MBA rankings to incorporate
measurements of CSR into their methodology.
“Our school’s president, Dr Angel Cabrera,
often challenges the industry, saying that even
the business school rankings will eventually also
have to change, to put more weight in measuring
the global impact of a school or program, and
not focus as heavily on individuals’ post-MBA
salaries… the scale of the world’s challenges
are simply too big for focusing so heavily on
individual success.”
Here, the Global 200 Business School Report’s
CSR rating shows a dominance of schools in
North America and Europe excelling, through
the eyes of MBA employers, in producing
graduates that take into account aspects of
CSR in their day-to-day business operations.
However, business schools in the Asia Pacific
region are showing significant promise, with
eight appearing in this year’s rating. Four of
these are located in India, ensuring that future
business leaders in the country’s rapidly
evolving economy are encouraged to consider
the impact of the decisions they make on the
wider community, at home and further afield.
Business schools that have impressed employers
Even the business school rankings will eventually also have to change, to put more
weight in measuring the global impact of a school or program
in the teaching of CSR values to their MBAs, and
therefore made considerable improvements in
this year’s rating include:
Michael G Foster School of Business;
Thunderbird School of Global Management;
Johns Hopkins Carey Business School;
Indian School of Business;
Indian Institute of Management;
Lancaster University Management School.
s
s
s
s
s
s
Though CSR is fundamentally about the way
that corporations address their responsibility to
the communities that they are a part of, it is also
the case that from a profitability stance, MBA
graduates who are able to bring in elements of
CSR into their business practices are valuable.
27