Management Education as a Crucible for Ethical Social Change

Abstract

This chapter is an exploration of an aspirational ethics program for undergraduate students that carries an optimistic set of goals for their potential to act as agents of social change. Ashesi University College is a private not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization, undergraduate-only university college in Berekuso, Ghana. Founded in 2002, its mission is to train a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial business leaders in Africa and to nurture excellence in scholarship, leadership and citizenship. Students graduate with degrees in Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Engineering and Computer Science, all based on a liberal arts model. When compared with institutions around the world that offer business and management degrees, there are three main defining aspects that make Ashesi distinct and reflect its commitment to ethical standards. The first is the commitment to gender and economic class diversity: 47% of students are female; 55% of students receive some level of scholarship funding (http://www.ashesi.edu.gh/), and 25% receive a full scholarship. Ashesi University is a private liberal arts college in Berekuso, Ghana. Founded in 2002, its mission is to train a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial business leaders in Africa and to nurture excellence in scholarship, leadership and citizenship. There are three defining aspects to the educational process that make Ashesi distinct. The first is the commitment to diversity in class, gender, religion and nationality; there are equal numbers of female and male students and 25% of students receive full scholarship funding. The second is employment: 96% of its students are employed 3 months post-graduation. The third is the commitment to the honor code, which is unique among African institutions of higher learning. Through qualitative-based research with students, graduates, faculty, and staff, this study focuses on the origin and implementation of the honor code at Ashesi and whether and how the honor code continues to be used by students after graduation. At the time of this research, there was strong evidence that this educational intervention has been effective in influencing post-graduate behavior in the workplace and in wider social interactions.