"The Seoul of Business School" by Jeremy Dommu

It's 11 a.m. on May 20 in Seoul, South Korea, and 10 students from the George Washington University MBA, including myself, are frantically scrambling to put the finishing touches on a presentation we are scheduled to deliver in three hours. We worked for seven weeks back home in Washington, D.C., researching the wind turbine business and had already spent two weeks in South Korea consulting with Hyosung to develop a strategy to expand its turbine manufacturing business in Korea, Latin America, and the U.S. With just hours until two senior vice-presidents of the wind business are scheduled to arrive at our hotel's conference room, we are still tweaking PowerPoint slides and fine-tuning our oral delivery of slide content.

This is the culmination of my first year in GW's Global MBA program, and like the year that has just preceded it, it's ending with a flurry of activity and a rapid coordination of efforts. Armed with the tools of finance, supply chain management, business strategy, international management, business communications, macroeconomics, and marketing—all part of our recently completed first-year core classes—our team works together seamlessly to add the finishing touches to aid in the delivery of a set of recommendations we hope can help Hyosung achieve its goal of becoming one of the top 10 global providers of wind energy solutions by 2017.

For me, the opportunity to consult in an international setting was one of the driving forces in my decision to attend GW. This residency was more than just a field trip after a 14-hour flight. It was a consulting engagement at its heart and a good opportunity to employ the business skills we have developed over the past year. I chose the trip to Korea over other trip options to India, Sweden, Serbia, and Mexico, because its focus on the intersection of business and public policy and the development of renewable energy resources so closely aligns with my career goals. While my excitement grew as the trip approached, my wildest expectations couldn't have prepared me for the learning experience, networking opportunities, and sheer enjoyment I was so fortunate to get during GW's international residency project in Seoul.

FROM WIND TURBINES TO CHICKEN FEET

The focus of our trip was exploring South Korea's green growth strategy. Korea has pledged to stimulate its economy through the development of green technologies and innovation. Twenty GW students were on the trip, divided in two teams. While 10 of us worked with Hyosung on wind turbines, the other 10 consulted with SK Energy on the development of lithium ion batteries, which will be used to power a new fleet of electric vehicles worldwide.

Both of these projects provided ample opportunities to apply practical MBA skills to new industries. But beyond the education, this trip was an amazingly good time characterized by karaoke nights, Korean baseball, sleep dancing (what happens at 6 a.m. at the club when your mind and body shut down on the dance floor), chicken feet, and more soju than I care to remember. Shepherded down the streets of Seoul by our faithful TA and patient guide, Sungha, all 20 GW MBAs made the most of this incredible opportunity, and I believe all of us are significantly better off after this experience.

I think what truly made the trip such a success was the leadership of our professor and guide, Danny Leipziger. Simply put, Leipziger is a rock star in Korea. He joined GW's MBA faculty in 1997 after a long career at the World Bank, where he led the bank's first economic recovery loan to South Korea after the Asian financial crisis. While we were in South Korea, Leipziger set up a series of meetings with various officials, economists, assemblymen, business leaders, and media personnel. The meetings complemented the work we were doing with our client companies as they worked to respond to the public policy push for green innovations.

GW has a significant network of more than 800 alumni in Korea. Several of these alumni stepped forward to act as our gracious and extremely generous hosts. The success of these individuals and their insights into the Korean business culture served as both inspiration and education when they hosted a 20-course traditional Korean meal, a night reminiscent of D.C. power dining at a Western-style steak house, and topped it off with VIP entrance and table service at one of Seoul's hottest nightclubs. This friendliness will not soon be forgotten, and my classmates and I look forward to continuing to build on the relationships and networks we developed on our trip.

This trip demonstrated the value of an MBA, as I was able to apply the skills I have acquired over the past year. I have become a better communicator and team player, and I'm better versed in the multiple functional areas of business that are required to become a leader in management and a fine strategist to others. The trip exemplified the Seoul—err, soul—of business school, which I would characterize as the combined application of existing knowledge while simultaneously obtaining experience in new subject matters.

Personally, I am broadening my knowledge of the energy industry as I prepare to become a champion for demonstrating the financial value that can be derived when businesses embrace environmental sustainability. Going to Seoul was the perfect capstone to an incredible first year of business school. After our two distinguished guests departed following our presentation, I can look back now with confidence that we provided them with several viable strategies and ideas that I hope will help them grow as much as we have during this incredible experience.

Jeremy Dommu Global MBA, 2011

*This is taken from his Businessweek Blog

"Year End Reflections on the Conflict between Productivity and Wisdom in an MBA Program" by Erik Walenza-Slabe

The functional nature of an MBA program naturally favors the compartmentalization of knowledge, and therein lays the great strength and deficiency of modern professionalism. The strengths are evident in the measurable productivity of modern professionals. The deficiencies are subjective in nature and thus easily ignored – if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t matter… Yet what is deficient is nothing less than wisdom, that marginalized concept which at its core indicates a holistic appreciation of one’s community, however defined.

There are three marginalized aptitudes that I passionately believe should be incorporated into the very soul of an MBA program, so that by permeating the process they nurture the development of a business class worthy of leading humanity into the 21^st century. Let there be no question that I believe the business class has as thus far proven itself unworthy of the honor. The first two aptitudes apply directly to corporate social responsibility, the third concerns an individual’s ability to positively engage his fellows – they are: (1) The harmonizing of personal and social values with business practice (i.e., how to pursue business without acting hypocritically), (2) The proper treatment of individuals and communities, and (3) The art of effective communication.

I discuss these subjects not because I am dissatisfied with GWU’s GMBA program in particular. During my 20+ years as a student - stretching from grade school, through two undergraduate degrees and into this MBA program - I have experienced negligible institutional interest in nurturing these aptitudes. The reason for this omission is that they are of a holistic rather than a functional nature. They are neither readily measurable nor do they lend themselves to a resume – yet they provide the bridge between mere intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence has been in high demand of late - optimized by the whiz kids of Wall Street. Wisdom, in contrast, has become a sorely undervalued resource. The result has been growth in profitability and stagnation in life satisfaction – that, at least, is measurable – coupled with a sustained rise in mental disorders, depression being foremost among them. Social scientists are in overwhelming agreement that (a) wealth reduces suffering, up to a point, and (b) material prosperity does not produce sustained joie de vivre. Only healthy relationships and strong communities have consistently proven capable of producing that elusive prize.

How might the aptitudes that underlie wisdom be better developed at GWU? The first facility, sincere behavior, is amenable to classroom discussion. Hypocrisy is a disease that flourishes in the darkness of silent certainty but cannot abide the light of open dialogue. Extending classroom discussions to include the complex social effects of business decision will help to force students to reconcile their proposed actions with their internal ideals. Discussion must extend beyond appeals to double or triple bottom line awareness by continuously responding to the question: would this decision contribute to a more ideal world, a world I would wish upon my children and, importantly, upon the children of mothers and fathers in every corner of the globe? Of course each individual’s ideal world will differ, as it should. This line of thought will not force students to arrive at the same conclusions, but it will demand the recognition of values as the proper fountainhead of action, rather than as intellectual curiosities.

The art of treating people well is of a more practical nature and lends itself more naturally to the classroom. Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People, provides a suitable starting point to understanding how to nurture interpersonal relationships. This lesson is particularly important to future managers, as we expect ourselves to be, and it is unfortunate that MBA curriculum talks up but does not teach how to build relationships. Perhaps it is hoped that students’ interpersonal skills are fully developed prior to entering graduate school – a happy but hopeless prospect. Interpersonal skills are myriad and include understanding the unstated needs of others, generating trust, critiquing without alienating, and helping others build confidence. There is no standard metric for measuring these objectives, but there are more and less effective behaviors and MBAs, as with the general population, are not given the training to employ them well. The ability to treat people well stems directly from the ability to communicate effectively, which is the third objective on my list.

As with interpersonal relationships, we might hope that MBA students intuitively know how to communicate effectively. But empirical evidence suggests that we communicate as well as the next bloke. We are trained to be superior and superior communication is a central asset of successful managers. Do we listen with precision and comprehension? Can we succinctly express a sudden thought? Classroom experience suggests not. Do we even know how to analyze an audience prior to framing an argument? We might have an idea, but we certainly have no system for doing so. Some of these skills are holistic and must be incorporated into the very structure of education, others can be developed through the study of techniques and flexible rules – all are crucial to the development of effective managers and, indeed, effective community members.

Erik Walenza-Slabe Global MBA, 2011

"No More Steady Paycheck" by Jeremy Dommu

I am in my late twenties, I'm unemployed, and my limited savings from five years of employment are nearly depleted. Yet, unlike many victims of the recession, I actually put myself in this position voluntarily. Why? Because I have nearly two full years of my life to pursue whatever academic and career endeavors I choose. I'm on my own clock, and the only person I am accountable to is myself. It's an incredible opportunity, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be in this position.

Occasionally I look back and consider all that I gave up—a steady paycheck, a promising career in public accounting, a steady paycheck, five years of hard work and long hours, and a steady paycheck. But mostly, I relish this time, stay focused on my goals, and plan to reenter the workforce prepared significantly better than when I left it.

For some peers, their focus is primarily wrapped up in case studies, group meetings, test preparation, and class presentations—the assignments at a core of an MBA curriculum. For others, it's also quite simple to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel—the mythical six-figure salary, the Rolodex full of contacts earned from approaching industry experts under the innocent guise of a student, and whatever positive stigma still exists from simply being an MBA. For me, while those are incredibly important, I believe the projects I'm involved in outside of class are the most valuable and justify the time I'm putting into this degree.

That is why I consistently remind myself to free up more of my time and effort for activities outside of class. I rarely turn down a learning opportunity I see as valuable, and I regularly remind my peers of how to get involved. I'd like to spend some time highlighting some of the projects I am most excited about, and I hope my activities outside of class help others realize the merits of a full-time MBA and motivate my peers to stay involved. After all, at the end of the day, the benefits of an MBA are measured based solely on how much each individual puts into it.

South Korea

One of the flagship components of George Washington's Global MBA program (GW Full-Time MBA Profile) is its International Residency. At the completion of our first year, all GW MBAs go abroad for a two-week consultancy project. What is unique about this project is that this isn't a field trip. We actually are developing critical recommendations and delivering them to an interested company or industry representatives. This year, our choices were India, Mexico, Serbia, Sweden, and South Korea—each project with a unique industry focus and area of business. In May, I will be joining a team of 20 GW MBAs in Seoul. Led by a former World Bank vice-president and Korean expert, we will prepare a strategic assessment of Korea's export prospects in the area of green technology and present our findings during a series of meetings to business, government, and think-tank organizations. The project begins with a seven-week course at GW and concludes with a two-week stay in South Korea. This is first-hand global learning.

GWSB Summit

The GW MBA program prides itself on student–run initiatives. If a student or group of students has an idea, then faculty, the administration, and dean empower and support that idea. I am a member of a new student club at GW, the GW Energy Group, and we, in collaboration with our Net Impact chapter, are putting this theory to the test with an ambitious plan to organize and run a half-day conference on business response to climate change. Using a combination of our own contacts, university sponsors, and our will-power and persistence, we are recruiting top business leaders, professionals, and students to come together on Apr. 8 at the Jack Morton Auditorium at GW to discuss the affects of climate change on business. Our goal, through a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions, is to paint a picture of a future clean-energy economy—and challenge future businesses leaders to make this vision a reality.

Net Impact Case Competition

Three of my classmates and I will represent GW at the Leeds Net Impact Case Competition in Boulder, Colo., on Feb. 19 and 20. The Leeds is the premier case format competition built around businesses facing sustainability challenges while succeeding financially. We are one of 20 semifinalist teams selected from a total of 68 entries in the first round of the competition.

In this round, we spent roughly 80 combined hours on a case that challenged us to propose policy recommendations to the U.S. Agriculture Dept. to increase sustainability and local agricultural practices. Our recommendations to develop a sustainable food label, which would create tax subsidies for local and sustainable food, and to require percentages of food served in publicly funded venues to be from sustainable sources, clearly impressed. Now we are heading to Boulder to compete in a competition sponsored by Excel Energy. Given the goals of the competition and the sponsor, we envision a class focusing on renewable energy technology or energy efficiency. But we won't know the complete details of our case until about 12 hours before we are scheduled to deliver our presentation to the judges. We certainly don't plan on any shut-eye that night.

Washington Metro Area Transportation Authority (WMATA)

Simply put, D.C. public transportation is a mess. With significant budget overruns and in the wake of several horrific accidents, there is much room for improvement. Enter a team of 30 MBA students—a unique collaboration among GW, Georgetown, American, and John Hopkins students—to conduct a sustainability audit and advise the organization on energy, water, waste, and operational efficiency measures to trim costs, improve environmental impacts, and help earn the authority some much-needed positive press.

Internships and Classes

I'm approaching crunch time for internships, have several additional interviews lined up, and hope to find out good news in the coming month or two about where I will be spending my summer. I've applied to five incredible internship programs and would be honored to be accepted into any one of them. I plan on detailing the process in the next entry, so stay tuned for all the gory details.

After a successful completion of the first half of year one, this spring semester continues our core curriculum (now marketing, macroeconomics, finance, operations strategy, managerial accounting, and my first elective course—Worldwide Energy Challenges, taught by a vice-president at ICF International). While I have a great deal on my plate, there is a great deal to look forward to, with domestic and international trips on the horizon and the excitement of an unknown future.

Jeremy Dommu Global MBA, 2011
*This is taken from Jeremy Dommu's blog on BusinessWeek.

"Greening Supply Chains" by Eliza Roberts

My Sustainable Supply Chains class has come to an end. After taking a number of required business school classes, it was refreshing to take an elective and spend 7 weeks talking and thinking about issues that I am truly passionate about. Over the course of the module, we looked at a number of different companies, including Shaw Industries, Herman Miller, Patagonia, Frito-Lay and Starbucks that are thinking about sustainability and incorporating it into their business strategies in different ways.

Shaw Industries was a particularly interesting case. Have you ever thought about what happens to old flooring and carpeting? 95% of it ends up in landfills and in 2002, carpeting contributed 4.6 billion pounds of waste into U.S. landfills! Shaw industries not only found ways to create PVC-free 100% recyclable carpet tiles, but found ways to do so while also reducing costs.

Herman Miller, a furniture company, follows the triple bottom line approach whereby a company works to strengthen not only its financial performance, but its social responsibility and environmental performance as well. Herman Miller’s corporate values statement is as follows: “We contribute to a better world by pursuing sustainability and environmental wisdom. Environmental advocacy is part of our heritage and a responsibility we gladly bear for future generations.” Herman Miller has focused on examining the entire life cycle of its products and created the Mirra chair, a mid-level office chair, which was designed using Cradle-to-Cradle protocol. The chair is made from 42% recycled parts and when the chair’s life is over, it is 96% recyclable.

Patagonia was a unique example because sustainability efforts truly are a key component of its core strategy. Sustainability is not only a key part of the company’s mission, but it is ingrained into all aspects of the business strategy. Patagonia has recognized that their existence as a company is in and of itself detrimental to the environment and made a pledge in 1991 to “slow growth” to minimize its impact. Patagonia seeks to maintain a balance between quality, profits, community and the environment and has made decisions because they are “the right thing to do” even if they do not result in direct cost savings to the company. To learn more, check out the sustainability page on their website.

The course ended with about 10 presentations looking at what other companies such as 3M, Intel, IBM, Whole Foods, MolsonCoors, and Nike are doing to green their supply chains. My group chose to focus on Coca-Cola. We conducted an overview of what they have done by looking at four key areas: climate, packaging, community and water and then provided recommendations about what the company could do to green their supply chain even further.

Eliza Roberts Global MBA, 2011

"Book Review on CRADLE TO CRADLE: REMAKING THE WAY WE MAKE THINGS" by Eliza Roberts

For my sustainable supply chains class, we are reading Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way we Make Things over the course of the next 7 weeks. The book is fantastic and is itself completely recyclable. It is also waterproof, so if you are the type of person who likes to read in the bath or on the beach, you are in luck! I have only read up to chapter 4, but thus far it is fantastic.

The book is written by a chemist and a designer and begins by informing you that the fabric of the armchair you are sitting in likely contains mutagenic materials and heavy metals and that the computer that your child is using contains thousands of materials, including toxic gases, toxic metals, acids, etc. Pretty upbeat right?

While it can be a bit depressing and discouraging [did you know that your recyclables are not actually recreated into bottles, but turned into a lower grade plastic and then made into park benches and speed bumps?] I find the book a very unique way of looking at the world, and at our current and future environmental challenges.

The goal of the authors is to change your way of thinking. Instead of trying to help companies be “less bad” they ask: why can’t we try to be “more good”? Instead of being eco-efficient, which in their opinion is the same as accepting that environmental destruction is inevitable, we should be eco-effective and find positive solutions to problems that are beneficial to the environment and the community.

Their goal is to get the reader to start thinking about the entire life cycle of a product instead of only thinking about the way the final product appears on the surface. A product that is made of recyclable material, for example, could in fact be more destructive to the environment than its non-recycled counterpart. The authors propose that companies and consumers begin thinking about the design of products before their creation so that we are developing products that have a positive impact on the environment throughout their life. Instead of accepting that a company is going to pollute and trying to getting them to emit less and be less harmful, maybe companies should build factories that have a net benefit to the environment by cleaning water and cleaning the air for the surrounding community.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book!

Contributed by: Eliza Roberts, Global MBA 2011

"My Business School Agenda" by Jeremy Dommu

Module Two is microeconomics, human resources, marketing, and more statistics. There are also accounting courses in both these modules, but as a CPA, I automatically placed out of these courses, and decided against adding new electives so I can better concentrate on career and extracurricular activities. Each professor has free rein to teach classes any way he or she chooses. This results in a pleasant mixture of lecture-based, case-based, and team-based classes.

CLUBS

Clubs are by far my favorite aspect of the MBA program. The opportunity over the next two years to take advantage of student clubs, case competitions, academic and professional conferences, and to truly focus on the areas of business that excite me is a luxury I will not squander. In fact, I believe the learning opportunities that exist outside an academic classroom are more beneficial to me than developing the core finance, marketing, statistics, operations, and leadership skills I will obtain inside the classroom. So you will find me at the annual Net Impact conference and case competition, working on projects that have everything to do with my career goals but nothing to do with my class requirements, and anywhere in D.C. the carbon community is gathering.

COMMUNITY

Let me say this: I could not have asked to be surrounded by a better network. My classmates could not do more to ensure the success of each other in every class. Despite the challenge we are up against in an economy where internships are scare, there is zero competition for jobs. Our alumni network, though small, truly goes all out to help us. This is evident by the alumni career adviser I have been paired with as part of our mentorship program. We aren't yet a top-25 program, but everybody, from the current students to professors and from alumni to our administration, is truly united to help us get there. For me, this cohesiveness is more valuable than the cutthroat competition that might exist at other graduate programs.

TIME MANAGEMENT

I thought the biggest adjustment going from being a professional to a student was once again getting used to having to do work outside the office. I used to value being able to leave my work at the office each night and not have to worry about it until I returned in the morning. I knew, as a student, I would always be on the clock and I would never have time to relax. But, quite frankly, I have absolutely no problem with the time commitment of business school. In fact, I love taking advantage of every opportunity that is available to me. The struggle is finding enough time to do everything I want to do and prioritizing responsibilities. Never before had I used a planner. Now I have a Google (GOOG) calendar and Google task list that has me booked solid for two months out. Measuring both the importance and urgency of tasks is critical to ensure I'm spending my time in the right places.

ADMISSIONS

Here are a few tips I have about the MBA admissions process. But keep in mind these tips probably go against everything a prospective MBA student is being told or is thinking. The more and more you get sucked into the admissions process and the more you overthink and try to strategize the process, the less and less success you are going to have.

You are doing much more harm than good if you start thinking about what the admissions office wants to hear, rather than truthfully explain your goals and rationale for getting an MBA. Throwing away money on expensive admission consultants who have zero idea of who you are is a gigantic waste. Spending thousands on GMAT tutoring is crazy. I bought a few books, dedicated myself to studying, took the GMAT once, and was happy with my score.

The one thing that was incredibly helpful for me was having two close friends who were going through the MBA application process at the same time as me. One is now a first-year student at Duke and the other is in Georgetown's part-time program. It was extremely valuable to have friends to be a sounding board, help study for the GMAT, and read and comment on each other's essays. But even if you don't have friends going through the process with you, seek out the help of the people who know you well. But save your money for tuition or the opportunities you will have as a student. Or spend your money on campus visits so you can truly identify which school is the right fit for you.

Finally, if a school doesn't accept you because your career goals don't align with its strategy, or you don't fit into its culture, then that probably isn't the right place for you anyway. I realize it's difficult to do this. It was difficult for me. By nature, an MBA student is competitive and a measure of success is getting into the highest-ranked program that you can. It was extremely hard for me to turn down admissions offers at some top-ranked business schools. But ultimately I'm at GW because my career goals align perfectly with GW's focus on developing globally minded and ethical business leaders who want to create sustainable solutions to pressing world issues. And to date I couldn't be happier with my decision.


Jeremy Dommu, Global MBA 2011
*This is taken from Jeremy Dommu's blog on BusinessWeek

"Learning About Waste in Organizations and Leadership" by Patty Pina

For our Organizations and Leadership Class, we applied 10% of our time to a self-directed learning project of our choice. For my project, I decided to learn more about waste and what we can each do about it.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each American produces more than four pounds of waste per day, a figure that has almost doubled since 1960. This is significant because we are running out of landfill space to put waste, wasting natural resources and creating toxicity in our soil and water that can be harmful to our health and the health of future generations. A few months ago, I read a story in a magazine about a woman who believed that a large part of the reason why we create more waste is due to the fact that our trash is “out of sight, out of mind.” We throw things away, put them on our corner, someone comes to get it and we never see it again. As a public awareness message, she decided to carry the waste she produced with her for several months to highlight this issue. For my learning project, I decided to mimic her to learn more about how I personally can reduce the waste I produce.

For four days, a day for every pound the average American produces daily, I carried the waste I produced with me everywhere. I brought my bag of trash to school, restaurants, concerts and grocery stores. I did not include anything that was recyclable, biodegradable or unsanitary. I rinsed out food containers and I would compact everything before I would put it in my bag. The biggest lesson I learned is that when you have to carry your waste, you quickly find ways to reduce it.

Most of my waste was coming from food and beverage packaging. I would throw away coffee cups from Starbucks or Styrofoam salad boxes. To remedy this, I purchased a reusable travel coffee mug and started packing my lunch in Tupperware or in aluminum foil that I would clean and recycle. If I did purchase something, I requested to not have a receipt printed and to have minimal packaging, so no extra bags or napkins. At home, I would wipe down my counters in the kitchen with a rag versus paper towels. I made sure to recycle parts of junk mail that I could, like envelopes or inserts. I bought recycled goods like paper towels in bulk or biodegradable sponges. I purchased a new purse and asked the store clerk to keep the padding they put inside to use on another display purse. These tiny changes were so easy to make and at the end of four days, I only had one bag of trash that weighed about two pounds.

I was amazed by how much I did not even think about what I was throwing away before I started this project. Even during my project, there were times when I would catch myself still throwing something away because it was just second nature to not really think about the waste I was producing. But then I thought more about how easily I could make small changes and how that added up to lots of waste savings, I couldn’t help but be excited every time I realized I was not adding something to a landfill!

Not only did I learn more about how I can make better choices in terms of waste, but I also learned more about the issue in general. As part of my learning project, I read articles, websites and blog postings. Landfills are not only running out of room, but they are also filled with items that can be recycled or reused. Trash in our oceans and water runoff from landfills is contaminating the food we eat and water we drink. Consumer packaged goods companies are working to develop packaging that is minimal and made from recycled sources and I can do my part to increase the demand of these products by spending a few extra cents. For example, I purchased pens that were made with 62% pre-consumer recycled plastic for only $0.20 more than other choices.

In the end, I was thrilled to throw away my bag of trash when my four days were complete. I don’t think we have to live in our trash to solve our waste and landfill problems. However, I do think we each have to think more about what we waste and how we can reduce it. This entire process was so helpful in terms of making me realize how I can personally make a difference in my daily choices for a healthier and more sustainable planet.

Patty Pina, Global MBA 2011

"Business Ethics" by Priyanka Tayal

The first module is over! I have to admit, amongst the hustle and bustle, I am glad to be back at school. The classroom has truly been a knowledgeable experience and it is interesting to see the relevance of business concepts after being in the working world, but also through the realization of my ultimate career goals.

Of my courses from this module, Business Ethics has been the most pertinent in terms of the PRME objectives. Before we even began the course, we were asked to submit a list of 5-7 values that we believed were most important for a successful business. After collecting almost 120 sets of values, the following were the “election results” – Honesty, Respect, Dedication, Innovation, Collaboration, Moral/Ethical/Sustainable, Leadership and Passion. From the outset, it is clear that the purpose and values of this course aligns with those outlined in the Certificate.

The goals of the course were stated as the following: (1) to clarify values, (2) to create ethical awareness, (3) to develop a moral decision-making process, and (4) to learn the central steps in creating ethical business communities that tend to enhance peace and security. These goals are in line with the objective of “Purpose” as the course aims to provide students with an educational framework around ethics in a business environment, and promotes us (as future business leaders) to think scenarios through the main ethical theories pertaining to Shareholders, Stakeholders and Virtues. This was the “Method” through which the course is communicated. Using various real-life cases and scenarios, we were encouraged to use this structure to decipher clear and sound ethical and sustainable decisions.

However, the core of this class came from the “Research” portion as the majority of our final grade is determined by a research paper based on an actual case where a company was faced with an ethical dilemma. Through this intense research, students were able to advance our understanding of the three theories which incorporate “the role, dynamics, and impact of corporations in the creation of sustainable social, environmental and economic value.” My collaborative paper was an incident that the Coca-Cola Company faced against child labor in El Salvador. Through this paper, I was able to explore business decisions the corporation had to make, and the impacts these decisions had on the shareholders and stakeholders. Specifically, the paper’s contents dealt with the first 6 principles that are mentioned in the United Nations Global Compact in terms of “Human Rights” and “Labor”.

Through “Partnership” and “Dialogue” with fellow classmates (and thus former business professionals) as well as Tim Fort (our primary educator in this course) our discussions and debates allowed appreciation of different viewpoints and possibly different ethical frameworks. Especially through the real-life case discussions, we learnt, understood and challenged social responsibilities of corporations, the power of individual and collective values and attitudes within corporations as well as the sustainable precedents set with decisions made in ethical dilemmas.

Tim Fort as a professor is also extremely engaging. He clearly has passion for his subject and is enthusiastic about passing his experiences and learning to the students. I highly recommend this course, even for those who think ethics cannot be taught in a classroom setting. The class will at the least, allow you to acknowledge your own ethics and think about them in a business setting.

Priyanka Tayal, Global MBA 2011