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How Business School Can Be A Force For Positive Change In The World

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

It is no secret that the planet is facing major societal, economic and ecological challenges. You might feel those challenges are overwhelming, making you think that whatever you do as an individual won’t have an impact. So how can you make a difference?

When Steef van de Velde became the Dean at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) in 2011, the world was reeling from the impact of the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. Growing concerns about the environment were yet to be addressed at the UN Climate Change Conference COP 21 in Paris, and political acrimony on issues ranging from migration to trade was starting to define the societal divisions that have characterized the last eight years.

As the head of one of Europe’s leading business schools, how could Van de Velde begin to tackle such complex issues? The RSM Dean firmly believes that every individual can make a difference, and be a source of inspiration for others. All it takes to start making a positive change is the power of one.

He uses the story of the hummingbird, as told by Nobel Peace prize laureate Wangari Maathai to show how each of us can be a force for positive change.

“Imagine a big, lush forest that catches fire. The fire grows, burning more and more fiercely, and all the animals have to flee from the forest. All they can do is watch the fire destroying their home. They all feel powerless and helpless.

Then they see a little hummingbird that flies to the river, picks up a drop of water and flies back to the forest to drop the water in the fire. It returns to the river, picks up another drop and flies back to the forest and drops the water. The hummingbird repeats this again and again, and the other animals don’t understand what the tiny bird is doing. They ask, ‘Hummingbird, what are you doing? You are so small and insignificant and can only bring one drop of water at a time. Surely your actions won’t have any effect?’

The hummingbird replies, ‘I may be small and insignificant, but I will do the best I can.’

For Van de Velde, change and transformation all start with individuals taking responsibility, tapping into their courage, and doing the best they can, in the best way they can, and as such, be a source of inspiration to others. “The hummingbird stands for the power of one. It is our conviction at RSM that every individual can make a difference.”

As part of the framework for RSM’s mission to be a force for positive change in the world, the school is integrating each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the curriculum of the suite of bachelor's, master's and M.B.A. programs. “The 17 SDGs help to define what positive change is,” the RSM Dean explains, “and though they represent an overwhelming complexity of societal challenges, we believe that this framework will help educate and prepare students, academics and people in business to become critical, creative, caring, and collaborative thinkers and doers.”

As RSM prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2020, and Steef van de Velde prepares to step down as the Dean, we discussed the role that business schools can play to multiply the strength of individuals and businesses when they join forces.

Matt Symonds: The mission of RSM is ‘to be a force for positive change in the world.’ How did you reach consensus on that statement, and what does it mean in concrete terms for the staff, students, alumni, and the school?

Steef van de Velde: We developed a new strategy in 2012, which was about enhancing our reputation and strengthening our financial basis. This all went very well and therefore about three years ago the school started to think of a new mission and what direction we were now going to take.

Initially we reflected on who we were and what we have done, but we thought that this was not critical enough for a mission statement. After an extensive process of consultation with many different stakeholder groups, we decided that we wanted to focus less on who we are, but more about what we want to achieve going forward.

The first draft of this new mission was quite long, but one of my colleagues told me, ‘The better the school the shorter the mission statement.’ So we decided to make it bold, powerful and easy to remember.

Van de Velde: The students, alumni, staff and our corporate partners have really embraced the mission. It is reflected in almost everything we do, and creates a positive energy throughout the school.

We have developed signature projects, such as our new MOOC, ‘Driving Business Towards the SDGs’ and book series on Positive Change. RSM recently hosted the first Global Responsible Research Summit (RRS) to take a step toward business and management research that can contribute to a better world. Additionally, we are in the process of re-designing and reforming our curriculum and our research agenda.

Our mission has also affected recruitment and our admission policies. When interviewing prospective Msc and M.B.A. students, we now ask them how they think they are going to make a positive impact on their class mates, the school and on society as a whole.

As a force for positive change, we are also trying to have an impact on a local level. Our mission has encouraged us and given us justification to work with local communities like the local soccer club foundation Excelsior4ALL.

RSM

Symonds: RSM has integrated the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in many aspects of the school and its undergraduate and graduate programs. What has been the response from students, faculty and the business community?

Van de Velde: We have had different responses that have changed over time. A small fraction of students would like to have a curriculum only on environmental sustainability, however we have tried to encourage the notion that sustainable development is also about economic and social sustainability too.

We see the SDGs as a framework to communicate what we mean by positive change, and we don’t have to necessarily cover them equally in the curriculum. Some of the SDGs are more specific to business and the economy than others, and can be incorporated into our curriculum and programs in various ways. For example, we can include SDGs when teaching marketing because marketing can also be about responsible consumption, and how you can incentivize consumers to behave responsibly.

The main thing that we want to accomplish through our mission and integrating the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in many of our programs is to make students aware that they have a much bigger responsibility upon graduation than just making a career for themselves, to set them up as agents for positive change, and thus contribute to a better world.

Symonds: The Full-time M.B.A. is an intense one-year program, and the number of applicants continues to rise. Do you expect this to continue?

Van de Velde: Our Full-time M.B.A. is an important ‘brand carrier,’ and the signs are that we will continue to have a high number of applicants in the years ahead. There certainly is growth potential at RSM. We have ample reason to believe that this growth can to a large extent be attributed to our new mission.

Symonds: How important is research in the focus and impact of a leading European business school?

Van de Velde: Research is hugely important; it gives us a lot of credibility in the international market. You can’t compromise on research. People are increasingly concerned about the impact of research, and we need to build on the strong academic foundation we already have to further develop the societal impact of our research.

It is hard to measure the societal impact that research has. The best way to try and show progress however is through narratives and stories. This is why we need conferences like the aforementioned RRS conference as well as MOOCs, as they can be an indicator to show how serious the academic community is about making this societal impact.

RSM

Symonds: Do you think that business is changing for the better?

Van de Velde: We believe business is a powerful instrument for solving societal challenges, and that business schools can certainly act as pioneers to help make positive changes through research and education. Most of our students are very passionate and self-transcendent, much more than I was at that age. They really want to contribute to society, and want to tackle big societal challenges. Our role at RSM is to enable their passion and ambitions.

Symonds: What advice would you give to students as they set goals for their role as a leader of tomorrow’s world?

Van de Velde: I would recommend to always set realistic goals first of all, and to ultimately follow your passion. No matter how small your contribution may be or how insignificant you may feel, you can still make a positive change in this world. You don’t need to be the next CEO or leading politician to make a positive impact - you can all make an impact in your own positive and individual way. That is the power of one.