How is responsible education perceived and implemented in the Global South? Prof. Jako Volschenk, Stellenbosch Business School, studies this region’s response to the call for Responsible Management Education

Unlocking Potential: Exploring responsible management education in the Global South by CoBS Editor Ana Sofia Bello. Related Research: Are business schools from the Global South walking their talk? Internalizing responsible management education in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Ezequiel Reficco, Carlos A. Trujillo, María Helena Ja´en, Jako Volschenk, Azlan Amran; Journal of Management Research, Science Direct.

Exploration into the Global South

In a world where attention often gravitates towards the well-trodden paths of the Global North, we turn our focus towards a sometimes-neglected but dynamically significant region – the Global South. Characterized by low-income levels, sizable populations, and enduring marginalization, this grouping holds immense potential yet faces unique challenges specifically regarding responsible education standards in the region’s business schools.

Professor Jako Volschenk and his fellow researchers delve into how the business schools of the Global South respond to and implement responsible management education in the recent research paper Are business schools from the Global South walking their talk? 

Indeed, it has been over a decade since the United Nations launched the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). Professor Volschenk believes that it is time to review what has happened in response to those calls. Moreover, to date, there has been no study focused on measuring the scope of this implementation within business schools across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Drawing data from 179 faculty and senior managers of these business schools, the study aims to understand the drivers, responses, and outcomes of Responsible Management Education adoption filling, thus a critical gap in existing research.

Educating for a Sustainable Future

To understand the responses of the Global South, we must first understand the importance of this issue. Additionally, why business schools have recently been targeted to go beyond technical education and move towards internalizing responsible practices throughout the schools.

Following the financial crisis in 2008-2009, many business schools were accused of fostering a focus on growth and profit, “seen by many as the root of the financial crash”, says Prof. Volschenk. Moreover, many have realized that the process of decision-making throughout companies and societies that rendered problematic situations, was not orchestrated by ignorant people. “Rather those decisions were the result of work by people with BAs, BSCs, LLBs, MBAs, and PhDs,” he states. The call for RME advises schools to implement courses as well as internalize these practices to foster a more responsible and sustainable learning environment.

The Pressures of Prestige and Culture

In recent years, the concerns mentioned above have increased pressure on business schools around the world to commit to sustainability. However, this study finds that the amount and form of pressure are different depending on the region in the world or a school’s level of prestige. The pressure comes from immediate stakeholders, such as students, faculty, and companies, in addition to external stakeholders, such as governments and society as a whole.

Contrary to what past studies indicate, the prestigious business schools with a stronger global influence perceived more pressure from these external stakeholders due to expectations of legitimacy. On the other hand, the less prestigious institutions felt more pressure from their direct stakeholders whose viewpoints they cannot afford to ignore. However, when it came to internalizing RME, low-prestige schools went further than their counterparts. This could be due to the need for differentiation in a highly saturated MBA market. Prestigious schools were found to internalize RME “only to the extent that those actions are easy to decode by external stakeholders”. 

Moreover, there exists a relationship between the amount of pressure and the specific region, due to their unique cultures. For example, Asian respondents reported moderate pressure from society and the lowest pressure from students and companies compared to the regions of Latin America and Africa. This is due in part to Asian nations measuring high in power distance. In other words, the Asian management culture is highly structured and accepts the inequality in power differences. This aspect of power distance is found to be deeply rooted in Asian values and tradition so the awareness and stress on RME remains low.

Active Learning in Responsible Management Education

We must also consider how RME is implemented in the curriculum. One of the most influential forms of education when aiming to increase sustainability is active learning. This approach focuses on how students learn, not just what they learn, and as such takes a more engaging approach to learning.

For instance, in Latin America there is a consistent trend toward integrating greater RME content, which aligns closely with the anticipated correlation between heightened RME and a stronger emphasis on active learning, as evidenced in existing studies.

However, the study does not show a consistent pattern between RME internalization and the use of active learning, suggesting that internalization goes beyond active learning. Indeed, internalization covers all aspects of a school: its core values, structure of its departments, goals for future endeavors, and learning environments to name but a few. Active learning is just one step in the right direction.

The Global South and the Long Road Ahead

Previous researchers and authors have stressed the need for changes in managerial education, advising schools to go beyond surface level. Prof. Volschenk and his colleagues have reacted to this call. Their research gives a voice to the realities of the schools in The Global South but admits that these schools have a long road ahead – especially the most prestigious among them.

As we confront the challenges of sustainability and ethical leadership, such research serves as a beacon of awareness and accountability. Through it, business schools around the world are advised to understand the pressures and concerns regarding the implementation of sustainable practices in these institutions and strive to ingrain these values into the focus of every operation.

Useful links:

• Link up with Prof. Jako Volschenk on LinkedIn
• Read a related article: The 3 Pillars of Responsible Leadership
• Discover Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
• Apply for the Stellenbosch MBA.

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