HEC Lausanne MBA
all of the activities in this celebration year. The book is one of these activities. There are many publications about corporate responsibility, but the unique thing about this book is that it is the only one that has been written solely by a complete faculty. About 30 professors from our school have contributed, writing about corporate social responsibility (CSR) from their own individual perspectives in relation to their specialisation, reaching from supply-chain management to marketing or cost accounting.
Q
You have also recently published a new CSR label. Again, can you talk to us about the thinking behind this and the industry sectors that were examined?
This label was motivated by two main challenges. Firstly, if you are focusing on CSR you are quite often asked who the good and bad performers are. Secondly, if you look at the landscape of measurement tools that exist, they are very often biased as they rely on corporate data or, they are overengineered as they ask hundreds of questions. The idea behind the new method used in the pilot study was to see whether you could evaluate the performance of corporations by asking a handful of questions. We tested the method by applying it to four industries: computers, pharmaceuticals, coffee and cocoa. We chose these industries because there are firms in each of them that have their headquarters in Switzerland or even at the Lake Geneva and because all of the industries has been highly disputed in terms of CSR. The criteria we chose include, for instance, whether or not the firms use a demanding standard to deal with the problem. They might use their own standards, follow local law, or build their programmes on the ambitious standards of multinational initiatives, such as the Fair Labor Association or the Forest Stewardship Council. These are highly demanding requirements that must be met in order to put the specification systems into practice. We also look at honesty; whether the firms talk about the problems they have or drown the readers of their CSR reports in pictures of happy children. The unique thing about this method is that it is following the supply chain. It is about the story that the product they sell tells and all of the steps that it takes along the journey from raw material to consumer.
Q
To what extent is CSR embraced within the context of the MBA programmes you offer?
The students apply CSR related methods to case studies so that they can examine and train themselves in understanding the degree of responsibility within a company. In order to get CSR into the programme we hold an introductory week where all of the students come together
to discuss the challenges that real-world companies face. These companies come with problems that are on the interface of strategy and corporate responsibility and our students discuss solutions with experts from the industry. We believe that it is important to have corporate responsibility as a topic on the Executive MBA in order for students to get a broader understanding of their role in society, and not just with regards to their current position within their workplace. As a result, we decided to introduce this module regardless of whether or not the students asked for it. Today, we clearly see that our students see the need for a broader understanding of management and they are very happy with our focus on CSR.
Globalisation of Business
Q
Given the competitive demands placed upon corporations today, and increasing globalisation – both of which require business leaders to be flexible and manage workforces and internal structures that cross cultural and political lines – have you redefined your MBA offering?
The Business Ethics module, for instance, is completely built on the idea of globalisation. It starts with a long session on globalisation, drawing conclusions for the role of corporations and managers in the new context of the 21st century. We have also introduced a module called Leading Cultural and Organisational Change, and this is linked to increases in globalisation. With
all modules, case studies have been adapted to the dynamics of globalisation. Moreover, to meet the needs of current times, we are also introducing a module concerning social media and related technologies.
Q
To what extent are your students exposed to different business practices and cultures?
In the Business Ethics module we do case studies on Iran, Africa and Pakistan so that students are exposed to situations that aren’t European. Alongside this, the majority of students have worked abroad at some point so, although they are working and studying here, they bring with them the experience that they have gathered from various countries and share them with the rest of the cohort. The diversity of the class is crucial in aiding this and is something that we consider during the selection process.
Looking Ahead
Q
What does the future hold for HEC Lausanne over the next twelve to eighteen months?
From a programme point of view, one of our aims is to see whether we want to enter the Financial Times Rankings and how we qualify there. It’s foreseen that we will also grow in size with the new healthcare specialisation; we will change the buildings, so there will be physical changes and investment in the campus area in EPFL as well HEC Lausanne.
BIOGRAPHIES
★ Ari-Pekka Hameri is Professor of Operations Management at the University of Lausanne. His research interests are in operations and supply chain management. He is the academic director of the Executive MBA programme.
★ Guido Palazzo is professor of business ethics at the University of Lausanne and visiting fellow at the Universities of Nottingham and Oxford. He is the vice-director of the Executive MBA programme.
★ As Administrative Director of the Executive MBA programme, Isabelle Chappuis leads the operations team, selects the candidates and regularly revises the curriculum together with professors. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of St.Gallen (HSG), Switzerland.
CEO
59