Responsible management education in business schools: Are we there yet?

Abstract

The effectiveness of principles for responsible management education (PRME) in transforming management education to responsible management education (RME) to develop students as responsible future leaders has been debated in recent years. In the light of this debate, we analyse how the introduction of sustainable development goals (SDGs) has influenced the progress of RME and its delivery across business schools (B-schools) through the lens of Habermas’s theory (1987). We draw on the nuanced perspectives of multiple stakeholders across several countries to unpack diverse approaches adopted by B-schools and the associated challenges and opportunities for embedding SDGs for RME. Furthermore, integrating Habermas’s theory, we develop a four-step framework for B-schools to embed SDGs through awareness building, institutionalisation, knowledge creation, and knowledge dissemination. Our research has implications for academics, B-schools and policymakers for improving policy and practice in higher education to deliver RME and contribute to the PRME/SDG discourse.