Creating cultures of integrity

Ethics education in UK business schools

Emma Bell, Paul Caulfield, Paul Hibbert and Paul Jennings March 2014

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Contents

Section Page

1 Introductory comments 4

1.1 Context for business education 4

1.2 How has this collection of cases evolved? 4

1.3 How have pedagogical considerations informed cases? 4

Consideration: establish space in the learning environment for collaborative problem solving 5

Consideration: successful learning environments allow for deeper understanding of personal

perspectives with ability to express those perspectives in open conversation 5

Consideration: balanced learning environments utilise assessments that allow for integration

and synthesis between observed real-world experience and relevant theoretical frameworks 5

Consideration: enacting the behaviours that you are seeking to develop, and engaging students

in the development of a responsible school culture, may help to bridge the knowledge-action

gap 5

1.4 How have institutional considerations informed cases? 5

2 How can critical management education enhance ethical learning? Keele

Management School 6

2.1 Introduction 6

2.2 Keele Management School 6

2.3 Embedding business ethics in a critical school 7

2.4 What is business ethics? 8

2.5 Teaching ethics to business students 9

2.6 Introducing ethics into the classroom 9

2.7 Becoming a critical, ethical manager 9

2.8 Summary and distinctive contribution 10

3 How can teaching and learning encourage responsible enterprise?

University of St Andrews School of Management 11

3.1 Introduction 11

3.2 The School 11

3.3 Ethics education at the School of Management 11

3.4 Curriculum 12

3.4.1 Undergraduate 12

3.4.1 Postgraduate taught 12

3.5 Culture 13

3.6 Practices 13

3.6.1 Practices supporting collective, collegial approaches 13

3.6.2 Practices supporting consistency between intent, symbols and action 13

3.6.3 Practices supporting engagement across and beyond the university 14

3.7 Students’ views on ethics issues and education at the school 14

3.7.1 Undergraduate students 14

3.7.2 Postgraduate students 15

3.8 Conclusions and development trajectory 15

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3.8.1 Reinforcing key messages 16

3.8.2 Translatable actions? 16

4 Adding ethics to business,

Winchester Business School, University of Winchester 17

4.1 Introduction 17

4.2 The University of Winchester – background 17

4.3 Winchester Business School – background 17

4.4 Principles of responsible management education – an introduction 17

4.5 The Hoare Centre for Responsible Management – background 18

4.5.1 Objectives 18

4.5.2 Links to learning and teaching within the University of Winchester Business School 18

4.6 Incorporating ethics into an undergraduate programme 18

4.6.1 Overview 18

4.6.2 Introducing the programme: the structure of BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance 19

4.7 The ‘Business Law, Ethics and Sustainability’ module 19

4.7.1 Introduction 19

4.7.2 Learning outcomes 20

4.7.3 Content 20

4.7.4 Assessment 22

4.7.5 Student feedback 22

4.8 Conclusions 22

5 Can m-learning develop more effective awareness of stakeholder perspectives?

School of Management, University of Bath 23

5.1 Introduction 23

5.2 Why is stakeholder thinking important? 23

5.3 How does role-play and simulation fit with management education? 23

5.4 What principles underpin curriculum design? 24

5.5 How can we select appropriate learning technologies? 24

5.6 How do we establish the rules of the game? 25

5.7 What are the benefits of m-learning to stakeholder thinking? 27

5.8 Can m-learning provoke better real-world integration? 28

6 Promoting cultures of integrity – a learner’s perspective.

School of Management, University of Bath 29

7 Commentary 30

References 31

1 Introductory comments

Authors: Paul Jennings, Senior Lecturer and Head of Academic Development, Faculty of Business Law and Sport,

University of Winchester; Judith Irwin, Senior Researcher, Institute of Business Ethics

1.1 Context for business education

Ethical behaviour has now assumed a crucial role in business decision-making. Recent corporate scandals and responses by

regulators have created an environment in which there is a heightened awareness of business ethics. There has been extensive

debate on the role of the business school in the moral and ethical development of future professionals and criticism has been

levelled at business schools adopting a narrow focus which overestimates the importance of profit at the expense of morals.

The global economic crisis of 2008 formed the backdrop for an initiative – led by the Institute for Global Ethics (IGE) UK Trust, in

collaboration with the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE), and supported by the Comino and Gordon Cook foundations – to explore

how the current curricula in UK business schools might need to be scoped differently to provide new business leaders with the

tools for becoming the strong ethical leaders of the future.

Business schools have traditionally devoted considerable attention to the financial aspects of business education. Courses in areas

such as financial management, investment appraisal, cost analysis and accounting are commonplace. For items to appear in the

primary financial statements of a company they must have a monetary value, which is almost always based on historic cost or

current market estimates. Such rules, while promoting reliability and comparability of information, do little to encourage managers,

analysts or shareholders to consider the importance of non-financial criteria such as how sustainable, environmentally aware or

ethically responsible the company is.

However, there is now an increased concern for responsible management and recognition of the increased visibility and importance

attached to ethical and sustainable business. In 2010, the Association of Business Schools published its draft ethics guide, “intended

to encourage all associated with business schools to ask the right questions when planning their teaching, research and other

activities.” The 2012 British Academy of Management conference included, for the first time, a professional development workshop

specifically focussed on the teaching of business ethics.

The development of the next generation of managers and leaders will increasingly be informed by moral considerations as well as by

traditional objectives such as maximisation of shareholder wealth. This report considers the role of business schools in educating

managers in preparation for this challenge.

1.2 How has this collection of cases evolved?

In 2010-11, two consultations on the theme ‘promoting cultures of integrity: ethical issues for business education’ were held at St

George’s House, Windsor Castle – the first in December 2010 and the second in June 2011. The consultations were convened by

the Institute for Global Ethics UK Trust in collaboration with the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) and with funding from the

Comino Foundation and the Gordon Cook Foundation. Delegates were drawn from a range of interested parties, including many

from the business schools of UK universities. In each consultation delegates expressed concern that currently in UK business

schools pedagogy, particularly the pedagogy of effective ethics education, is given low priority.

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) has taken a lead in supporting the promotion of effective approaches to learning and teaching

in the area of business ethics by funding the preparation, publication and dissemination of:

this set of broad principles to underpin effective learning and teaching in the area of business ethics;

a number of supporting case studies that offer examples of good practice.

The principles and case studies have been developed collaboratively from experience in a range of very different UK business

schools, and reflect contributions from educators, researchers and students.

1.3 How have pedagogical considerations informed cases?

We teach to change the world. The hope… [underpinning] our efforts… [is that students] act towards each other, and

towards their environment, with compassion, understanding, and fairness. (Brookfield, 1995)

As they enter the workforce many of our students will be called upon to make decisions affecting those outside of the firm such as

shareholders, the environment, communities etc.. As educators this may require us to focus on developing “decision-making in

complex and unpredictable situations” (QAA, 2008: 21) and promoting attitudes of: inquiry and critique “towards knowledge”;

global citizenship and contribution “towards the world”; and reflection and continuous learning “towards themselves” (Barrie, 2004:

269).

For business ethics and related subjects considerable use has been made of case-study methods and problem-based learning, both of

which have been associated with the benefit of anchoring learning in real-world application (Clawson and Haskins, 2006; Jennings,

2002; Knowles et al., 2005).

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‘Net-Generation’ students are more responsive to a conversational and collaborative style of engagement with lecturers (Tapscott,

2008), requiring awareness of social interaction in learning. This may favour teaching activities that are informed by constructivist

frameworks (for example see: Steffe, Gale and Ed, 1995; Nanjappa and Grant, 2003; Schunk, 2000), where the learning environment

is constructed to allow “learners [to] work together and support each other as they use a variety of tools… and problem-solving

activities” (Hannafin and Hill, 2002: 77, Italics added).

Consideration: establish space in the learning environment for collaborative problem solving

Solberg et al. (1995) talk of teaching in business ethics as “a process of discovery” where the tutor employs activities to “allow the

students to live ethics rather than learn ethics” (Solberg et al., 1995: 71). These observations are where successful learning

environments provide for reflections on life experience, employing an inductive “formulation of generalisations and concepts” from

observed behaviour, rather than moving “from theory to application” (Sims and Felton, 2006: 303).

Consideration: successful learning environments allow for deeper understanding of personal perspectives with

ability to express those perspectives in open conversation

Challenges raised about these types of learning activities have been that they are time consuming (Jennings, 1996; Clawson and

Haskins, 2006), and may be “ineffective in transmitting theory” (Clawson and Haskins, 2006: 128). Knowles et al. have warned that

over-use of these methods may lead to learning which is divorced from theoretical principles. Establishing ‘the learner’s need to

know’, and utilising the ‘prior experience of the learner’ (Knowles et al., 2005) may present particular challenges for business ethics

in the classroom where learners may have little exposure and find it difficult to see the relevance of more abstracted concepts.

Consideration: balanced learning environments utilise assessments that allow for integration and synthesis

between observed real-world experience and relevant theoretical frameworks

Solbrekke and Englund (2011) have argued that there is a need to bring responsibility ‘back in’ to programmes of professional

formation much more widely, although Alcaraz and Thiruvattal (2010) suggest that calls for more responsible management are only

‘beautiful words’ that don’t lead to real changes in practice. Similarly, Wilson (2007) has argued that organizations understand the

principles of corporate responsibility but struggle to enact them. There is a knowledge-action gap that is a real challenge to teaching

and learning ethical management practice. External service learning approaches have been argued to address this gap but Pless, Maak

and Stahl (2011) found that while nine out of ten participants were encouraged to reflect on responsibility issues after such

experiences, only one in three thought about taking action. There is no ‘silver bullet’ for the knowledge-action gap in supporting

responsible management practice, but we suggest that the lessons from educational interventions need to be reinforced by a

consistent climate and culture of responsibility within business schools. Furthermore, student collaboration should be involved in

the maintenance of this culture (Kuh, 2009).

Consideration: enacting the behaviours that you are seeking to develop, and engaging students in the development

of a responsible school culture, may help to bridge the knowledge-action gap

Overall, pedagogical considerations have therefore led us to select a range of scales and approaches for the construction of our

cases. Thus we include examples that range from detailed investigations of specific interventions to views of ethics in relation to the

‘whole life’ of schools.

1.4 How have institutional considerations informed cases?

In selecting our case studies we have deliberately engaged with a variety of institutional contexts. The report includes ancient and

very modern universities, and those that prioritise research alongside those with a strong teaching-oriented mission. Differences in

funding mechanisms are also evident in our small selection of cases, since we include a Scottish university (where undergraduate

education remains free of tuition charges for students based in Scotland and EU, with the exception of England, Wales and

Northern Ireland) alongside a range of fee-charging universities south of the border. While we can highlight these differences, on

reflection we found that the lessons drawn from each case seem pertinent to all contexts. Thus we have encompassed a variety of

institutional variations without being constrained by them.

Further copies of this report are available via http://bit.ly/1hrVXlJ

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2 How can critical management education enhance ethical learning?

Keele Management School

Authors: Emma Bell, Professor of Management and Organisation Studies; Lindsay Hamilton, Lecturer in

Management.

2.1 Introduction

This case study is part of a series of cases published by the HEA in the context of research into ethics education in UK business

schools. Business schools are key players in the promotion of ethical behaviour in business and this research is intended to promote

effective learning and teaching in the area. This case is focused on Keele Management School and its ethos of critical management

education.

The school is part of Keele University, the first new university to be established in the 20th century, awarded degree-giving powers

in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire. University status followed in 1962, commemorated as part of the 2012

‘charter year’ celebrations. Many full-time students and staff live on the Keele campus, a site which now occupies over six hundred

acres and includes a Science Park, Medical School and the historic Keele Hall. Keele aspires to be the ultimate campus university in

the UK and to offer a ‘distinctive curriculum’ to a broad range of students from a variety of social backgrounds.

Keele’s distinctive ethos can be traced historically to the founding of the university in the 1960s, which arose from an idea

developed by Lord Lindsay, Master of Balliol College, Oxford:

Lindsay's idea emerged from his lifelong study of the social and political organisation of the state. He charted the social and

political changes that arose from the industrial and technological revolutions of the 18th century and the social and political

revolutions of the 19th century. He identified one consequence of these changes in the universities: their original purpose

(to train people in the learned professions and as leaders of a traditional society – in Law, Divinity and so on), had been

supplemented by a new requirement to train technologists, scientists and specialists for a new kind of society and

economy. As the trend developed, graduates lost the common background, terminology, and values which had previously

been almost universal in university education. Mutual understanding declined as specialisation increased and the great

institutions of the country appeared to be at risk of fragmentation. He believed that steps needed to be taken to balance

essential specialist and expert knowledge with "a wide outlook and general understanding"… He considered that this

balance would keep the threats of perverted science and unethical political systems in check. He summed it up at the end

of his life: "If we are going to try and keep a democratic country and maintain understanding of one another, we have to

send out people from our universities who can do the technical stuff and who at the same time have an understanding of

political and social problems and of the values that lie behind them". It is from this idea that the original Keele

interdisciplinary curriculum developed. (Keele University website)

The Keele experiment to create ‘the Oxford College of the North’ was built around idealistic and humanistic principles and was

developed with the needs of the local community in mind. This continues to be important as its most recent mission statement

makes clear.

The university’s mission is to be recognised as the UK’s leading example of an open, integrated intellectual community and to:

provide a broad-based education;

place a high value on interdisciplinary education and research;

produce graduates with a wide range of intellectual and personal skills well-suited to the 21st century environment;

provide academic, residential and commercial activities in an attractive campus environment;

use our assets to the benefit of local, regional and national communities;

work in partnership with private and public sector partners;

be recognised as a leading academic conference venue.

The study of ethics therefore lies at the heart of the curriculum in the social sciences and the humanities, including within Keele

Management School.

2.2 Keele Management School

The Management School is the second largest school within Keele University with 2,000 undergraduate and 300 postgraduate

students. There is a longstanding commitment to fostering a critical approach to management education within the school,

characterised by a focus on the ethical, political and philosophical basis of management. Consequently, the study of ethics is deeply

embedded in much of what is taught across the curriculum, in addition to being taught in stand-alone business ethics modules.

The intellectual heritage of the school over the past thirty years emphasises the theoretical and pragmatic importance of critical

management studies. In the last ten years, the school has also placed increasing emphasis on ethnographic research methods, which

includes a focus on under-researched organisational contexts and has resulted in the establishment of the Journal of Ethnography

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and the Journal of Organisational Ethnography. The combined interest in methods of participant observation in organizations,

coupled with the long-standing commitment to studying issues related to ethics, rights and social justice, means that issues relating

to business ethics are contextualised societally, economically and globally, rather than being treated narrowly and mechanistically as

problems that can be addressed through the application of managerial models and frameworks.

This qualitative case study analysis is based on semi-structured interviews and internal documentary data. Individual interviews were

conducted with educators at all levels, and a focus group was conducted with final year undergraduate students. Interviews were

recorded with the individuals’ permission and we offer selected anonymised quotations from them in this report.

2.3 Embedding business ethics in a critical school

The teaching of management at Keele draws on the principle that the most productive way of studying the subject involves taking a

critical perspective in understanding organisations and their practices. Teaching in modules such as those listed below moves

between a framework of basic practices used in particular functions of management, (including accounting, marketing, human

resource management), and critical evaluation. Pedagogy is guided by the notion that technical issues and techniques of management

must be understood in socio-historical context based on an appreciation of the wider issues raised by current practice. Learning,

therefore, includes extensive consideration of national and international trends, cultural location and ethical issues. Through

extensive reading and discussion based on a broad social scientific knowledge base, educators encourage students to engage

critically with management practice in a way that is grounded in a thorough appreciation of the mechanics of contemporary

organisations. The following table shows some examples of the areas of the undergraduate curriculum where ethical content is

offered:

Table 1: Ethics education content in the undergraduate curriculum

Module name/ Undergraduate

degree course

Business

Management

International

Business

Management

Accounting and

Finance Economics

Actuarial

Science

Globalization (first year) Core Core Optional Optional Optional

Corporate social

responsibility (second year) Optional Optional Core Optional Optional

Managing diversity (third year) Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional

Gender, work and

organization (third year) Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional

Contemporary issues in

management (third year) Core Core Optional Optional Optional

Respondents commented upon the way the study of ethics is embedded in the curriculum. Both staff and students expressed the

view that business ethics constitutes an integral aspect of management education at Keele.

“The starting point of critical management here at Keele implies the significance of ethics… [and] the emphasis is definitely

on the interrogation of [the assumption that we can] ‘do management’ to others.”

“This degree helped [me] to develop a sense of how to manage people in humane ways.”

They also distinguished between a superficial and a ‘deep’ approach to business ethics, the latter being characterised by:

“Reflexive engagement on the part of students [about] their position as morally aware citizens of this world, and as

individuals who will have to live with the choices they are making.”

Respondents also saw Keele’s critical approach to management education and research as providing differentiation from other more

mainstream business schools.

“There is a tendency for many mainstream business schools to add in questions of rights, duties… doing the right thing…

onto the end of a module that is ostensibly about something other than ethics. This is something I have noted in the course

literature of many business schools where ethics is a sort of trendy but little understood subject… Here though, there is a

greater emphasis [on ethics] across the board, not so much the philosophy of ethics… but in the way that critical thinking

is so relentlessly emphasised and, from what I can gather, researched too. This overall style of thinking makes the better

students think more laterally, more creatively, from the start. From year one, they consider questions of power and duty,

whether they know this is a question of ethics or not.”

These views correspond to arguments presented by Grey (2004) who states that critical management education is characterised by

explicit concern with the political, ethical, and philosophical nature of management practice. Values must, therefore, be introduced

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into the classroom for analysis and discussion, “not as a separate module (say, business ethics) but as an integral part of whole

programs for… they are an integral part of all managing” (Grey, 2004: 180). This is consistent with Ferlie et al. (2010) who suggest

there are differences of identity and ethical orientation between business schools and schools of management, the latter being more

concerned to address ‘public interest’ issues of broad societal importance, and to foster the development of professional self-

restraint based on ethical and philosophical understanding of the role of business in society.

These views were echoed by students who participated in the focus group:

“Discussion of ethics is present through most of the modules anyway, and I wonder whether having a dedicated ethics

module is all that helpful, you know? The label of CSR [corporate social responsibility] puts people off because it sounds

boring but when you think about what we’re talking about, which is the rights and wrongs of business, we often cover the

ground without really knowing that we are studying that subject at all. There’s almost no need for the subject to be a

module at Keele because our whole degree is about rights, duties and responsibilities.”

2.4 What is business ethics? There is widespread definitional ambiguity concerning the use of the term ‘business ethics’ in management education (Institute for

Global Ethics UK Trust, 2010). There is also ambiguity surrounding its relationship to other related terms commonly in use,

including ‘sustainability’, ‘corporate governance’, ‘stakeholder analysis’, ‘responsible management’, ‘corporate social responsibility’

(CSR), ‘corporate citizenship’ and ‘business and society’. This confusion is perceived by Keele respondents to be related to the

evolution of management ideas (Abrahamson, 1991), and changes in the institutional context that determine the relative popularity

of certain labels in management education.

“The term CSR is probably more current. I suspect that this means a number of students would choose CSR over ethics

even if the module content was the same. But in terms of scholarly and philosophical content, I always prefer the label

business ethics because it is so much simpler and more straightforward. You know exactly what that is going to be about

from the outset.”

The label ‘critical’ is used by some educators at Keele in module and lecture titles and learning objectives to indicate to students

that curriculum content is fundamentally concerned with ethical issues. This encourages a broader definition of what counts as

‘business ethics’ beyond the specific terms that usually feature in business ethics education.

“[This] school… differs from other places… we [are] less inclined to use run-of-the-mill concepts such as ‘stakeholder

analysis’ or ‘corporate governance’ to convey [the ethical dimension]. To the contrary, these terms are likely to figure in

demonstrations of shortcomings of extant approaches.”

Students who participated in the focus group were also keen on approaches that avoided standard, textbook and case study based

approaches to business ethics often focusing on extreme ethical dilemmas, such as those involving child labour or environmental

disaster.

“We can just as easily look at case studies in places where we are far more likely to end up – Marks and Spencer,

Morrisons, whatever. It doesn’t need to be taught through weird examples like sewing up footballs, things that are so

obviously wrong that the debate’s almost over before it’s started.”

However, naming practices are sometimes found to be problematic at Keele, particularly in use of the term ‘corporate social

responsibility’.

“The more usual description for students at Keele is CSR but actually I find that they don’t fully understand that acronym

and… it brings problems for explaining the concepts involved… students don’t understand what is meant by that

terminology. They tend to use it frequently in their written work but you rarely see any decent philosophical context

behind that phrase. It can seem a bit empty.”

There is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that many management students and business school educators remain unconvinced of

the need for business ethics education (Lightfoot, 2011). This makes issues of nomenclature particularly important in ensuring that

titles of modules and lectures do not deter students from engaging with the subject. According to one educator, the term ‘business

ethics’ is perceived as off-putting for some students at Keele because it implies that “there’s something philosophical involved, that

we’re just working in the abstract”. This is of particular concern in relation to international students:

“International students can sometimes… struggle with the labels that we put on our modules and our disciplinary subsets

of learning … sometimes there is a feeling that they wish to have an easy toolkit of management, a sort of list of things that

they have to know or be competent in. They seem to operate a sort of tick box methodology in their learning. Clearly

ethics does not fall into a clear category, we’re not dealing with a toolkit as such, and this poses some difficulties for getting

international students to engage with the materials on offer in the first instance.”

However, the focus group interview with undergraduate students suggested that for some students, these concerns may be

misguided.

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“I prefer the title of ‘business ethics’ to other titles of modules that the School runs… I think the label of CSR is definitely

unhelpful and I would avoid that module if possible just because I think it’s trying to turn a simple subject into management-

speak. Ethics isn’t a simple subject… what I mean is that it doesn’t need to be overcomplicated by calling it something like

CSR. But then CSR is part of the Finance and Accounting Degree… accountants might be more used to it, but it certainly

puts me off.”

2.5 Teaching ethics to business students

Ethical issues are sometimes seen by business students as too abstract and theoretical and not sufficiently accessible. Consequently,

much of the literature emphasises the use of ‘case study’ material, to draw attention to the complexity of ethical issues in

management and business in entertaining and engaging ways (De Nahlik, 2011). Keele respondents expressed the view that there

are no ‘quick fixes’ in business ethics education and pedagogy must be based on encouraging critical thinking. This is perceived as an

educational challenge that is greater than in subjects such as Accounting or Economics where “the emphasis is on doing the correct

work to get the correct answer”.

“Teaching ethics relies upon the student’s engagement with a world of ideas, not just reading the set text, but really

challenging themselves to conceptualise how we think of right and wrong and all the grey areas that fall between those two

extremes. [Students often] simply reiterate what they think… will be the right answer; I mean, the answer that the lecturer

wants them to write. This is a reflection of cultural differences in our very international base of learners at Keele but it’s

also something to do with fear, fear of getting things wrong or expressing the wrong opinion. A major task of the lecturer

is to give students the confidence to express themselves, getting that confidence from a full review of what is going on in

the field of CSR. It’s easy to give students confidence in a ‘how to’ subject like accounting, it’s less easy when the problems

are tricky, knotty, or dealing with things that are subject to wild differences of opinion and argument. Some students seem

not to cope well when there is dissent or difference. They like to have the textbook answer. Having worked in industry for

a long time, I can tell you that very few managers have what I call good thinking skills… good lateral or creative abilities. So

it’s certainly something that management schools should be encouraging.”

The view was expressed by one respondent that business ethics is not something that lends itself to a simple structure of

“information delivery” and required “space for independent thought, reflections and initiative” when students are “confronted with

different and divergent viewpoints”. This is partly because there are no theoretical frameworks in business ethics that can “be

applied to yield a predictable result”. Practising moral awareness is, therefore, as important as learning about particular case studies

and textbooks are regarded as of limited value in inculcating the attitudes to learning that are required.

“I don’t recommend textbooks as… I personally find them to be philosophically rather amateurish and insubstantial. They

are useful for the odd case study or example. In general, though, I will refer to examples of serious academic scholarship on

ethics.”

2.6 Introducing ethics into the classroom

Good interactive group work and discussion, supported by lectures that give students the “tools to get involved”, was seen by

respondents as crucial in enabling learning about ethics.

“The traditional lecture format can only go so far in helping students to learn… in more philosophical parts of the

curriculum, there are so many more creative things we can do to engage students. So, for example, I get groups of twenty

or so to sit in a circle and [I] give them… a knotty sort of question that takes a bit of thinking about. Sometimes I circulate

that question a week beforehand to give them more chance to think. I then start the first person in the circle talking by

asking them to say out loud what they think. They must speak for a minute or so but no more. The next person must then

summarise what the previous student said, and also add something new to the debate. It’s a very easy way of getting them

to learn how to listen to each other, of course, how to redact and simplify the views of others, how to add their own

views to the melting pot and, crucially, get them speaking out loud. It takes about an hour to do this properly.”

Some respondents expressed the view that because the nature of the subject matter made it relatively easy to engage students’

interest in business ethics:

“When it comes to whistle blowing, corporate and managerial dilemmas and so on… it is straightforward to elicit

committed viewpoints and stances in discussion. Students seem to enjoy reading these cases and will contribute readily to

discussions.”

2.7 Becoming a critical, ethical manager

The case study also highlighted student anxieties about the relevance of a critical approach in the context of a managerial career:

“I guess what I’ve taken from the course… is that people matter, workers matter. How to actually do it? Well, I’m none

the wiser. It has [also] given me an understanding that managing people is a bloody complex thing… As a direct result of

the critical style of learning I’ve had to engage with, I feel anxious when I get into management [about] what am I supposed

to do with all these guru textbooks and ten points to a better team malarkey [sic]. I’m concerned that [I will] get force fed

it from senior management to 'fit in', when for the past three years I’ve been made to question it all.”

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This exposes a tension within critical management education that arises from the perceived instrumentalism of management

students, and prospective employers, about what a business school education should entail. It is clear that this respondent

characterises himself as one of ‘the managed’, in addition to being a prospective manager. This raises an interesting question for

business ethics education, as to whether its primary orientation is towards helping managers to exercise ethical leadership, or to

help those who are subject to management to respond in a way in which they consider to be ethically responsible. At its extreme, a

critical management education is seen by some as only concerned with the latter (Rowlinson and Hassard, 2011), however at Keele

there is a focus on teaching students how to manage ethically, as well as on preparing them to deal effectively with the

consequences of (un)ethical managerial action.

2.8 Summary and distinctive contribution

An earlier report into ethical behaviour and academic integrity within the UK Business, Management, Accounting and Finance higher

educational community posed the question: if business ethics is seen by stakeholders as important, what can and should business

schools do as a community of practice in order to promote this subject? Previous research also suggested that “at individual

university levels the espoused versus in–use attitudes are often contextualised in a series of top-down rules supported by ‘crime and

punishment’ enforcement, which may not be helpful” (De Nahlik, 2011).

This case demonstrates the value of a bottom-up approach, founded on critically and ethically focused management education and

research, in going beyond the ‘ethical window dressing’ or ‘ethical washing’ that has been associated with some business schools

(Lightfoot, 2010). A key element of Keele Management School’s identity lies in this distinctive, critical intellectual outlook and the

way in which it informs and influences business ethics through its recourse to philosophy and the liberal arts as part of a broad,

multi-disciplinary approach to education.

However, the case study also demonstrates some of the limitations associated with this approach. While the educational

perspective described here fosters a potentially more in-depth, analytical and reflective approach to business ethics in management

education, it is difficult to ascertain the extent to which this positively impacts on students’ moral development or on their

subsequent managerial career actions. The case thus highlights the difficulties in demonstrating a link between teaching business

ethics and future managerial behaviour.

The integration of business ethics into the Keele Management School curriculum forms part of an on-going trajectory; there is thus

scope for future development. The case has highlighted tensions and contradictions around teaching business ethics within Keele

Management School and identified potential for development of more effective pedagogy. Finally, the teaching of business ethics

does not take place in isolation from broader cultural, political and economic issues relating to the organisation within which these

practices are located. It is therefore important to understand how broader issues of academic practice and integrity impact upon

the teaching of business ethics in business schools.

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3 How can teaching and learning encourage responsible enterprise?

University of St Andrews School of Management

Authors: Christian Grahle, Doctoral candidate; Rob Gray, Professor of Social and Environmental Accounting;

Elizabeth Gulledge, Research Fellow; Paul Hibbert, Professor of Management – corresponding author; and

Sam Mansell, Lecturer in Business Ethics.

3.1 Introduction

This case study is part of a series of cases published by the HEA in the context of research into ethics education in UK business

schools. Business schools are key players in the promotion of ethical behaviour in business and this research is intended to promote

effective learning and teaching in the area.

This case is focused on the School of Management at the University of St Andrews and its principle of responsible enterprise. The

school’s take on responsibility is based on pitting moral values against self-interest and having a concern for others at individual and

collective levels (Gunia et al., 2012; Lange and Washburn, 2012). The school is also concerned to span the gap between knowledge

and practice in responsibility (Wilson, 2007). This case study will show that responsibility is central to the expression of ethical

principles in the curriculum, culture and practices of the school. In addition, this case will consider student views on ethics

education and practice within the school. It concludes with an assessment of the ethics development trajectory for the school, in

terms of possible future enhancements to curriculum and practice.

3.2 The School

St Andrews is Scotland's oldest University and the third oldest University in the English-speaking world, having existed for 600 years.

It is a relatively small university, with 7200 students and 1800 staff. It is organized as four faculties: Arts; St Mary’s College, the

ancient faculty of Divinity; Medicine; and Science.

The School of Management is one of the younger parts of the Faculty of Arts, and has existed in its current form for only ten years.

However, it scores highly in most rankings in the United Kingdom and is normally assessed as a top five or top ten school in the

discipline. The cohorts at undergraduate and postgraduate levels are internationally diverse and students from 50 nations have

studied here.

Approximate student numbers by programme are:

undergraduate sub-honours – 400;

undergraduate Honours – 120;

MLitt programmes – 250;

PhD programme – 28.

The school currently comprises an establishment of 30 full-time academic positions, six teaching and programme management staff,

three externally-funded research centre administrators and seven general administrative staff.

3.3 Ethics education at the School of Management

There are two main areas of ethical principles that are important to the school. The first is sustainability and sustainable

development, a university-wide commitment. Academics in the school are involved in research and teaching that contributes to St

Andrews’ growing reputation in this field. The second area is concerned with responsibility and is based on areas defined by the

United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (UNPRME – www.unprme.org). The School of Management was

among the first signatories to UNPRME.

We are explicitly trying to embed the values of social responsibility and sustainability into all areas of the school’s activities including

curricula, programme design, teaching and learning, research and partnerships, the managing of physical resources and infrastructure

and dialogue with our stakeholders. Our focus on responsibility means that we take a constructively critical approach to such

activities: ‘critical’, in that we ask questions and encourage dialogue between practice and theory, and ‘constructive’, in that we aim

to have a generative dialogue that encourages reflection, learning and action.

Encouraging all students to navigate the potential tensions between career-minded advancement and social responsibility and

sustainability is far from simple. The school hopes that issues raised in classes, in conversation, through a student-led management

society and so on will become as commonly related to ethical issues as they currently are to career issues. In this part of the case

study we elaborate how we approach responsibility through a focus on responsible enterprise. We discuss how it impacts on the

curriculum, culture and practices of the school. All of these aspects work together in creating a climate for ethics education and the

ethical formation of future managers, and each is addressed in turn below.

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3.4 Curriculum

3.4.1 Undergraduate

Undergraduate sub-honours students are introduced to responsibility in management, sustainability, organisations in society and

social accountability in their first year. These are core notions woven into the fabric of the base management modules.

Undergraduate honours students have a range of specialised classes from which to choose and those most directly focussed on

responsibility are:

sustainable development and management;

corporate social responsibility, accountability and reporting.

However, the themes of responsible enterprise can also be seen in a wide range of additional modules. These classes, and their

relationship to responsible management, are outlined in Table 2 below.

Table 2: Undergraduate classes and connections with responsible enterprise

Class title, status and level Connection with responsible enterprise.

Management and society – core –

second year

The class has an emphasis on relationships between organizations in their competitive and

external environments. It thus sets management in the context of responsibility towards a

range of stakeholders.

Enterprises and creativity –

option – second year

Students work in teams to deliver an enterprising project. There is a strong emphasis on

social enterprises and projects that are aimed at moving beyond generating shareholder

value.

Enterprises and creativity –

option – second year

Students work in teams to deliver an enterprising project. There is a strong emphasis on

social enterprises and projects that are aimed at moving beyond generating shareholder

value.

Organizational studies – core –

honours

This class opens up lines of enquiry about the impact of socioeconomic forces and power

operating through organizational forms, and how that impacts on the lives of organization

members and society more generally.

Advertising – a social history –

option – honours

Developing critical and post-critical perspectives, the module focuses on specific social

concerns represented in branding and advertising. It moves from a perspective of advertising

as a tool to a view of advertising as a profession that raises questions about responsibility

and irresponsibility.

Consuming culture – option –

honours

This class considers a number of key issues which are linked to the emergence of a global

consumer society, such as: ideas about morality and value; the creation of meaning;

consumer identity; people’s relation to the body; and addictive consumption.

Human resource management –

option – honours

The module includes discussions of issues of equality, gender and fairness in human resource

management both from the perspective of management and from the view of their impacts

on workers.

3.4.1 Postgraduate taught

Our approach to stimulating postgraduate student engagement with the notion of responsible enterprise is very much a critical and

reflective one. It is most clearly underpinned by two classes that are core elements for taught postgraduate students:

contemporary global issues in management – this class is aimed at creating a deep and wide appreciation of how various global

trends will impact upon economies, organisations and the practice of management. In particular, the way in which ecological,

social and economic factors interact to create threats and possibilities for organisations is addressed. Moreover, the varying

ways in which these aspects manifest themselves in different parts of the globe is elucidated in order to ensure that all students

have an appreciation of how their own and other countries might be affected by various trends.

contemporary conceptual issues in management – this class develops students’ prior understanding of management and

develops a deep understanding of core conceptual challenges in organisations. Using critical case-based exploration and

extensive discussion the module explores such basic yet deep questions as, ‘What are organisations?’, ‘Why are organisations

structured the way they are?’, ‘Can organisations be managed and what do managers actually do?’, ‘How do we know what we

know?’, ‘What is responsible enterprise?’, ‘How do personality, power and politics impact on organisational life?’

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In addition, a number of other classes have relevance in relation to the theme of responsible enterprise. These are outlined below,

in Table 3:

Table 3: Postgraduate classes and connections with responsible enterprise

Class title Connection with responsible enterprise

Alternative investments More than half of the class directly addresses issues of responsibility and sustainability in the

context of investment.

Global business strategy While familiarising students with standard strategy tools, this class also considers what

‘responsible business behaviour’ should consist of.

Managing human resources There is an emphasis on the critical, analytical and evaluative study of the subject, and the

class addresses issues of equality, gender and fairness in human resource management.

Marketing communications and

buyer behaviour

This class explores the tools and techniques of marketing communications and buyer

behaviour. This includes considering ethical concerns and possible offences to social norms

created through marketing activities.

Responsibility sustainability &

accounting

The class examines the theory and practice of social, environmental and sustainability

accountability. Students are encouraged to foster their ability to act as ethical thinkers and

critical analysts of business activities.

3.5 Culture

The school has, in recent years, sought to develop a culture that puts its ideas of responsible enterprise into practice. We believe

that this includes responsibility to each other as well as responsibility to our broader stakeholders and communities. This has been

effected in three ways:

• a strong focus on collective, collegial approaches;

• consistency between intent, symbols and actions;

• engagement across and beyond the university in enacting the mission.

These themes are relatively easy to name but have required some concrete action in order to bring them to life. This enlivening has

been enabled through a focus on a number of key practices, which are discussed below.

3.6 Practices

The school has tried to ‘walk the talk’ by enacting the culture – discussed above – through developing three kinds of practices that

match the cultural themes discussed earlier. Each is addressed in turn below.

3.6.1 Practices supporting collective, collegial approaches

The core practices supporting collegiality are centred on shared and distributive leadership. The Head of School position is shared

by two members of staff. In addition, there is a ‘cabinet-style’ management team and a staff council which involves everyone in the

school.

In addition to the organizing practices outlined above transparency is also important. This applies to clear communications about

strategic and emergent issues, and clear indications of people’s roles (and why they are so). A good example of transparency is the

teaching and administration matrix – every academic member of staff is able to see the assigned responsibilities of every other

academic member of staff.

3.6.2 Practices supporting consistency between intent, symbols and action

The most obvious symbolic action in the school relates to policy. For example, a principle of equity applies to the allocation of

supporting resources such as conference funding – staff on higher grades do not receive larger allocations at the expense of those

who are more junior.

In the middle ground between voluntary activity and matters of policy, there is a strong ethical dimension to the research agendas at

the heart of the school’s work. For example, research groups include:

Social Dimensions of Health Institute – this produces research connecting health care with social effects and outcomes;

St Andrews Sustainability Institute – research projects in this centre address significant social and ecological problems and their

resolution;

Research Unit for Research Utilisation – leads work on research use, influence and impact.

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In addition, all staff and doctoral students follow the highest ethical standards in the conduct of their research, as would be expected

of any reputable university school. More generally, many staff situate their research within ethical terms such a responsibility, moral

philosophy, justice and so on.

3.6.3 Practices supporting engagement across and beyond the university

Some of the most important practices are more voluntary than matters of policy. However, the school believes that the climate of

responsibility is important in either encouraging these kinds of action, or in attracting the kinds of people that make the choice to

participate in these kinds of activities:

acting as the environmental facilitator for the Management School: part of the university-wide network of people tasked to

reduce their building/schools carbon and environmental footprint;

acting as a mentor for early-career academic staff in other parts of the university;

acting as a trustee of the May Wong Trust. Part of the trust's activities is to provide financial support to St Andrew's students

facing unexpected financial difficulties that are impeding the successful conclusion of their studies;

completion of Fife Council's Professional Development Award in Adult Literacies Learning, in order to work as a volunteer

tutor in that area.

One of the most significant areas of staff engagement is concerned with sustainability. Many are involved with university and

community projects in this area. The school’s ethical commitment to sustainability is also signified in the choices people make.

Examples include staff commitments to veganism or vegetarianism. More generally, an unusually large proportion of staff are regular

users of public transport, or cycle or walk to the school. Staff are also active in promoting more formal car-sharing schemes.

In addition, school staff members are actively engaged in working for and supporting charities. The list of organizations supported

through voluntary work and donations includes:

Action Aid;

Amnesty International;

Animal welfare and rights organizations;

Dignitas;

Greenpeace;

John Muir Trust;

Maggies Cancer Care (one person raised over £25000 for the charity in three years);

National Trust;

Oxfam;

Population matters;

RSPB;

Salvation Army.

Staff are also involved in local community support activities, such as supporting local village halls and events, and fundraising for local

causes and events through their musical talents.

3.7 Students’ views on ethics issues and education at the school

We conducted focus group sessions, separately, with both undergraduate and postgraduate students. These conversations were

recorded with the students’ permission and we offer selected anonymised quotations from them in this part of the report. Our

conversations were very loosely structured, and sought to gather ‘undirected’ perceptions about ethics education (and practice) in

the school.

3.7.1 Undergraduate students

Conversations with undergraduate students took place in a focus group of four students from the senior honours cohort. It

included three male students and one female. Two students were studying single honours in management and the others were joint

honours students. The students’ comments have been anonymised as A, B, C and D in the discussion points below.

The first interesting thing to note was that the students were able to point to particular examples of ethics-relevant education in

their studies, and thought that there was a consistent stance across the university and the sector in general, as this example

illustrates:

[D]: “For me it was probably with my dissertation… Because I did qualitative primary research and that was a focus on

having to do like the ethics and that sort of thing before I could… [the school’s] moral stance is pretty congruent with all

the other good education places…”

However, the students were not so aware of the school’s particular position in relation to the principle of responsible enterprise,

while they were much more aware of the university’s stance on sustainability:

[C]: “Sustainability, at least at the moment, seems to be a big theme…”

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[A, talking about a major sustainable development investment in a disused paper mill]: “The university bought it two years

ago and spending about £25 million on a regeneration project, which is going to have… a bio fuel basis which supplies hot

water [and] be a place for new business, for innovation… intellectual property that’s kind of developed in sciences and

things.”

It is important to also note that students had their own concerns about ethics, centred on whether they believed that the academic

staff actually cared about them. While we would not have addressed these important matters under the formal heading of ethics, we

feel it is important to exemplify student views in this area:

[A]: “On getting kind of marks back and feedback, sometimes professors don’t actually realise that students do really care

about their work and get stressed… about getting their grades back. And if it is beyond the… weeks that the school

promises…” (sic)

[B]: “And also, like, more transparency in the process… [on] what goes on within the school. And you know, it’s been like

now, cause we are done in two weeks’ time but if the School of Management could be clear what its doing and what it

plans to do that would also make it easier for us students to try to… come up with suggestions and to help to shape the

future as well…”

The students also wanted the school to think about their vocational aims. They wanted more applied knowledge that would help

with their career, and the final area explored in conversations was whether ethical considerations would figure in their future

careers. This seemed to be true for all four of the students who participated in the focus group. Here is a typical example comment:

[C]: “No particular destination yet. However, I will focus on how mission statements are consistent and impact on an

organisations actions when choosing an organisation I’d like to work for.”

3.7.2 Postgraduate students

Conversations with postgraduate students took place in a focus group of five students from the MLitt programme. It included two

male students and three females. The conversation touched on: curriculum; the positioning of the school and university; and areas

for further development. The students’ responses have been anonymised as E, F, G, H and I in the discussion of these points below.

Again, the first interesting thing to note was that the students seemed to be able to clearly identify examples of ethics-relevant

education in their studies, as these examples illustrate:

[H]: “During the studies… on ethics in business and I personally gained a lot of insights into how to create more

responsibility… We were really forced to think about it more critically…”

[G]: “I had a class in first semester, Entrepreneurship, which was really, really challenging, and we covered lots of ethics,

ethics topics… what should be done in business and what should not be done…”

Some of the students also had an awareness of the school’s stance on responsible enterprise, although this seemed to vary for some

who had taken different class choices:

[G]: “In courses it was, to be honest. Compared to my undergraduate studies, it was definitely a huge topic, because like a

line through the studies… So I definitely see that responsible management stance.”

[E]: “No, not in our course…”

However, compared with the undergraduate focus group, the postgraduates had quite a different perspective on the general ethical

stance of the university and ‘what it was about’ from a moral perspective, as the quotations (below) suggest:

[H]: “Different societies, different cultures, religion, sexual orientation. It is a broad of choice, a broad of variety. I think

every aspect of social life is covered with the society. And also the moral challenges, like nightline, I think it is a really

important social help for… unstable people…”

[F]: “There seem to be a lot of fund-raisers for… charities and stuff like this.”

When pressed to identify one core idea, the students did not identify sustainability, but seemed to focus much more on tradition

and academic excellence.

3.8 Conclusions and development trajectory

There are two main conclusions to this case study. Each of these conclusions has implications for ethics education at the University

of St Andrews Management School, and the ways in which ethical principles are advanced and evidenced outside of the school.

These points relate to the reinforcement of key messages, and making more of staff commitments to ethical action and

responsibility. Each is addressed in more detail below.

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3.8.1 Reinforcing key messages

We found that the principles of responsible management education, ethics and sustainability were well embedded in the curriculum

at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However, aspects of this experience were not always as evident – or so well recollected

– among students.

Our focus group discussions did show that good principles were evident among our undergraduate students, and that the message

of sustainable development across the wider university was well embedded. However, these students were not able to identify the

school’s key position on responsible enterprise. Addressing this gap could include considering one or more of the following:

inclusion of a slide in the first lecture of every management class that explained how the class connected with the theme of

responsible enterprise and/or other ethical concerns;

explicit placement of ‘responsible enterprise’ in one of the assessment vehicles for every management class, for example, the

phrase might feature within an examination question or essay assignment;

commissioning the student-led management society to advance responsible enterprise principles in its own activities, and to

nominate students for school ethics award(s) for their activities.

within the work with undergraduates it would be important, however, to avoid overemphasis. In addition, there needs to be

some effort to show how these principles are relevant to the long term career and life ambitions of students.

In discussions with postgraduate students, we found that those undertaking an intense one-year MLitt course were (naturally

enough) less engaged in the wider activities of the university, and this meant that the sustainable development message was not so

apparent to them. Postgraduate students did, however, seem to have a better understanding that the school had a particular ethical

stance and evidenced good principles themselves. For these students, ways of enhancing their connection to the sustainability

mission of the wider university might include:

specific information on sustainable development, in the context of the university and its partner communities during induction

presentations;

sponsoring a student-led, postgraduate, responsible enterprise society. This should have a mission focussed on the

environment, sustainability and social good. It should be able to nominate students for school ethics award(s).

making more of staff commitments.

For some of us, writing this case study has been a humbling experience. The range of good causes and community activities with

which staff are involved is really quite significant. Furthermore, the range of examples we have provided earlier are in addition to the

ways in which ethical principles are evidenced by staff in their usual teaching, research and consultancy activities. We believe that

some way of presenting to students the range of ‘good things’ that staff do could have considerable impact. It would allow certain

individuals to be seen as ethical role models, and could also undermine the occasional impression (alluded to earlier) that staff

“don’t care”.

3.8.2 Translatable actions?

We consider that the areas for development, which we have identified for the School of Management at the University of St

Andrews, could be important in widening and deepening our ethical impact. However, we also feel that – when combined with the

earlier insights on curriculum, culture and practices – this case offers some areas for reflection for other schools seeking to advance

the teaching and learning of ethics.

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4 Adding ethics to business,

Winchester Business School, University of Winchester

Authors: Paul Jennings, Senior Lecturer and Head of Academic Development; Jane Trenwith, Research Assistant.

4.1 Introduction

This case study is part of a series of cases published by the HEA in the context of research into ethics education in UK business

schools. Business schools are key players in the promotion of ethical behaviour in business and this research is intended to promote

effective learning and teaching in the area.

This case study is based on ethics teaching within the Business School of the University of Winchester. It includes a description of

how ethics is reflected in the culture, development and activities of a modern business school and uses the example of one of the

undergraduate programmes to demonstrate how ethics has been incorporated into learning, teaching and assessment.

4.2 The University of Winchester – background

The University of Winchester is a values-driven institution whose mission is to educate, to advance knowledge and to serve the

public good. The university recognises the power of each individual to make a positive difference to society, and values freedom,

justice, truth, human rights and collective effort for the public good. (University of Winchester Mission Statement is available from:

http://www.wiinchester.ac.uk.)

The roots of the University of Winchester go back to 1840 when the Winchester Diocesan Training School was founded as a

Church of England Foundation designed to provide for the training of elementary schoolmasters. This heritage is reflected in current

university activity: a significant proportion of Winchester students are enrolled in teacher training programmes within the Faculty of

Education and the Institute for Theological Partnerships develops programmes in religious studies in partnership with established

specialists.

The institution relocated to its current site on what is now the King Alfred Campus in 1862 and became King Alfred’s College in

1928. Between 1970 and 1990 the college grew considerably, becoming a General College of Higher Education. In 2004, degree

awarding powers were conferred and the institution became known as University College Winchester; the Privy Council conferred

the title of The University of Winchester in the following year. Today, the university occupies two sites within the city of

Winchester and is home to almost 6,000 students.

4.3 Winchester Business School – background

Winchester Business School was formed in 2008 as part of a new faculty within the university. The Business School is located in the

West Downs Centre, a fully restored listed building containing new purpose-built facilities, and now offers a full range of

undergraduate and postgraduate programmes attracting students from across the world. The West Downs Centre provides a

comprehensive range of learning facilities including a simulated stock market trading room and the Baylis Business Breakout Room

(which is specially designed to offer a confidential, ‘high tech’ meeting room for students, businesses and their advisers). All staff

members are engaged in research and knowledge exchange initiatives and in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, more than

75% of the work submitted by the University was judged to be ‘internationally recognised’ (see the University of Winchester

website).

The emphasis placed upon serving the public good is emulated within Winchester Business School, whose mission is to develop

responsible business leaders (see the University of Winchester website). Each programme’s focus is to develop students as a ‘whole

person’, including their capacity to apply the necessary skills to solve real life problems in a business environment.

Corporate responsibility as a fundamental strategic driver for business and the concept of responsible management is a theme that

permeates the school’s curriculum, research and engagement strategies. The school aims to incorporate issues of ethics,

sustainability, corporate social responsibility, wellbeing and global impact in its education, knowledge transfer and business

engagement activities.

4.4 Principles of responsible management education – an introduction

Winchester was the 13th Business School in the UK to be accepted to join the United Nations initiative –The Principles of

Responsible Management Education (PRME) – which now includes over 400 business schools worldwide (see

http:///www.unprme.org). This initiative seeks to establish a process of continuous improvement among institutions of management

education in order to develop a new generation of business leaders capable of managing the complex challenges faced by business

and society in the 21st century.

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The PRME mission is to inspire and champion responsible management education, research and leadership globally. In the current

global environment, corporate responsibility, ethics and sustainability are key areas within business education, and the principles

have been embedded within the schools programmes, and more specifically, the accounting and finance programme.

4.5 The Hoare Centre for Responsible Management – background

4.5.1 Objectives

The Hoare Centre for Responsible Management is located within Winchester Business School and contributes to the development

of business leaders who take responsibility for the creation of a more equitable and sustainable global economy and society. The

mission statement of the centre explains:

“We do this by offering educational, training and personal development activities in partnership with leading organisations

in the field of responsible management. We seek to inform our activities by undertaking applied research of an international

standard in order to develop our understanding of responsible management in practice. We also aim to act as an example

of responsible management in our local community and further afield.”

Thus, the centre has three main activities: increasing knowledge, developing leaders and building communities.

The centre’s three streams of activity.

Increasing knowledge of responsible management by:

promoting research into responsible management;

hosting international conferences in the area of responsible management.

Developing responsible leaders by:

providing postgraduate qualifications in responsible management;

hosting talks, educational and training events to develop the necessary skills and insights.

Building responsible communities by:

fostering a community of people who are committed to promoting responsible management practices;

encouraging students and managers to play a responsible role in the community by means of action research, postgraduate

projects, undergraduate secondments and executive leadership development programmes.

The centre was established in 2010 and will play a vital role in overseeing an institutional research programme that will bring

together all those currently involved in responsible management research within the school. At the same time the centre has been

developing working relationships with local businesses by hosting a series of talks on responsible management. The high-profile

speakers for these talks have drawn in audiences from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors thus helping to create a close-

knit and supportive community for the centre. At the same time this has helped to build closer institutional ties to larger businesses

multinational businesses with a presence in the region.

4.5.2 Links to learning and teaching within the University of Winchester Business School

Business partners have played a supporting role in the expansion of academic programmes such as the Doctorate in Business

Administration (in an advisory capacity) and new undergraduate programmes in accounting and finance (by providing guest speakers

and relevant work placement opportunities for students on these programmes). All students are welcome to attend an annual series

of talks on responsible management and business ethics which are normally given by professionals in high profile international

companies. The talks provide case studies of how responsible management is being implemented within organisations and hence

offer good material for teaching. This means that students gain access to the latest commercial best practice and can see that

responsible management is something that such organisations take seriously.

4.6 Incorporating ethics into an undergraduate programme

4.6.1 Overview

This case examines how ethics has been incorporated into one of the school’s undergraduate programmes: the BA (Hons)

Accounting and Finance programme (hereafter referred to as the programme).

The programme started in the academic year 2009-10 and now has an annual intake of 40-50 students. It is characterised by

innovative, student-centred teaching and learning and the development of traditional intellectual skills of analysis, synthesis and

evaluation. This is achieved in conjunction with an emphasis on a wide range of transferable skills such as employability and

preparation for work. Graduates should possess the capacity for independent critical thinking and self-managed learning, functional

skills and knowledge which can be drawn upon to cope with rapid change in the environment and which can promote vision, drive

and creativity in both personal and professional development.

The structure and content of the programme was designed in consultation with the accounting professional bodies of the Institute

of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the

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Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to ensure that the syllabus content and assessment strategies meet the

rigorous requirements of the profession. This means that graduates obtain exemptions from a significant number of professional

examinations that are a requirement of professional qualification.

Reflecting the university’s own commitment to responsible management education, and the importance that the accounting

profession attaches to business ethics, the programme emphasises the relevance of questions of value creation, ethics,

environmental sustainability, social responsibility, employee wellbeing and global impact within the overall context of accounting

education.

Specifically, students are introduced to the importance of sustainable business practice, as identified in the university’s mission. The

programme incorporates the ICAEW business sustainability programme (BSP) within its learning and teaching. The BSP is an e-

learning programme consisting of five modules designed to build knowledge on business sustainability and corporate responsibility. It

is targeted at those in the finance and accounting environment as well as being of interest to all business professionals. For this

reason, it is a good basis for introducing these concepts to students with little or no knowledge in the area. The practical guides to

designing, implementing, measuring the performance of and reporting on sustainability and corporate responsibility strategy are of

particular interest to the accounting profession and to its future members.

A dedicated module in year one, ‘Business law ethics and sustainability’ encompasses the majority of these topics. The theme also

permeates the technical modules elsewhere in the programme. For example, in ‘Business and personal tax’ in year two, students

consider the question of whether tax evasion and tax avoidance are unethical activities. Ethical and unethical accounting practices

are discussed in the financial reporting modules from the start of the programme and particularly in the year two and year three

modules ‘Financial reporting’ and ‘Advanced financial reporting’, where key accounting concepts and activities such as substance

over form and creative accounting are introduced. In year three, there are optional modules in corporate governance and risk

management.

4.6.2 Introducing the programme: the structure of BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance

The structure of taught modules found within the programme is shown below. References to credits after each module are to the

credit accumulation and transfer scheme (CATS) operated by UK universities. The number of credits attached to each module

indicates the proportion of time which students spend studying that module.

Year one

Financial Accounting (30 credits)

Management Accounting and Information Management (30 credits)

Business Law Ethics and Sustainability (20 credits)

Business Economics and Business Management (20 credits)

Managing Business and People (20 credits)

Year two

Financial Reporting (30 credits)

Performance Planning Management and Control (30 credits)

Audit and Assurance (20 credits)

Business Finance (20 credits)

Business and Personal Tax (20 credits)

Year three

Compulsory modules:

Advanced Financial Reporting (30 credits)

Advanced Management Accounting (30 credits)

Research in an Accounting Context (15 credits)

Strategic Development in Action (15 credits)

Optional modules:

Optional modules are available in a number of areas, including Corporate Governance and Financial Risk Management.

4.7 The ‘Business Law, Ethics and Sustainability’ module

4.7.1 Introduction

The ‘Business Law, Ethics and Sustainability’ module is taken by all undergraduate accounting students in their first year of study. It is

considered to be fundamental to accounting education because it introduces students to the interdependent areas of ethics and law.

This standalone module is the foundation for understanding ethical and responsible management concepts embedded throughout

the programme. It is located in year one to provide students with an introduction to the concepts of ethics, sustainability and

responsible management which are explored in more detail and at higher levels in later years. The incorporation of technical legal

knowledge reflects the importance of law in the accounting education syllabus, while the context permits students to appreciate

interdependencies between ethical behaviour and financial imperatives.

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The module lasts for one academic year (two semesters). In semester one, the focus is on ethics, sustainability and responsible

management in the context of business activity. The content and approach is described in detail below. In semester two there is a

focus on technical legal knowledge as well as the further development of legal/general analytical skills and an appreciation of the

importance of law to business. Thus, semester one of the module is designed to be an introduction to the subjects included and to

provide a foundation for future study, notably for level five and level six modules in audit and assurance, corporate governance and

financial reporting. The semester two content is an introduction to the laws that surround business in general and the accounting

profession in particular.

4.7.2 Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of the module are:

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of business and company law;

demonstrate knowledge of the legal environment shaping ethics and sustainability from an accounting viewpoint in the public

and private sector;

apply the knowledge of ethics and sustainability to constructing and embedding responsible management in business practice;

construct and implement sustainability and ethics audits;

demonstrate knowledge of the local, national, regional and international business environments and specific codes of practice in

relation to ethics and sustainability;

demonstrate oral and written presentation skills.

4.7.3 Content

The content of the semester one teaching is described below.

Table 4: Semester one teaching content

Weeks 1 and 2

Introduction to ethics

To introduce the topic, an article titled ‘What is ethics?’ is read, closely followed by an article titled

‘A framework for thinking ethically’. Within these two articles, a range of areas are discussed.

Firstly, what the general public deem ethics to be, followed by reasoning for why it is not what the

general public think. Secondly we identify what ethics is not, e.g. not the same as feelings or

following the law and reasoning as to why. Next we then introduce the five sources of ethical

standards each with a definitive paragraph to refer back to in later weeks. Finally, a framework for

ethical decision making is given:

recognise an ethical issue;

get the facts;

what are the options for acting?

make a decision and test it;

act and reflect on the outcome.

To finish, articles with in-depth knowledge on each of the five sources of ethical standards are given

for additional reading. These articles include consequences, benefits, problems, definitions,

principles and examples.

For the following week, a chapter from the textbook is required to be read.

Week 3

Ethical perspectives

A case study is given, titled ‘Child labour in developing countries’. In small groups, a discussion

activity is given asking each group member to answer two questions:

what action should companies take when they find their suppliers using child labour contrary to

their company policy?

why do you think the company destroyed the garments made by the unofficial sub-contractor?

Having spent time discussing, each group will report back their answers to the group as a whole

before introducing case study two titled ‘The British railway system: priorities, profits and

governance’. Again in small groups, the discussion activity asks: what is a fair balance between the

interests of the owners of a company that provides public utility and the interests of the customers?

Each group is required to discuss from both the viewpoint of the owners and the customers.

For the following week, a chapter from the textbook is required to be read.

Week 4

Ethical issues

Again in small groups, people are given specific roles in order to get varying perspectives based on

the following:

Case study one: the oil companies and the 2000 fuel crisis.

Discussion activity one: do the oil companies have a moral obligation to maintain fuel supplies in a

country?

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Case study two: British American Tobacco (BAT) and allegations of cigarette smuggling.

Discussion activity two: should companies accept being placed at a competitive disadvantage by

following the spirit as well as the letter of the law?

An article surrounding tax avoidance is given as extra reading and a chapter from the textbook is

required to be read.

Week 5

Ethical theories

Two activities are given in this session, first is an ethical evaluation framework in which each

individual must complete the table with their own personal responses, and second is a table to

prioritise your ethical principles. This is again an individual response however it is a good way for

each individual to understand their own stance within ethics.

For the following week, four chapters from the textbook are required to be read. A case study is

given for further reading titled ‘Huntingdon Life Sciences’ and the discussion question asks: in what

situations do you think it might be justified to break, or defy, the law, to end an injustice?

Week 6

Personal responses

This starts with the ‘Rice Orientation Test’ which is used to help understand your own individual

approach to ethical issues and makes distinctions between hedonism, moralism and pragmatism.

Having done this, a case study surrounding managerial development is given. The related activity

requires students to detect the periods throughout the fable when the managerial approach was

traditional, modernist, neo-traditional, postmodern and pragmatic.

For further reading, an article from the Guardian is given titled ‘MG Rover: how the Phoenix Four

hit the jackpot’ and a textbook chapter is required for the following week.

Week 7

Revision and feedback

Week 8

Corporate governance

Two case studies are presented to highlight acts by individuals/companies that present a poor image

of the groups they represent, in these two cases, that of the tobacco industry and the

pharmaceutical industry.

Following this is a group activity which requires students, in groups of three to six, to put in order

ten companies, pre-selected, of most to least ethical. The Delphi technique is then used to collate

each groups responses and the crowd consensus is formed.

For further reading, an article from the Economist is given titled ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ and

a textbook chapter is required for the following week. Students are also required to log onto the

ICAEW business sustainability programme (BSP) and complete modules one and two in preparation

for the following week.

Week 9

Sustainability

This topic starts with a discussion of the two modules from the ICAEW BSP. The content is

reviewed and then put into practice using a case study about the oil industry in the Niger Delta. The

discussion activity requires students to consider with whom the oil company needs allegiances and

how the company will avoid conflicts between these allies.

Mendelow’s matrix is used as an example of how only certain stakeholders have enough power and

interest to affect business decisions. The example of profit vs. ethics shows how the ethical

stakeholder will eventually win as the oil company had to compensate the locals for their loss and

ended up making no profit.

For the following week, a chapter from the textbook is required to be read and module three from

the ICAEW BSP is to be completed.

Week 10

Management

This topic is linked directly to the accounting profession. An overview of professional ethics for the

chartered accountant is given in chart format and explained/discussed. This is followed by an outline

of the accountancy profession including excerpts from the professional oversight board and the

ICAEW. The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is then introduced to explain their

professional principles and ethics which are embedded within their code of ethics:

integrity;

objectivity;

professional competence and due care;

confidentiality;

professional behaviour.

This is given to students with definitions and in depth explanations for future reference. ‘Threats to

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professional principles’ and ‘safeguards against threats’ are also given with brief explanations in

bullet point format.

For the following week, four chapters from the textbook are required to be read.

Weeks 11

Application

During this class students are given the opportunity to consolidate and apply their knowledge and

understanding.

Current news stories are discussed and analysed from ethical and business perspectives to

encourage students to relate their learning to real world situations. There is an in-class test.

Week 12

Revision and feedback

Time is set aside to give feedback on students’ performance in the in-class test and students are

encouraged to review their own performance and to plan their learning for next semester.

4.7.4 Assessment

The summative assessments for the entire module consist of (i) individual coursework, and (ii) a closed book, time-constrained

written examination, weighted at 30% and 70% respectively of the total module mark.

The coursework assessment requires students to deliver a presentation, based on a company of the student’s choice, which looks at

a particular aspect of the company’s behaviour and reporting, the exact requirement varying from year to year to encourage good

academic practice and to guard against plagiarism. In 2010-11, students were required to describe and assess how an entity

reported its ethical engagement within its annual report and financial statements. In 2011-12 students were required to describe and

assess the sustainability of the entity’s activities and how that sustainability was measured. Each individual student presents to four

to six members of the group and teaching staff.

The final examination consists of a short ethics-related case study (25%) and progressively longer and more demanding law-based

questions assessing technical knowledge and ability to apply that knowledge to simple scenarios (75%). The exam takes place at the

end of the year, following the semester two teaching. The short case study requires students to demonstrate an understanding of

ethical sources, stakeholder theory and the ability to suggest solutions to an ethical problem.

4.7.5 Student feedback

Towards the end of the academic year, students are asked to complete a survey about the module. The survey consists of tick box

questions and asks for some comments. In response to tick box questions, 71% of students agreed they enjoyed the module and the

module stimulated interest in the subject. 7% disagreed and 21% neither agreed nor disagreed. When asked if the level of module

content was challenging but appropriate to learning needs, 79% agreed and 21% neither agreed nor disagreed. A similar response

was given when asked if the module content built up understanding of the subject, 86% agreed and 14% neither agreed nor

disagreed. It is also reiterated, through the comments provided, how valuable the learning network was for week by week recapping

and also for revising towards the final exam.

4.8 Conclusions

This case study describes how ethics is reflected in the culture, development and activities of a modern business school using the

example of one of the undergraduate programmes to demonstrate how ethics has been incorporated into learning, teaching and

assessment.

The detailed information within this case study is offered to the reader who may be considering how to incorporate ethics into

business teaching. Future research in the area may focus on how ethics can be incorporated into other programmes within

universities and on the lessons that can be exchanged between business-related subjects and other disciplines.

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5 Can m-learning develop more effective awareness of stakeholder

perspectives? School of Management, University of Bath

Author: Paul Caulfield, Senior FME Fellow, School of Management, University of Bath

(Paul Caulfield is now Lecturer in Responsible and Sustainable Business, International Centre for Corporate Social

Responsibility (ICCSR), Nottingham University Business School)

5.1 Introduction

This case study is part of a series of cases published by the HEA in the context of research into ethics education in UK business

schools. Business schools are key players in the promotion of ethical behaviour in business and this research is intended to promote

effective learning and teaching in the area.

This case considers the use of mobile technologies and short message services (SMS) to enhance understanding of stakeholder

perspective for MSc Management students as an activity blended with more traditional lectures. The objective of the intervention is

to expose students to “life-like” scenarios where management decisions are required in response to a number of external events

(e.g. accidents) that affect customers, employees and other stakeholders of the firm. Student feedback on the intervention is

included along with thoughts for further implementations.

5.2 Why is stakeholder thinking important?

Multinational companies are acutely aware of the challenges in effectively managing stakeholder relations, as perhaps demonstrated

the mass-media’s response to British Petroleum’s (BP’s) behaviours in the Gulf of Mexico.

“BP has prompted new disbelief on America’s Gulf Coast after its chief executive told struggling residents: “I would like my

life back.” (The Times, 31 May 20101)

BP is not alone in facing unplanned crises in their operations and most 21st-century business leaders must manage multiple

stakeholder relationships and demonstrate responsible business strategies. Failure to meet stakeholder expectations can severely

damage both the reputation and economic prospects of the firm (Dean, 2004; Deephouse, 2000; Fombrun and Shanley, 1990).

Stakeholder criticisms of corporates have become increasingly rapid with the public use of social networks such as Twitter and

Facebook which are used to publically criticise and shame irresponsive companies. For example, during the product recall of

McLaren Baby Stroller; the company was ‘battered’ by ‘thousands of tweets’ when it refused returns of ‘potentially dangerous

products in the UK’ (Birchall and Milne, 2009).

The active management of reputation and engagement with stakeholders is common in Fortune 500 companies (Hutton et al.,

2001), and increasingly part of curricula in major MBA programmes2 (Christensen, et al., 2007). The increased prominence of

stakeholder engagement in both practice and education drove the development of intended learning outcomes (ILOS) for this

teaching intervention and are consistent with QAA objectives for transferable skills. For example, QAA Level 7 descriptor includes

“systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights” (QAA, 2008:20) and

“decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations” (QAA, 2008:21).

5.3 How does role-play and simulation fit with management education?

Management educators have long utilised simulations and role-plays in classroom activities (Clawson and Haskins, 2006; Jennings,

2002). These game-base interventions have been said to be effective in integrating functional knowledge by “experiment[ing] with

and learn[ing] new behaviours… add[ing] realism to the course” (Jennings, 2002: 660). Solberg et al. (1995) talk of such activities in

business ethics as “a process of discovery” where the tutor employs activities to “allow the students to live ethics rather than learn

ethics” (Solberg, et al., 1995: 71).

Successful game-based learning environments provide for experiential learning and reflections on life experience, employing an

inductive “formulation of generalisations and concepts” from observed behaviour, rather than moving “from theory to application”

(Sims and Felton, 2006: 303). This perspective is consistent with specific guidance for e-learning games which challenge “learners to

engage collaboratively in the co-creation of content or game-playing” and reflect critically “on their own and other’s practice”

(Cobcroft et al., 2006: 28).

1Times online May 31, 2010 (author not attributed). Available from:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article7141137.ece [01/10/10] 2 Beyond Grey Pinstripes is an independent, biennial business school survey and ranking hosted by the Aspen Institute which ranks leading MBA

programs highlighting academic institutions which prepare students to meet the ethical, social, and environmental challenges of tomorrow

(www.beyondgreypinstripes.org).

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5.4 What principles underpin curriculum design?

The perspective on pedagogy is informed by constructivist frameworks (for example, see: Nanjappa and Grant, 2003; Schunk, 2000;

Steffe, Gale, and Ed, 1995), in that the learning environment is constructed to allow “learners [to] work together and support each

other as they use a variety of tools… and problem-solving activities” (Hannafin and Hill, 2002: 77). These perspectives may be

particularly suitable for the current net generation who are identified as exhibiting a desire to experience a collaborative

conversation “rather than a lecture” (Liu and Olson, 2010: 7152, citing also Tapscott, 2008); and reinforce the opportunities for

technological interventions which “create a context for online learning and networking which facilitates peers working inside and

outside the classroom to construct knowledge in a collaborative …way” (Liu and Olson, 2010: 7001).

Design principles for this intervention are further informed by Kolb’s experiential learning theory (1984), and later revisions which

postulate that a learning process of “…new experience, …questioning of assumptions, …interpersonal representation, …and

solution to managerial problems” (Kayes, 2002: 139 in Table 1), and a process which includes “feedback on their learning efforts”

(Kolb and Kolb, 2005: 194).

Evaluation of project success follows methods employed by Brett (2008), with investigation into message logs, questionnaires and

focus groups with students. As this course was conducted by one tutor, other staff members were not considered in the project

evaluation, however informal discussions were held with the Director of Studies, other teaching staff and administrators on the

programme. The following research questions were proposed for final evaluation:

what benefits will students recognise in this type of teaching intervention (e.g. in course feedback and focus groups)?

how will students react to the use of out of class messages and activities? That is, how does the ‘net generation’ frame this type

of teaching intervention?

will students be able to better integrate concepts from stakeholder theory with practical examples (e.g. increased use of cases

highlighted in the game in examinations)?

5.5 How can we select appropriate learning technologies?

Assessment of students current technology utilisation follows a similar precedent set by Cochrane (2010). A survey was designed

and conducted during MSc induction. The results pointed to four potential ‘push message’ technologies for adoption (email, SMS,

Facebook and Skype). Facebook was most frequently used, however a number of international students did not have accounts at the

beginning of semester one and the social nature of interactions was thought to conflict with learning activities. Skype was not

sufficiently adopted to be a viable alternative and there is a very low adoption of Twitter among the cohort (less than 10%).

Email can provide many of the functions required by the game. However, it suffered from less synchronous use and did not create

the desired distinction from “normal” university communications. Consequently mobile phone based SMS messaging was adopted,

utilising the web-based application Edutext for which a trial licence was available.

Figure 1: Unprompted recall of technologies used daily to exchange information (tag cloud generated by Wordle.net)

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The literature on mobile-based learning (m-learning) has been growing in recent years and a review of applications for m-learning is

offered by So (2009), which includes the use of SMS messaging, in ad hoc quizzes and to facilitate in-class communication with

students texting questions to lecturers in large-class situations. A number of examples were researched during the development of

this intervention (see A.5, research on m-learning cases). Many of these examples have been hailed as successful interventions: “The

question is not whether m-learning works… but rather how best to fit it into your blend!” (Stead, 2005: 1).

m-Learning interventions may represent a new pedagogy in which the teaching environment is focused “not [on] the learner, nor

their technology, but the communicative interaction between these to advance knowing.”(Sharples, Taylor and Vavoula, 2010: 3)

The authors suggest criteria for this new theory of learning which accounts for and utilises “the mobility of learners”; allows for

“formal and informal learning”; positions “learning as a constructive and social process”; and considers both “personal,

[collaborative], and situated” learning as it is “mediated by [mobile] technology” (Sharples, et al., 2010: 4).

Criticism of the use of mobile phones in the classroom has also been raised in UK newspapers, a recent article in the Telegraph

claimed that it “hinders spelling skills, implicitly encourages plagiarism, and disrupts classroom learning” (Paton, 2009). The article,

based on a study by Cranfield School of Management, goes on claim that “Despite school policies restricting mobile phone usage,

students use the phone frequently… [as the] prime channel of social communication during the school day". The article closes with

the remark that SMS shortcuts, for example, ‘r u ok’ and ‘Gr8’, were increasingly found in course work; leading to a situation where

“almost half of teachers failed to understand some pupils’ writing because it was so littered with obscure language” (Paton, 2009).

Other nuisances can include “calls in class, texting in examination… inappropriate ringtones and photographs taken” (Traxler, 2010:

156).

This position is markedly at odds with earlier educator’s view of the use of SMS which has been seen to be effective “in summarizing

and analysing [complex] texts to help …students better understand” Shakespeare’s Richard III (Brown, 2009). Duncan-Howell and

Lee (2007), also comment on this resistance to new technologies by some teaching staff and the dichotomy between those who

“embrace [new tools] enthusiastically” and those who “resist change” (Duncan-Howell and Lee, 2007: 228).

Challenge of the adoption of any new technology may also come from the understanding of acceptable use, an understanding

challenged as the university institutions blur the distinction between “formal learning activities on our equipment” with the potential

for “self-motivated learning activities outside of our institution and not on our equipment” (Traxler, 2010: 157).

5.6 How do we establish the rules of the game?

The SMS game was introduced in two cohorts of an existing Masters level Business and Society unit attended by 78 students. The

task was introduced to the students in week one: “During our time together we will be playing a scenario based game where your

group will role-play as the communications and external affairs (C&EA) function of a major company. During the course of the unit

there will be a number of exercises that will be notified by SMS message to your mobile phone. Your C&EA department are

responsible to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for reputation protection, risk management, political analysis, social performance,

and media and public relations”.

Figure 2: Example SMS messages

SMS1: CEO# URGENT! JUST HEARD A BBC TV JOURNALIST IS INVESTIGATING OUR PRODUCT EZCLEAN. PREPARE A

PRESS RELEASE AND BE READY FOR AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW.

SMS2: NEWS# THE TRAGIC LIVES AND DEATHS OF EZCLEAN KIDS SHOCKING REPORT INVESTIGATES POOR STREET

CHILDREN ADDICTED TO SOLVENTS. MORE INFO @ HTTP://GO.BATH.AC.UK/CST

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Figure 3: Overview of the SMS game

27

5.7 What are the benefits of m-learning to stakeholder thinking?

Cornelius and Marston (2009), in their empirical work on a similar SMS-based scenario game, identified the benefits of “disruptive”

messaging; where the authors considered that messages arriving at “unexpected or inconvenient times” interrupt the normal

pattern of learning in physical lectures and “transport [learners]… temporarily to the virtual context” of the game (Cornelius and

Marston, 2009: 165). This ability to expand the learning environment was identified as one of the main characteristics of m-learning

(Ibid).

Figure 4: Feedback extract on benefits of the intervention

Evaluation A: What benefits will students recognise in this type of teaching intervention?

The press release with the BBC reporter. The fact we only got the briefing the night before meant we had to work late and prepare in

the morning for the press release. This was really realistic!

keep this activity, It gives a totally different feeling compared to other courses.

the game was a great tool for enhancing our understanding of business reactions to different social scenarios.

Extract from final qualitative student feedback

The SMS game was designed as learning activity only. However, scenarios which were presented were evaluated in the final course

examinations. While difficult to make direct comparisons between year groups, more students attempted the exam question and

achieved considerably better median exam scores after the intervention 68 vs 58 (see Figure 4).

From course evaluations there appears to be strong agreement that the game enhanced learning outcomes and produced

integration between real-world and classroom activities (see Figure 5). As noted by one student “I thought the game was well

organised and a valuable element of the module in improving our thinking and practical knowledge of the issues”.

Figure 5: Student evaluation of learning outcomes (N=39, 50% of attendees)

Overall, there was no specific mention of technology during feedback, which was interpreted as this being a non-disruptive

intervention. Only one student mentioned a change in technology, while most appear to consider it normal and advocated more use

or deeper engagement with the learning activities (see Figure 6 below).

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Figure 6: Feedback extract on student reactions

Evaluation B: How will students react to the use of out of class messages and activities?

[Improve the game by] Send[ing] a message at 1 in the morning and claim it is related to a problem that has occurred in

China. Say that a response is needed within the hour. This would make things even more realistic!

[Improve the game] With more scenarios to solve!

[Improve the game by using] Email instead of SMS-based. Would give more time and space for creativity

There were some times when the groups were not active at all and that could be used to react to the news articles and

more activity in some way

Extract from final qualitative student feedback

A potential addition to the game can be derived from Kolb and Kolb (2005), who call for more student-led teaching activities (self-

authorship), allowing them to take more active control of their own knowledge-construction (c.f. "Self-directed learning" see

Knowles et al., 2005; Merriam, 2001). For the SMS game this may involve allowing each student group to create their own crises to

which the other teams must react, and for the team instigating the “crisis” to conduct suitable research to debrief the exercise with

reference to applicable theory and practice.

The current implementation of the SMS game uses basic functionality of messaging. However, there is potential to use photographic,

audio, and video recording facilities available on smart-phones in teaching activities (or in capturing real-life examples) identified by

several authors as promoting more spontaneous critical reflection (Aubusson, Schuck, and Burden, 2009; Liu and Olson, 2010).

5.8 Can m-learning provoke better real-world integration?

Despite evidence suggesting successful enhancement of learning, a considerable number of students questioned the links between

cases and practical application. This result is unexpected, in particular as each scenario in the game was taken from a real-life case.

Further, this contradicts findings that promote simulations as means to “integrate learning from functional areas of business”

(Jennings, 2002: 660). There is perhaps a suggestion that the virtual nature of the game may have negatively impact perceptions of

reality (See Figure 7 below).

Figure 7: Feedback extract on integration of stakeholder theory

Evaluation C: Will students be able to better integrate concepts from stakeholder theory with practical examples?

[Provide] Examples of mismanagement of stakeholders in the real world and the consequences

…more practical issues faced by business

I would like to be given examples of real dilemmas and the outcomes written in a paper so I can see how real companies act

I think more practical case study can let us know about what kind of way companies usually contribute to the society

Extract from final qualitative student feedback

The game was implemented outside normal lectures, and some observers have noted similar ‘siloes’ of learning where “students do

not incorporate what they learn… into other business courses” (Oddo, 1997: 293). This disconnection appears to have been

inadvertently created by SMS games, as some students restrict their experiential learning to the confines and mechanisms of the

virtual environment and with limited integration of materials across the programme as a whole. This potential weakness has parallels

with those reported by Jennings (2002) who warned that simulated activities may be treated as hypothetical exercises “lacking the

implementation of… action as a test of quality” (Jennings, 2002: 662).

While there are many positive aspects to the project, those undertaking m-learning projects may benefit from careful consideration

of reintegrating the “game” in core learning activities. In this example, there appears to be some failure to integrate the virtual

elements of the game into “normal” patterns of learning which have resulted in limited reflection on real-life experience, and a

failure to fully integrate “generalisations and concepts” with observed behaviour (see Sims and Felton, 2006: 303). It has been

suggested that this integration may be improved with greater reflection in the learner, perhaps by micro-blogging (or tweeting) thus

reinforcing the experiential learning cycle (Kolb and Kolb, 2005: 194).

In summary, mobile phones offer considerable benefits to the learning environment if harnessed effectively and integrated properly.

The challenge for teachers is to design learning activities that bridge theoretical and practical aspects of the curriculum and allow

students to reflect on their experience.

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6 Promoting cultures of integrity – a learner’s perspective.

School of Management, University of Bath

Author: Johannes Warther, MSc in International Management at the University of Bath

In September 2012, a workshop was convened at the British Academy of Management Annual Conference to promote and discuss

ethics education in UK business schools. The objective of this session was to exchange good practice in pedagogy for business ethics

and to highlight challenges that are faced delivering business education that is academically rigorous, relevant to practice and

appropriate for the ethical dilemmas our students might face in future. This review, written from a student's perspective, is

motivated by the contention, raised by one attendee, that "students' engagement as active co-creators of interventions is important,

so that interventions incorporate students' views and ethics".

The workshop entitled "Promoting cultures of integrity: teaching innovations in business ethics" brought together stakeholders

interested in promoting good practices in business ethics from academia, non-profit, and business. Throughout the workshop, table

discussions about successful examples of teaching interventions at different UK universities were shared, thus helping to foster

common grounds for the incorporation of ethics in business education in the UK. The presented methods included a multimedia

tool to support and develop ethical awareness and decision-making skills in business contexts; practical methods for teaching ethics

and sustainability to accounting and finance students; and a text message (SMS) role-playing game in which students have to deal

with ethical issues in real-time. Throughout the event, challenges and suggestions were raised by participants on how effective the

interventions were and advice was offered on implementing these ideas elsewhere.

One topic of discussion was the use of compulsory ethics modules for finance and accounting students. Someone questioned

whether "such a module would be best positioned towards the end of a degree – especially for undergraduate students". Evidence

suggested that undergraduates were quite polarised. They either expressed interest and were fully engaged with the module, or

were surprised to find it as part of their business course. In the latter case, they showed very little engagement. Furthermore, there

was strong support for the view that ethics modules increased students’ awareness of their own ethical values – especially in cases

where students are completely unaware of having a conviction. This prompted conversation about the development of these

personal values, and cultural differences in what constitutes acceptable ethical behaviour e.g. the treatment of animals, gender

power, and bribery. Finally, it was pointed out that most visible examples of ethical and responsible corporate behaviour were

limited to large entities, while "Smaller businesses and the public sector do far less than they should".

Regarding the use of technologies, mobile phone text messages had been introduced by one university to expose students to rapidly

evolving complex scenarios. Here participants initially focused on technical issues associated with the intervention (e.g. ways of

disseminating information) and then asked whether this kind of activity would not "just teach the students white- or green-washing".

This triggered agreement regarding the importance of an appropriate critical foundation within the theory of ethics. Other concerns

included the appropriateness of this kind of intervention for shy students, and the limitations that "good feedback can be very time-

intensive" and a reliance on the facilitator's skill set, experience, and perspectives. A third case study focused on the challenges of

“whistleblowing’, where people refraining from reporting unethical behaviour or practices for fear of losing their jobs. Participants of

this debate agreed that the establishment of ethical awareness beyond the individual level was crucial to avoid such constellations –

very much supporting the ongoing effort to establish nationwide standards for teaching ethics in the UK.

Finally facilitators were asked about crucial ingredients of successful interventions. They stressed the importance of clear

instructions that are well aligned with assessment objectives, providing students with fair grounds for realistic self-evaluation.

Regarding the evaluation of interventions one facilitator said: "Usually the best way is to ask your students. Of course, this only

works if there is a conversation – as opposed to a monologue – in the class room, encouraging students to provide honest and

substantiated feedback".

From a student's point of view, the debates surfaced various interesting aspects: firstly, it seems to me apparent that ethical

education will be most fruitful when it is integrated and developed over time rather than a separate module. I feel that ethical

considerations should be a recurring theme throughout any programme, although this creates a challenge to ensure a coherent and

consistent picture of ethical decision-making. An early compulsory foundation module, establishing common language and concepts,

to which later units may refer, seems to be a sensible approach.

Furthermore, the SMS-game highlights the need for, and benefits of, introducing students to situations in which they are pressed for

time and operational leeway. That is, within a business context, managers are usually under pressure from different stakeholders,

limiting their options and room to manoeuvre. Making students aware of such situations, and allowing them to practice, will surely

improve their chances of making an ethically sound decision where it is needed. Essentially this exposes students to situations where

there is rarely one right answer and encourages them to develop tools to navigate alternatives and evaluate options.

My view is that understanding the complexity of corporate responsibility and business ethics are essential qualities for the 21st-

century manager; skills that I have developed most through challenging debates, reflective inquiry into my own ethics, and

provocative teaching experiences. This session certainly made me reflect more on how I have developed my own ethical

perspectives and the role of teaching in promoting a culture of integrity.

30

7 Commentary

Author: Andrew Crane, George R. Gardiner Professor of Business Ethics and Director of the Centre of Excellence

in Responsible Business, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto

Ethics education is alive and well in UK business schools. But it still has a long way to go. That is the message that rings out loud and

clear from the case studies included in this collection. The stories presented here speak of considerable progress in the drive to

integrate ethics into business school curricula at these institutions – as well as notable challenges that lie ahead.

There are a number of noteworthy successes included in these accounts that should serve as inspiration for other schools.

Consider, for example, Keele Management Schools’ emphasis on critical management education which has given rise to students

who perceive that “our whole degree is about rights, duties and responsibilities”. Or, look at the experiences of Winchester

Business School which demonstrate some of the ways that professional associations and designations can be leveraged to integrate

ethics, governance and responsibility into the core curriculum. At the St Andrew’s School of Management we can see the

importance of “walking the talk” by backing up curriculum efforts with responsible school policies and demonstrable social

engagement by faculty and staff in the wider community. The case study from Bath School of Management on the use of technology

in CSR teaching demonstrates new ways to bring real world ethics management into the classroom to engage students.

These are all impressive and inspiring developments. Indeed, the time and effort taken to develop, test out, and document these

initiatives is indicative of a real commitment to business ethics education on the part of the authors and their departmental

colleagues. The difficulty in introducing changes into the business school curriculum, especially when the goals are a deep integration

of ethics into the core of the program, should not be underestimated. So these are real success stories.

The cases also, however, serve as a useful reminder of some of the critical challenges that need to be overcome for business ethics

education in the UK to really become firmly entrenched. To begin with, the very fact that the schools providing these cases regard

their achievements as a significant differentiation from their competitors suggests that we are still a long way from widespread

coverage across the sector. These stories should be the norm, not the exception. Beyond this, across the case studies we can also

see that problems persist with achieving deeper school-wide adoption and integration of ethical frameworks and goals. There are

also challenges in communicating about programs to internal and external stakeholders, and in putting in place the institutional

infrastructure necessary to sustain impetus and track progress.

Finally, it is also worth mentioning that once we go beyond these individual stories, it is nigh on impossible to make any meaningful

comparison across institutions about the extent or effectiveness of their initiatives, or about the feasibility of transferring experience

from one institution to another. We still have a lot to learn, and the demise of external rankings such as the ‘Beyond Grey

Pinstripes Survey’, which formerly assessed the integration of social and environmental issues into the MBA curriculum, will only

make that journey more difficult.

This is not to say that these challenges are unique to these schools or unique to the UK. The state of ethics education in business

schools across the globe is in flux, with far greater attention now on these issues than there was even a few years ago. The critical

issue will be how successful schools will be in translating that attention into meaningful changes in the curriculum – and how those

curriculum changes impact upon real business practice once students graduate. As the case studies in this report demonstrate, UK

schools are reasonably well placed to take a lead in this field, especially given their location within university institutions broadly

aligned with principles of social justice and an economic environment at least on paper committed to responsible business.

By contrast, many business schools in the US have operated as largely independent entities, free to promote a form of laissez-faire

shareholder value maximization beyond the civilizing influence of the broader scholarly community. However, the corollary of this is

that many schools in North America also have greater resources than their UK counterparts to support their change initiatives

around business ethics. They frequently have the opportunity to institutionalize leadership in the area through funded chairs and

research centres made possible by external fundraising. With a few notable exceptions, this is much rarer in the UK. Indeed the

whole question of support for positive change in this area, as well the related issue of incentives for individuals or schools to take

leadership, are issues that UK institutions will need to take increasingly seriously if the fine work exemplified in this report is to lead

to anything more substantive in the long term.

31

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