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Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School

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Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School
Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School
 Reep 1
Gent, , 9000
Belgium
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Demographic Information

Number of full-time MBA students (2011): 

87

Number of part-time MBA students (2011): 

95

Total duration of full-time MBA program: 

12 months


Description of MBA Program: 

Guiding Principles

 

As with any corporate body Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School must express itself in terms of the aims it seeks to achieve and the guiding principles that rule how those aims may be met. These are defined in out mission statement and basic values - to which ALL personnel and programme participants explicitly subscribe on agreeing to join our activities. It is appropriate to consider the extracts from our mission and values that define our corporate, community and environmental positions.

 

The mission statement of the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School states that it is an international academic school of management that aims to make an important contribution to professionalising management and encouraging entrepreneurship. The school realises this mission through rigorous and relevant scientific research and by offering a wide range of high-quality management courses with a specific European dimension. We welcome students, managers and organisations from all over the world. To accomplish our mission, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School applies the following basic values:

 

• Synthesis

 

• Sense of Entrepreneurship

 

• Integrity and Autonomy

 

• Respect for Diversity

 

• Customer Orientation

 

To focus on the latter three values - Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is convinced that integrity is a fundamental value for every organisation as well as for that organisation's management. The community can expect the School to contribute to the development of an ethical conscience in all its activities and in its relationship with all its stakeholders. To achieve this, we pay particular attention to the social responsibility of managers and organisations. As a scientific institution, for example, we actively take part in the debate on corporate responsibility and corporate social responsibility. We have also incorporated this theme in our course activities. You should clearly sense that we acknowledge and apply a coherent and explicit value system in every contact with the School. Freedom of expression is of vital importance for an academic institution like ours. Vlerick cherishes its autonomous position and approaches its environment in an objective and unbiased manner.

 

Vlerick makes maximum use of the richness provided by the diversity of its clients. For its part, the School wants to guarantee its clients an environment that respects and promotes diversity.



Academic Department

Course Name: Business & Law
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Louis Verbeke

The focus of the Course is to provide non-lawyers with a basic understanding of the norms and ‘fences’ that are the basis of the European Union (EU) business law environment, which is increasingly deemed to be a ‘multilateral’ way forward.  Through ‘Socratic’ teaching, case studies and ‘M&A’ days, students are given an EU perspective on the global legal environment, corporate decision-making in the EU, financial law and the ethics of law.

Related topics covered in this course:
Corporate governance
Ethics and the law
Environmental protection
New forms of legislation in global context

Course Name: Business Ethics & CSR
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Celine Louche , Prof. Dr. Nigel Roome

In a world that is characterised by an ever-changing and complex system shaped by globalisation, new modes of regulation and technological changes, managers are faced with increasing calls for sustainable forms of development, stakeholder scrutiny, corporate scandals and cultural and ideological conflicts that pose new risks and challenges for business.  Through lectures, discussions, business testimonials and teamwork, the course provides of the relationship between business and society, highlighting the social, environmental and economic responsibilities major corporations face and the tensions that exist between these responsibilities.  Students are also given an insight into the limitations and benefits related to responsible management in the highly competitive global business environment, an understanding of the major stakeholders that interact with corporates, and are given the concepts and tools to confront CSR issues.

Course Name: Corporate Finance
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Andre Thibeault, Prof. Dr. Cynthia Vanhulle

The course is premised on the understanding that practically every decision taken by a business has financial implications.  Consequently insights are provided into how the financial health of a company should be evaluated, how different investment and financing decisions interact, and how the objectives of a business are to be achieved.  By way of lectures, case studies and a project, students are inspired to apply fundamental concepts and tools in corporate finance to the business world. This course also examines the ethical and social dimensions of corporate finance.

Topics discussed include:

Maximizing shareholder value
Return on investment (social return)
Exploration of ethical issues in finance practices
Role of financial markets in social and economic development
Long-term and short-term impact of finance decisions

Course Name: Decision sciences
Instructor: Dr. Mario Vanhoucke

Based on the importance of building explicit models to analyzing decisions, the course focuses on various techniques applied by managers in their decision-making processes. In addition to providing a detail discussion of linear and integer programming, a case study, a decision tree analysis and a simulation are used to emphasise the applicability of the theory to management situations.

The course examines the ethical and correct use of statistical data and the importance of correct representation of data.

Course Name: E-Supply Management
Instructor: Dr. Steve Muylle

The course highlights the increasingly important role of supply management, providing current and future executives, managers and strategists with the insights and frameworks that are pertinent to managing supply processes within the context of an integrated supply chain.  By way of lectures and case studies, students are given insight into conventional supply management and key aspects of the supply management field.

The course also deals with social and environmental implications of supply chain management, including sustainable supply chain management and green supply chain management.

Course Name: Entrepreneurship
Instructor: Prof. Hans Crijns, Prof. Dr. Miguel Meuleman

The course immerses students in the entrepreneurial process from the perspective of a practitioner, providing them with greater insight into developing opportunities into viable business models that spawn growing new ventures.  With the help of a multi-disciplinary business game that ultimately requires a business plan to be devised for a start-up company, the most important entrepreneurial principles are entrenched.

Topics include:
Social entrepreneurship
Responsibilities of the entrepreneur to all stakeholders
Social versus economic results
Role of entrepreneurship in developing economies
HR development

Course Name: Financial Accounting
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Filip Roodhooft

The financial accounting course provides a general understanding of the financial reporting process, with special reference to preparing and analysing financial statements – balance sheets, income statements, statements of stockholder equity and cash flow statements.  Through lectures and case studies students are afforded an understanding of the accounting function, key accounting concepts and decision making based on financial accounting information.

The following topics are also discussed:
Ethical and governance issues
Accounting ethics
The role of accounting rules, corporate governance and regulators, etc. in improving the quality and transparency of financial reporting

Course Name: Giving Something Back Project
Instructor: Different professor depending on topic

To help retain a balanced perspective between the roles of business, the individual and the wider society and environment in which we live the Vlerick MBA includes a project wherein students carry out a piece of work aimed at assisting an NGO in developing some aspect of their activities.Throughout the year of the Vlerick MBA, working in small teams, students will identify and prepare how they can assist an NGO. The parameters of the project have to be developed by the group and must have the support of the programme director (and possibly the NGO.) This will be implemented (where practical) towards the end of the study period in order that the benefits of the programme can be transferred to the recipient NGO.This is a major opportunity to establish a balance of behaviour - between traditional profit-centred activity (e.g. the in-company project) and sustainable social and environmental development for all the Vlerick MBA graduates.

Course Name: Human Resource Management
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Dirk Buyens

The way organisations manage their human resources is a very important determinant of their competitive advantage.  The most effective multi-national, start-up, profit and non-profit organisations understand the importance of integrating human resource management practices into all spheres of their organisations to ensure that they attract, retain and motivate their employees.  Theoretical sessions, case studies and guest speakers are used to impart knowledge and understanding of key concepts within human resources management.

Relevant social impact management topics addressed in this course include:

labor standards
work/life balance
corporate image
diversity in the workforce
HR as a competitive advantage
alternative reward systems

Course Name: Innovation Management
Instructor: Dr. Walter Van Dijck

This course provides a broad overview of the different concepts, topics, approaches and instruments related to the field of management innovation and technology.  In addition to being given an overview of the origins of the innovation process, with special reference to the relationship between market structure and innovation, and the major sociological theories regarding innovation and technology, students are also given guidance on strategic management and innovation, the management of day-to-day operations in innovative environments and the management of innovative professionals.

Relevant topics discussed in this course:
importance of innovation to economic development and social change
social challenges for innovation

Pages

Type of Offering

Transparency International Belgium

Transparency International, the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption, brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world.

TI’s mission is to create change towards a world free of corruption. FT MBA students are invited to all events organised and hosted by TI in Belgium

Vlerick Giving Something Back Project
Type: Student Project
Date: 2010

As an integrated part of the Full-Time MBA program, students work in teams on projects that have an environmental or social impact. The idea is to make our MBA graduates more aware of the environment and communities they live in and affect with their decisions both as individuals and as business people. Although these projects are incorporated in the MBA program and students can count on the support of the school and its staff and faculty while developing and executing their projects, they are not assessed.

Introduction to Managers Without Borders
Date: 2010

Managers Without Borders is a Vlerick based organization that builds bridges between managers, the business world, NGO’s and impoverished businesses in developing countries. The event will highlight how students can become active during or after their MBA in this organization.

Career Services

Via the platform business speaker events, Career Services in collaboration with business and the students organize topic specific events. This year we already have two events in the planning that have social impact or environment as a theme.

Each year, we also invite speakers are also invited from the non-profit sector in order to also expose the students to the not traditional MBA industries.

Through the lecture series for career services we aim to again create an awareness amongst our students of their environment and community and how they can affect this environment both as an individual and as a manager.

Managers without borders
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 2

Managers without Borders is a Vlerick based and supported organization that builds bridges between managers, the business world, NGO’s and impoverished businesses in developing countries.

IBiS - Impulse Business in Society
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 3

IBiS’s core purpose is to produce and generate scientific and business research, and also to directly contribute to the learning environment of students and businesses on the aspects of business and society.The aim is to contribute to the development of knowledge on new forms of management and governance, which are a prerequisite for tackling issues related to business in society, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, or business ethics.

Fields of expertise:
- Corporate social responsibility
- Socially responsible investment
- Stakeholder management
- Development and implementation of the concepts of sustainable enterprise
- Organizational change
- Corporate governance

Activities
- Education and Training programs
- Research

Philip de Woot Award
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 2

The “Philippe de Woot Award” aims to promote a sustainable corporate social responsibility by awarding, every two years, a Master student from a Belgian School of Management for his/her Master thesis which constitutes an original contribution to the understanding and thinking of CSR. The award is an initiative of the Louvain School of Management in cooperation with Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, Universiteit Antwerpen Management School, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, ICHEC and HEC Management School - University of Liège.

EABIS – European Academy of Business in Society
Business School Housing? No
Number of Faculty: 4

Vlerick is one of the founding members of EABIS. The Academy of Business in Society (EABIS) is a unique alliance of companies, business schools and academic institutions, the support of the European Commission, committed to integrating business in society issues into the heart of business theory and practice in Europe. EABIS was established in 2002 after CEOs and deans across Europe agreed on the urgent need for more and better knowledge and skills on business in society issues.


We aim to:


-Shape and enhance the quality of debate on the role of business in society


-Equip current and future business leaders with the mindset and capacity to put business in society at the heart of the way companies are run by integrating the changing role of business in society into the mainstream of business research, education and training


-Transform the way that business leaders, academics, policy-makers and others interact and communicate on business in society issues amongst themselves and with a wider audience-Inform policy-making on issues of business in society 


 

Vlerick Angels

Each year students from different programs join efforts

- to support a social project through fundraising
- to do fundraising for scholarships to support potential students with a financial need
- to acknowledge a company that is doing particularly well in a specific area of CSR

MBA Social Debate Group

Full-Time MBA students meet monthly in small discussion groups to discuss issues related to social and environmental themed readings they shared.

Run for Africa

Vredeseilanden is an organization that wants to contribute to viable livelihoods and empowerment of organized family farmers, male and female.

Each year they organize in conjunction with the 20k run in Brussels a "Run for Africa" where runners engage in fundraising by finding sponsors for every kilometer that they will run. The school sponsors all students, staff, and faculty participating in this run.

Corporate governance in the debate on CSR and ethics: Sensemaking of social issues in management by authorities and CEO's.
Author(s): Fassin, Y. (Vlerick); Van Rossem A. (Vlerick)

Research Question/Issue: The aim of the present exploratory cognitive study is to uncover how opinion leaders, i.e. CEOs and other authorities in the domain of social issues in management, understand and differentiate the various concepts pertaining to corporate governance, CSR and business ethics. The present study with the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) extends the sensemaking analysis, to the whole spectrum of social issues in management. For this research 41 RGT interviews were conducted in Belgium with top experts and CEOs of the Belgian economy and civil society.
Research Findings/Insights: Both, authorities and CEOs pragmatically and rather clearly differentiate the various concepts related to corporate governance, CSR and business ethics. Our findings partially reject the confusion in terminology noticed in recent academic literature and in corporate communication, emphasizing increased vagueness and overlapping of the concepts around corporate governance, CSR and business ethics.
Theoretical/Academic Implications : While CSR is seen as the best candidate for an umbrella term, no unified paradigm has yet be achieved in the business and society field. Three basic concepts of corporate responsibility, corporate governance and business ethics emerge as being complementary. Corporate governance has acquired an important place in the hierarchy of business and society concepts.
Practitioner/Policy Implications: Corporations cannot restrict their actions and communication regarding social issues in management to one single domain. Several complementary issues have to be addressed simultaneously. This combined multi-dimensional approach will result in mutual reinforcements of the message.

Journal Title: Corporate Governance – An International Review Volume: Edition: 17 (5) : Page Numbers: 573 - 593
Inconsistencies in Activists' Behaviours and the Ethics of NGOs.
Author(s): Fassin, Y. (Vlerick)

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and pressure groups have taken up the mission of counterbalancing the huge power of the multinational corporations. Curiously, while most NGOs have a sincere ethical background and a genuine ethical motivation, the way some activist groups and NGOs themselves act does not always live up to the principles they advocate.
Research using a multiple case study methodology is used to provide an illustration of various questionable practices followed by pressure groups revealing a range of tactics. The concerns, the objectives and the legitimacy of NGOs and activist groups will be discussed, along with their strategies and tactics. A framework will be developed as a basis for analysing the ethical aspects of the various NGO actions. The analysis of the cases will reveal some worrisome inconsistencies between the demands and the practices of NGOs and activist groups. Should not the means employed by activists and NGOs be consistent with their own espoused or implied values? As power gives responsibility, NGOs should be seen as having corporate stakeholder responsibility.

Journal Title: Journal of Business Ethics Volume: Edition: 90 (4) Page Numbers: 503-521
The stakeholder model refined.
Author(s): Fassin, Y.

The popularity of the stakeholder model has been achieved thanks to its powerful visual scheme and its very simplicity. Stakeholder management has become an important tool to transfer ethics to management practice and strategy. Nevertheless, legitimate criticism continues to insist on clarification and emphasises on the perfectible nature of the model.
Here, rather than building on the discussion from a philosophical or theoretical point of view, a different and innovative approach has been chosen: the analysis will return to the origin of stakeholder theory and will keep the graphical framework firmly in perspective.
It will confront the stakeholder model’s graphical representation to the discussion on stakeholder definition, stakeholder identification and categorisation, to re-centre the debate to the strategic origin of the stakeholder model.
The ambiguity and the vagueness of the stakeholder concept are discussed from managerial and legal approaches. The impacts of two major shortcomings of the popular stakeholder framework are examined: the boundaries and the level of the firm’s environment, and the ambivalent position of pressure groups and regulators. Working pragmatically, with a focus on the managerial and organisational perspective, an attempt is made to clarify the categorisations and classifications by introducing new terminology with a distinction between stakeholders, stakewatchers and stakekeepers. The analysis will finally lead to a proposed upgraded and refined version of the stakeholder model, with incremental ameliorations close to Freeman’s original model and a return of focus to its essence, the managerial implications in a strategic approach.

Journal Title: Journal of Business Ethics Volume: Edition: 84 (1) : Page Numbers: 113 - 115
What's in a Credo? A Critique of the Academy of Management's Code of Ethical Conduct and Code of Ethics.
Author(s): Skubik D.; Stening B. (Vlerick)

The Academy of Management formally adopted a Code of Ethical Conduct in 1990. During the subsequent 15 years, almost nothing had been published about it and its value as a formal document meant to guide professional practice. Rather surprisingly then, in December 2005 an entirely new Code of Ethics was introduced by the Academy’s Board, to take effect in February 2006. Why was a new code promulgated? More broadly, what do the contents of these codes, the processes of their promulgation, and their expressed purposes, suggest about the value of such codes for similarly situated professional associations, in general? This article seeks to identify key strengths and weaknesses of the original code, begin an assessment of the potential value of the new code, and so stimulate debate. Further, not only is this a call to the members of the Academy to engage in some thoughtful debate and possible amendment of its new code, but also a caution to all such associations to take seriously the hurdles that must be jumped before any code can be developed and promulgated to worthwhile effect.

Journal Title: Journal of Business Ethics Volume: Edition: 85 (4) : Page Numbers: 515 - 525