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The MBA program begins with a course titled Introduction to Sustainability – a course that immerses students in the theoretical underpinnings of sustainability, but which quickly begins the process of translating the balance of social, ethical and environmental issues with the realities of current organizational practice. The sequencing of this course builds a foundation onto which students build competencies in more traditional core business concepts, such as finance, accounting, strategy, human resources, and marketing. This approach is a differentiating element of the program, which results in students beginning from a place of sustainability, rather than adding sustainability as but one element of a narrower perspective.
Students, from this first course, are challenged to view business as but one system nested within a complex global system in which all three bottom lines must operate and interconnect. While this holistic, “systems perspective” is often celebrated in popular business press, our students put this perspective into practice in assignments throughout the curriculum, and through field trips and consulting projects.
The consulting projects are essential to preparing students for the current business world. In at least two courses, students work with a local business, or in some cases governmental or nonprofit organizations, to conduct a consulting project from the scope of work through a final written report and public presentation. These projects are not created as hypothetical case studies, rather, the faculty liaise with the business community in New England to identify needs of these the businesses to which students could contribute. Students typically find that some of their hardest and best work results from these projects, and they are among their most rewarding experiences at Antioch.
Field trips are also a necessary component of Antioch’s MBA that prepares students for current sustainability challenges in business. Over the course of their time at Antioch, they will visit a range of businesses in a variety of locations in order to see first-hand the challenges that these business face when considering and implementing sustainability initiatives. The trips are purposefully structured so that students can see and interact with businesses at each point on the sustainability continuum – from initial discussions about the idea, to impressive installations of energy management systems and shared employee ownership.
The experience of the students at Antioch is driven by an impressive faculty who are unique in that each member has at some point worked in an organization, and many continue to be involved in organizations, serving on nonprofit boards and volunteering time to chair committees. These activities ground the faculty in not only the “real world,” but they sharpen their perspectives and knowledge of the state of the field. This knowledge then becomes a part of the classroom experience, building from and adding to students’ own experiences.
In sum, students leave Antioch with a strong understanding of core business competencies, and using a systems lens, they understand the points at which business intersects with a range of natural and social systems. They are able to articulate the current challenges that a variety of size and types of businesses face – both financially and within their sustainability agendas. Students understand that progress has been made, but that much work is left to do; they embrace this challenge after graduation just as they do during their time at Antioch.
Antioch University New England’s tradition of “walking the talk” begins with our facility, where our students, faculty and staff learn and collaborate. The facility is a re-purposed manufacturing facility, with classroom space that is shared between our degree programs, thus reducing the need for unused space. The facility’s location allows a maximum amount of natural light to filter into both office and classroom space, reducing the need for artificial lights. Guidance on workspace efficiency is provided in part by a “Green Guru” (a student position), who is currently conducting energy audits of both shared and individual office spaces.
How our students, faculty, and staff get to campus is another focal area. Many staff members walk or bike to work, and the campus added a second bike rack in the past year to accommodate these demands. Workshops on commuting, including community forums and bike mechanic classes, have raised the alternative commuting profile even further.
At a systems level, the Sustainability & Social Justice Coordinator sits on the President’s cabinet, and thus is one of the most critical positions in the University. She coordinates the Sustainability & Social Justice Committee, on which one of the Department of Organization & Management’s core faculty now serves.
This committee, in concert with suggestions from students, faculty and staff, has implemented a range of initiatives on campus related to sustainability, including a recycling program (which includes a re-use space where anyone can swap used items), composting program (which includes compostable food ware and restroom paper towels), use of environmentally-friendly cleaning products, becoming a test site for porous concrete, and the use of LED lighting where possible.
Sustainability is also integrated into the curriculum across many degree programs at Antioch University New England. These include not only the MBA, but programs in the Environmental Science Department, and the Educating for Sustainability degree offered in the Department of Education.
Finally, the University asks students, faculty and staff to participate in sustainability activities; these go beyond sharing the state of the field, and involve Antioch stakeholders in strategic conversations about how the University can “walk the talk” even stronger.
Models of human resource practice that support fairness, well being, and high performance for employees; a model of organizational justice applied to human resource practice; attention to social diversity as an aspect of human resource practice.
Students in this course participate in multiple field trips to observe earth systems in organizations. In addition they participate in a consulting project where they are asked to solve a sustainability challenge for an organization. These activities allow students to see how the intersection of social, environmental and ethical issues interface with nonprofits, corporate, and government organizations. These hands on experiences are cornerstones of this course. There is also theoretical emphasis on ecological issues facing the planet and students practice how to bring these issues into conversations at the organizational level. Students practice their communication skills with written work and presentations. Ultimately, students show their mastery of this course content by addressing issues of social, environmental and ethical issues in an organizational case study and a client consulting project.
The exploration of ecological economics involves learning an array of applied methodologies for analyzing the impacts of business practices, projects and policies on a sustainable development strategy. We start from a shared belief that sustainable development models are preferable to conventional economic development models. Starting from this ethical common ground, the course focuses on providing the students with tools for measuring progress towards an equitable, sustainable future.
The course begins by focusing on traditional economics, framed by a utilitarian worldview. The course highlights the role that values play in organizing economic institutions. This course will peel back the ‘values veneer’ for both utilitarian and sustainability oriented enterprise.
The course examines the social capital marketplace within the framework of the smaller scale social purpose entrepreneur. By approaching the social entrepreneur through the investor portal, students will gain exposure to the carrying costs of triple bottom line.
We will review microeconomic theory, recalling the market equilibrium model and exploring its fit to broad sustainability analysis. Within the economics discipline, the course will survey the range of contemporary practices for incorporating impacts defy economic categorizations.
The course bridges the ecological economics/social entrepreneurship field with a shared focus on the measurement of social returns.
Managers in organizations need to be able to locate, read, and analyze a variety of financial and non-financial information in order to make informed decisions and evaluate the success of their operations. This course is intended to develop the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate financial reports. The course will also expand beyond traditional financial concepts and explore the concept of a “sustainable business”. We will explore alternative measurement systems and reporting formats that can provide a broader context for evaluating not only economic performance, but social and environmental impacts as well.
This course uses a variety of readings, discussions, and activities through which students understand the evolution of the essentially contested concept of sustainability, its applications, and the challenges that lie ahead for advancing what is commonly called “the sustainability agenda.” Every individual has their own conception of what sustainability means, and the degree to which it should be implemented in a given context; the course works from these individual understandings, building in the theoretical underpinnings of sustainability in order to apply it to organizational environments.
Specifically, students will first gain an understanding of sustainability through the lens of systems thinking, as rooted in ecological and social systems, and will then apply that thinking in organizational settings through such frameworks as adaptive leadership and the soft systems methodology (SSM).
The course proceeds conceptually in an hourglass format, with a broad introduction at the beginning, followed by a narrower perspective of the theoretical foundations of sustainability, and finally a return to broader applications of these theories in the context of organizations.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to “see” sustainability and articulate components of it in the language of systems thinking.
This course approaches marketing sustainability not as selling the sustainability of a company or product, but marketing authentically; that is, speaking openly about both positives and negatives of a company and its products and services, and admitting that you are on the journey to sustainability as well.
To accomplish this, the course first addresses the place of marketing within a broader communication strategy, and its alignment with the organization’s mission, vision, and products & services. There is as much science as there is art to marketing, and so a portion of the course is dedicated to the in-depth study of the principles of marketing. The course then builds on that understanding through the exploration of cases, case studies, and a course-long consulting project designed to allow students to create a marketing plan in teams. The plan is presented to the clients at the end of the course.
Specific topics will include strategic alignment of marketing within an organization, building a marketing plan, marketing research, messaging, “the four Ps” (Price, Product, Place, Promotion), and evaluation.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to design and write their own marketing plan, and understand marketing’s integral role in business operations.
This course begins with prereading addressing the elements of sound decision making. Students then move on to in depth study of purposeful strategic, systemic planning using sound judgment in selecting appropriate decision-making methods and actions that assure financial, organizational and environmental sustainability. In addition, three guest speakers visit the class, the CEO of a for profit, high tech organization, the Chief Sustainability Officer for a major food producer, and the Executive Director of a food cooperative. Students also read, analyze, six selected cases with an emphasis on developing long term strategy with a strong sustainability focus. One of the cases is selected for group presentations and another to be the subject of a final paper.
This course begins with prereading covering Supply Chain Management basics, as well as a case study, to jump start class discussion. Students then move on to some more technical aspects of the technology supporting supply chain efficiencies, as well as how to construct scorecards for supply chain partners focusing on technical, social, and environmental practices. The students also participate in an online supply chain simulation and analyze the resulting statistics and metrics. There is also a field trip where students visit an organization and have a tour, presentation, and questions and answers with the CEO. In addition, a guest speaker, who is the Supply Chain VP for a major wholesale grocer, visits the class. We also focus on value chain and shareholder values, as well as virtue ethics in supply chain collaboration. Students read, analyze, and do a group presentation on selected cases with an emphasis on sustainability and partnerships. Student are also required to choose an organization, analyze its supply chain characteristics with respect to efficiencies and sustainability issues, present their findings orally, and in a final paper. For the Green IT Operations portion of the course the focus is on energy production, consumption and the environment with emphasis on smart electrical grids, smart data centers, and energy efficient use of Information Technology in general and, more specifically, in support of green supply chain management.
The ability to work collaboratively in groups and teams is essential to developing
sustainable solutions to complex issues, effectively implementing those solutions,
and creating productive and humane organizations. High performing teams draw on the expertise and creativity of all members to produce results. This requires the ability to work skillfully with human diversity within organizational and global contexts. It also requires the ongoing enhancement of awareness of one’s internal reactions and behavioral patterns and the ability to develop behavioral responses that align with one’s goals and values.
Developing high performing teams requires knowledge and skill. This course provides a framework for understanding group dynamics and stages of group development and how to match leadership style to group needs. It also provides specific skills in managing meetings, facilitating collaborative decision-making, and giving and receiving feedback.
A framework for working effectively with social diversity is presented as integral to working collaboratively and creating high performing teams.
AUNE's Net Impact Chapter Supports Local CONNECT Event
Antioch University New England's Net Impact Chapter was a proud community partner for the fifth annual Hannah Grimes Center CONNECT event — Investing In Our Local Living Economy.
Keynote speaker was Ari Derfel, entrepreneur and executive director of Slow Money. He discussed ways that communities can provide the support that local enterprises need. Additionally, Patti Powers of Cheshire Garden was honored as the Hannah Grimes 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year.
Each year Antioch's Department of Organization & Management sponsor's the bi-annual conferences of New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) and Vermont Businesses for Responsibility (VBSR). Faculty, staff and students attend the conference to represent the MBA in Sustainability program and to network with other individuals and organizations on social and environmental topics.
These conferences are held biannually in the fall and spring.
Businesses and Social Responsibility: What are the costs? What are the benefits?
Polly Chandler, chair of AUNE’s Department of Organization and Management and representative with both the New Hampshire and Vermont chapters of Businesses for Social Responsibility, hosted a panel of local business leaders who talked about their businesses and about what considerations went into the decision to run their operations with social responsibility as an explicit part of the business model. Topics included employee compensation, environmental impact, sourcing of parts and ingredients and investing responsibly. Panelists included Chroma Corporation’s Paul Millman, ’73; New England Wood Pellet’s Steve Walker; and W.S. Badger Company’s Bill Whyte.
The Net Impact Leadership Team hosts monthly social network gatherings for MBA students. Each meeting focuses on a different topic related to content in their degree program and/or career development for MBA students.
Students, Alumni and Faculty Member Attend Net Impact Conference.
On October 28 through October 30, eight current Antioch University New England Green MBA students, two alumni and one faculty member attended the 18th annual Net Impact Conference, 2020: Vision for a Sustainable Decade. The conference was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was hosted by the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Along with the eleven AUNE attendees, over 2,500 people from around the world converged on Ann Arbor to network and learn from each other and from leaders in the field of sustainable business. The goal of the conference was to challenge attendees to envision their role in working toward a sustainable future. In three days, there were ten keynote speakers, a job expo and over 120 sessions discussing topics such as career development, corporate impact, energy and clean tech, the environment and natural resources, international development, investing for impact, social innovation, and urban revitalization and community development.
Net Impact is a global network of leaders who are changing the world through business. Net Impact is made up of undergraduate, graduate and professional chapters from around the world. AUNE's Net Impact Chapter is in its fourth year of existence and is led by students Zack Luby and Richard Lawton, and faculty advisor Polly Chandler.
Many students who come to the MBA program are employed at matriculation, and are either sustainability champions in their current environment, or are hoping to take what they learn and experience at Antioch and apply it to a new position. The integration of sustainability across the program’s curriculum helps students to imagine sustainability in all aspects of a business, from finance to marketing and IT, which in some cases results in a new way of thinking about what sustainability is in business.
Because sustainability is evident at all points in the curriculum, students typically view consulting projects, field trips, and organizations like Net Impact as a chance to network with business leaders who are doing the work of sustainability in business throughout New England and beyond. Additionally, students find their practicum experience to be a chance to network with businesses and other organizations as they complete research for a final project.
All of our students are entrepreneurial, and some of them choose to start their own businesses following graduate school. This process is facilitated through a hands-on semester-long project in which students write a complete business plan that is presented at the end of the term to a group of angel investors for feedback.
Finally, students network through Antioch alumni who are currently working in sustainability-minded businesses and organizations across the country. The program is young, but strives to involve alumni with current students’ networking efforts.
Antioch’s MBA students founded a chapter of Net Impact in 2007 to serve multiple needs: connection with a broader network of social change students and businesses, national conference accessibility, service to local businesses, career development, and ongoing webinar training with national leaders. Since then, the chapter has grown in both membership and enthusiasm, and was awarded “Silver Status” for these efforts in 2010, an award given to only 15 percent of the top chapters among MBA programs. At present, students can’t imagine Antioch without it.
Antioch’s Net Impact works to host community events, provide networking connections for career development, and create a venue for our students to discuss and analyze business trends beyond the classroom. These events include a national conference, where Antioch’s students gather with the over 2,500 global Net Impact participants to brainstorm, workshop, and learn from luminaries in the field of sustainable business.
This study explores the role balance plays in the leadership self-identity of women college presidents. Their understanding of themselves as leaders reveals the complexity of leadership. Balance goes beyond juggling personal and professional lives and time commitments. It encompasses embracing weaknesses as well as strengths without losing competence or credibility, understanding that self-confidence and missteps are compatible, knowing that language can divide as well as unite, and recognizing that leadership includes loneliness and distance along with connection and praise. Using narrative inquiry, the research examines the following: how these women describe and define themselves as leaders, what personal attributes contribute to their leadership, their past and future career intentions, how their relationships influence their leadership self-identity, and the stories they tell about themselves and their experiences. A clear picture of leadership self-identity as a holistic concept emerges, integrating five critical components—balance, authenticity, leading through relationships, composing a life, and learning. The complexity and nuance of balance as a facet of leadership, and the resulting implications for identifying and selecting leaders, is the focus of this article.
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