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The New MBAs

The New MBAs: Episode 1

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Factual: Money

Episode 1

BBC Radio 4 - The New MBAs, Episode 1

How UK business schools are teaching more ethics in response to the Crash of 2008.

A critical look at how UK business schools are responding to the 2008 Crash by teaching more about ethics, sustainability and corporate responsibility.

When the global economy crashed spectacularly in 2008 it seemed like all the people in charge had an MBA from a top business school- from President George W Bush, through Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to the heads of Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, General Motors and more. Indeed many of the collapsed companies were famous for hiring whole posses of smart MBAs.

Some Business School heads conceded they share the blame, none more readily than the Dean of Cass Business School in the City of London- Richard Gillingwater said that although ethics and values were 'embedded' in parts of their courses they needed to deal more explicitly with topics like short versus long-term decision-making, appropriate rewards and corporate responsibility. 

So in 2009 he set up a review of all the School's graduate courses and this programme follows it over 12 months as it becomes the 'Ethics, Sustainability and Engagement' project, headed by a new Dean of Ethics and guided by their own 'Corporate Philosopher in Residence'. The listener will sit in on lectures, seminars, debates and discussions that show how MBA courses are delivered, and how ethical issues in particular are now being tackled.

The programme also looks at other UK schools that were already tackling some of these issues successfully: For years the international Aspen Institute has rated Nottingham University best in the UK for its approach to ethical, social and environmental topics in its business curricula. And Manchester Business School has an innovative and well established project linking MBA students with local voluntary groups to develop awareness of the place of business in wider society and show that not everyone is driven solely by greed. 


Producer: Mike Hally
A Square Dog Radio Production for BBC Radio 4.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

How has the global ecomonic crash affected the courses taught in business schools?

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