New INSEAD programme helps companies identify the business opportunities behind sustainability
INSEAD, the leading international business school, today announced the addition of a new offering to its Executive Education portfolio. The Leading the Business of Sustainability programme – which will be available at INSEAD’s Singapore campus from 2 to 6 November 2015 – will help senior executives better understand the environmental and social paradigms of the modern business world, equipping them with the tools to make sustainability an integral and profitable part of their business.
The intensive five-day residential programme is designed in response to the increasing pressure organisations are under to achieve financial returns with integrity and in ways that create environmental and/or social value. This pressure is leading companies to approach sustainability through isolated initiatives that aim to protect reputation through ‘good citizenship’. In contrast, the programme proposes to reframe sustainability from a constraint into an opportunity, highlighting the importance of a new, forward-thinking approach that supports core business objectives while creating value in its own right.
“Many organisations have not yet fully appreciated the business opportunities associated with sustainability, often perceiving it as a ‘feel-good’ feature promising limited financial return, which leads to a lack of urgency and incentive in planning and investment,” said Jean-Francois Manzoni, INSEAD Professor of Management Practice, holder of the Shell Chair in Human Resources & Organisational Development and Programme Director of Leading the Business of Sustainability.
Manzoni continued, “Fortunately, a number of innovative companies and their leaders are showing that there is a better way to face the challenge of sustainability. Rather than seeing it as a constraint on which they should try to do ‘not more than is necessary’, they embrace its underlying challenges as unavoidable trends and a call to action. They learn to understand the environmental, social and reputational issues most important to their stakeholders and how these can be aligned with a wider business plan, integrating long-term sustainability programmes into their main strategy to create new opportunities. This is the best-practice approach that our new programme will explore in more detail.”
Leading the Business of Sustainability will illustrate the business value and clear financial gains associated with this new sustainability approach, showing executives how to make the case for change within their companies and demonstrating best practice for engaging with stakeholders and changing mindsets. They will also learn to develop a long-term strategic perspective, emphasising the design of innovative processes, solutions and business models.
Michael Pich, INSEAD’s Dean of Executive Education, commented: “Leading the Business of Sustainability is a further illustration of INSEAD’s understanding of what businesses are going through, and of our commitment to best practice and leading thought in the area of sustainability. As the business school for the world, we are in a strong position to help organisations navigate this complex global issue and we aim to put them in a position to take more control, drive new successes and create greater value for both business and society.”
The programme will gather an international group of senior executives making significant business decisions for their organisation, with a limited number of seats also available for regulators, NGO professionals, social entrepreneurs, investors and other key stakeholders. It will be centred on four key topics, with several pre-residential modules also offered to ensure that all participants come to the programme with a common knowledge base. The key areas are:
- Strategy and Innovation – Identify strategic opportunities and steer innovation efforts toward new products, services or business models that leverage present and future sustainability-related challenges and address customers’ sustainability-related objectives.
- Stakeholder engagement – Ensure employees and organisations understand the benefits of strong stakeholder engagement and interact with key stakeholders (communities, customers, financial markets) in a more inclusive and effective way.
- Leadership and change – Drive a “growth-oriented” attitude toward sustainability throughout the organisation and develop an organisational culture that fosters innovation and growth.
- Measurement and Reporting – Understand relevant reporting standards and benchmarks to report on and around sustainability within the organisation and to the outside world. Utilise reporting as a driver of organisational change.
Update: This programme no longer exists, however please visit the Executive Education websection to discover our portfolio of Open Programmes.
About INSEAD Executive Education
INSEAD is one of the largest and most prominent providers of Executive Education in the world, attracting over 11,000 executives each year. Executive Education at INSEAD is the springboard to the next level of effective performance in business with programmes created and taught by full-time, world-class faculty, based on cutting edge, business focused research and the unique multi-cultural learning environment across three campuses. The programmes address the needs of high potential individuals and senior executives seeking further career development.
This is offered through both ‘Open Enrolment’ which focuses on individual development, or through ‘Customised Programmes’ tailored specifically to meet an organisation’s business objectives. To facilitate growth and meet demand, INSEAD is expanding its Singapore campus with a Leadership Development Centre. The $50 million dollar expansion project will dramatically increase INSEAD’s Executive Education capacity with a specific emphasis on the Advanced Management Programme.
