Social issues, ethics and corporate reputation are becoming increasingly important to today’s MBA students, according to a survey by the US-based Aspen Institute Center for Business Education on MBA student attitudes to business and society.
While remuneration and career opportunities carry weight, the survey of 1,943 students at 15 top business schools worldwide found they also cite business’s responsibility to society as a top concern.
“In a broader sense, the most important finding is that students seem to be taking a more holistic view of the role of business in society,” says Nancy McGaw, deputy director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program.
However, she adds that while students appear to have these values, they sense these beliefs are not valued by employers. Survey results show that only 50 per cent of students felt recruiters place a high value on personal integrity, a finding Ms McGaw describes as “surprising”.
“It seems to us that recruiters are not really interested in their [students] views about business in a larger context,” she says. “The results seem to be telling us students...would like em-ployment to give them the compensation they hope for and make a positive impact. Students are...struggling as to how they find that in the most prestigious employers.”
Aspen CBE aims to create business leaders who can blend corporate profitability with social value.
