Core Values Management at the University
Insights from International Case Studies
Case Study 1: Reykjavik University
Name: Reykjavik University1
Country: Iceland (Reykjavik)
Date of foundation: Founded in January 1988 within The Commercial College of Iceland, School of Computer Science (TVÍ); in September 1998 the School of Computer Science was coupled with a new School of Business and together formed Reykjavik Business University in January 2000 the name was changed into Reykjavik University; in 2005 Reykjavík University was merged with the Technical University of Iceland (THÍ) under the name Reykjavík University
Motto: To increase the competitiveness of business and society
Form: A private university
Rector/President: Ari Kristinn Jónsson
Structure:
Reykjavik University currently includes four schools: School of Business, School of Computer Science, School of Law, and School of Science and Engineering, University colors: Red (logo)
Enrollment: More than 3000 students
Employees/Administrates: Over 500 employees from 26 countries
Alumni: no data
Notable alumni: no data
Brief history:
Reykjavík University has its roots in The Commercial College of Iceland, School of Computer Science (TVÍ), founded in January 1988 and run in The Commercial College of Iceland (VÍ) housing for 10 years.
Reykjavík University started its first semester on September 1, 1998 in a new building under the name Reykjavík School of Business. TVÍ became one of two departments within the school. A name change was inevitable because the school’s name was not descriptive for the variety of the school’s operations.
In January 2000, the name was changed to Reykjavík University. In the autumn of 2002, the School of Law was established at the University, and in 2005 Reykjavík University merged with the Technical University of Iceland (THÍ) under the name Reykjavík University. Following the merger, the School of Science and Engineering was established, partly built upon the old foundation of THÍ with the addition of new engineering fields.
Reykjavík University sponsors both the Icelandic Center for Research on Software Engineering and the Icelandic Institute of Intelligent Machines. In the autumn 2005, the School of Health and Education was established in Reykjavík University but discontinued in 2010 as a result of strategic focusing.
Throughout the years Reykjavik University has partnered with various companies from industry to form labs and research centers in their three fields of expertise: technology, business, and law.
Vision, Mission, and Core Values of Academic Ethos at Reykjavik University
When studying and characterizing the process of managing core values of academic ethos in Reykjavik University as well as describing its vision, mission, and core values, we should not ignore that it is an organization that needed to build and redefine its cultural identity after a merger in its recent years. Despite the fact that many thought it might not be successful, Reykjavik University managed to work its way into becoming a well-integrated and focused university. In addition, while the two universities could both be considered to be teaching colleges at the time of the merger, Reykjavik University managed at the same time to substantially strengthen its research basis and take the lead in the country in terms of research in the fields of technology, business, and law. It is an exemplar that demonstrates how to manage the cultural identity of a university during and after a merger and how to design the fundamentals for the development of a university of the twenty-first century.
Reykjavík University (RU) came into being in its present form on 1 June 2005 with the merger of the Technical University of Iceland and the existing Reykjavík University.2 The merger was motivated by a desire to create a dynamic institute of higher education offering a broad range of program and with the potential to become a leading player in research and international relations.3
A merger is always a great challenge and a risk for the organizations that participate in this process. We should not forget the fact that between 30% and 60% of mergers and acquisitions fail to achieve the strategic objectives of the acquirer.4 The main causes, according to the literature of such a situation, are poor leadership (23%) and cultural differences (unfitness) between the merging organizations (22%).5 This is the reason why, immediately after announcing the merger, a comparative analysis of organizational cultures of both schools was conducted with the assumption that the result would provide important information that would be helpful for integrating those two entities and, above all, for integrating their organizational cultures (Culture Due Diligence). The research was accepted and consultations began with the authorities of both universities. The research was conducted in the summer of 2005 just after the merger announcement. The objective of the research was a focus on the organizational culture of both the schools, differences and similarities between those schools as well as the individual features of each university. First results were presented in October 2005. The analysis of organizational cultures of Reykjavik University and The Technical University of Iceland was conducted in compliance with Cooper and Cartwright’s model of organizational culture. Based on the results, it was possible to conclude that the type of organizational culture in Reykjavik University is a specific mix of task culture and support culture with dominance of the task-oriented culture with features such as
• what you can do matters more than your title;
• service is often customized, depending on who it is;
• organization chart unclear;
• team commitment, zealous belief in organization’s mission;
• task requirements determine how work is performed;
• flexibility, high levels of employee autonomy;
• potentially creative environments; maybe exhausting.
The culture of Technical University of Iceland is a specific mix of task culture and support culture with dominance of support orientation that is characterized with
• egalitarianism;
• exists to promote personal growth of individuals;
• typically in cooperatives, and so forth—not profit-seeking organizations;
• success is = realizing your potential;
• very flexible, personal, and informal;
• power comes from charisma, being a good role model;
• common passion unites the group;
• change is welcome, no ownership.
Figure 7.1 illustrates the results of Culture Due Diligence in Departments of Business of Reykjavik University and Technical University of Iceland.
The fundamental conclusion that comes from the “Culture Due Diligence” analysis is that, despite the existence of differences between Reykjavik University and Technical University of Iceland, before the merger there also existed many similarities and many positive common features (such as the pressure for teamwork) and the conviction among employees of those two universities that “what you can do matters more than your title.” Thus the organization would benefit from doing everything to promote personal growth of individuals.
The result of the Culture Due Diligence was taking up joint work on formulating a new vision, mission, and redefining of core values that should be a result of consensus anshould emphasize tradition, values, objectives, and strengths of Reykjavik University and Technical University of Iceland. The new mission of Reykjavik University was expressed as follows:
Reykjavík University (RU) is a university institution dedicated to higher education, research and related activities. The mission of Reykjavík University is to create and disseminate knowledge in order to increase competitiveness and improve quality of life.6
Work on the vision statement was carried out incessantly until the publication of Vision 2020 in 2007. In years 2006–2009, Reykjavik University described its vision for the future as follows:
Reykjavík University sets itself the aim of taking its place as a high-powered institute of higher education with an international vision and a strong influence on the development of Icelandic society. It seeks to become the university of choice for ambitious students in Iceland and act as a model for other forward-looking institutes of higher education. Its values are high standards, flexibility, enterprise and integrity.7
We should notice that in the vision statement, the core values of Reykjavik University set in 2007 are specified as high standards, flexibility, enterprise, and integrity. In 2007, in a statement called “strategy for Reykjavik University” we may read that
Our company culture is formed by the values which we uphold in our daily work. Those values describe the behaviour and viewpoints which guide us in our decision making. Furthermore, those values are the foundation for the positions, progress, and success we attain in our work.
We have the ambition to always aim higher, the integrity to be forthright, the agility to seize available opportunities, and the boldness to dare when the right opportunities are in view.
These values set the tone for the expectations we have of ourselves, our co-workers, and our students. At RU, we show ambition and integrity in all our actions and decisions, and we work quickly and assuredly towards constant improvement with an emphasis on agility and boldness.8
This set of core values (integrity, ambition, flexibility, and courage) has been presented in those statements of Reykjavik University since then. This example clearly shows that the new Reykjavik University, as a result of consensus and dialogue with academic community, searched for the most appropriate words expressing values constituting its cultural identity after the merger.
The result of the work on its axiological guidelines is the elaboration of Vision 2020 as follows:
We are building a unique tier. One international university known for its innovative approach to teaching and research collaboration. We operate across borders and beyond boundaries.9
Institutionalization of Academic Ethos Core Values at Reykjavik University
Leaders of Reykjavik University, at the time of the merger, focused on building and managing core values of academic ethos. After the merger with the Technical University of Iceland, they not only began working on a redefinition of axiological attitudes of the university but were also aware that it was just an initial step in the long way to enactment and maintenance of academic ethos values at the school. That is why in order to institutionalize Reykjavik University’s core values, its leaders reflected those values in particular main objectives, particular measures for evaluation, policies, procedures, codes, and activities aimed at creating a value-driven university.
Figure 7.2 presents the aforementioned activities.
The main purpose of the Reykjavik University was included in the following four statements.
1. We create and disseminate knowledge.
2. We increase competitiveness and quality of life.
3. International and interdisciplinary.
4. The first choice of students and employees.
We create and disseminate knowledge
The role of Reykjavik University is to create and disseminate knowledge. That is what Reykjavik University contributes to the society in which we participate. This university creates new knowledge with research and innovation, which relate to both industry and the scientific community.
In this work, Reykjavik University not only respects creative freedom of the mind but also makes strict demands concerning professional work methods and quality. The University’s authorities set ambitious goals and seek cooperation from the best available people. Reykjavík University’s academic standing is evaluated internally with regard to three main factors and the aim was to make advances in all three areas over the medium term. These factors are: (a) proportion of teaching staff holding doctoral degrees; (b) number of publications in peer-reviewed journals; and (c) acquiring research grants from competitive funds in Iceland and abroad. Research and innovation are the basis for powerful knowledge creation on the part of Reykjavik University. Its “uniqueness” as a school is determined by
• lively teaching methods and active participation from students;
• strong ties with industry;
• cooperation with foreign academics and guest lecturers;
• possibilities to adapt teaching methods and access to our services according to the needs of a modern community.
We increase competitiveness and quality of life
Reykjavík University places great importance on quality of teaching and personal contact between students and staff.
This may also be proven by various initiatives taken by the University. Because of limited class sizes, a dean is able to meet with every student at the beginning of the academic year. Teachers regularly meet to discuss new teaching methods, and students are encouraged to seek out mentors for guidance.10 The net result is quality assurance on a high level.
The quality assurance system of Reykjavík University comprises four parts: study and teaching, research, academic staff, and support services. The system was reviewed and documented in its current form in 2009.
Emphasis is placed on innovation in teaching, diversity of teaching methods, and assessment of teacher and student performance (Teaching Quality Handbook). Key processes in the quality assurance system for teaching are the systems for the approval of new study programmes, teacher training and courses for teaching staff, and the compilation of various statistics and metrics relating to studies and teaching.
Quality assurance in research: The quality assurance system for research builds on the University’s annual research evaluation of academic staff. (…)Quality assurance in research covers two key processes. Firstly, all academic staff undergo an annual individual research evaluation. This evaluation has been conducted in the University every year, starting in 2007. Secondly, it is planned to carry out regular audits of the research and research policies of the different Schools of the University (School evaluation) to be used in policy-making within the Schools and in the implementation of research plans. (…)
Quality assurance for academic staff: The quality assurance system for academic staff covers the processes that relate to staff recruitment and selection, career development, and promotion within the University’s academic career structure. (…)Among the key processes in the quality assurance system for academic staff are the rules on recruitment for academic posts, the processes for evaluation for promotion and the granting of academic titles, and the rules on continuing education and surveys of staff opinion.
Quality assurance in support services: The quality assurance system for support services covers the processes and evaluative procedures that relate to support services for staff and students, including annual opinion surveys on services conducted among staff and students.11
An integral part of a document that supports this system performance is “Teaching Quality Handbook,” which is aimed at providing instructors at RU with step-by-step guidelines on various aspects of the teaching process, in order to ensure consistency and quality:12
This handbook is applicable to all credit-bearing courses taught at RU, both undergraduate and graduate. The first four sections deal with various practical issues involved in the teaching process (…). The final section describes the Teaching Quality Assurance System at RU.13
In order to assure the quality of all teaching at RU and to fulfill contracts made with the government, the University and/or individual schools regularly provide teaching quality seminars and/or teaching days for its staff. All permanent and part-time teachers are required to attend these seminars unless special circumstances preclude it.14
The second element of the Teaching Quality Handbook was called “The Teaching Itself and Interactions with Students.” It begins with a definition of an excellent teacher:
First and foremost an excellent teacher must command expertise in their field. An expert can focus on the essentials in a subject, explain the material at the appropriate level of abstraction, and has the self-confidence and motivation necessary to teach well.
An excellent teacher should also possess
a. enthusiasm for the subject matter;
b. enthusiasm for the development of students as individuals;
c. enthusiasm for the teaching methods that he or she uses.15
In the next part, some examples are given of particular behaviors that should be implemented by teachers in order to ensure the quality of teaching and developing ambition to be excellent among students. For example, the following guidelines should be applied by a teacher to encourage individual growth.
• Active participation by students in class: class discussions, role plays and cases, peer assessment and self assessment.
• Variety in projects and experiences: individual projects, practical assignments, academic projects and participation in research.
• Discussion boards on-line, blogs, web-chat and on-line office hours.
• Clear and timely feedback on students’ work.16
This section also includes examples of teachers’ behaviors in class and outside it that reflect the core values of integrity. For instance
• Teachers must show integrity at all times and ensure professionalism in their appearance and interactions.
• Teachers must treat students with respect and integrity and should provide support as much as possible through their studies.
• Teachers should strive to respond to e-mails sent by students within two working days. Teachers can ask students to use the course website (discussion forum) for questions and debate, so that the answers can benefit all students.
• Teachers shall announce their absence in a timely manner both on the course website and to the school office.
• Teachers shall, if possible, stay for a few minutes after each class to allow students the opportunity to approach them.
• Teachers must advertise office hours outside teaching hours for students, or be willing to schedule them when the need arises.
• Teachers shall arrive punctually for all lectures (preferably 5 minutes early), and be ready to start teaching at the given time.17
The third element of the “Teaching Quality Handbook” is called “Evaluating Student Performance” and it is also an evidence that Reykjavik University makes a vigorous effort to have a core value such as integrity not only to serve as a slogan but also to be a guide to particular behaviors for members of academic community:
Reykjavik University places great emphasis on academic integrity and the high quality of scholarly work. RU emphasizes academic integrity and ethical behavior by its staff and students. An important part of academic integrity is the respect for copyright and the full participation of all members in all work groups. In order to clarify our expectations in this area, we have created the following project work code of conduct. The following rules apply to all aspects of project work:
Your original work: Reykjavik University requires that your projects be your original work. (…)Plagiarism is unacceptable at all times, and all sources of information must be acknowledged in a scholarly fashion.
Your contribution: Reykjavik University requires that you always put forth your best effort in group work and make sure that your contribution is equivalent to that of others.
Individual and group projects: In individual projects the student must work on all parts of the project alone.
The penalty for violation of these rules ranges from the grade of 0 for the project, to 0 in the course and even to suspension from further studies. Teachers are encouraged to introduce the above code of conduct and its meaning for the particular course assignments at the beginning of the course.18
At Reykjavik University, everything that concerns core values and objectives for their institutionalization does not happen by accident. Reykjavik University gives evidence for this by clearly showing that academic ethos management is a planned, conscious process with consequences.
The last two modules of Teaching Quality Handbook, “Teaching Evaluations by Students” and “Teaching Quality Assurance System at RU,” are elaborated to “ensure quality in teaching, Reykjavík University has put in place a quality assurance system for teaching. This system is part of the overall university Quality Assurance System that deals with teaching, research, academic staff and support services.”19
It is also commendable to mention another document elaborated on in Reykjavik University’s “General Rules of study and Examinations” that specifies student responsibilities and rights during studying and examination.
International and interdisciplinary
The officers of Reykjavík University believe that personal, corporate and national competitiveness in the twenty-first century century will to a large extent be determined by the ability to utilize knowledge in the interests of progress and participation in the international community. (…)The boundaries between academic disciplines are becoming ever more blurred, creating an increasing need for syncretic approaches to learning.20
The above statements are not just declarations of beliefs or willingness as much as they are truly reflected in the university’s reality. To fulfill those declarations and to secure RU a place as an international university:
Reykjavik University will stop doing noncore programs (Med, BS Sport Science, MPH, BS Math) and unstructured centers, fields, etc.
Reykjavik University will do more enhance the quality of our programs and research in the areas of Technology, Business and Law, promote and facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship, structure for interdisciplinary work—not just talk about it, explore possibilities for participating in the strategic networks of universities, increase number of international students (exchange and degree seeking) and increase number of international teachers.21
The First Choice of Students and Employees
“RU always aims for excellent results. Reykjavík University sets itself the goal of becoming the university of first choice for students in Iceland wishing to undertake higher studies in the disciplines offered by the University.”22 To achieve this, it is not enough to attract promising students and offer them exceptional teaching along with training in the utilization of the knowledge they acquire. Each organization is, above all, a group of people with their knowledge, character value opinions, and attitudes. “For this reason, the University seeks to become the institution of choice for those wishing to work in a university environment in Iceland. This aim is fostered by a strong human resources policy. The University wishes its staff and students to view their time there as a rewarding and fulfilling experience.”23 Because of this, RU needs to offer
• a demanding but encouraging work environment which attracts the most qualified individuals in each field;
• purposeful continuing education for staff members and an environment where ability, freedom, and diversity are applauded;
• a reward and advancement system which encourages research activity, progressive teaching methods, and active collaboration with industry;
• an international work environment which creates fertile ground for knowledge creation and dissemination, and which cultivates strong ties with the economy;
• a work environment where equality is always maintained and where individuals are not discriminated against based on gender, age, religion, nationality, race, disability, sexual orientation, or political view.24
Some would say this is a model objective for any university. Yes, but at Reykjavik University it is not only a statement. It is a reality built by its leaders and the whole academic community. Reykjavik University “in the summer of 2007 signed two documents developed by the European Commission (Directorate‐General for Research) aimed at improving the career development prospects of individuals wishing to build a career in research in Europe.” These documents are the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
The main principles of the Charter and the Code are as follows:
• Open recruitment, clear selection criteria, career development, international and intersectoral mobility, professional recognition.
• Special emphasis on postdoctoral appointments and the development of junior researchers.25
All Icelandic universities signed these documents in 2007, but Reykjavik University is the first Icelandic university to participate in a formal implementation program.26
In June 2009 Reykjavik University accepted an invitation by the European Commission to join the Institutional Human Resources Strategy group, which is a group of about 40 institutions committed to incorporate the Charter and the Code into their human resources strategy. (…) A working group was established in September 2009, to conduct an internal analysis of Reykjavik University vis a vis the principles underlying the Charter and the Code.27
A thorough analysis of the working situation of young researchers, conducted by a task force in 2010, indicated that there still were some things to improve, but human resources management in Reykjavik University is considered a significant strength of this higher school and a very important pillar for enacting and maintaining its core values.
Has Reykjavik University managed after 7 years since its merger to build a strong cultural identity of academic community based on four main pillars—core values of Reykjavik University? Staff surveys and conversation with former leaders give a positive indication! There is detailed, internal documentation of the school in the form of numerous procedures, policies, codes, and strategies that show the University’s strengths; there is information gleaned in direct conversations with leaders (former rector/president of Reykjavik University or the former executive director of Human Resources and Quality and a few other Reykjavik University’s employees). Another indicator of success is the results of the research conducted among Reykjavik University employees in 2007 aimed at measuring how well is one’s focus on his or her top goals and leading indicator of how well one will execute current and future goals.
When answering a survey point in 2007, “If you know any of the top four goals (Markmið) of Reykjavik University, please list them,” more than 71% respondents indicated “increase research activity and output,” and more than 77% of them know the main objectives of Reykjavik University, such as “becoming an international university” and “increase quality of teaching and the use of innovative teaching methods.”
When responding to the following point on the survey; “If you know any of the top four measures that indicate whether Reykjavik University is achieving its most important goals, please list them,” 34% indicated “number of international students, number of international faculty members, number of courses taught in English” and more than 30% “number of publications, research grants, number of citations.”
However, what is much more important is the fact that on the question of whether organizational values and commitments are honored, 62% of respondents answered positively.
The same survey reaffirmed that the strategy is clear and is linked to organizational goals (77%), workers are focused on top organizational goals (68%), individual workers are valued and motivated (80%), and workers have the resources and freedom to do their job (59%). In addition, 65% of the respondents confirmed that at Reykjavik University there is a climate of mutual understanding and creative dialogue. The same research also confirmed that there are areas that require additional work such as smooth teamwork across functions and systemic approach to scheduling priorities. Employees of Reykjavik University also indicated most significant barriers that make it difficult for one to achieve his or her most important work goals including, for example
• lack of resources (46%);
• poor information systems (20%);
• lack of recognition or reward (11%);
• information overload (14%).
This research was conducted 2 years after the merger and the results confirm that in 2007 Reykjavik University was on its way to success in the process of creating a value-driven university.
Although Reykjavik University has experienced several difficult challenges following the Icelandic economic meltdown in the fall of 2008, the activities, initiatives, and attitudes described earlier taken since 2007 until the present day continue to enhance the cultural identity of Reykjavik University based on a clear focus (technology, business, and law), a clear strategy; aiming at teaching excellence, outstanding research, and effective industry collaboration, emphasizing internationalization, cross-disciplinary work and innovation; and last but not least, a personal and collaborative spirit among faculty and staff.
Case Study 2: IAE Business School (at Austral University)
Name: IAE Business School (Austral University)28
Country: Argentina (Pilar, province of Buenos Aires)
Date of foundation: Founded in 1978
Motto: no data
Form: Business School being a part of a private Catholic university
Dean: Marcelo Paladino
Structure:
IAE is one of six academic units, including the Schools of Communications, Law, Engineering, Biomedical Sciences and Business Sciences, besides the Austral Hospital and Austral Park, as encompassed within Austral University.
IAE Business School includes nine departments: Organizational Behavior; Marketing; Business Policy; Finance; Economy; Business, Society, and Economy; Operations and Technology Management; Management and Control Systems.
University colors: no data
Enrollment: 6500
Employees/Administrates: 84 faculties, including 49 full-time professors, 28 PhD professors, 7 PhD candidates
Alumni: 12,000 from 50 different countries
Notable alumni: no data
Brief history:
IAE Business School was founded in 1978 and is now part of Austral University, which was founded in 1991.
IAE received three leading international accreditations for Management Education outstanding quality: EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System, Europe), AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, United States), and AMBA (Association of MBA, UK). It has been the first Argentine Business School and the fourth in Latin America to receive these three accreditations.
It has been placed among world’s top business schools in many prestigious rankings:
• as Argentina’s leading business school, according to Apertura’s MBA rankings since 2007;
• first in continuing education for executives, according to América Economía magazine in 2008 and third in 2011;
• twenty-fifth overall, eleventh in customized executive education and first in the International Clients category on a worldwide basis (FT Executive Education Ranking 2008);
• in 2009, its 1-year full time MBA was placed eighth globally and was the only in Latin America among the most prestigious short-term master programs as set forth by the Wall Street Journal.
IAE has visiting foreign professors from world’s leading business schools such as Harvard, IPADE, Darden, IESE, MIT, Michigan University, and London Business School. Its full-time professors also teach at top-tier business schools in the United States, Spain, Mexico, China, Slovenia, Venezuela, Brazil, to name a few.
Vision, Mission, and Core Values of Academic Ethos at IAE Business School
According to the Executive Education ranking of the Financial Times, IAE is among the top 26 schools of the world. América Economía magazine places it at the third position in executive education in Latin America and Apertura considers it to be the best business school of Argentina.29
The above information is fully compliant with and fully confirms the vision and mission statement of this higher school. It also proves that IAE moves forward in the direction determined by its axiological imperatives and does it in an involved and well-considered way.
At the website of this school as well as in IAE Business School Annual Report from 2011, we find the following statement of vision for 2015 and the mission of this school. The Vision for 2015 for IAE Business School is “to become a top management and business school recognized around the world for its leadership in: Knowledge of Emerging Economies.” It also aspires to be a business school in Latin America known for its leadership in
• the fostering of development and integration, on a local and regional basis in a global context;
• the knowledge and expertise in emerging economies, focused on Latin America;
• the responsibility to offer service to all global and regional companies;
• the flexibility to develop cooperation projects with companies and other institutions;
• the rigor and relevance of its research and the quality of its teaching, both with a humanist focus;
• the intensity of its bond with companies and alumni;
• the service, warmth, and special dedication offered by the entire institution.30
IAE’s mission statement “to contribute to knowledge development and personal growth of business men and women, strengthening their managerial skills as well as the human virtues required for management”31 was developed through the interaction of the school’s founders with a group of managers in the late 1970s. Because it is foundational, it describes the essence of the School’s spirit and has not changed since then.
The School’s mission includes an explicit commitment to an ethically and a socially responsible behavior in the management profession. All activities at the IAE are conducted with the human being at the core of the business community and economic activity. The core values shared at the School are
• promotion of the human being from his or her dignity and transcendent destiny;
• work as a necessary activity for personal development and as means for serving others;
• common good perspective, which implies going beyond what is individual and immediate to consider the whole;
• search for truth.
The virtues derived from the conduct expected at IAE are
• friendship: generosity, transparency, loyalty;
• professionalism: spirit of self-improvement, order, and responsibility;
• humility: openness to learning.
Institutionalization of Academic Ethos Core Values at IAE Business School
From the analysis of internal documentation of the IAE Business School, conversations with its representatives, and several on-campus visits during conferences and scientific meetings, there emerges an impression that all activities, formulated strategies, and realized programs at IAE are conducted with the human being at the core of the business community and economic activity. Human promotion, based on human beings’ individual dignity, and transcendent destiny and work as a necessary activity to grow personally and to serve others32 are the core of cultural identity of IAE Business School.
So it is not surprising that through the creation of the Business, Society, and Economics Area in 1999, this school of higher education has been at the forefront of corporate responsibility. In fact, the area’s research production33 in the first decade was dedicated to the critical issues of Corporate Social Responsibility.34
For a long time, IAE’s authorities have been aware that there is an important need for business leaders of the future to constantly adapt to new and demanding global situations, which requires skill sets beyond academic knowledge and the development of personal and social capabilities.35 Therefore, IAE strives to educate students who are not only able to perform well on the subjects of strategy and finance but are also capable of gauging the proper course of business ethics, knowing what is right and what is wrong, then making sound decisions, including ethical, environmental, social, and human rights decisions, thus elevating managerial practice into opportunities for personal growth. IAE offers a vision for the proper course of business, enriching the path to efficiency with a firm commitment to social development.36
The aforementioned statements are not just empty words at IAE. They have become a practice in various actions that are taken by the academic community in order to enact their core values. This enactment and maintenance of academic ethos values is best illustrated and practiced during implementation of the principles for responsible management education.
As an institution of higher learning involved in the education of current and future managers, IAE Business School is committed to engaging in a continuous process of improvement of the following principles and their application, reporting on progress to all its stakeholders, and exchanging effective practices with other academic institutions:
• Principle 1—Purpose:
We will develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy.
• Principle 2—Values:
We will incorporate into our academic activities and curricula the values of global social responsibility as portrayed in international initiatives such as the United Nations Global Compact.
• Principle 3—Method:
We will create educational frameworks, materials, processes, and environments that enable effective learning experiences for responsible leadership.
• Principle 4—Research:
We will engage in conceptual and empirical research that advances our understanding about the role, dynamics, and impact of corporations in the creation of sustainable social, environmental, and economic value.
• Principle 5—Partnership:
We will interact with managers of business corporations to extend our knowledge of their challenges in meeting social and environmental responsibilities and to explore jointly effective approaches to meeting these challenges.
• Principle 6—Dialogue:
We will facilitate and support dialogue and debate among educators, business, government, consumers, media, civil society organizations, and other interested groups and stakeholders on critical issues related to global social responsibility and sustainability. We understand that our own organizational practices should serve as example of the values and attitudes we convey to our students.37
IAE’s mission includes commitment to an ethically and a socially responsible behavior in the management profession. IAE activities are conducted with people at the core of the business community and economic activity, placing implementation of the PRME principles in the IAE Business School on solid ground.38
Having analyzed the achievements of IAE’s academic community in implementing the above principles, it is impossible to overlook that this school is on its way to its mission’s fulfillment, and its authorities do manage IAE’s cultural identity in a well-considered and deliberate manner.
The following examples will be the best evidence confirming the thesis formulated earlier:
As part of the School’s mission of values and ethics, the MBA program promotes personal and professional development. The Anthropologic Education Department offers IAE professors sound ethics training, resulting in a systemwide preparedness to teach the ethics of business and the business of ethics – the moral imperatives on a global scale and the moral right-and-wrong on a deeper, more personal level.
IAE offers a series of courses on Corporate Social Responsibility and on companies’ senior management responsibilities as presented through the Business, Society and Economics Area and the Business Policy Academic Area.39
IAE also offers panel discussion programs outside of school that look at Social Responsibility in the Media. The panel is composed of a faculty member, leading politicians, and representatives from top national newspapers.40
In an effort to enact the values of academic ethos, the IAE Business School does not forget about projects and programs that are strictly directed to its students. These initiatives include (among others)
• The Social Field Work is a project where students work with an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), or a Community Service organization by which they have a hands-on experience and apply business management skills to the distinctive setting of these institutions.
• Regional Leadership Training, which gives MBA students another opportunity to develop transformational leadership. Set as a simple corporate responsibility practice, they make contact with local leaders working in sustainable economies. This leads them to discover the cultural mind-set of the Latin American native, making them aware of the need for integration in the region, and of the importance of a greater participation in relations with the government.
• IAE Business School’s training programs for current and future leaders have been very much geared to the private sector. IAE has taken the challenge of contributing to build cooperative ties between the public and the private sectors. In 2001, the GESE Centre—the Government, Business, Society Centre was founded with the aim of contributing to social capital development, improving public policies and government practices, strengthening business and, thus, fostering economic growth and greater social equity, not only nationally but also in different regions, provinces and cities nationwide.
• The “Government Program for Local Community Leadership Development” designed by GESE was launched for the first time in 2003. This program hinges on two theoretical pillars: government management efficiency and political leaders’ social responsibility. Knowledge of key importance for management is presented to public administration in the areas of general managerial issues, soft skills, and specific knowledge in the field of public administration.
The emphasis at the IAE Business School is on personal development as a hallmark of effective leadership—both for current students and for alumni. The positive track record of the alumni in the business world serves as testament to the commitment of these alumni and the School’s success in achieving its objectives.41
For realization of the above objectives at the IAE, a special Alumni Department was established that formulated the following goals to achieve in the years 2009–2015:
• to encourage all 11,000 alumni to contribute to IAE’s institutional development before the end of 2011;
• to create 15 regional Alumni clubs;42
• to help clubs to become more autonomous, so that they can enhance their networking, research, activity building, and fundraising capabilities until the end of 2015;
• to publish at least four issues a year of magazine for alumni;
• to address the magazine for alumni not only to IAE’s graduates but also to opinion leaders and leverage it to disseminate IAE operations among alumni, local and foreign business, political, economic, and third-sector communities (the goal formulated to achieve until the end of 2015);
• to communicate with alumni with weekly newsletter and social networks;
• to provide more fluent communication with alumni by building a community in social networks (where alumni are constantly connected) and creating new academic, relevant contents for alumni.
To underscore its mission statement, the IAE Business School analyzes the methodologies of conducting business in emerging markets, with an initial focus on specific regions. The research aids members in a better understanding of the role of corporations in the creation of sustainable social, environmental, and economic values in Latin America. This is enacted individually by each scholar and cooperatively through its Academic Areas and Research Centers.43
Research Centers at IAE (for example, Entrepreneurship, Negotiation, Governance and Transparency, and ENOVA-Thinking) are integrated by a group of professors and research assistants. This multidisciplinary team is united by a research interest, usually within a specific sector or area, and supported by a long-term research and development plan.44
When discussing the Research Centers at the IAE Business School, it is necessary to mention the one activity that is crucial for implementing PRME and enacting the mission and values of academic ethos at this school, namely the Governance and Transparency Center. Its mission is expressed in as follows:
The Center pursues the education and training of business leaders and senior management through the development of academic and practical material, creating awareness and fostering discussion about organizational dilemmas concerning good business practices and corruption. It also seeks to establish itself as a referent in the study of the challenges that business firms face on a daily basis when dealing with transparency and integrity issues in their own environments.45
And its main goals are
• To promote and disseminate research in business ethics, compliance, corporate governance, and transparency.
• To provide practical research results to leaders in business, public policy, and education, and to help them understand and face the complex compliance and integrity problems that present themselves in business practices at local, regional, and global levels.
• To examine the presence of organizational incentives that promote ethical practices, along with processes and decision-taking features associated with governance and integrity failures.
The Center for Governance and Transparency coordinates the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Anticorruption in Curriculum Change Working Group. The PRME are inspired by internationally accepted values such as the principles of the United Nations Global Compact. They seek to establish a process of continuous improvement process among management education institutions in order to develop a new generation of business leaders capable of managing the complex challenges faced by business and society in the twenty-first century.
Despite of so many achievements in the process of its mission and core values enactment, IAE’s authorities are fully aware of the fact that whoever does not develop, moves back. That is why they take new initiatives for improving their cultural identity management, and they constantly set new and ambitious goals.
Examples for such objectives that academic community of IAE Business School wants to realize in the near future are
• To continue integrating more ethical dilemmas and challenges in all specific courses, giving the whole program a strong ethical character; expanding Social Field Work to other realities during its different stages in order to integrate the social complexity to the FT MBA program and to its learning experience.
• To develop different activities to attract alumni in order to keep working in the human formation of those students who finish their programs but are still part of IAE Business School.
• To make IAE’s various programs (EMBA, MBA, etc.) further advance their commitment of embedding social responsibility issues within their academic activities, in particular in relation with civil society organizations that tackle poverty, inequality, and public policy issues.
• To implement the pilot version of PRME’ Anticorruption Working Group toolkit in conjunction with the previous introduction of anticorruption topics and problems in compliance and business ethics modules. This will allow IAE to be one of the first institutions that will be able to test the toolkit.
• To continue the Governance and Transparency Centre’s collaboration with the PRME Inspirational Guide and to produce short videos with anticorruption cases for teaching and training purposes.
• To complete by Center for Governance and Transparency the edition of a book on compliance in Argentina and the writing of technical notes (e.g., compliance training), papers, and articles in the press.
The initiatives described earlier that are taken by the academic society at IAE Business School clearly show that, at this school, the authorities, scientific employees, administrators, and students are “walking the talk.”
This school may also be a model for the other higher schools as it shows how to manage cultural identity in order to follow the changes in the surrounding world on the one hand and how to keep its organizational DNA—its core values—on the other hand.