Responsible Management Education principles

Strathclyde Business School has signed up to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) which were developed in 2007 by an international task force of university deans, presidents, representatives of business schools and academic institutions, including AACSB and EFMD.

Ian Thomson of the Accounting and Finance Department has spearheaded the initiative, which is intended to inspire and champion responsible management education, research and thought leadership globally.

PRME principles are inspired by internationally accepted values as articulated in the United Nations Global Compact and other treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. PRME seeks to establish a process of continuous improvement in management education to develop a new generation of business leaders capable of managing the complex challenges faced by business and society in the 21st century.

Mr Thomson commented, "Responsible management education, social responsibility and environmental awareness are subjects that have long formed part of the teaching, research and knowledge transfer activities of Strathclyde Business School faculty.

"However, particularly over the last decade, changes in the global business context – for example, climate change and the current financial crisis, has presented new challenges for universities and business schools to prepare students to enable them to effectively and usefully address these challenges. Following the Principles for Responsible Management Education will encourage, enable and equip staff and students to consider the impact their actions have on others, on society and on the environment.

"A business school that adopts PRME is publicly endorsing the conviction that academic institutions, through integrating universal values into curriculum and research, can contribute to a more stable and inclusive global market and help build prosperous and thriving societies. By adopting PRME principles, Strathclyde Business School is making a public commitment to social responsibility and sustainability."

In adopting the Principles, SBS is committing to training future and current professionals to act as generators of sustainable value both for business and society willing to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy. Implementation of the Principles is a long-term process of transformation and performance improvement and PRME provides a framework to engage faculty and staff, and build institutional support for social responsibility and sustainability.

The current steering group for PRME includes the UN, and the three accrediting bodies – AACSB, EFMD and AMBA.

The Principles are:

• Purpose: To develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy
• Values: To incorporate into your academic activities and curricula the values of global social responsibility as portrayed in international initiatives such as the UN Global Compact
• Method: To create educational frameworks, materials, processes and environments that enable effective learning experiences for responsible leadership
• Research: To engage in conceptual and empirical research that advances the understanding about the role, dynamics, and impact of corporations in the creation of sustainable social, environmental and economic value
• Partnership: To interact with managers of business corporations to extend the knowledge of their challenges in meeting social and environmental responsibilities and to explore jointly effective approaches to meeting these challenges
• Dialogue: To facilitate and support dialogue and debate among educators, business, government, consumers, media, civil society organizations and other interested groups and stakeholders on critical issues related to global social responsibility and sustainability.

For more information, and to see the list of signatories, go to www.unprme.org