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I am wondering what other schools are doing about the new PRME "call to
action." In particular, I have been asked to explain to my Dean and Exec
Committee what "signing on" implies for a school. When I look at the
Principles, they are lofty. But, when I look at what is actually
expected in annual reporting, it appears to be nothing more than
'greenwashing.' No performance metrics, no requirements. Only "case
examples" about what the school is doing. Any school could claim to sign
on.

I would like to tell my school that signing on means more than that, and
that it means a real commitment to incorporate social responsibility
into the curriculum, research, and outreach functions of the school. I
would also like to tell them that whatever our current state of affairs
are, signing on implies 'continuous improvement' and reporting on that
progress. If so, we would need to set up our own performance metrics.
However, I don't want to tell a lie!

Have any of you been involved in this for your school? I'm hoping we
can share our experiences...

Thanks

Mark

PS: For those of you unfamiliar with PRME, go to:

http://www.unglobalcompact.org/HowToParticipate/academic_network/index.h
tml

Letter & questionnaire:

http://www.unglobalcompact.org/HowToParticipate/academic_network/PRME_Le
tter_of_Support_template_and_Questionnaire.doc


Mark A. Cohen
Justin Potter Professor of American Competitive Enterprise and Professor
of Law
Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management
Nashville, TN 37203 USA
(615) 322-6814; fax (615) 343-7177
mark.cohen@owen.vanderbilt.edu
www.mba.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/mcohen.cfm

Discover this place. Shape your world.
www.owen.vanderbilt.edu

Mark,

Thunderbird has signed on, and I was actually involved in the drafting of the principles. In the tradition of the United Nations, signatories are initially on their own to implement in a way that is appropriate for the school's specific programs and circumstances at this point. The PRME annual reporting is similar to the UN Global Compact's Communication on Progress, in which corporate signatories are required to deliver annual documentation to the UNGC Secretariat on how they are implementing the UNGC principles. What is happening with the UNGC - and what can happen with the PRME - is that best reporting practices become emerge that create comparable metrics. Those best practices come partially from the signatories' efforts, and leadership in this area by a school like Vanderbilt could add real value to the process. Signatories normally receive ongoing communications about best practices and it is possible that signatory conferences could become another vehicle for sharing and establishing standards.

Such is the nature of regime creation...


Gregory Unruh
Assistant Professor of Global Business
Director, Lincoln Center for Ethics in Global Management
Thunderbird
15249 North 59th Avenue
Glendale, Arizona USA

(602)-978-7608
>>> Mark Cohen