University of Michigan MBA program ranked 7th most socially conscious in the world
The MBA program at the University of Michigan' Ross School of Business has been named one of the most socially conscious in the world by the Aspen Institute.
According to the institute, the school ranks seventh in the world at pushing students in its Masters of Business Administration program to examine the social, environmental and ethical impacts of business decisions.
The institute said the 2011-2012 ranking marks the first opportunity to see how schools altered their curriculum due to the financial downturn.
It also marks a fall for the U-M school since 2009, when it ranked number 1.
"In the wake of the financial crisis we're seeing an increased willingness to address these issues," said Judith Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program. "That willingness is coming from a variety of factors, including student demand, faculty readiness and a desire on the part of business schools to clarify what exactly they're doing to prepare business leaders to serve the needs of society, such as job creation and energy conservation."
The rankings are as follows:
- Stanford Graduate School of Business
- York University, Schulich School of Business (Canada)
- IE University (Spain)
- Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business
- Yale School of Management
- Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management
- University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
- Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School of Management
- University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School
- UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business
For the 2011-2012 rankings, 149 schools from 22 countries submitted data. According to the institute, course descriptions, research abstracts, extracurricular activities, institutes and centers, joint degrees and specializations were evaluated over the course of seven months.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
Michigwen
Fri, Sep 23, 2011 : 5:45 p.m.
Social consciousness is not necessarily the product of "teaching ethics to people in their 30s or 40s" but, rather, about exposing students to the perspectives of others and exploring the consequences of certain behavior. Unless business students are completely lacking in empathy, exposing them to the experiences and world views of others and the consequences to others of their actions, may influence their behavior for the benefit of the greater good, which is not solely the responsibility of government.
ChelseaBob
Fri, Sep 23, 2011 : 12:05 p.m.
I am a graduate of the Ross School, and have a few observations. First, teaching ethics to people in their 30's and 40's has always seemed absurd to me. If they don't have ethics by then, you won't teach them in a classroom. Second, the way the economy works, is people try to make money. If they build a better product or a new product or improve on a manufacturing process, they improve socity on the whole, and make buckets of money. If businesses abuse workers or the environment, we have a government that can regulate and punish the harmful behavior. The problem is corrupt politicians don't bother. How many years did Angelo Mozzilo (Countrywide) get? None, and he is one of the biggest crooks in history. He had political clout, though. Outsourcing to China is the fault of our politicians. Once they opened "free trade" with a hostile dictatorship, they changed the rules of the game. Many US businesses can't compete with cheap labor and subsidized pricing from China, so they outsourced to SURVIVE. If you don't like this, campaign for an end to free trade with China. Don't blame business people, Businesses don't operate in a vacuum, they have to compete. Again, it's corrupt politicians that are to blame.
Lac Court Orilles
Fri, Sep 23, 2011 : 11:31 a.m.
Readers please note that it was U of M's business school that LED THE WAY AMONGST THE NATION'S COLLEGES OF BUSINESSES with teaching students how to outsource our jobs to China and India. Congratulations, they did an exceptional job of it! Now the the Ross School of Business can make more money teaching students how to bring back the businesses that they sent to China and India. The college of business also taught Rick Snyder how to sell our patented military technology to China without a license and with Mary Sue Coleman's blessing so he could buy a governorship. (See <a href="http://www.China-Threat.com" rel='nofollow'>www.China-Threat.com</a> as evidence!) I suggest that a rigorous course of Business Ethics be a requirement for graduation at The Ross School of Business.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 9:53 p.m.
Another shining example of the ivory tower approach to rendering college graduates unfit for the real world. You don't see Wharton in the top ten.
bluto blutarsky
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 8:18 p.m.
You are so right, Dcam. So many of the actions of the faculty at the Ross School of Business reflect nothing but the business of enriching themselves and their own personal agenda (let alone any enviromental cause).
xmo
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 4:09 p.m.
Does it really matter "program to examine the social, environmental and ethical impacts of business decisions. "
djm12652
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 8:51 p.m.
or a Monica Conyers or Sam Riddle...I didn't know they are Repubs...
David Paris
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 5:45 p.m.
Not if you're a Republican.
TheGerman
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.
Didn't know Canada and Spain were part of the US.
David Paris
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 5:44 p.m.
"For the 2011-2012 rankings, 149 schools from 22 countries submitted data."
alan
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 3:38 p.m.
No editorial oversight.
Dcam
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.
I don't know about the MBA program, but any business school that has Noel Tichy on its faculty would be hard-pressed to claim social responsibility being among its goals, given his management proteges include GE's Jack Welsh and Ford's Jac 'The Knife' Nassar and his insisting that CEOs are entitled to the lion's share of corporate earnings.
Kai Petainen
Thu, Sep 22, 2011 : 2:28 p.m.
=)