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Social Change and Business School

Over the past few years, the number of businesses interested in social change has taken off here in the US.  In the process, many people have expressed that they have a social obligation to not only give back to those who helped them along the way but also find new ways to help those that can’t always do for themselves. Traditionally, this has been given more present in law schools than in business schools, given the traditions of the respective professions. But today, schools like Kellogg have begun to further embrace the concept.

MBA programs today are really stepping up their social programs. Over the past years, the Kellogg School of Management recently added the Social Enterprise department, where students can come together for events and even major in the subject. At Stanford, the school has long had the Public Management program, where students can earn a certificate in public service and even get a non profit designation.  And at Harvard, programs like the Leadership Fellows program allows top public sector students to work in the public sector upon graduation. On campus, all these schools have forged relationships between students and professors, recruiters and employers, capitalism and democracy, and for profit and not for profit.

The point of the Social Enterprise program according to Kellogg is to “reflect the converging challenges that managers face today as they strive to be socially responsible global leaders in their chosen fields.”  This is particularly true as today, people not only change jobs but they also move among sectors more often than ever before.  Careers such as management, consulting, law, and marketing all face issues relevant to the public sector.

At Kellogg, we see that even being an entrepreneur is relevant to the public sector.  One of the biggest entrepreneurs from Kellogg is Andrew Youn, from the Once Acre Fund.  The One Acre Fund is on my mind as his organization is having a fundraising event in downtown Chicago tonight that I plan to attend. Andrew is proof that business school programs are making a lot of progress in business schools.

As a result of entrepreneurs like this, Kellogg has beefed up its curriculum and incorporated programs like the Board Fellows program (Stanford also has this program), a social enterprise conference, and even a required experiential course and simulation for all returning second year students.

I’m glad these schools and other ones are starting to improve their programs. In today’s economic times, it’s imperative to remember that business school is not just about getting a job, but also realizing that these programs are important and that they are going to play a pivotal role in putting the global economy back on track.

Business schools and law schools should welcome the opportunity to take part in in leveraging its curriculum for social change.