Robert Klassen, Professor of Operations at the Richard Ivey School of Business, has won an international award for a course that teaches the next generation of business leaders how addressing social and environmental impacts can improve a company’s bottom line.
Klassen won the recently announced inaugural 2008 Page Prize for Environmental Sustainability Curriculum, in the international category, from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina for his course “Managing for Sustainability Development”.
The course was pioneered in 2003 for both undergraduate and MBA students. Due to the growing importance of sustainability and high ratings from students, aspects of the course are now mandatory for all students at Ivey Business School.
Klassen’s course addresses the “triple bottom line”, encompassing financial, environmental and social performance, and focuses on the potential for competitive advantage to be rooted in pollution prevention, design for environment, social responsiveness and stakeholder negotiations. It is one of five required courses in an interdisciplinary Master of Environment and Sustainability program at The University of Western Ontario.
Having researched and published in the area of environmental management for more than 15 years, Klassen says he devised the course to help students explore new directions and opportunities for sustainable business models through discussion of business cases about leading practices.
“I believe there is a critical need for our future leaders to have a strong understanding of both the challenges and opportunities that sustainability presents for business,” says Klassen. “I’m thrilled that the Moore School is recognizing the importance of environmental sustainability in business and rewarding curriculum innovation in that area.”
The annual competition was initiated to acknowledge efforts to introduce or upgrade environmental sustainability courses and associated course work into the curriculum at business schools. Two Page prizes are awarded each year, one to a school in the U.S. and one to an international school.
“Environmental sustainability practices are quickly going from being bonus selling points to essential requirements in business and, as Robert’s course shows, they also give businesses a competitive edge,” says Ivey dean Carol Stephenson.
“Sustainability is part of Ivey’s focus on cross-enterprise leadership. This course is a vital component of our curriculum and we are pleased Robert is being honoured for his contributions. It’s indicative of both the strength of the course and the School’s leadership in this area.”
“Professor Klassen, through pioneering a course on environmental sustainability and then continuing to develop it over the years, has demonstrated outstanding commitment to fostering best practices for sustainability in the Ivey Business School’s curriculum,” says Hildy Teegen, dean, Moore School of Business. “We are delighted to present him with our inaugural Page Prize. His work is a great example for other business schools hoping to launch a focus on sustainable enterprise and development.”
The award is named after Alfred N. Page, dean and professor emeritus of the Henry Bloch (H&R Bloch) School of Business, and his wife, Lynn Manos Page, an accomplished painter and printmaker.
For more information on the 2008 Page Prize and the winners visit https://mooreschool.sc.edu/moore/RES/Page_Prize/2008Page_Prize/2008_PagePrize.html.
