Responsible Managers and Responsible Management Education

Business and management related education, as well as higher education more broadly, is called upon to play a very important role in integrating responsibility as well as sustainability across their teaching and learning. As we have now entered the Decade of Action for the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this need becomes even more critical and it is suggested that “advancements we see in the field (of responsible business and management education) could be in part due to a greater understanding of the nature of the subject with all its complexity and challenges” (Moosmayer, D. C., Laasch, O., Parkes, C., & Brown, K. G. The SAGE handbook of responsible management learning and education. SAGE. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=31jGDwAAQBAJ , 2020, p.24). While the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up traditional ways of teaching and learning, the role that online content and tools, particularly, Open Educational Resources (OER) can have (in advancing responsible management education (RME) and sustainable development) in remote teaching and learning has also been made more evident. This chapter aims to provide a better understanding on how online resources and specifically content and tools, including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources (OER) can be utilized to enhance RME and discuss some of the challenges including the role of the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter will feature the case of the SDG Academy—the flagship education initiative of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations—with the mandate of creating and curating the best available educational content on sustainable development and making it available as a global public good ( https://sdgacademy.org/ ). With a large catalogue of MOOCs, videos and podcasts this initiative aims to support the current and next generation of educators, practitioners and citizens to advance sustainable development everywhere. Finally, the chapter will discuss the opportunities and challenges and provide recommendations for faculty and practitioners on how to make the most of online content and tools to teach and learn responsibility and sustainable development.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Citizenship: Towards Corporate Accountability

Over the past two decades an increasing number of research papers have signalled growing interest in more responsible, sustainable and ethical modes of management education. This systematic literature review of peer-reviewed publications on, and allied to, the concept of responsible management learning and education (RMLE) confirms that scholarly interest in the topic has accelerated over the last decade. Rather than assuming that RMLE is one thing, however, this review proposes that the literature on responsible management education and learning can be divided into four distinct categories: (1) Teaching Responsible Management; (2) Organizing for Responsible Education; (3) Responsible Individual Learning, and; (4) Responsible Organizational Learning. Although the literature on RMLE has grown, work on how managers learn responsible management in organizational or workplace settings, particularly without the intervention of external educational providers, is minimal. The Special Issue of the Journal of Business Ethics is the first to address this significant lacuna. The vast majority of published peer-reviewed research is related to organizational provider-centric organizing for responsible management education. Each category is explored and the implications of organizing the literature this way for the field of RMLE are discussed. Finally, an agenda for future research and theory development on RMLE is proposed.

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how the COVID-19 health crisis could help business schools move towards more responsible management education (RME). Business schools have been extensively blamed in previous crises for not educating their students in a responsible way. The COVID-19 pandemic could be the pivotal opportunity for business schools to regain legitimacy and a wake-up call to accelerate their journey towards RME. The authors aim to outline an illustration of the transition to a hybrid teaching model and how such educational reconfiguration might lead to more sustainable and RME, also beyond COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach is proposed to analyse and decrypt the challenges and opportunities of a hybrid approach, its implications for the transformation of business schools and RME. This study also includes a state-of-the-art literature review, a specific investigation of the case of ESCP, the European cross-border multi-campus business school, and in-depth interviews with stakeholders impacted by the crisis.FindingsThe health crisis demonstrated the unprecedented capability of higher education to embrace rapid and profound change. Furthermore, the pandemic served as a wake-up call in that it may even have caused the progress of business schools, previously somewhat reluctant, towards more socially responsible and sustainable thinking. Thus, the schools have used the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to regain legitimacy and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.Practical implicationsThe paper pulls together a multitude of suggestions for higher education in general and business schools in particular.Originality/valueCombining two of higher education’s main challenges, namely, digitalisation and sustainability and applying the principles for responsible management education framework to map and analyse the pandemic’s implications, this paper provides a new, compelling and inspiring resource for business schools on their path to a more responsible management approach and education.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to shed light on the knowledge structure that underpins the manifestation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within public procurement. CSR has been highly linked to public procurement, which is related to government policy and involves purchasing goods and services from others from public bodies. Despite the extensive coverage that CSR has garnered in relation to large multinational corporations, its implementation within the context of SMEs has been found to be severely inadequate.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses science mapping through bibliometric analysis to investigate the existing knowledge structure of CSR in SMEs from 1993–2024. Using bibliographic coupling and co-word analysis, this study evaluates the current structure and potential future trends of CSR in SMEs within public procurement and suggests possible crucial themes for future studies.FindingsThe findings indicate the indispensability of integrating CSR as an organizational ethos, given its potential to create a positive impact on the firm’s overall value proposition and long-term profitability. There are four current themes derived: Fundamental of CSR in SMEs, CSR and firm performance, CSR sustainability management and implementation in SMEs, and SMEs size in CSR implementation. There are three future themes derived: Strategies for successful CSR through governance and stakeholder engagement, Relationship between CSR, financial and environmental performance and effective management and Sustainable development through corporate responsibility and performance. SMEs as critical components in the public and private network, hold the key to substantial national economic growth. The public environment would be shaped by how SMEs conduct their business within the public procurement sphere.Social implicationsSMEs need to actively participate in CSR activities to stay relevant in today’s market. Securing public procurement relies heavily on CSR as part of the government’s commitment to helping small businesses, reducing unemployment, employing disabled workers, gender equality and implementing national industrial policy.Originality/valueThe originality is to provide an in-depth understanding of the role of CSR in SMEs within public procurement by performing science mapping and content analysis of the current phenomenon. This study presents comprehensive research streams in the context of public procurement on the current and future themes based on network visualization through science mapping analysis.

Governing indifference in social performance reporting: Implications for responsible management education

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental performance (EP) among manufacturing small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The potential mediating effects of green innovation (GI) and green capabilities (GCs) within this relationship were also investigated. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 428 SME managers was conducted in the UAE. Mediation analysis uncovered significant positive impacts of CSR, GCs and green innovation on environmental performance. Findings The findings support the positive impact of CSR on EP, indicating that SMEs engaged in CSR practices tend to exhibit higher EP. While this is in line with the findings of previous research, this study further reveals a significant positive correlation between CSR and GC, emphasizing CSR’s role in fostering capabilities that integrate environmental concerns into core business operations. These results demonstrate that GC positively influences firm EP thus highlighting the importance of cultivating GC for organizations striving for a sustained competitive advantage and exceptional performance in dynamic business environments. Research limitations/implications The methodology limits the ability to observe outcome variations over time. Future studies could benefit from longitudinal approaches to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of these relationships. Further research could also explore data from larger firms to examine potential variations in outcomes across different organizational sizes. Conducting similar studies in other countries in the region that have comparable cultural and economic contexts could offer further valuable insights. Nevertheless, this study found that CSR practices can enhance GCs and that GCs play a pivotal role in the CSR-GI nexus. Practical implications The results also have significant implications for managers, policymakers and business professionals. For example, the study’s findings emphasize the importance of CSR initiatives in enhancing environmental management and fostering GI, thereby providing confidence in CSR investment outcomes. CSR was also found to positively influence firms’ GCs, thus increasing the capacity of SME firms to build capabilities while improving environmental performance. These capabilities positively influence firms’ GI, providing the potential to develop innovative products, practices and services that distinguish them among their competitors. Social implications Addressing the challenges of climate change, pollution and resource depletion is a critical goal for society. This study shows that CSR and sustainable practices in business can positively impact environmental performance while also providing significant benefits to businesses. Originality/value The study found that CSR practices can enhance GCs and that GCs play a pivotal role in the CSR-GI nexus. These results show that for firms engaged in CSR to achieve outstanding EP, they must cultivate GC, using the resources and capabilities gained from CSR to develop and execute effective GC, which will subsequently lead to GI. The authors’ model contributes to the current body of knowledge by presenting a mechanism whereby CSR influences EP, while incorporating the mediating and moderating roles of GI and GC.

This research aimed to assess the operational and environmental performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria in relation to their adoption of personality-traits taxonomy (i.e., conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, neuroticism or emotional resilience and agreeableness). The survey-based study involved the entire population of SME operators in South West Nigeria, totaling 1842 individuals (i.e., entrepreneurs). Through the use of stratified random-selection methods, a sample size of 420 was chosen. Data was collected, and both structural and measurement models were used to assess it. The results of the study demonstrate that personality traits have a significant influence on how successful SMEs function. The results also demonstrate that personality traits have a positive impact on SMEs’ environmental performance. These findings suggest that sustaining operational and environmental performance may be accomplished by resource allocation, promoting diversity and inclusion, and employing trustworthy assessment methods. To enhance both their overall operational performance and their environmental performance in particular, the study advises SME operators in Nigeria to undertake proper management of personality traits for sustainability. The paper recommends for greater research on this subject and emphasises the necessity of understanding how personality factors impact operational and environmental performance in Nigerian SMEs.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in between the sustainability orientation of managers and sustainable performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tunisia. Besides that it aims to explore the impact of managers’ sustainability orientation on CSR practices, and how these activities could affect economic, social and environmental performance. The data have been collected by survey questionnaires from the owners and managers of SMEs across the manufacturing sector in Tunisia. Partial least square structural equation modelling statistical method has been used to analyse the research model using the software SmartPLS 3. The results reveal that CSR mediate the relationship between managers’ sustainability orientations and sustainability performance (except economic dimension). Moreover, the results also found that owners’ orientations towards sustainability positively influence CSR, and CSR also positively affect social and environmental sustainable performance. However, this study does not find a significant causal effect between CSR and economic sustainable performance. This study contributes to the Upper Echelon Theory by extending via empirical evidence with respect to sustainability, strategic, tactical orientations, CSR and sustainable performance. The limitations and direction for future research have been stated in this study.

The growing interest in sustainable development in all sectors of the economy has fostered a noteworthy shift toward responsible management education (RME). This emerging view underscores that business schools provide students with more than just managerial knowledge as they also develop students toward responsible management. Based on socialization theory, we show how this development occurs by studying RME as a process that relates to students’ values, attitudes and behavioral intentions. With data from a large international survey of business students from 21 countries, our findings show that RME facilitates students’ self-transcendence, the development of conservation values and positive attitudes toward corporate social responsibility (CSR). Further, RME is positively related to students’ CSR behavioral intentions (willingness to sacrifice salary to work for a responsible employer) through the mediating role of values and attitudes. In sum, this study extends socialization theory to the higher education domain to show that business schools can affect students’ prosocial, ethical values and intentions, with implications for responsible management and RME.

In the responsible turn in business school education and management learning, the responsibility approach is proposed as a possible panacea against a hidden curriculum which leads to damaging business practice. The explicit promise of responsible management learning and education is that homo oeconomicus can be re-formed in the image of a responsible business subject, what we here call ‘ homo responsabilis ’. We explore how a business school curriculum centred on responsibility affects key subject positions such as consumer, employee, manager, entrepreneur, investor and leader. In three responsible management learning and education illustrations at our business school, we observe three layers of responsibilization of the individual: responsibilization for self-enhancement, responsibilization for economic prosperity and responsibilization for social and environmental sustainability. We find that these three layers of responsibilization impact business school subjects in several problematic ways: excessive moral burdening of consumers, overburdening of self-managing employees and fantasmatic gripping of prospective entrepreneurs. Our contribution to critical studies of responsible management learning and education is twofold: (1) we show how explicit responsible management learning and education curricula tend to extend the neoliberal HC, and (2) we complement studies calling for re-politicizing responsible management learning and education by suggesting transformative learning ways to generate explicitly ethico-political imaginations that can help in resisting individual responsibilization in business school education.

The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME): The first decade – What has been achieved? The next decade – Responsible Management Education's challenge for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Responsible management education is often viewed from an educator's rather than a student's perspective, as well as from a Global North rather than a Global South viewpoint. Addressing these gaps, this study aims to explore responsible management education through student perspectives from a Southeast Asian country. Utilizing online platforms and university channels, we recruited 542 students, with 492 valid responses analyzed. Analyzing the students' responses using keyword co-occurrence mapping, we identified a set of thematic clusters that reflect key aspects of responsible management: society, environment, company, business and responsibility, business decision, thing, and goal. These clusters were thematically grouped into a modified triple bottom line for responsible management, comprising organizational (which includes economic and ethical considerations), social, and environmental components. This grouping underscores the importance of economic considerations, ethical decision-making, environmental stewardship, and societal wellbeing in management practice. Building on these findings, we incorporate management—the final component emerging from the clusters—to propose a novel model that merges the triple bottom line with locus of control, forming concentric circles that offer a more robust lens for managerial decision-making. This model highlights the varying levels of control and influence managers have over organizational, social, and environmental aspects, providing a new approach for integrating responsible management into organizational leadership taught through responsible management education. Our study thus makes a significant contribution to advancing responsible management education theory and practice by incorporating student perspectives from the Global South and introducing an innovative model—the concentric locus of control and triple bottom line model—that can be used in responsible management education to shape the managerial outlook of future business leaders.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and responsible management are inherently interdisciplinary fields. However, higher education often remains monodisciplinary, limiting students' ability to integrate multiple perspectives. This present study explores the implementation of Interdisciplinary Problem-based Learning (iPBL) as a pedagogical approach that brings together students from business, economics, and psychology to collaboratively address complex CSR challenges. Over the course of a semester, students engaged with five interdisciplinary problem cases, structured around an eight-step learning process, to develop integrative solutions to issues such as negotiation and conflict resolution, sustainable work environments, corruption, mental health, and institutional change. The evaluation results, based on the HEsaCom scale, indicate that iPBL enhances key competencies across disciplines. Students reported gains in knowledge processing, systematic competence, personal competence, cooperation competence, and communication competence—core competencies emphasized in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Responsible Management Education (RME). The present findings are consistent with extant research in the domains of constructivist learning, interdisciplinary education, and sustainability-oriented pedagogy, highlighting the role of psychological perspectives in strengthening critical thinking, ethical reflection, and collaborative problem-solving. Whilst the study confirms the short-term benefits of iPBL, further research is required to assess long-term competency retention and the scalability of this model across different institutional contexts. Practical implications include the integration of structured interdisciplinary formats into business school curricula as well as the development of faculty training to support cross-disciplinary teaching. By explicitly including psychological content and learners, this study contributes a novel perspective to the evolving landscape of RME.

Decoupling responsible management education: Do business schools walk their talk?