Den hemmelige pris - CBS OBSERVER

c b s o b s e r v e r 9 d e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 2 3There still seems tobe some confusionregarding priorities!Come on!Get serious!Muddying the waters of CSR a littleSolving the ills of climate change and corporate governance has become the new province of business schools.Skeptics warn students off just uncritically following the trend and remind them to also maintain a sharp focus on businessr e s p o n s i b l e c s rBy William TylanderCartoon: Niels PoulsenIn a rising tide of climate changeand global credit crisis, businessschools must equip future businessleaders with the tools to eitherstem back the tide or ride out thestorm. At CBS, an intensified focuson Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) and sustainability worktowards clarifying the course andshowing the flow with which togo – but not without cross-currentsand undertow.There are at CBS also quite anumber of students, academics andresearchers who find it importantto keep the waters muddy andencourage more discussion aboutjust which values students shouldfocus on. CSR has to be kept real,also in a business sense – afterall, what aspect of business schoolisn’t supposed to focus on businessissues?The responsible trendApart from the guiding principlesof management, solving the ills ofclimate change and corporate governancehas become the new provinceof business schools. HarvardBusiness School took a bold steptowards embracing CSR by callingon MBA students to take an ‘MBAoath’, pledging among other thingsto follow described guidelines ofethical business practice.Here at CBS there has since 2002been a center, cbsCSR, dedicatedto the research and education ofcorporate activities in society, dealingwith larger questions of values,ethics and social responsibilities.This multidisciplinary approach hascrossed the boundaries of nearly allthe study programs at CBS and haseven led to the development a newclimate focused strategic forum,Climate Strategies for Business(CBS-CSB) and the establishment ofa graduate minor in sustainability.These developments have establishedvalues teaching in responsibilityand sustainability here at CBSand have also supported internationaldiscussion across other businessschools. Over two days in lateNovember, CBScsr and CBS-CSBco-hosted an event for UN Principlesfor Responsible ManagementEducation, a global group of academicsand researchers who discussedhow to better promote sustainabilityas an academic study.Grass root student organizations,WELL and Develop were on handto share their own perspective onthe importance of this:- We are in a time of greatchange and need leaders who willbuild sustainable businesses andtreat issues such as climate changewith a responsibly sustainablemindset, urges Develop member,Ida Hemmingsen.Keeping Responsibility realcbsCSR took another major stepforward this year with ResponsibilityDay, an event held in Septemberwhere students discussed the meritsof developing their own ‘Code ofConduct’ and other CSR applications.A new CSR elective for firstyear students was also revealed. Theaim was not to recruit new convertsto the cause but rather foster amode for developing values.- The students will naturally formtheir own opinions. However, socialscientific theories and practices arenot moral free. While developingyour own personal values, you areinfluenced by all sorts of things.CBS would like to first make surethat we do not influence in a baddirection and second, to be amongthose who exercise an influencein the direction that takes socialresponsibility seriously, says CBS’vice Dean of Education, SvenBislev.That CSR be carefully examinedand considered personallyis of great importance to MSc inBusiness Administration andPhilosophy-student Nicki Brøchner,who shares his concerns about thegrowing influence of CSR in businessstudies:- My biggest fear is that CSR ispresented to some students as aclass or lecture that just become aseries of bullet points on a powerpoint that can be memorized,recited and then quickly forgotten,Nicki Brøchner remarks.The skeptical approachNobel Prize winning economistMilton Friedman once said that “thesocial responsibility of business isto increase its profits”. At a businessschool naturally, one is apt tofind many who find wisdom in thisstatement.Among the skeptics are professorDavid Lando, Head of CBS’ FinanceDepartment and recent winner ofthe award for excellence for cooperationin industrial research, basedhis recognized study on developingmodels for credit risk. When askedabout the importance of CSR professorDavid Lando was quick tooffer his views:- It is a very important area withclose ties to corporate governancewith considerations that meritfurther study. CSR can be a usefulframework for forcing companiesto have a longerperspective, butthe argumentstill seems to bethe bottom line,David Landopoints out andcautions studentsto be wary ofplacing businessvalues too faroutside the realmof sound economictheory:- It is importantto be mindfulof the influenceof politicalcorrectness. Oneshould nevergive up independentthinkingfor followingfads and trends.Think critically,don’t take as axiomatic the socialvalues you see presented in classand always look towards arguments‘The students willnaturally form their ownopinions. However, socialscientific theories andpractices are not moralfree. While developing theirone’s personal values, youare influenced by all sortsof things. CBS would like tofirst make sure that we donot influence in a baddirection and to be amongthose who exercise aninfluence in the directionthat takes socialresponsibility seriously.Sven BislevCBS’ vice Dean of Educationthat are based on empiricism andsound reasoning – one can look toan economist like Tirole for clearanalysis.While not speaking directlyabout conditionsat CBS, MartinÅgerup, CEO ofthe Liberal thinktank CEPOS,which countsseveral membersof CBS’ facultyamong its group,offered somewords of cautionto all businessstudents takingon the study ofCSR:- I think it isimportant toalways be skepticalof all fadsand trends.There is a trendin managementresearch to gowith the flow,and one mustalways be mindful of followingfads without questioning them.1c b s o b s e r v e rNext deadline: January 14thUnsolicited contributions: max. 1 A4 pageMail to: red.observer@cbs.dk1