Mission

To provide a comprehensive source for information, tools, and discussions regarding ethics, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility in business schools.

Objectives

• Improve ethics education in business schools
• Assist management educators in achieving business ethics education objectives
• Facilitate cross-discipline and multi-cultural collaboration in business ethics learning and research
• Promote a greater role for education on sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility in business schools
• Assist management educators interested in sustainability to communicate and tap educational resources
• Facilitate cross-discipline and multi-cultural collaboration in teaching, learning, and research on sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility

Within this Resource Center

The ethics and sustainability resource center contains resources from scholars, corporations, universities, governments, and NGOs that focus on the teaching and application of ethics, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility in business schools and organizational settings. Visitors from AACSB member schools are encouraged to actively contribute resources and discussion via AACSB Exchange.

We welcome your suggestions for additional content that would be of value to this center.
research@aacsb.edu

Why Teach Business Ethics?

AACSB International believes that business ethics can and should be part of business program curricula for many reasons. First, society clearly expects management education to develop students’ ability to deal effectively with ethical dilemmas, provide ethical leadership, understand the responsibility of business in society, and know the principles and practices of sound corporate governance. Business programs provide the most appropriate, and perhaps only, opportunity to help students to understand the complexities of ethical decision making within organizations, as well as assist them to develop more effective organizational ethics and compliance programs.

Second, academic disciplines, such as philosophy and liberal arts, are not as well-equipped to train students to handle the ethical issues of business. Additionally, relegating ethics education to other academic areas fosters an unhealthy separation from the practical issues associated with business and management. Although ethics-related courses in philosophy may be useful, nothing prepares business students more appropriately for their careers than courses that address ethics in the context of business.

Third, businesses that hire business school graduates rely on business education to complement their own ethics and compliance programs. Ethics and compliance programs in corporate environments are most effective when individuals understand why such programs are essential and are prepared to provide leadership in implementation.

Finally, an overarching goal of business degree programs is career success among graduates. Today, more than ever, career success in business depends on a comprehensive understanding of legal and ethical dimensions, ethical leadership and decision-making, and reputations that are beyond reproach.

Overview of Business Schools and Sustainability

Recent years have seen exponential growth in the use of terms such as corporate social responsibility, sustainability, going green, sustainable development, social entrepreneurship, corporate ethics, the triple bottom line, as well as a variety of other terms that imply that businesses have obligations beyond the maximization of profit.

While “service” has long been a key mission component and source of pride for higher education institutions, the opportunities for business students and faculty alike to be involved in fostering environmental protection, social development, and economic growth have never been as numerous, nor as visible, as they are today. Business schools increasingly are embracing these themes within their courses, degree programs, operations, and infrastructure. It is important for management students to understand the symbiotic relationship between business and society, especially in terms of the moral and ethical dimensions placed in the hands of owners and managers.