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The Monterey Institute of International Studies provides a unique environment in which Fisher International MBA Program students participate with few structural or psychological barriers in innovative and challenging curricula offered by sister degree programs. The Institute’s unique combination of professional graduate schools and degree programs exposes students to diverse professional perspectives. Fisher MBA students may cross-register in courses from other programs, focusing on International Environmental Policy, Social Change Leadership, Development Economics, Human Rights, International Trade Policy, and Language programs. Many customize their MBA learning with a social, ethical or environmental focus. Increasingly, the Fisher International MBA Program collaborates with the sister degree programs under the Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM) in developing courses and new MBA specializations that not only mimic the changes in the real business world, but also allow students to explore differerent perspectives on traditional business theory. This enriching environment leads to developing skilled, reflective and socially minded business leaders. Our program has maintained the tradition of teamwork and cooperation, cross-cultural communication skills, language skills and fluency with core business disciplines. About half of our student body is comprised of international students. The majority of domestic students have significant international experience, either through study abroad programs, Peace Corps experience, internships, or other experiences that give an understanding of the challenges facing responsible business managers in the 21st century. Students build a lifelong network of world citizens leading to mutual understanding and appreciation for each other and their respective home countries. Fisher MBA students are exposed to corporate social impact issues through core business curriculum. While a Specialization in International Sustainable Business or Business and International Development is optional, all of our students are provided with a unique exposure to emerging economies and sustainable development issues. The nature of the Monterey Institute, with its international student body and combination of graduate programs, is such that our students graduate with a facility to conduct business practicing the Triple Bottom Line: sustainable economic development, social responsibility and environmental stewardship.
The Fisher International MBA Program works very closely with the sister programs under the Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM) on activities such as redefining the mission statement for the program to new curriculum development to course design. Our shared vision is to make the School (GSIPM) a place for cultivating values-driven, cross-cultural, cross-border and cross-sector problem solvers and transformational leaders to tackle the world's most pressing problems. The Fisher MBA program chair meets weekly with the other programs chairs to explore and develop cross-program learning opportunities and to leverage the strengths of the sister programs in addressing social and environmental issues. The Fisher MBA students participate actively in cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral courses (e.g. Carbon Markets, National Building, Social Impact Investment) and practicum courses and field projects on rural development, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development (e.g. Team El Salvador, Team Peru, Frontier Market Scouts). For non-business students, MBA courses such as International Strategic Partnerships, Finance and Socially Responsible Investing, Business and Poverty, and Business and the Environment, attract students from the policy programs and the public administration program, which makes the learning environment even more stimulating, realistic and beneficial.
We are also signing on to ANDE, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs. Our new Frontier Market Scouts program is a great example of providing real world experiences for our students while impacting social entrepreneurship opportunities throughout the world.
Sustainability has four dimensions: environmental, social, cultural, and economic. The actions we take at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) are aimed at bringing those dimensions into balance. In Spring of 2008, The Sustainability Council was formed at MIIS as an interdisciplinary organizations which is the hub for all campus sustainability initiatives. Council members represent all departmentns and areas of study at MIIS. Each member works on his or her own project during the course of the semester and reports back to the group during bi-semester meetings. The Sustainability Council also collaborates with Middlebury College's Sustainability Integration Office.
Current Initiatives:
The Monterey Institute has committed to be a carbon neutral campus by 2016. A formal policy outlining this commitment has been approved by higher administration. The Carbon Neutrality Initiative consists of the following components: Greenhouse Gas Audits, Energy and Lighting Overhaul, Air Travel Policy, Waste Reduction initiatives, Recycling, Freecycling, Ewaste programs, Filtered Water Dispenser stations, a community garden, water reclamation and water use reduction strategies, and many more.
Additionally, The Monterey Institute is a signatory of the President's Climate Commitment since May of 2007, and of the Talloires Declaration since April of 2002.
For more information about sustainability at MIIS, please see the website at:http://www.miis.edu/about/sustainability
In the classroom, we discuss some of the unethical charting methods that can occasionally be seen, and also discuss the ethical criteria for eliminating outliers from a data set and for evaluating choices of independent variables in simple linear regression analysis.
The key component of the course involves the use of futures research techniques to develop two scenarios. Although they can take many forms, the key component is to devleop one scenario, typically of a country's future, that is more optimistic and another that is more pessimistic. This helps identify actions that can be taken to enhance the probability of positive actions/outcomes and to forestall negative ones. The focus is a function of student interest. Many of the projects examine environmental issues, while others involve geopolitical issues.
Two of the areas covered in the class are Leadership and Cross Cultural Management, and together they represent about 10-15% of the content. On the subject of Leadership the professor uses some of the negative examples such as Enron and AOL Time Warner to illustrate the impact of bad management. In connection with Cross Cultural Management he uses a case he wrote for an international management textbook and that is attached separately. Given the international interests and diversity of the MIIS students this case always provokes a lively discussion.
The question of why poverty is so persistent and why some countries remain poor, seemingly against all odds, has intrigued economists and other social scientists, and is the central concern of modern development economics. Since the mid-twentieth century, when many former colonies gained independence and started out on their own, experimenting with new economic policies, the questions of development economics have come to acquire an urgency that was not there earlier. And the last twenty years or so have seen an enormous resurgence of research interest in development economics. With so many international organizations and so many governments trying to craft effective policy for development, the rise of interest in development economics is not surprising. But apart from this practical importance, the foundational questions of development economics are also intellectually exciting. This course will give a fairly comprehensive account of modern development economics and, I hope, capture some of this excitement.
Students may arrange a self designed 1-5 credit course to conduct research and undertake projects on areas of specific interest to their MBA curricula and career paths. Each study is individually planned with and supervised by one or more faculty. Over the past two years 90% of these projects have focused on environmental, CSR and/or sustainability issues. Example studies include “Emerging Market Finance and Base of Pyramid Business Models”, “Business, Sustainability and Africa”, “Capital Structure and Climate Change: An International Investigation”, “Corporate Governance and Climate Change Mitigation”, and “AMBAG/ICLEI Local Government Opportunities and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory."
The course includes a week-long module on social entrepreneurship, two case studies that are focused on sustainability and the environment. In addition one of the class projects was for a social entrepreneur Reza Aslan, a world famous author, speaker and commentator. Reza is involved in many social entrepreneurship projects that are sustainable only because of his perosnal and financial committments. We developed a new business model for these ventures that woudl promote education, and at the same time, would be sustainable.
The purpose of this course is to develop competency in economic theory, as it relates to environmental issues, and the analytical skills necessary to evaluate, as well as craft, effective, efficient, and just environmental policies. We will highlight policies that influence (both directly and indirectly) the environment and natural resource use, and analyze their implications. The emphasis will be on identifying and assessing the appropriate economic tools for addressing current environmental issues.
All class sessions had assigned topics and classroom discussion reltaed to environmental management and sustainability.
The course focuses on the business opportunities inherent in many of the world's pressing environmental issues. It introduces students to the concept of sustainable business, and the opportunities and challenges associated with purusing a path to sustainability. The course will address critical questions, including:
-What are social and environmental issues that threaten out sustainability as a society?
-What are the implicatiions of these issues for business?
-How can businesses recognize the opportunities in these challenges?
-What strategies, concepts and tools will help businesses address these opportunities effectively?
The class applies a variety of learnign methods including experiential exercises, field assignments, team research projects and presentations, case discussions, and structured search assignments. Student deliverables include written assignments, an Eco Audit Project, and an environmental design product.
This workshop will explore how business can benefit from reductions in energy and water use, waste minimization, lower virgin material and energy content in products, innovative business models and management tools, toxics substitution, packaging redesign, and other "green" business practices. It is important to document progress with careful metrics: beginning baselines, appropriate benchmarks, clear indicators, and transparent reporting. Students will learn to recognize these hazards and opportunities, then measure and report improvements.
Successful investing is dependent upon the ability to determine the factors that influence the market's valuation of a company… and then judge the accuracy of that valuation. The goal of this course is to demonstrate how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors can be used along with traditional financial metrics to assess risks and opportunities confronting firms. As such, this is a course in socially responsible investing taught from a finance perspective. The importance of “extra-financial” factors in evaluating the risks and opportunities confronting the firm is no longer a fringe area for finance professionals. In 2008 the Chartered Financial Analyst’s association introduced ESG into their curriculum. According to a Thomson Reuters survey released in May 2009, 84% of global buy-side investors said they evaluate ESG criteria to some degree when making investment decisions. Moreover, institutional investors are increasingly vocal in their demands that ESG risks be disclosed to the SEC.
There are three themes to the course. At the outset we will examine the objective of the firm. Should the firm be exclusively shareholder-oriented or should the firm consider wider stakeholder concerns in their decision-making? The answer could surprise you, or at the least give you something to think about! In 1970 Milton Friedman wrote that the social responsibility of business is to make profits. Recently Michael Jensen argued that supplanting the shareholder wealth maximization paradigm with stakeholder objectives could produce decisions inconsistent with long-term sustainability. In brief, having too many criteria by which to judge managers could lead to “gaming the system”.
Part II of the course deals with identification of the three pillars of socially responsible investing: Environmental concerns, social concerns, and governance concerns. We will examine what these factors entail and how the impact on the firm can be assessed.
Part III of the course deals with socially responsible mutual funds. How are they constructed? We will examine four methods for developing SRI funds: screening, ranking companies within industries to identify the best in class in terms of ESG, engagement and activism.
We conclude with your group presentations analyzing the ESG of your selected company.
Annual event for MBA students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as program sponsors, to meet and network. A keynote speaker, cocktail reception and dinner are typical activities.
The 2010 keynote speaker for Fisher Fiesta was Matt Flannery, of kiva.org, speaking on microfinance and business models.
We are in the process of finalizing the program for the 2011 Fisher Fiesta with a variety of speakers.
School pays registration fees for student team to participate in a case competition focused on a sustainable business issue.
With funding sponsorship from the Hayward Family Foundation, a speaker series on key environmental and business issues is offered throughout the school year. Past topics include: Protected Areas Conservation, Low Carbon Energy Road Maps, Global Commodity Supply Chains; Carbon Offsets; Robust Development in a Climate Constratained World, California's Climate Change Legislation and Implications, Empowering Consumers and Transforming Business; and China's Growth and Sustainability Challenges.
Speaker series happens annually throughout the fall or spring semester.
Annual conference presented by Net Impact, featuring sustainable business, environmental management and social change issues. The Campus Net Impact club raises funds to assist students wishing to attend the conference, and the Student Council subsidizes registration and some expenses also.
Student members attended both November 2009 and November 2010.
Student produced event for students, faculty, staff and alumni. November 14, 2010, event focused on "Bringing together innovative companies, thought leaders and trade experts to explore trends, challenges and opportunities for innovation and sustainability." Guest panelists included Beto Lopez of IDEO, Davie Green of Seva Foundation, Mart Bailey of Callaway Private Equity Partners, and Renee Patton of CISCO.
The GLOBE Center at the Monterey Institute of International Studies provides education, consulting and research in the rapidly expanding area of business globalization and localization. The Center assists companies in adapting their products and strategies for a global marketplace. Differences in language, culture, legal regulations or business structure often require companies to make changes to their products, business processes, and resource allocations to better reach target customers abroad. The GLOBE Center places an emphasis in programs on sustainable business and cultural adaptation. The Center helps companies assess their globalization or localization needs, develop strategies and facilitate implementations through the Center's executive development, consulting and research services. The Center also develops curricula in globalization/localization for use in MBA courses and training programs. Customized business courses are provided for students enrolled in the Master's of Translation and Localization Management program as well as for students from the Institute's other graduate degree programs. GLOBE is managed through the Graduate School of International Policy and Management which collaborates with the other graduate programs at the Institute, as well as the Monterey Bay International Trade Association, The Marina Technology Cluster, and the US Export Assistance Center of the United States Department of Commerce in Monterey.
The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) is the largest nongovernmental organization in the world devoted to curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and is the only organization dedicated exclusively to graduate education and research on nonproliferation issues. CNS has a staff of over 40 full-time experts and 25 part-time graduate research assistants, with offices in Monterey, California, Washington, DC, and Almaty, Kazakhstan.
CNS offers scholarships and internships to Monterey Institute students pursuing a Certificate in Nonproliferation Studies, and provides a forum for frequent seminars and discussions involving leading experts and practitioners in the nonproliferation field.
CNS writes and distributes a number of ongoing publications, including The Nonproliferation Review, The International Expert Control Observer, the CNS Occasional Papers series, and The Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes.
The Development Project Management Institute is a professional training program designed to prepare you for long-term development work in Africa, Asia, Latin America or anywhere else where there is extensive poverty, transitional government, or acute emergency. DPMI provides participants with a solid set of skills and tools for designing, assessing and leading change-oriented programs.
Programs are offered in May/June, and in January, in Monterey, CA, Washington, DC, and most recently in Cairo, Egypt.
The Sustainability Council was formed in the Spring semester of 2008 as an interdisciplinary organization which furthers sustainability issues on campus. The members come from all areas of study at the Institute and all departments. Each member works on his or her own project during the course of the semester and reports back to the group at meetings which are scheduled twice per semester. Students are members via two workstudy positions dedicated to the Council.
Current Projects:
-The Carbon Neutrality Intiative-projects and activities to help achieve the goal for MIIS to be a carbon neutral campus by 2016
-project to shift teaching materials to electronic formats and use of ereserve in the library
-evaluation of installing an electronic vehicle recharging station
-collaboration with other local universities on replanting/reforesting of former Fort Ord facility grounds
More information available at: http://www.miis.edu/about/sustainability
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. The campus chapter organizes speakers on ocean sustainability, environmental management issues, sustainable seafood and restaurants, etc.
This is a student lead association to represent the student view on programming, events, activities, etc, for the MBA program. Students have organized fundraisers, participate in welcoming in new students during orientation, have planned and presented both the Fisher Fiesta and the Fisher Forum, and conduct surveys on behalf of the Fisher Program administration.
In December of 2010 the MBA Association organized a food and toy drive to benefit the local Boys and Girls Club.
Campus chapter of the premier organization focusing on triple bottom line content being added to MBA curriculum and providing opportunities for MBA students to network.
Our campus chapter organizes speaker series, conferences, field trips to sustainable businesses, and collaborates with other student clubs on campus on events.
The Peace Corps Club is open to returned Peace Corps volunteers, current students enrolled in the Master's International Peace Corps programs on campus, and other interested students, staff, and faculty on campus. They hold social events, participate in the Annual Peace Corps Week activities by giving talks on campus or at local schools, do fundraising events to send care packages to PCMI students serving abroad or to fund development projects undertaken by PCMI students or RPCVs. The Peace Corps club also presents an exhibit during the International Bazaar each Spring showcasing information about countries of service and the development projects completed, informing the campus community about social and environmental issues worldwide.
Student initiative to develop an organic garden on a vacant lot on campus. Organic farming practices, composting, organic pest control, rainwater reclamation systems, reforestation seedling project, and drought resistant varieties will be utilized in the garden. Students, faculty, and staff may donate time to maintain the garden and receive organic veggies and fruits in payment. Any excess production will be donated to local food bank. Local community members are also invited to hold plots in the garder.
The article outlines the development of a project-based capstone marketing course, specificially designed to provide marketing students with an international community service learning experience. It differs significantly from previous studies, which focus on integrating service learning into existing marketing courses and on helping local nonprofit organizations. The focus of the course outlined in this article is on strengthening marketing-related competencies acquired through earlier coursework; developing broader work-related competencies, such as cross-functional thinking, teamwork, communication and cultural sensitivity; and operating a collegiate chapter of a nonprofit engaged in international community service. The course described is well aligned with other significant trends in undergraduate business ecucation: it is multidisciplinary, it emhpasizes collaborative learning, it is founded on carefully atriculated learning outcomes, and learning success is assessed. It provides a transformational experience and prepares students for a global and diverse workplace. A framework for course design in presented, and a set of pedagogical materials is provided that other marketing educators can use to develop and launch a signifcant international, multidisciplinary community service learning course.
In response to political, social, and competitive forces, many firms are developing sustainable marketing strategies. Marketing educators can play an important role in assisting these firms by developing curricula that build the knowledge and skills required to enable marketing graduates to contribute to sustainable marketing efforts. Marketing graduates must not only understand but also be equipped to apply a sustainable marketing thought process to the challenges businesses face today. The authors assist in this goal by (a) presenting key learning objectives in the area of sustainable marketing, (b) describing learning activities that will help sutdents achieve the learning objectives identified, and (c) providing resources that not only support the learning objectives but also connect them to traditional marketing concepts, as well as to concepts from other disciplines.
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