The United Nations, December 4-5, 2008. Deans and professors representing business schools from 43 countries attended the global forum co-convened by the United Nations Global Compact and six other sponsors see http://www.unprme.org/participants/steering-committee/un-global-compact.php. Participants came to discuss how business schools and management-related academic institutions can get involved in the global agenda of the Six Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) which they signed onto as a condition of registration. They are: (1) Purpose: (2)Values; (3) Method; (4) Research; (5) Partnership; and (6) Dialogue. See more detail at http://www.unprme.org/
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon presided over the final session with representatives from the US, Europe, Asia and Africa reporting on the proceedings. Ban Ki-Moon stressed the need to root training of future business leaders in principles of corporate citizenship.
The draft Outcome Statement calls on PRME B-Schools to play a critical role as agents of change renewing commitment to education of future leaders by doubling efforts:
1. To commit to creating long-term value
2. Recognizing that the competitive landscape will be reshaped by natural resources and human further stressing the environment emphasizes the need for a more global and systemic understanding of risk management.
3. In order to move toward greater economic stimulation and coherence, there is a need to create voluntary initiatives as a space for innovation and value creation.
4. Call for more holistic approach to theory and practice.
Two of the questions that I took note of addressed concern about the way in which Western-dominated business models must be expanded for a global community:
1. What is to be done about so much focus on White, Male, Anglo-Saxon influence on business models? 2. The expression of concern that principles also include Asian cultural essence their evolving contextual change.
This is the first installment of a series of reflections on the forum and related topics.
