Sandra Waddock, a professor of management at Boston College's Carroll School of Management and a senior research associate at The Center, was among six "Faculty Pioneers" singled out by Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial global survey that evaluates MBA programs for their efforts to prepare graduates on social and environmental stewardship in business. The Carroll School of Management placed 15th on the list of top MBA programs that expose student to ethical, social, and environmental issues.

Business Schools Respond to New Global Realities

The report finds that more business schools are doing a better job preparing students for the reality of tomorrow’s markets, equipping them with an understanding of the social, environmental, and economic perspectives required for business success in a competitive global economy. The 2005 survey finds that an increasing number of business schools are offering courses in ethics, corporate social responsibility, or environmental sustainability. 

In the survey, changes in coursework proved noticeable. Of the 91 business schools surveyed on six continents, 54 percent require a course in ethics, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, or business and society, up from 45 percent in 2003 and 34 percent in 2001. Additionally, the report finds that some leading schools are launching innovative courses on such topics as exploring private sector approaches for addressing problems in low income markets.

As a clear indication of the importance of these issues globally, three of the top five ranked schools, and 12 of the top 30, are located outside the United States. 

Although the business schools surveyed are making important progress, the report’s authors note that teaching and research on these topics often remain limited to disconnected pockets of innovation. While students at schools ranked in the top 30 were exposed to ethical, social, and environmental issues in an average of 25 percent of their required coursework, other students saw these issues only 8 percent of the time. Only 4 percent of faculty at the surveyed schools published research on related issues in top, peer-reviewed journals during the survey period. 

Waddock Receives "External Impact Award"

Recognizing that it takes committed business school faculty to ensure that social and environmental issues become more fully infused in business education, Beyond Grey Pinstripes annually presents Faculty Pioneer Awards to recognize those leading the effort to integrate social and environmental issues into their research and teaching.

Sandra Waddock received the group's "External Impact Award" for being a "pioneer in the field of social investing and corporate citizenship [whose] work has had a lasting impact on management scholarship, practice and education. She has published path-breaking books on corporate citizenship, served as the editor of the Journal of Corporate Citizenship, and, as a leader among peers, she has chaired the Social Issues division of the Academy of Management. She also plays an important role in helping individuals and firms invest with social and environmental impacts in mind. She is a collaborator in the publication of 100 Best Corporate Citizens which ranks firms across several industries on their corporate social responsibility record in areas such as the environment, diversity, and codes of conduct for their supply chains. And she contributes to the rigor of the social investment community by tracking and critiquing the actions of mutual funds and money managers involved in values-based investing."

A full description of the report, its methodology, and MBA program rankings are available at www.BeyondGreyPinstripes.org.