mba new leaders new perspectives

MBA Perspectives

Net Impact, Spring 2007 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BACKGROUND

Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on

society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the

world. We offer a portfolio of programs to educate, equip, and inspire more than 10,000 members to

make a tangible difference in their universities, organizations, and communities.

Net Impact conducted a survey in October, 2006, to measure the attitudes and perspectives of MBA

students on the relationship between business and social / environmental concerns. Our goal was to get

a representative sample of MBAs to address questions related to business graduate education, career

goals, and the role of companies in society. The 31 question survey included demographic questions;

career history and aspirations; the role for business school education in preparing values-based leaders;

and general questions on the role business should play in addressing social and environmental concerns.

Our goal is to repeat the survey over time to measure changes in perspectives, as well as to compare the

MBA answers with those of college students and other populations.1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

There were 2,113 current MBA students who answered the survey, representing 87 different graduate

business programs. Most of the students surveyed are currently based in the U.S. or Canada (82%). 37%

of the survey respondents indicated a current affiliation with Net Impact.

Across all demographics, the majority of students tells us that social and environmental issues should be

important considerations for business schools, career goals, and the private sector in general. In terms of

their MBA education, 78% of those surveyed agree that corporate social responsibility is a topic that

should be integrated into core curriculum classes at MBA programs. Seventy percent agree that business

schools should place more emphasis on training socially and environmentally responsible individuals than

they currently do. Only 9% of students say they do not want to learn more about corporate responsibility

during their business school education.

Overall, 79% of students say they will seek socially responsible employment at some point during their

careers; 59% say they will do so immediately following business school. The majority of respondents

1 A similar survey was conducted among undergraduate students in January 2007.

MBA Perspectives


(63%) would prefer to work in medium to large business after the MBA degree; this number drops to 33%

when asked about goals for five to ten years after graduation.

In terms of general perspectives on business, 81% of students surveyed believe companies should try to

work toward the betterment of society, while 18% think most companies are pursuing that goal currently.

Nine out of ten respondents say that business leaders should factor social and environmental effects into

their business decisions, with 60% believing that this approach can be profitable.

Of the survey respondents, 63% are not affiliated with Net Impact. Of this group, 38% say they would like

to learn more about the organization, and 25% say they are not interested in learning more or joining.

Even of the segment without any interest in Net Impact, the majority agree with the opinions stated

above. For example, 60% of students with no interest in Net Impact agree that they will seek employment

that is socially responsible during their career, 64% agree that corporate social responsibility should be

integrated into core curriculum in MBA classes, and two-thirds (67%) believe that business should work

towards the betterment of society.

The implications of this study are especially important for business school programs and employers. The

survey results show that students today are interested in examining the social implications of business

during their MBA programs. Universities should consider adding corporate responsibility and related

topics to core and elective courses, as well as supporting relevant activities such as a speakers series

and case competitions. In addition, employers can benefit from addressing more social responsibility

issues in their workplaces, and by communicating their values to potential hires. This may be especially

true for medium to large companies: one in two MBAs who plan to enter the corporate sector immediately

following graduation say they plan to stop working for larger companies after five to ten years. Those that

plan to leave the corporate sector are more likely to say they want a socially responsible career than

those who plan to stay. This indicates that companies might have an opportunity to retain more

employees if they can place more emphasis on corporate responsibility.

Of all demographic segments examined, the most varied perspectives were observed when segmenting

the data by gender. Women are more interested in learning about almost all surveyed topics than men,

and are significantly more likely to seek socially responsible employment. As an underrepresented

segment in both MBA programs and in the corporate workforce, women are an important demographic for

employers to recruit and retain - emphasizing corporate responsibility and related themes may be a key

way to do so.

For further information, please contact Alejandra Villalobos, Analyst, at [email protected].

MBA Perspectives


METHODOLOGY

PROCESS

The findings presented here are taken from a survey conducted between September 25 and October 15,

2006. During that time, 2,112 current MBA students responded to an online questionnaire, which

consisted of 30 multiple-choice Likert-scale questions, plus one open-ended question to allow for further

qualification of answers (see Appendix C). Announcements for the online survey were sent to Net Impact

club leaders at 100 MBA programs, asking them to send the survey to their student body email list (see

Appendix D).

In total:

87 programs were represented

41 programs had 10+ student responses

13 programs had 50+ respondents

Participants answered questions about the relationship between business and broader social and

environmental issues. The survey focused on three key areas:

Career: Do students express an interest in socially responsible careers?

Curriculum: Do students express an interest in learning about corporate social responsibility,

sustainability, international development, and social entrepreneurship during their MBA?

Business and social responsibility: How important do students think social responsibility is

for the private sector?

For the purposes of this report, we combine Agree and Strongly Agree into Net Agree when speaking of

students who agree with a statement. Net Disagree includes those respondents who Disagree and

Strongly Disagree.

MBA Perspectives


STATISTICAL TESTING

Where appropriate, proportions testing was utilized to measure differences between groups of

respondents in our study.

or

A confidence interval of 95% was used, which indicates that we maintain 95%+ certainty that the

responses of two groups being compared are meaningfully different if we are to label these

differences as statistically significant findings.

MBA Perspectives


Fifth1%

Fourth1%

Third2%

Second26%

First70%

Part-time13%

Full-time87%

Multi-racial3%

White, not Hispanic

66%Hispanic,White7%

Hispanic, non-White2%

African American/Black3%

Asian19%

Native American/Alaska Native0%

Female44%

Male56%

STUDY POPULATION

The figures in this section provide a snapshot of the population of respondents in this study. As figure 1

indicates, the majority of participants (56%) is male2. The majority of respondents (70%) were 1st year

students [Figure 2] and enrolled in a full-time MBA program (87%) [Figure 3].

2 According to GMAC data, males represent 70% of MBA students globally

Figure 2: Program YearFigure 1: Gender

Figure 4: Race/ EthnicityFigure 3: Program Type

MBA Perspectives


Not interested

25%

Learn more38%

Yes37%

No work experience2%

Single person business1%

Small business

17%

Medium to large business

58%

Public Sector8%

Nonprofit 14%

The majority of participants (66%) were Caucasian [Figure 4]; our study population is more diverse than

the U.S. business school population, which is 85% Caucasian. Perhaps not surprisingly, given that the

survey questionnaire was available only in English and that the announcements for the survey were

posted to mailing lists primarily in American universities, 85% of the respondents reported that they lived

in the United States. 37% of respondents are currently Net Impact members; 38% would consider or like

to learn more about Net Impact; and 25% are not interested in joining [Figure 5]. Finally, prior or

concurrent to enrolling in their MBA program, 14% of respondents had nonprofit work experience; 8% had

public sector and 76% had private sector work experience [Figure 6].

Figure 5: Net Impact

Membership/ InterestFigure 6: Most Recent Work Experience

MBA Perspectives


DETAILED FINDINGS

Overall

Career

Most students plan to look for socially responsible employment at some point in their careers, and many

intend to look beyond medium and large corporations, which are the more traditional MBA employers.

Close to eight in ten respondents (79%) indicate that they will seek socially responsible employment

during the course of their careers, while 59% say they will seek such work immediately after graduating

from business school.

Q: Immediately following business school, I plan to focus on securing a job that is socially responsible.

Response Percent

Disagree (Net) 12.1%Neutral/No Opinion 28.7%Agree (Net) 59.1%

Total respondents 1907Net Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who disagree and strongly disagree

Q: During my employment career, I will seek employment that is socially responsible

Response Percent

Disagree (Net) 5%Neutral/No Opinion 15.8%Agree (Net) 79.2%

Total respondents 1907Net Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who

disagree and strongly disagree

Q: Immediately after you receive your MBA degree, which employment site do you most prefer to work in?

Response Percent

Nonprofit Organization 5.9%Public sector – municipal, state, federal 2.2%Medium to large business (100+ employees) 63.3%Small business (under 100 employees) 13.4%Single person business (no employees) 0.4%I am not sure at this point 14.9%

Total respondents 2112

MBA Perspectives


Q: Five to ten years after you received your MBA degree, which employment site would you prefer at that time?

Response Percent

Nonprofit Organization 12.9%Public sector – municipal, state, federal 4.5%Medium to large business (100+ employees) 33.2%Small business (under 100 employees) 26.3%Single person business (no employees) 1.8%I am not sure at this point 21.3%


Curriculum

Most students think that social and environmental topics should be integrated into the business school

curriculum. Seventy-eight percent of students agree that the subject of corporate social responsibility

(CSR) should be integrated into the MBA core curriculum, and 71% agree that business schools should

place more emphasis on training socially and environmentally responsible individuals than they currently

do.

Q: Please indicate whether or not you would like to learn more about any of the following concepts while you are pursuing your MBA.

Yes Possibly NoCorporate Social Responsibility 63% (1309) 28% (582) 9% (197)Environmental Sustainability 57% (1185) 31% (655) 12% (245)Nonprofits 47% (969) 35% (721) 19% (392)Social Entrepreneurship 59% (1226) 31% (653) 10% (209)Microfinance 53% (1099) 34% (717) 13% (266)Renewable Energy 54% (1118) 33% (679) 14% (286)International Development 67% (1402) 26% (536) 7% (153)


Q: Corporate Social Responsibility is a topic that should be integrated into core curriculum classes at MBA programs.

Response Percent

Disagree (Net) 9.5%Neutral/No Opinion 13%Agree (Net) 77.6%


MBA Perspectives


Q: Business schools should place more emphasis on training socially and environmentally responsible individuals than they currently do.

Response Percent



Q: I believe that graduate business schools are currently preparing students to lead businesses towards the betterment of society.

Response Percent



Q: I am (or plan to be) a leader in a club or activity at business school that emphasizes CSR, nonprofits, or other social/environmental benefits.

Response Percent



Business and social responsibility

Close to nine in ten students (89%) say that business professionals should take into account social and

environmental impacts when making business decisions. Eighty-one percent agree that businesses

should work towards the betterment of society (such as a healthier environment, the eradication of

poverty, and other societal issues); however, only 18% believe most corporations are currently working

towards that goal. Sixty percent agree that corporate social responsibility makes good business sense

because it leads to financial profits.

Q: I believe that businesses should work towards the betterment of society (such as a healthier environment, the eradication of poverty, and other societal issues).

Response Percent

Disagree (Net) 7.1%Neutral/No Opinion 11.9%Agree (Net) 81%


MBA Perspectives


Q: I believe that most corporations are currently working towards the betterment of society.

Response Percent

Disagree (Net) 51.8%Neutral/No Opinion 30%Agree (Net) 18.2%


Q: Business professionals should take into account social and environmental impacts when making business decisions.

Response Percent



Q: The for-profit sector should play a role in addressing social and environmental issues.

Response Percent



Q: Corporate Social Responsibility makes good business sense because it leads to financial profits.

Response Percent



Q: Corporate Social Responsibility is the “right” thing for companies to do.

Response Percent



MBA Perspectives


Differences by MBA segment

Please see tables in Appendix A for more detail on the statistics below. Findings are statistically

significant, unless otherwise indicated.

Gender

Forty-five percent of survey respondents identified themselves as female. Findings suggest that women

are more likely than men to seek socially responsible careers.

Nearly 87% of female (compared with 73% of male) students polled want to find socially

responsible employment at some point in their careers

86% of female (compared with 71% of male) students agree that classes in corporate social

responsibility should be part of the core curriculum in MBA programs

87% of female (compared with 71% of male) respondents say companies should try to work

toward the betterment of society

Political Affiliation

Among MBA students polled, 44% identified themselves as Democratic, 31% as Independent, and 25%

as Republican. Findings suggest that Democratic students are more likely than Republican students to

seek socially responsible careers.

86% of Democratic (compared with 68% of Republican) students polled want to find socially

responsible employment at some point in their careers

87% of Democratic (compared with 70% of Republican) students agree that the subject of

corporate social responsibility should be integrated into the MBA core curriculum

86% of Democratic (compared with 65% of Republican) respondents agree with the statement

that businesses should work towards the betterment of society

Career History

We compared students whose last job was in the nonprofit or public sector with those who previously

worked in a medium to large corporation.

Respondents whose last job was in the nonprofit or public sector are more likely than

respondents who previously worked in a medium to large business to agree that during their

career they will seek employment that is socially responsible (90% vs. 75%)

Respondents whose last job was in the nonprofit or public sector are also more likely to agree

that classes in corporate social responsibility should be part of the core curriculum in MBA

programs (82% vs. 76%)

They are also more likely to agree that businesses should work towards the betterment of

society (84% vs. 80%)

MBA Perspectives


Career Plans

We compared the responses of students who agree that they intend to seek socially responsible

employment during their careers with those who disagree.

There are no significant differences between these groups in terms of whether they believe that

graduate business schools are preparing students to lead business towards the betterment of

society

However, students who say that they will seek socially responsible employment are significantly

more likely to agree that corporate social responsibility should be integrated into the MBA core

curriculum as opposed to those who disagree or are neutral about seeking socially responsible

employment (85% vs. 51%)

Students who say that they will seek socially responsible employment are also more likely to

believe that businesses should work towards the betterment of society (87% vs. 56%)

Of the students who say that they will seek socially responsible employment 8% prefer to work

in a nonprofit organization immediately after receiving their MBA, 3% prefer to work in the

public sector, 58% prefer a medium to large business, and 15% prefer a small business

Of the students who say they will not seek socially responsible employment, 82% prefer a

medium to large business, 8% prefer a small business, 1% prefer to work in a nonprofit

organization and 0% prefer to work in the public sector immediately after receiving their MBA

We analyzed differences between students who plan to work with a medium to large corporation long

term (5 years or more) with those who intend to shift careers to small business, nonprofit, government, or

entrepreneurial endeavors.

Students who prefer to stay with a medium or large company after five years are less likely to

say that during their career, they will seek employment that is socially responsible (69% vs.

81%)

Students who prefer to stay with a medium or large company are also less likely to believe that

businesses should work towards the betterment of society (76% vs. 83%)

However, there is no statistically significant difference between these groups in their agreement

that corporate social responsibility is a topic which should be integrated into the MBA core

curriculum (73% vs. 75%)

Net Impact Membership

We analyzed differences between students who are Net Impact members and those who are not

interested in joining Net Impact.

91% of Net Impact member students (compared with 60% of the general MBA population3)

polled want to find socially responsible employment at some point in their careers

3 Here we refer to non-members who are not interested in joining Net Impact.

MBA Perspectives


87% of Net Impact member students (compared with 64% of the general MBA population)

agree that the subject of corporate social responsibility should be integrated into the MBA core

curriculum

89% of Net Impact member respondents (compared with 67% of the general MBA population)

agree with the statement that businesses should work towards the betterment of society

MBA Perspectives


APPENDIX

Appendix A: Overall

Gender

Are you:MALE FEMALE

STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE

During my employment career, I will seek employment that is socially responsible.

FREQ. TOTAL % FREQ. TOTAL % AT 95%

Disagree (Net) 68 1033 7% 24 830 3% YESNeutral/No Opinion 206 1033 20% 85 830 10% YESAgree (Net) 759 1033 73% 721 830 87% YESNet Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who disagree and strongly disagree.

Are you:MALE FEMALE


Corporate Social Responsibility is a topic that should be integrated into core curriculum classes at MBA programs.



Are you:MALE FEMALE


I believe that businesses should work towards the betterment of society.



MBA Perspectives


Political Affiliation

If registered to vote, are you:DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN















Career History

Prior (or concurrent) to enrolling in the MBA program, which of the following BEST describes your work

experience?NONPROFIT/PUBLIC

SECTORMEDIUM TO LARGE

BUSINESS





MBA Perspectives





BUSINESS


Corporate Social Responsibility is a topic that should be integrated into core curriculum classes at MBA programs. FREQ. TOTAL % FREQ. TOTAL % AT 95%

Disagree (Net) 38 447 9% 111 1091 10% NONeutral/No Opinion 43 447 10% 146 1091 13% YESAgree (Net) 366 447 82% 834 1091 76% YESNet Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who disagree and strongly disagree.




BUSINESS




Disagree (Net) 25 447 6% 87 1091 8% NONeutral/No Opinion 46 447 10% 136 1091 12% NOAgree (Net) 376 447 84% 868 1091 80% YESNet Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who disagree and strongly disagree.

Career Plans


YES NO


I believe that graduate business schools are currently preparing students to lead businesses to work towards the betterment of society.


Disagree (Net) 394 1510 26% 93 397 23% NONeutral/No Opinion 478 1510 32% 119 397 30% NOAgree (Net) 638 1510 42% 185 397 47% NONet Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who disagree and strongly disagree.

MBA Perspectives



YES NO






YES NO


I believe that businesses should work towards the betterment of society. FREQ. TOTAL % FREQ. TOTAL % AT 95%


Respondents who immediately after MBA will work in a medium to large enterprise, and then 5 years later either SHIFT career paths and work in a nonprofit, small or single person business, or in the public sector, or whether they will STAY and work in a

medium to large enterpriseSHIFT STAY





MBA Perspectives







Disagree (Net) 49 473 10% 58 527 11% NONeutral/No Opinion 67 473 14% 87 527 17% NOAgree (Net) 357 473 75% 382 527 72% NONet Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who disagree and strongly disagree.






Disagree (Net) 35 473 7% 51 527 10% NONeutral/No Opinion 45 473 10% 78 527 15% YESAgree (Net) 393 473 83% 398 527 76% YESNet Agree includes those who agree and strongly agree. Net Disagree includes those who disagree and strongly disagree.

Net Impact Membership

Are you a Net Impact member?

YESNO, I am not interested in

joining.


During my employment career, I will seek employment that is socially responsible. FREQ. TOTAL % FREQ. TOTAL % AT 95%


MBA Perspectives




joining.







joining.


I believe that businesses should work towards the betterment of society. FREQ. TOTAL % FREQ. TOTAL % AT 95%


MBA Perspectives


Appendix B: Knowledge ratings4

Q: Please rate your general knowledge today about each of the following categories.

CategoryOverall

(N = 2109)Male

(N = 1033)Female

(N = 829)

First year MBA student

(N = 1467)

Second year MBA student

(N = 549)Corporate Social Responsibility 3.32 3.32 3.36 3.24 3.50

Environmental Sustainability

3.08 3.21 2.98 3.01 3.22

Nonprofits 3.01 2.85 3.28 2.95 3.13Social Entrepreneurship 2.77 2.74 2.87 2.72 2.92Microfinance 2.42 2.49 2.34 2.35 2.60Renewable Energy 2.77 3.03 2.50 2.74 2.80International Development

2.93 3.00 2.88 2.87 3.07

Scale: 1 = very low; 2 = moderately low; 3 = moderate; 4 = moderately high; 5 = high

Q: Please indicate whether you would like to learn more about any of the concepts while you are pursuing your MBA.

CategoryOverall

(N = 2105)Male

(N = 1033)Female

(N = 829)First year MBA

student (N = 1464)Second year MBA student (N = 548)

YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NOCorporate Social Responsibility

63% 9% 56% 11% 73% 6% 64% 9% 59% 11%

Environmental Sustainability

57% 12% 55% 13% 62% 9% 57% 12% 56% 12%

Nonprofits 47% 19% 39% 23% 59% 12% 48% 18% 44% 21%Social Entrepreneurship

59% 10% 55% 12% 67% 6% 61% 9% 55% 12%

Microfinance 53% 13% 53% 13% 55% 13% 54% 12% 51% 13%Renewable Energy

54% 14% 59% 12% 50% 15% 53% 12% 56% 13%

International Development

67% 7% 64% 8% 72% 5% 67% 12% 65% 7%

The percentage not shown is Possibly

4 Note: these have not been tested for statistical significance.

MBA Perspectives


Appendix C: Online Survey Form

New Semester, New Perspectives: The Net Impact Survey of MBA Student Opinions on Business and Society

Net Impact is embarking on a multi-year, longitudinal study of MBA students. Results will be shared with the media and broader public to demonstrate how current MBA students view the relationship between business and broader social and environmental concerns. Our goal is to conduct this survey annually to determine how MBA perspectives change over time.

Please note: ONLY CURRENT MBA STUDENTS should participate in this survey. Thank you.

1. For how many years have you been enrolled in your MBA program? 1 2 3 4 5

2. Are you currently a part-time or a full-time student? Part-time Full-time

3. Which MBA program are you in?

4. Are you a Net Impact member? Yes, I have been a member for six months or less. Yes, I have been a member for more than six months. No, but I plan to join in the next month or so. No, but I would like to learn more about it. No, I am not interested in joining

5. Prior (or concurrent) to enrolling in the MBA program, which of the following BEST describes your work experience?

Nonprofit organization Public sector - municipal, state, federal Medium to large business (100+ employees) Small business (under 100 employees) Single person business - no employees No work experience to date

6. Immediately after you receive your MBA degree, which employment site do you most prefer to work in?

Nonprofit organization Public sector - municipal, state, federal Medium to large business (100+ employees) Small business (under 100 employees) Single person business - no employees No work experience to date

7. Five to ten years after you received your MBA degree, which employment site would you prefer at that time?

Nonprofit organization Public sector - municipal, state, federal Medium to large business (100+ employees) Small business (under 100 employees)

MBA Perspectives


Single person business - no employees No work experience to date

8. Please rate your general knowledge today about each of the following categories. Corporate Social Responsibility Environmental Sustainability Nonprofits Social Entrepreneurship Microfinance Renewable Energy International Development

9. Please indicate whether or not you would like to learn more about any of the concepts while you are pursuing your MBA.

Corporate Social Responsibility Environmental Sustainability Nonprofits Social Entrepreneurship Microfinance Renewable Energy International Development

10. Corporate Social Responsibility is a topic that should be integrated into core curriculum classes at MBA programs.

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral/ No opinion Agree Strongly agree

11. Business schools should place more emphasis on training socially and environmentally responsible individuals than they currently do.


12. I believe that graduate business schools are currently preparing students to lead businesses to work towards the betterment of society.


13. I am (or plan to be) a leader in a club or activity at the business school that emphasizes CSR, nonprofits, or other social/environmental benefits.


14. Immediately following business school, I plan to focus on securing a job that is socially responsible.

Strongly disagree

MBA Perspectives


Disagree Neutral/ No opinion Agree Strongly agree

15. During my employment career, I will seek employment that is socially responsible. Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral/ No opinion Agree Strongly agree

16. I believe that businesses should work towards the betterment of society [such as a healthier environment, the eradication of poverty, and other societal issues].


17. I believe that most corporations are currently working towards the betterment of society. Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral/ No opinion Agree Strongly agree

18. Business professionals should take into account social and environmental impacts when making business decisions.


19. The for-profit sector should play a role in addressing social and environmental issues. Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral/ No opinion Agree Strongly agree

20. Corporate Social Responsibility makes good business sense because it leads to financial profits. Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral/ No opinion Agree Strongly agree

21. Corporate Social Responsibility is the "right" thing for companies to do. Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral/ No opinion Agree Strongly agree

22. Please comment about the relationship between business and society (optional).

MBA Perspectives


23. Please enter your email to win a chance for a $100 gift certificate to the online merchant of your choice.

24. Please describe where you currently live. Urban area Suburban area Rural area

25. Are you Male Female

26. What best describes your ethnic and racial heritage? Native American/ Alaskan Native Asian African American / Black Hispanic, non-White Hispanic, White White, not Hispanic Multi-racial

27. Please tell us your country of origin.

28. Please tell us your country of current residence.

29. If you are an American citizen, are you currently registered to vote? Yes No

30. If yes, are you registered: Democratic Independent Republican

31. How often do you vote in presidential, statewide, and local elections? Always Sometimes Rarely Never

MBA Perspectives


Appendix D: Schools Surveyed

Which MBA program are you in? Total RespondentsUniversity of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business 148Duke University - Fuqua School of Business 140

Columbia University - Columbia Business School 111Georgetown University - McDonough School of Business 110Wake Forest University - Babcock Graduate School of Management 104University of North Carolina - Kenan-Flagler Business School 102Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management 77Emory University - Goizueta Business School 71Brigham Young University - Marriott School of Business 70Cornell University - Johnson Graduate School of Management 62University of Wisconsin Madison - Graduate School of Business 62Saint Joseph's University - Haub School of Business 54INSEAD 50University of Denver - Daniels College of Business 48University of Washington - Business School 47University of California Berkeley - Haas School of Business 42Rice University 41Yale University - Yale School of Management 41Erasmus University - Rotterdam School of Management 38Dartmouth College - Tuck School of Business 37Vanderbilt University - Owen Graduate School of Management 37Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU) 36University of Alberta - School of Business 35Purdue University - Krannert School of Management 32IMD Lausanne 29York University - Schulich School of Business 24Simon Fraser University - School of Business 21University of California Davis - Graduate School of Management 21Pepperdine University - Graziadio School of Business and Management 19Harvard University - Harvard Business School 18University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management 18University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business 17Monterey Institute of International Studies 16Thunderbird University - The American Graduate School of International Management

16

Simmons University 15University of Alabama - Manderson Graduate School of Business 13Georgia Tech - College of Management 12George Washington University - School of Business and Public Management 11New York University - Stern School of Business 11North Carolina State University 10University of San Francisco - School of Business and Management 10Carnegie Mellon University - Tepper School of Business 9Instituto de Empresa 9San Francisco State University - College of Business 8Babson College - F.W. Olin Graduation School of Business 7Bainbridge Graduate Institute 6Georgia State University 6University of New Mexico - Anderson Graduate School of Management 6

MBA Perspectives


University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School of Business 6University of Texas Austin - McCombs School of Business 6University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management 6University of California Los Angeles - Anderson School of Business 5Boston University - Graduate School of Management 4Brandeis University 4Indiana University - Kelley School of Business 4Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration - Helsinki 4Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management 3McGill University - Faculty of Management 3Oxford University - Said School of Business 3Stanford University - Stanford Graduate School of Business 3University of Chicago - Graduate School of Business 3University of Colorado - Leeds School of Business 3University of Maryland - Smith School of Business 3University of Virginia - Darden Graduate School of Business Administration 3Washington University - Olin School of Business 3HEC - School of Management 2Indian School of Business 2Melbourne Business School 2Presidio School of Management 2University of Geneva 2University of Kansas - School of Business 2Boston College - Carroll Graduate School of Management 1Dalhousie University - Faculty of Management 1ESSEC 1Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Sloan School of Business 1Penn State University - Smeal College of Business 1Portland State University - School of Business Administration 1Saint Louis University - John Cook School of Business 1Santa Clara University 1University of Arizona - Eller Graduate School of Management 1University of British Columbia - Sauder School of Business 1University of Cincinnati 1University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business 1University of Rochester - William E. Simon Graduate School of Business 1University of Utah - Eccles School of Business 1Villanova University - College of Commerce and Finance 1

MBA Perspectives


Appendix E: Respondent Quotes

“The key business role is to develop society, not profits.”

“Businesses contribute to society if they respect shareholders’ rights and interest. Other than that, it is a waste of time and money.”

“Businesses that cross boundaries and borders have the opportunity to make social change in a way that government simply cannot.”

“My initial impression is that promoting CSR is an attempt to impose liberal policies and politics on corporations and employees. To the extent that is the case, I think CSR promotion would be an economic and moral disaster.”

“Even if CSR has no effect on profits, [businesses] should do it because it's the right thing to do.”

“The word on the street is that this is the only planet currently capable of supporting human life. Any venture that does not actively address this reality should be taxed accordingly.”

“Markets are powerful enough to allocate capital in the best interest of humanity.”

“While doing business, society should be taken care of but it need not go hand in hand. Business is all about making profits and considering society at every stage might not be fruitful for the end result-profit.”

“It should not be a business school’s responsibility to educate or make people more responsible. This should have been done by society and the family decades prior to students undertaking a MBA.”

“Business owes its foundation to an advancing society and thus needs to invest in that advancement.”

“There is a fine line between simply doing good, and making a positive impact on the triple bottom line. It is the latter that many businesses fail to recognize.”

“Business is by itself a force toward social progress.”

“After working in the nonprofit sector for a couple of years, I have determined that the majority of nonprofits lack the efficiency and expertise to address social problems in an efficient manner. Business is the most nimble and capable of the sectors in the US economy.. .therefore, business approaches to solving social problems will be the most capable and practical.”

“The purpose of a company should be to promote and enhance the community in which it resides and society in general. Companies who focus more on earnings and less on social responsibility are counterproductive to this aim.”

“Businesses benefit from society in general and therefore are not only "responsible" but also morally obligated to reciprocate a return on society's investments.”

“CSR gives businesses an excuse not to integrate environmental and social concerns into their core business strategies. As long as these issues are considered only as a way of livening up a company's annual report, they will never fundamentally change their business practices.”

“Businesses help set the standard for socially responsible practices and lead governments in forming the right policies for regulation.”

“Profitability is easy. Changing the world is hard.”

MBA Perspectives


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Net Impact would like to thank all students and administrators who helped to distribute this survey to their student body. We would also like to thank two interns who contributed to this analysis: Sara Martinez and Andrea Schuenke. Finally, a big thank you to member Katerina Tsasis who volunteered her time and expertise to help our statistical analysis and reporting.

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