Part of the accounting curriculum includes an understanding and appreciation of the triple bottom line - values and criteria for measuring organisational and societal success; economic, ecological and social.
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Beyond Grey Pinstripes
University of Cape Town
All Participating Schools
University of Cape Town
Private Bag X3
Cape Town, WC, 7700
South Africa
U. of Cape Town Graduate School of Business
Cape Town, WC, 7700
South Africa
Demographic Information
Number of full-time MBA students (2011):
82
Number of part-time MBA students (2011):
74
Total duration of full-time MBA program:
11 months
MBA faculty (Fall 2010):
55
Females as percent of student body:
37%
Private Sector (99%)
Non-profit (1%)
Government (0%)
Description of MBA Program:
The UCT Graduate School of Business' goal is to be a leading emerging market business school that is relevant both internationally and to its local social context. It strives for excellence in research, teaching and outreach. The school is committed to building a business school model that is grounded in values and based on the paradigm of the emergent market. We define emergent as economies that experience high levels of uncertainty, complexity and often excessive inequality.
The school’s mission is to build and strengthen four pillars of excellence to ensure that we produce responsible leaders with a keen grasp of complex social, ethical and environmental challenges:
1. Academic Excellence:
The GSB is one of South Africa’s leading business schools in terms of research, particularly on issues related to sustainability in business, social entrepreneurship and innovation, diversity in the workplace and in the market, infrastructure reform, and broader governance challenges in emerging economies. We strive to make good use of our position at the tip of Africa, a continent in which the role of business in contributing to sustainable development is especially pertinent. GSB research is published in scholarly journals, as well as the popular media, taking a stand on issues of public concern. There is no uniform position within the GSB on key questions surrounding the role of business in society; rather, we seek to cultivate a culture of debate within the school and beyond, which also enriches students’ experience.
2. Societal Relevance:
The GSB has unique opportunities to contribute to the university’s strategic goal of addressing key developmental challenges facing South Africa and the continent. This includes the all-important teaching and research activities at the GSB, but it also relates to the manner in which we seek to create mutually beneficial relationships with diverse stakeholders. Much of our research has important pertinence for public policy or business strategy, and we strive to enhance such links through, for instance, workshops and conferences for officials or managers. Teaching and training programmes have been developed to proactively target disadvantaged youngsters, as in the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development, in which young people from the Cape townships are supported in an intensive life skills and entrepreneurial development programme. Students in the MBA and other programmes are commonly linked to real-live development initiatives as part of their learning experience, especially in their group work. Some such student involvement in development efforts is organized by themselves, through groups such as our Net Impact chapter, the only one currently active in Africa.
3. Pedagogical Excellence:
The GSB has sought to augment traditional lecture style teaching and case study discussions with alternative approaches that emphasise experiential learning and personal development. A dedicated methodology called SYSTAL (Systems Thinking Action Learning) has been developed and implemented particularly in the Executive MBA, linking systems thinking to on-the-job action learning projects. Such approaches are also implemented in the executive education and customized academic programmes, as well as the MBA. The emphasis on systems thinking allows for the holistic integration of complex social, environmental and organizational issues in the exercises, discussions and projects in the classroom and beyond. A key underlying premise is the need for personal reflection and the development of mindfulness in becoming a responsible leader.
4. Thought Leadership:
The GSB provides genuine thought leadership, not only in South Africa, but also in the wider African continent, as well as the BRICSA countries. This thought leadership is demonstrated to business and society through strong activity in executive education, customised academic learning and a robust culture of debate. The newly launched GSB PhD programme is growing a pool of home-grown African talent that will invigorate the School’s thought leadership in the region.
How does the MBA program 'walk the talk' of social and environmental impact?:
The UCT GSB has various initiatives in place on campus and our hotel run by the Protea Group on our behalf (Breakwater Lodge) with an intended contribution to economic, social and environmental sustainability:
The university as a whole has made important commitments to sustainability and is a signatory to the Talloires Declaration, among others. This also includes important student efforts, with the student-run ‘Green Campus Initiative’ having received national prizes.
At the GSB, we seek to implement and eventually go beyond these university commitments, also bearing in mind the particular opportunities and constraints associated with our campus (we are in a refurbished old prison building) and the hotel that is also part of our campus. The current ZAR50 million refurbishment of the hotel includes many new technologies to reduce energy and water consumption, in particular (including, for instance, intelligent lighting).
More generally, there have been concerted efforts to reduce energy consumption. Our main transformer has been fitted with expensive power correction technology to ensure the property only draws electricity when required and to lower peak usage. All standard lights have been fitted with energy efficient LED bulbs.
With regard to waste, the GSB has an environmental management programme in partnership with a waste management company that recycles almost 50 000 kilograms of waste in an environment friendly manner and also provides employment to a number of previously disadvantaged people. In addition, a recycling programme has been implemented in conjunction with an NGO (OASIS).
To save water (a crucial issue in the Western Cape), the grounds of the GSB have been planted with indigenous and ‘water-wise’ plants. A drip irrigation system is used to also ensure a minimal use of this precious resource.
On socio-economic issues, the GSB is a committed contributor to Black Economic Empowerment, a government policy to redress the injustices of the Apartheid past. All external vendors and suppliers are sourced wherever possible through black economical empowerment and SMME companies; for example, garden services, irrigation vendors and stationary providers.
Students are involved in community outreach programmes either as individuals or in groups such as Habitat for Humanity, Net Impact and involvement in orphanages, HIV/AIDS programmes and tutoring through the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Raymond & Wendy Ackerman Academy for Entrepreneurial Development.
Course Name: Advanced Leadership (Modules 1 & 2)
Instructor: Julia Kukard, Professor Kurt April
In Module 1, a learning outcome is a greater understanding of the individuals' role as a leaders and an increased capacity to read the world (and one's own societal and organisational context) and act more effectively and ethically.
In module 2, a focus area is to reflect on the fundamental assumptions of our humanity, the impact of character conditioning on what one believes is possible and what one deserves - all of this is explored through the lens of an African style leadership where there are high degrees of complexity and often, inequality.
Course Name: Business, Government and Society
Instructor: Professor Thomas Koelble, Assoc Prof Mills Soko, Assoc Prof Ralph Hamann, Mr Jonathon Hanks
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE NOT UPLOADED THE SYLLABI FOR ALL COURSES AS THESE ARE ON A SECURED DRIVE ON OUR NETWORK. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WISH TO HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION.
BGS forms the foundation course of the MBA program.
The objectives of the course included:
- Familiarity with global trends (social, political) and geo-politics
- Understanding of globalization and issues facing an organization entering the global marketplace
- Ability to evaluate governmental and societal issues impacting on firms entering or operating in emerging markets
- Familiarity with global and national regimes for business laws and understanding of risk management and corporate governance
- Understanding of business ethics
- Understanding of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investment
- Understand why companies in South Africa have adopted “Corporate Citizenship” strategies to deal with “Triple Bottom Line” issues such as Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, governance and transparency, HIV/AIDS, corruption, globalization, climate change and human rights.
Course Name: Coaching
Instructor: Janine Everson
The most compelling reason for coaching is that it "makes you a better leader" and covers all aspects of personal and leadership potential including ethical behavious, responsibility and accuntability (amongst other outcomes). The power of coaching offers South Africa the ideal opportunity to assist inthe necessary skills and leadership that still needs to occur.
Course Name: Company Analysis (CAP)
Instructor: Mr Lance Stringer
The MBA learnings culminate in the CAP project which sees groups of students undertaking a full analysis of various companies and NGOs. Using leading-edge methodologies and models, the groups analyse a range of issues - business strategy, history, culture and diversity, operations, production, human resources, environmental impact, sales, marketing and so on. In addition, the local, national and global environments are examined and issues relating to emergent economies and societal context in which companies operate.
Course Name: Depth Consulting and Facilitation
Instructor: Helene Smit
This elective introduces a way of thinking about consulting and facilitation in terms of both people processes that go on above the surface and those that happen below the surface. Elements of the elective focus on culture, race, diversity and people and organisations in the context of South Africa's history.
Course Name: Doing Business in Africa
Instructor: Dr Mills Soko
The principal goal of DBiA is to deepen the understanding of the African commercial environment in all its complexities. The course anlyses the politial, social and cultural contexts in which business operates in Africa; examines the problems and chalenges of doing business in Africa as well as potential solutions; and,discusses the experiences (guest lecturers) of South African companies in Africa and the impact of Chinese trade and investment on the continent.
Students underatke an internship at an African business as part of the elective.
Course Name: Doing Business in China and Asia
Instructor: Kobus van der Wath
The elective explores the complex enviroments of China and Asia at large in doing buisness. Amongst the learnings gained are an understanding of the history, culture and ethics of Chines/Asian emergent economy/ies.
Course Name: Economics
Instructor: Mr Barry Standish
An outcome of this course is an understanding of the current situation of the world economy and the various challenges faced by developed and emerging economies.
Course Name: Emerging Enterprise Consulting
Instructor: Nicolas Pascarel, Andrew Purnell, Elspeth Donovan
The focus of this elective is to facilitate the survival and growth of existing small businesses that are owned and managed by historically disadvantaged South Africans. The elective is designed around the SEE (Supporting Emerging Entreprises) model.
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Type: Community Outreach Projects
Date: November, 2010
People wanting to start their own businesses and those already owning businesses could participate in a talk which focused on motivation for potential entrepreneurs; a conference aimed at changing lives. The talk was organised by MBA students.
To quote: “The idea is to motivate unemployed people in the township, and actually show them that people, who had similar difficulties and backgrounds, were able to achieve their goals and succeed in their careers and in their own businesses.”
Type: Student Association
Launched at the GSB in 2010, Net Impact is an International non-profit organisation with a mission to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.
The organisation is made up of more than 15 000 MBAs, graduate students and professionals around the world, most of whom are emerging leaders in corporate responsibility, social entrepreneurship, non-profit management, International development and environmental sustainability.
Date: May, 2010
The Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship publishes the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Research. The research results are presented annual at a seminar function to guests and the media.
The 2010 seminar focused on small business being the key to addressing the myriad of social, environmental and community issues facing South Africa as there is a lack of confidence in both government and civil society to solve the countries problems.
Further readings:
http://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/MediaClippings/business%20day%2024%20may.pdf
The Extraordinary Speakers Programme is presented by the UCT GSB for our students, alumni and business community in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province. High profile individuals from the private, public and non-profit sectors are invited to speak on a variety of topics. While these vary, examples of issues of social impact include Wendy Luhabe, founder of Wiphold (Women’s Investment Portfolio Holdings) who addressed the socio-economic, environmental and business challenges faced by South Africa and Lumkile Mondi, Chief Economist of the IDC (Industrial Development Corporation) on the business, socio-economic and environmental impact of the credit crunch on South Africa.
Date: November, 2011
Trying to gain a better understanding of the role of business in developing innovative responses to complex social and environmental problems is becoming more urgent and more popular. In the context of limited progress by national and multilateral efforts in meeting some of the Millennium Development Goals or in establishing a fairer climate change regime, there are manifold initiatives that seek to harness the entrepreneurial, innovative, managerial and financial capacities of business, at various scales, to contribute to improved social and environmental outcomes. A more proactive role for business in sustainable development is especially pertinent in sub-Saharan Africa, which has been plagued by conflict and poverty but is showing promising signs of a brighter future.
In this conference we will seek to connect and cross-fertilize various narratives on the business of social and environmental innovation, and to share and distil lessons from across academic disciplines and from successful initiatives in Africa and beyond. We thus invite both scholarly contributions and case studies by entrepreneurs and practitioners.
The conference will officially launch the GSB’s Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It will also ask whether some form of research network would be of value, and if so, in what form.
Date: September, 2010
Assisted by the MBA class of 2010, women students of the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development at the UCT Graduate School of Business met for a workshop where they learned all about personal style and dress savvy; an important skill in the stylish, formal world of business where confidence and first impressions are everything.
The Raymond Ackerman Academy was set up in 2005, through the generous funding of the Ackerman Foundation and is fully supported by Raymond Ackerman, one of the best known entrepreneurs in South Africa. The aim is to provide a platform for previously disadvantaged entrepreneurially-minded youth to learn all the skills needed to survive in the business world.
Date: May, 2011
Many of our economic, social and environmental challenges cannot be addressed by any of us working alone. Collaboration between different organisations in government, business and civil society can be a powerful response potential for partnerships is being increasingly
recognized. However, cross-sector collaboration involves a
number of challenges of its own. Organisations in different sectors often have diverse perspectives and cultures. Though collaboration has intuitive appeal, there are a number of skills and techniques that help to make it work.
The purpose of this annual workshop is to provide an essential introduction to cross-sector partnership with special attention to the South African context. It is aimed at individuals from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, whose organisations are currently involved in, or actively considering, cross sector partnerships. Discussion among the groups will be an important objective, as we expect their experiences to add crucial insights.
The Distinguished Speaker Programme is presented each month and is designed for GSB students, alumni and the business community. High profile individuals from the private, public and non-profit sectors are invited to speak on a variety of topics. Examples of topics with social and environmental impact include well-known author, futurist and scenario planner, Clem Sunter who spoke on our impact on world resources; Professor of Entrepreneurship John Bates from London Business School who spoke on entrepreneurship in SA ; Professor Bruce Chassy, a biochemist at the Universtity of Illinois who spoke on Modern Biotechnology, Ciko Thomas, founder of the first fully black-owned BMW franchise in South Africa who spoke about successful entrepreneurship and Michael Norton, founding trustee of Unlimited UK - a charitable organisation set up by seven leading organisations that promote social entrepreneurship.
The Lunchtime Chat series is presented on an ad hoc basis when opportunites arise to present speakers who are not included in the regular DSP and ESP series.
Speakers have included David Donde of Truth Coffee Cult who spoke on the making of good coffee but more importantly, on the ethics of sourcing the right product for the right price in an ethical (Fair Trade) manner and supporting small entreprises in doing so. Another speaker was Louise van Rhyn of Symphonia who presents Benjamin Zander, the world famous conductor and lecturer who lectures on the "Art of Possibility" for organisations and community programmes.
Date: November, 2010
The Africa Power Colloquium was a prestigious learning and knowledge-sharing initiative organised by the
Management Programme in Infrastructure Reform and Regulation (MIR) at the University of Cape Town
(UCT) Graduate School of Business.
For the past three years, MIR has co-ordinated a groundbreaking peer review process for six of Africa’s electricity regulatory agencies (Namibia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) and this research has provided the impetus for the conference.
The invitation-only event brought together Africa’s leading energy specialists into one powerful forum. Those attending included energy ministers, senior officials, heads of regulatory agencies, heads of utilities, representatives from regional regulatory associations, development finance institutions, and grant agencies, as well as educationalists, trainers and researchers in the field of energy regulation.
At these seminars, researchers from within the GSB and beyond present on their current or recent research projects. Many of the past presentations have focused on sustainability issues. For a list of past and forthcoming speakers, see http://gsbblogs.uct.ac.za/gsbresearchforum/events-lunch-time-seminars
The female GSB students organise an annual Woman in Business seminar to coincide with Woman’s day. The purpose of the seminar is to encourage more women to consider business as a career option and to provide a forum to discuss issues faced by women in business.
IN 2010, the theme was around the role of mentorship of women, finding out how mentoring can bridge a crucial skills shortage in South Africa. Opportunities were also offered to become a mentor or mentee.
Funds raised by the conference are allocated towards a bursary for a previously disadvantaged female student wishing to further her postgraduate studies at the GSB.
Environmental, social and governance concerns are highlighted throughout the MBA as representing important career development opportunities. The career development office takes these issues into consideration when providing information and advice. Notably, a number of students from the 2010 full-time MBA class entered employment in sustainability related fields (with particular emphasis on renewable energy).
Business School Housing? Yes
Number of Faculty: 4
Contact Name: Elli Yiannakaris
Contact Email: elli.yiannakaris@gsb.uct.ac.za
The Raymond Ackerman Academy for Entrepreneurial Development (RAA) was started in February 2005 and is funded by a generous grant from the Ackerman Foundation. The goal of the Academy is to take school leavers primarily, but not necessarily, from previously disadvantaged communities and to promote the development of a spirit of entrepreneurship as a means to personal development and job creation in the South African context.
The Academy’s objectives are to develop numeric and financial literary skills; promote self-development and life-long learning skills, and impart business skill. The course program provides a combination of didactic (classroom) learning, individual learning, group sessions and practical work.
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 4
Contact Name: Anton Eberhard
Contact Email: eberhard@gsb.uct.ac.za
The Management Program in Infrastructure Reform & Regulation (MIR) strives to be a leading center of excellence and expertise for Africa and other emerging and developing economies. Based at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, MIR a
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 4
Contact Name: Faull Norman
Contact Email: norman.faull@gsb.uct.ac.za
http://www.lean.org.za/6201.html
The Lean Institute Africa is the source of advanced 'Lean Thinking' in Africa.
Our Mission is to set in motion the frontiers of Lean Thinking and its implementation across all sectors of the economy, through, summits, networking, publications and workshops.
Business School Housing? Yes
Number of Faculty: 26
Contact Name: Walter Baets
Contact Email: walter.baets@gsb.uct.ac.za
The GSB is developing its academic excellence in the trans-disciplinary theme of Emergent Market Business. In December 2009 the School established the Centre for Emergent Market Business to house its research in this area. There are five systemic research themes within the Centre.
These are:
1) Governance in Emergent Economies
2) Development, Innovation & Technology
3) Entrepreneurial Development & Sustainable Business
4) Diversity, Dynamics & Culture
5) Infrastructure, Reform & Regulation
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 7
Contact Name: Mike Herrington
Contact Email: mikeherr@gsb.uct.ac.za
The UCT Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship was launched in February 2001, and is based at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business. The Center forms an integral part of the academic process at the university through its teaching and research programs. In addition, the Center plays an important part in developing entrepreneurial talent, capacity, skills and support in both the Western Cape and the rest of South Africa. Numerous outreach programs have been developed to provide opportunity for emerging entrepreneurs to interact with highly skilled and energetic MBA students, business school faculty, business mentors and advisors.
Business School Housing? Yes
Contact Name: Walter Baets
Contact Email: walter.baets@gsb.uct.ac.za
The main goal of the Allan Gray Chair in Values-based Leadership is to explore new ways of doing business, based on purpose and sustainability.
Values-based leadership is an exploration in creating dignity and belonging and initiative through business. It is a fundamental questioning of the principles by which the world has been doing business. We’ve seen that how we have been doing business is flawed and has already become quite dangerous. Right now all of society is losing and we should bring in a new way of thinking and doing business. Values-based leadership is a fundamental building block of new business and economic practices.
The vision of the Foundation is to develop high impact leaders and entrepreneurs. Values are implicit in leadership and leaders should be motivated by a sense of purpose.
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The purpose of the present article is to analyse South African listed companies’ public reporting in order to contribute to our understanding of how and why companies consider human rights. The empirical analysis is placed in the context of the increasing prominence of human rights as a business issue, premised in part on the activities of the United Nations (UN) Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on human rights and business. On the basis of a content analysis of the public reports of the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), we test hypotheses focused on the antecedents of companies’ demonstrated human rights due diligence, with particular reference to assumptions or findings of the SRSG and institutional theory. Some of our results are unexpected: there is little influence exerted by the sector and size of companies in our sample, and there is also an unexpectedly insignificant impact of company participation in the UN Global Compact and the JSE Socially Responsible Investment Index. On the other hand, a key predictor of human rights due diligence is an explicit leadership commitment, and important roles are also played by government regulations and stock exchange listing rules.
Industry transformation related to environmental stewardship has received significant scholarly attention over the past decade. However, limited theoretical and empirical work examines the motivations for improving environmental performance in an industry in different countries. In this paper, we develop a set of hypotheses, based in the theory of reasoned action and stakeholder theory, regarding drivers of the adoption of environmental practices in the wine industries of New Zealand and the United States. We test our hypotheses using data from survey questionnaires collected in each country. Our findings suggest that subjective norms and internal stakeholder pressures are common drivers of the adoption of environmental practices in these two countries. However,managerial attitudes and external stakeholder pressures are not significant drivers. Wealso find that managerial attitudes and export dependence are stronger determinants of environmental practice adoption in New Zealand compared to the U.S.
Many of the scandals, indiscretions and collapses, over the last few years, at formerly venerated organizations were the results of toxic relationships, dubious economic models, opaque workplace paradigms, as well as questionable collective and individual actions and behaviours of people who, ordinarily, would not be considered ‘typically criminal’. The individuals involved have typically been people with good education, caring parents, were community contributors and, by all accounts, appeared to be upstanding members of society. Their involvement, therefore, in corrupt acts and relationships thus brings a numbers of issues under question—an important one of which is their ethical maturity, and the forming of that ethical development through important societal institutions such as: religion, education and the family. We set out to understand what some of the stumbling blocks were that prevent individuals from courageously acting on their sometimes vast bases of theoretical/common knowledge with respect to ethics and morals, but which has not yet become common practice. Additionally, we also sought to understand what the various enablers were for individuals who were able to live and act ethically, to further enhance such ethical and moral living and working. Our research sample was 646 middle managers who were all enrolled on the MBA programs of the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and Erasmus University (Netherlands). The research respondents self-reported on both the stumbling blocks and enablers, through writing up their personal experiences for our research. They also reported on what some of the practical actions were that they employed to live and work ethically.
This study explores and identifies the investment criteria used by South African venture capitalists in their venture screening and evaluation processes. Using a Likert scale type of questionnaire, South African venture capitalists (VCs) were asked to rate the investment criteria identified in similar studies abroad and to report any additional criteria of their own. By evaluating the mean ratings, it was found that South African VCs consider the entrepreneur's honesty and integrity; a good expected market acceptance; and a high internal rate of return (IRR), to be the three most important criteria. The South African VCs, just like their overseas counterparts, regard management considerations to be the most important criteria group in the evaluation of new investment projects. The results of this study are deemed useful to both venture capitalists in their decision-making process and to entrepreneurs in their venture capital applications to maximise their success rate.
This study explores the factors that impact the growth and development of the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) sector in South Africa. In addition it investigates the role that SRI has to play in ensuring sustainable economic growth and development for South Africa going forward. Consistent with earlier research, the study’s findings suggest that there are a number of factors which directly impact the growth and development of the local SRI sector. The success of the local SRI sector is dependent on a solid understanding of the concept as well as the ability of the various stakeholders to overcome the identified challenges.
The current economic reality is harsh and tough in showing the consequences of choices we have made over the last decade. At the same time, these harsh consequences open up possibilities to reconnect with concepts of spirituality and sustainability in day to day business practice. This contribution is an attempt to explore the essence of such a new ontology and its consequences for a more consciousness oriented approach to management and organisations. It develops a validated tool that allows managers to materialise concepts like interconnectedness, consciousness and value based management. This new paradigm and its related managerial approach manifestly contain different aspects. Some of those aspects we could label as more spiritual (dealing with connectedness and the inner self), as value driven, as related to awareness in action, as giving meaning to actions. The consequence of those choices will cause companies and organisations to develop an orientation towards sustainable performance that might be able to define a coherent answer to the crisis we observe today. Other than being based on another paradigm or ontology, it is equally characterised by another performance orientation. The contemporary economy has developed a strict orientation on short term shareholder return, and by doing so it has put itself artificially outside the necessary interconnectedness that we have referred to in this contribution. Hence there is little role for consciousness and conscious action in today’s mainstream managerial paradigm. We have ignored the meaning of much of what we do in business; we have ignored its spiritual dimension. For managers or people with responsibility that would like to make the shift themselves into becoming conscious leaders, this papers attempts to contribute the necessary concepts, tool and metric that could help making this shift.
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