Dean Ӧrn Bodvarsson sat down with Director of Marketing Communication Jennifer Bush to talk about his thoughts on CSR and its role in Atkinson's future.
What does corporate social responsibility (CSR) mean to you?
Ӧrn: CSR is a topic that falls under the banner of what I and some others call “moral capitalism”. It's the general idea that businesses of course exist to make a profit, but they can make even more profit from investing in societal impact. Business leaders that practice CSR understand, for example, that it’s profitable to give back to the community through long-term investments in the environment, educational institutions, and infrastructure. For example, a company that supports a local university is ultimately investing in its own labor force. This act may appear to be “doing good” but it’s much more than that – supporting a local university and investing in the local labor force enhances the value of the company because the company ends up hiring more educated, and thus more productive, labor. It’s profitable to think beyond just maximizing shareholder value; what’s most important is to think about stakeholder value.
Why is CSR important?
Ӧrn: When we use the environment to make a product, for example, we depreciate natural resources. Using the environment in this way comes at a price. We're seeing that with climate change, which is a multi-century outcome from the improper use of the environment. Climate change drives up production costs in many industries; for example, industries ranging from agriculture and fishing to insurance and tourism. Climate change is simply bad for business. We could get away with these bad practices a hundred years ago, but we can’t get away with them anymore. We have to be protective of our environment, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because ultimately it’s profitable.
Why is CSR important for Atkinson’s future?
Ӧrn: I was hired to take Atkinson to the next level. This means enabling the school to do an even better job meeting student needs and interests, and serving the needs of employers and the community. And when I say “community,” it's not just Salem or Portland, it’s the world. Part of my job is to look at the employment landscape and identify the greatest needs in the labor market and our students’ greatest needs and interests. How can I reposition the school to match the two and add even more value to employers, students, and the community? What I've also learned over the last 12 years is that CSR is a topic of great interest in corporate America and there’s an urgent need from corporations for well-trained people in the area of CSR.
I went to a conference of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) last October in Washington, D.C. This is the network of people who hold jobs in leading CSR portfolios in their organizations, which include sustainability projects, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, management of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics, etc. What I learned is that there’s a great need from companies to have skilled employees in these areas, but it’s difficult to find them. We train the brightest MBA and undergraduate business administration students in Atkinson. Many have expressed interest in the CSR area, so it’s a good move for us to explore investing in the development and delivery of CSR programming, and to consider becoming a training ground for future CSR professionals. I’d also like us to become a research hub for CSR to provide research to both academe and the community and build student and faculty consulting expertise in this area. We need to make investments in CSR, so this is a strategic decision I’ve made in consultation with the school and university leaders. One big step we’ve taken is the appointment of Jake Hoskins to serve as the Guy F. Atkinson Professor. Jake’s focus area will be CSR. This aligns well with the university’s service mission, captured in the famous motto, “Not unto ourselves alone are we born,” which is all about giving back to the community through service. Having some programming that trains people to work in CSR and help organizations fulfill goals in this area is seamlessly aligned with Willamette’s mission.
How will CSR become part of Atkinson’s DNA?
Ӧrn: It’s about curriculum and culture. I want us to build out a curriculum in CSR for all our students. Imagine, for example, a certificate or a concentration (in the undergraduate or graduate levels) in CSR that’s available to our degree-seeking students. Our Executive Development Center can also offer continuing education programming on CSR that could be “stackable,” meaning adult learners can earn credit towards an Atkinson degree. We will have students who come here because we'll be teaching CSR and because they can't find it in the way we would offer it at other institutions. We can organize panel discussions and other events featuring CSR professionals so our students can learn about what companies are doing in this area. We can organize networking events so our students can network with CSR professionals who can help them get internships and launch their careers in CSR. We can arrange company treks and other activities that will help expose them to what’s actually going on out in the field. If we can create this culture around CSR then over time we will become known as a leading management school that trains socially responsible leaders in business, government, or non-profits. I’d like for us to be known that way.
When should we expect the first micro-credential?
Ӧrn: As a first step, Jake will lead work to design a micro-credential that will be offered through the Executive Development Center. The thing about micro-credentials is that they can be designed more quickly and used as testing grounds for longer, deeper, credit-generating programming. So what I'm imagining is a micro-credential, for example a certificate or “badge”l that can be earned by employees of businesses, governments, and nonprofits. I would love to see this micro-credential available as early as next calendar year.
When should we expect a new concentration?
Ӧrn: I would say a couple of years down the road. A concentration typically involves a bundle of three to five semester-long courses. We can't make a concentration in CSR just by repackaging three or five existing courses because we don’t have any courses that focus specifically on this topic. We’re going to have to design some new courses and that takes work and time. We will need people with expertise in CSR to help Jake, including outside experts.
We just signed a partnership with the Caux Round Table for Moral Capitalism, an international network of business leaders, political leaders, and academics who are educating people about moral capitalism, building it into corporate America, and leveraging it to address global problems. I've known about this organization for about 12 years and the Global Executive Director of the Caux Round Table, Steve Young, is a good friend of mine. I introduced Jake to Steve and the organization has appointed Jake as a fellow. This will give Jake access to all of Caux’s resources and networking opportunities. This is an important piece to the equation – building external collaborations because we can’t do it alone. Part of my job is to help him develop these connections.
Once we have the CSR concentration designed, the curriculum committee and the faculty have to be involved, as the faculty at large have to approve it. I’d like to see us offer a concentration in CSR by the fall of 2025.