Social Impact Course Offerings and Career Paths. October 2007

Transcription

1 Social Impact Course Offerings and Career Paths October 2007

2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...2 POTENTIAL CAREER PATHS...3 OVERVIEW OF COURSE OFFERINGS...4 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS...5 FACULTY AND RESOURCES

3 INTRODUCTION Introduction to Social Impact at INSEAD INSEAD views the role of business in society as an integral part of any MBA toolkit. The competitive nature of business today means that issues of social impact are creating risks and opportunities that fundamentally change the ground rules for firms, industries and their stakeholders. As such, INSEAD offers a wide range of courses relevant to MBA students who desire to make a social impact in the international community. In addition, students interested in the relationship between business and society in both developed and developing countries are invited to join INDEVOR (INSEAD s Social Impact Organization), the largest student club at INSEAD. For further information, see Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide MBA students with a guide to the INSEAD courses relevant to social impact. Since social impact is by nature an inter-disciplinary topic, these courses are taught by faculty across the spectrum of departments. 2

4 POTENTIAL CAREER PATHS We want to stress that a positive impact on society can be made in any career, at any level. However, there are specific career paths that are social by design. We have broken these into four key areas: corporate social responsibility (CSR), international development, non-profit and NGO (non-governmental organizations) management, and social entrepreneurship. The definitions of these careers are constantly changing, based on new study and application by the business community. In order to clarify and create distinct categories, we have defined the career tracks as follows: Corporate Social Responsibility. This career track usually refers to a specific management role within a company. CSR professionals guide the activities of a company within the local and international community, often through environmental stewardship, diversity of staff and philanthropic efforts. Benefits to the company include improved recruitment and retention, stronger risk management, brand differentiation and a continued license to operate. International Development. International development is a broad and multidisciplinary area, with the goal of alleviating poverty in developing countries. International development activities include governance, healthcare, education, microfinance loans, and the establishment of public infrastructure. Examples of organizations in which a career in international development could be pursued include multilateral development institutions, bilateral agencies, non-profit organizations, development consulting firms or emerging markets investors and consultants. Non-profit and NGO Management. Non-profits and NGOs are increasingly seeking business professionals to manage their organizations. MBAs with a career in this area will usually perform traditional business functions, such as general management, marketing, business development, finance and program operations, within the non-profit context. Non-business roles could include fundraising and donor development. Social Entrepreneurship. ASHOKA, a leading incubator for social entrepreneurs, defines social entrepreneurship as individuals with innovative solutions to society s most pressing social problems. MBAs seeking to become social entrepreneurs often pursue traditional entrepreneurship courses, with the aim that their efforts will achieve a social benefit in addition to sustainability and profitability. 3

5 OVERVIEW OF COURSE OFFERINGS Course Corporate Social Responsibility International Development Non-profit and NGO Management Social Entrepreneurship Building Businesses in China * * * * Building Businesses in India * * * * Business and Public Policy ** ** ** ** Business and the Social Sector *** ** *** ** Business Law ** ** *** *** Economics and Management in Developing Countries * *** ** ** Environmental Management in a Global Economy *** *** ** ** Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance ** ** *** *** International Development Field Projects ** *** *** *** Managing Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility ** ** *** * Political Risk Assessment and Management ** *** *** * Social Entrepreneurship (course or fieldtrip) * * ** *** Strategies for Asia Pacific * ** * * Strategy, Ownership and Governance *** ** *** ** * Useful for the career track ** Important for the career track *** Very important for the career track 4

6 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Building Businesses in China Hongwei Xu P4/P5 Break, both campuses Firsthand exposure and insights into key management issues in China s dynamic environment. Students embark on a 1-week tour of China, guided by a faculty member. Activities include visits to company headquarters, networking with China-based alumni, and discussions with business leaders. Deliverables include a predeparture memo and a reflection essay. Building Businesses in India Balagopal Vissa - P4/P5 Break, both campuses Learn how to build cross-border ventures in the Indian context. Students embark on a 1-week tour of India, guided by a faculty member. At the end of the course, students should be able to answer the following questions: What opportunities and obstacles face those who would build a company in India? How does an entrepreneur build a growth venture in India? How does the context shape growth ventures coming out of India? What characteristics and mindsets will you encounter in the next great generation of Indian companies that grow out of today s ventures? What ideas can you borrow from India s entrepreneurs that can help you build a company or work effectively with company builders wherever you go in your career? Business & Public Policy H. Landis Gabel, Tim Van Zandt P4 both campuses Understand the interactions between public policy, regulation and business. Managers decisions are constrained by rules imposed by the community. The rules consist of formal laws and government regulations and equally importantly - informal ethical codes of conduct and other social norms. This is a course about those rules: why they exist, how some can be good and others bad in terms of their effect on business practice and social welfare, and what responsibility business leaders bear in setting and complying with them. Starting with a taxonomy of market problems, we will proceed to look at conspicuous cases of the most common ones and what might be done about them. Much but not all of our analysis will use the tools of economics. 5

7 Business & the Social Sector (Mini) Margaret Hanson et al P5 Fontainebleau An in-depth look at the connections between the social sector, NGOs and business. Business & the Social Sector is motivated by current debates over what is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the challenges that CSR raises to conducting business as usual. Over the last decade, corporations have undergone a process of rethinking their position in society not only obligations to shareholders, but broader responsibilities to employees, customers, the local community, and global society. This course casts a wide net, addressing central issues that face the managers grappling with CSR and non profit ventures. The course interweaves three themes: Strategic CSR: (leveraging CSR to change the competitive market environment); Making Money While Doing Good (linking non-profit and for-profit incentives in the business model); and the Non Profit Environment for Doing Business (the social, non-market focus that affects the competitive market environment). Business Law Jake Cohen P3 Fontainebleau, P4 Singapore Introduction to the legal environment in which businesses operate. This course introduces students to the legal environment by discussing topics such as contract law, agency law, partnership law, corporate law, securities law, antitrust law, bankruptcy law, intellectual property law and other important legal issues. Economics and Management in Developing Countries Ethan Kapstein, Daniel Traca P4 both campuses Understand the current economic reality and future prospects of these nations. This course concentrates on the relationship between corporate management and the economic and social development of poor countries. There are two parts to the course: Part A provides a general introduction to the role of a country s policies and institutions. Part B addresses the role of the private sector (corporations and NGOs) in promoting development and fighting poverty. Special attention is paid to the activities of foreign investors. 6

8 Environmental Management in a Global Economy David Vogel P5 Fontainebleau Explore the challenges firms face in integrating growing public expectations for improved environmental performance with a successful competitive strategy. This class explores these challenges from the perspective of European and American global firms, including a focus on the role and responsibilities of MNCs in developing countries. It also explores the relationship between environmental management and corporate social responsibility and critically examines the risks, opportunities and challenges associated with managing a responsible global corporation in a highly competitive global economy. The class explores a range of critical issues associated with environmental management and corporate responsibility including risk management, reuse and recycling, green marketing, eco-labels, sustainable agriculture, self-regulation, voluntary codes, NGOcorporate relations, life-cycle and sustainability analyses, crisis management, business and human rights, GMOs, and global climate change. Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance Urs Peyer (TBC) P4 Fontainebleau Study how corporate governance affects value. This course is important for investors, managers and entrepreneurs, as well as investment bankers and consultants. Investors learn about potentially profitable trading strategies using governance measures. For entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, it is important to know which governance rules increase value at the (pre-)ipo stage and hence which issues should be carefully analyzed and negotiated. The class also analyzes the impact of different governance structures, such as the board of directors, the market for corporate control and executive compensation on the value of the company. Finally, executives of multinational firms take away information on differences in corporate governance across countries, which have significant implications for business decisions such as investment and payout policies. 7

9 International Development Field Projects Loïc Sadoulet P4/P5 both campuses Undertake a real 10-week project for a client organization, whose work benefits economically under-privileged groups. This course offers a unique opportunity to do business in an unfamiliar environment and contribute to meaningful change. Projects are proposed by the organizations (both companies and NGOs) based on a priority need they have identified. Up to five projects will be undertaken by teams of 4-6 participants. This course is aimed at strengthening participants project design, planning and management skills and broadening their experience in applying those skills to real client situations. It spans P4 and P5 with a potential site visit during the intervening break. Managing Business Ethics & Corporate Responsibility Craig Smith P5 both campuses Understand ethical dilemmas in business and the role of corporate responsibility. This course is designed to inform and stimulate thinking on issues of ethics and social responsibility encountered in business and to help prepare you to recognise and manage these issues as they arise in your future career. Using a rich mix of case studies and contemporary examples, with supporting readings, it explores the ethical and corporate responsibility challenges of a global business environment from the perspective of the manager and business leader. The course will take a broad look at ethical dilemmas, frameworks for ethical decision-making, drivers of (un)ethical conduct in organisations, arguments for and against corporate responsibility, the role of stakeholder engagement, and mainstreaming corporate responsibility. Ethical/social responsibility issues to be addressed include deception, conflicts of interest, bribery, accounting ethics, supply chains and labour rights, and sustainability and the natural environment. Political Risk Assessment and Management (Mini) Michael A. Witt P4 Fontainebleau Learn how to recognize political risk and mitigate it. Political risk is traditionally a function of government action, but increasingly also of the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This course covers both, beginning with government risk. Modules include: (a) Introduction: The Relevance of Political Risk Assessment and Management; (b) Political Risk Assessment and Management: Framework, Strategies and Application; and (c) Defending Firm Interests Against NGOs. 8

10 Social Entrepreneurship Hongwei Xu P5 Singapore Learn how to generate enterprise at the bottom levels of the wealth pyramid and transform the lives of the overwhelming majority of the world. In this course, we explore the drivers of, and strategic and operational challenges specific to, the field of social entrepreneurship. Students are divided into teams and each team is expected to conceptualize and make a presentation and write a paper on a social enterprise initiative. Examples of such initiatives include: an educational or healthcare project, an infrastructure project, an agricultural or industrial cooperative, or a tourism and services business. By taking this course, students obtain an overview of the field of social enterprise, including history, trends and issues, and principle business models. Social Entrepreneurship Fieldtrip Mahboob Mahmood - P4/P5 Break, both campuses A fieldtrip to learn how to generate enterprise at the bottom levels of the wealth pyramid and transform the lives of the overwhelming majority of the world. In this course, we will explore the drivers of, and strategic and operational challenges specific to, the field of social entrepreneurship, with a particular reference to enterprises that focus on improving the lives of people living at the bottom of the wealth pyramid. This course will be built around a field trip to Bangladesh and India. During the field trip we will engage with for-profit and notfor-profit enterprises with a social mission or bottom of the pyramid strategy. The trip will involve visits to enterprises operating in both urban and rural settings. Strategies for Asia Pacific Michael Witt P3 Singapore Gain an introduction to international business, applied to the Asia Pacific region. The goal of this course is to equip students with the essentials for understanding Asian markets, entering them, and operating in them. The course emphasizes hands-on, how-to learning and involves high levels of class discussion, group work, role play, and independent work as well as a case study project. In introducing Asian business, the course draws on a broad cross-section of functional tools, with an emphasis on comprehensiveness rather than exhaustive depth in any one area. Strategies for Asia Pacific is not, despite the title, a strategy course as such, though it does address pertinent elements of strategy. By the end of the course, students should be better positioned to capitalize on business opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. 9

11 Strategy, Ownership and Governance Matthew Bidwell, Bruce Kogut - P5 both campuses Study how corporate governance affects value. This course studies the relationship between the firm and its owners. Managing external stakeholders is a core part of a senior leader s job. This course aims to train students to deal with strategic governance issues from both sides of the table. Specifically, the goals of the course are to: (a) prepare students for leadership roles in firms as entrepreneurs, CEOs or partners; (b) prepare students to manage investments in venture capital, private equity or investment funds; (c) educate students in the responsibilities they may face as directors of companies and non-profits, and how they can be effective in these roles; and (d) give students an overview of how business activities fit into broader society. 10

12 FACULTY AND RESOURCES INSEAD Social Innovation Centre The INSEAD Social Innovation Centre is a research centre within INSEAD that hosts several faculty focused on the following areas: Africa Corporate Social Responsibility & Ethics Environment & Sustainable Operations Healthcare Management Humanitarian Research Social Entrepreneurship The Centre is a great supporter of INDEVOR and the Energy Club, and we welcome students interested in social innovation topics, our research and teaching, and outreach projects to contact us at isic@insead.edu. Net Impact Net Impact is an organization of MBA s and professionals interested and active in CSR and sustainability initiatives, social entrepreneurship and international development. Net Impact currently has a global network of over 100 chapters (both professional and business school) and approx 11,000 members. Key benefits of membership include: Develop your career by posting your resume on the Net Impact Job Board, accessing job postings for social impact positions, and interviewing with recruiters at top companies and organizations Broaden your education through Net Impact's online Learning Center and their Issues in Depth call series featuring industry leaders Build your resume by taking leadership positions in programs such as Service Corps, Board Fellows, Campus Greening, Curriculum Change and more Expand your network through virtual networking, conference calls, the annual Net Impact Conference, and chapter events in cities and graduate schools around the world To learn more or sign up as a member, visit 11

13 CONTACT US This document was compiled by INDEVOR, the INSEAD organization for social impact. We are INSEAD s student organization devoted to the relationship between business and society in both developed and developing countries, in conjunction with Antonio Fatas, Dean of MBA Programs. For further information about INDEVOR, please consult the INDEVOR website ( or contact indevor@insead.edu 12