A Leader’s ValuesPia T. Manalastas

Quo Vadis?

A firm's social responsibilities are met by "individual human actors" (Wood, 1991: 699)

who manage in a changing environment that is full of choices. These actors look to the

firm’s leader to direct their choices. Thus, most corporations’ response to these social

responsibilities is largely molded by their leader’s values. Leaders set the tone that

dictates their organization’s aspirations, which now include embracing these new

demands and mobilizing people to meet them (Fernandez and Hogan, 2002).

The goal of this book is to present strong arguments that doing good, i.e., adopting CSR

as a corporate mantra, matters. As the other chapters of this book have shown, more and

more Filipino corporations are starting to take CSR seriously. While the concept of CSR

has been around for over 20 years, some forms of CSR have been practiced by a number

of forward-looking companies for over a hundred years. After all, Philippine business

has had to perform a number of functions that government has not able to deliver, such as

providing electricity to the community, building schools and roads, and even assuring

livelihood and health care services.

Why should corporations involve themselves in activities that are traditionally seen as the

government’s responsibility? From an ethical viewpoint, involvement is mandatory. As

corporations are usually powerful and wealthy actors in society, they have a moral

obligation to act in ways that aid their less fortunate fellow citizens. From a more

pragmatic position, helping address global development issues means realizing the

billions of dollars’ worth of untapped business opportunities found at the “bottom of the

pyramid,” i.e., the four billion people living in poverty.

Over the years, the practice of CSR in the Philippines has evolved from giving (or

philanthropy), to other programs such as employee volunteerism, community relations

employee welfare programs, and community-based projects through the corporate

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supported foundations or non-government organizations (NGOs). Today, CSR must be a

strategic imperative to ensure the corporation’s continued viability and societal

acceptance. However, firms should embark on CSR not only as a reactionary activity

(such as having to save its reputation when caught dumping waste into the river) but also

as part of a proactive measure to ensure the firms’ continued competitiveness and

viability (such as providing in-house day-care and pre-school facilities to attract and

retain the best and brightest working mothers).

It has also been established that it is no longer sufficient to measure success solely with

traditional metrics of profitability and efficiency. Today’s progressive company must

gauge its performance using such measures as the cost or benefit of the company’s goods

and services, how it treats its own employees and the environment, its record in

respecting human rights, its investment in local communities, its respect for indigenous

culture, and even its record in prompt bills payment. Using these multiple metrics can

help companies improve corporate standing or brand reputation, and, as some studies

have shown, drive financial success.

As this book’s final chapter, this author would like to present concrete steps on how to

truly integrate CSR into Philippine business and society. The thesis of this final chapter

is that the leader’s values dictate the success or failure of any company’s CSR; i.e.,

corporate CSR will only flourish with the will, initiative, and support of the company’s

leader. This chapter traces the influences of values on a leader’s motivation to champion

CSR in his/her organization. It takes a look at the effect of dominant Filipino values on

CSR and tries to explore the role of education, primarily graduate business education, in

ensuring that CSR is practiced well.

Reflections on Leadership

Bennis and Nanus (1985) interviewed 90 leaders from a variety of organizational

backgrounds in order to determine definitions of behaviors and characteristics common to

leaders. They encapsulate their findings in stating, "Managers are people who do things

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right. Leaders are people who do the right thing." This concept is further elaborated in

terms of effectiveness versus efficiency. Leaders engage in "activities of vision and

judgment – effectiveness", versus managers who engage in "activities of mastering

routines – efficiency" (p.21). Bennis and Nanus suggest that leadership is defined as

influencing and guiding a direction versus that of management, defined as making

accomplishments and being in charge of conduct.

Over the past 75 years, there have been many theories and models of leadership presented

by researchers from various disciplines. Earlier theories looked at traits and

characteristics of leaders, from a premise that leaders were born, not made. Subsequent

studies have run the gamut from looking at leadership styles, studying how power and

influence are used, to examining how leaders adapt to situations.

A continuing area of research categorizes leaders as transactional or transformational.

Transactional leaders are those who reward others for their performance and commitment

to mission and transformational leaders are those who inspire others to excel (Kouzes and

Posner, p. 321 as cited in Pursley (2002)). Current thought about organizations and

leadership supports the transformational aspects of leadership and views the leader as an

agent of change within the organization. However, Bass and Steidlmeier (1998) noted

that transformational leadership is only authentic when it is grounded on the leader’s

moral character, concern for others, and congruence of ethical values with action. A

leader’s credibility and trustworthiness are critical, and increasing numbers make the case

that character—as defined by qualities like one’s striving for fairness, respecting others,

humility, and concern for the greater good—represents the most critical quality of

leadership.

Part of a leader's job is to articulate vision and values. But, beyond expounding on the

company’s mission and vision, a leader must pay attention to the values by which one

wants the organization to operate. I believe that it is the transformational leader who can

integrate CSR into everyday operations and long-term strategic planning.

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Therefore, the leader must not only inspire others to adhere to the values but also, behave

in ways that are consistent with these values. Leaders can only get people to follow them

if they maintain their credibility by living out their personal values.

What are values?

Human actions are founded on values (Allport, 1961 cited in Siltaoja, 2006).

Accordingly, CSR and other corporate actions are also based on values. Over the past

twenty years, Schwartz’ value theory has been used as a popular basis for defining

values: "Values are (a) concepts or beliefs, (b) about desirable end states or behaviors, (c)

that transcend specific situations, (d) guide selection or evaluation of behavior or events,

and (e) are ordered by relative importance" (cited in Agle and Caldwell, 1999, p. 359).

This means that there exist universally important and recognized types of values, and that

people differ only in terms of the importance they place on a set of these universally

important value types.

Schwartz defines ten motivationally distinct types of values intended to cover the core

values recognized in cultures worldwide. Each basic value can be characterized by

describing its central motivational goal. Table 1 lists these ten value priorities defined in

terms of their primary goal.

TABLE 1

Definitions of motivational types of values

in terms of their goals and the single values that represent them

(Schwartz and Bardi, 2001)

Values Goals

Power Social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and

resources (social power, authority, wealth, preserving my public image)

Achievement Personal success through demonstrating competence according to

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Values Goals

social standards (successful, capable, ambitious, influential)

Hedonism Pleasure and sensuous gratification for oneself (pleasure, enjoying life,

self-indulgence)

Stimulation Excitement, novelty and challenge in life (daring, a varied life, an

exciting life)

Self-direction Independent thought and action-choosing, creating, exploring

(creativity, freedom, independent, curious, choosing own goals)

Universalism Understanding, appreciation, tolerance and protection for the welfare of

all people and for nature (broadminded, wisdom, social justice,

equality, a world at peace, a world of beauty, unity with nature,

protecting the environment)

Benevolence Preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom one

is in frequent personal contact (helpful, honest, forgiving, loyal,

responsible)

Tradition Respect, commitment and acceptance of the customs and ideas that

traditional culture or religion provides the self (humble, accepting my

portion in life, devout, respect for tradition, moderate)

Conformity Restraint of actions, inclinations and impulses likely to upset or harm

others and violate social expectations or norms (politeness, obedient,

self-discipline, honoring parents and elders).

Security Safety, harmony and stability of society, of relationships and of self

(family security, national security, social order, clean, reciprocation of

favors)

The conflicts and congruities among these values yield an integrated structure of values,

which can be summarized by two orthogonal dimensions (Siltaoja, 2006). The first

dimension, self-enhancement vs. self-transcendence, relates to the conflict between

concern for the consequences of one’s own and others’ actions for the self, and concern

for the consequences of one’s own and others’ actions in the social context. The second

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dimension, openness to change vs. conservatism, implies that self-direction and

stimulation stand in opposition to the values of security, conformity and tradition. Both of

the former emphasize independent action, thought and feeling, and a readiness for new

experiences, whereas the latter three emphasize self-restriction, order, and resistance to

change. Hedonism shares elements of both openness and self-enhancement (Schwartz,

1992, 1999).

Filipino Values Revisited

But what factors or forces shape the leaders’ values? Although human values are

universal, different cultures rank values differently. Especially in the Philippine context,

value formation and the determination of which values to prioritize come are strongly

influenced by family, religion, school, and society.

In his book, Filipino Values Revisited, Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe, S.J. (1988) identified

several values that Filipinos prioritize: family closeness and solidarity (pagpapahalaga

sa pamilya), politeness (use of “po” or “ho”), hospitality, gratitude (utang na loob), social

acceptance (pakikisama), economic security, and trust in God, with the latter ranked as

the most important value. Gorospe further states that Filipino values arise from our

distinctive way of becoming human in this particular place and time.

While other societies have veered away from its religious roots, Filipinos continue to take

great pride in their religiosity. For example, trust in God is manifested in CSR by

Filipino leaders running corporations well; i.e., treating their people correctly (including

job security and profit sharing), ensuring transparency and good governance, and paying

taxes religiously. Since everything comes from God, and He continues to care and

provide for all, then the leader’s obligation is to give back to God’s people the fruits of

His blessings. Pascual Laboratories (Pascuallabs), now being run by the second

generation under Dr. Abraham Pascual, manifests this value by caring for its people.

Pascuallabs does not only comply with labor laws; it also provides health and medical

benefits to all employees (over and above those given by the government’s Social

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Security System) even before the term ‘health maintenance organization’ (HMO) was

invented.

I’ve attempted to map these fundamental Filipino values with Schwartz’s value priorities

As seen in Table 2, Filipino values fall in the dimension of self-transcendent and

conservation values, with most of the values falling in the conservation sphere. Since

these Filipino values form the basis from which leaders draw their CSR imperatives, it is

disheartening to note that most of these values fall within the sphere of conservation, the

sphere that has as key dimensions self-restriction, order, and resistance to change. Only

two values, gratitude and hospitality, fall in the sphere of self-transcendence, which is a

more ideal sphere to be in since self-transcendent values emphasize concern for the

welfare of others.

Table 2: Schwartz’s Value Priorities vis-à-vis Filipino Values

Schwartz’s Value Priorities Filipino Values

Tradition Trust in God

Family closeness and solidarity

Conformity Social acceptance

Politeness

Security Economic security

Benevolence Gratitude

Hospitality

Given that most of the Filipino value priorities fall within the conservation sphere, it is

encouraging to note that there are inspiring and visionary leaders who, while keeping true

to these values, have gone beyond traditional expectations to model and champion CSR

within their companies. Cecilio Pedro, founder and CEO of Lamoiyan Corporation, is

one such leader. His value for tradition is evident in his actions. He took the Cantonese

name of his late paternal grandmother as his firm's own as a tribute to his grandmother’s

life and influence on her family. In an interview with Ann Corvera (2006), he paid honor

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to his grandmother: "She was the first Christian in the family and because of her, the

entire clan became closer to Christ, including my late grandfather and my great

grandfather. So I thought, if one woman could make such an impact on the family, she

must be a great woman," he muses. "She was an inspiration to me… while we are still

alive we want to make a difference for the glory of God."

Pedro believes that a person’s ultimate accountability is to his Creator. This spirit of faith

is evident in his company’s mission and vision statement: “Making our presence a

blessing to society. We believe that whatever blessings we have come from above; that

the company exists not only for its own profit, but others should also profit from our

blessings.”

Pedro’s integration of his faith life and his work life is manifested in his commitment to

hiring persons with disabilities. His faith-based approach to doing business has resulted

in the company’s continued growth and success. His definition of being socially

responsible is “not only taking care of the hearing impaired but also taking care of your

people. You provide a decent place where they can work safely…I also believe in taking

care of my employees’ physical, intellectual, and spiritual well-being.”

During a CEO Circles meeting initiated by the League of Corporate Foundations, one of

the questions asked was whether CSR was part of Filipino values or if it was a solely

Western idea. The participants’ responses ranged from “both…since kawang-gawa is not

an exclusive Filipino trait, but a human trait,” to “yes, since pakikipagkapwa-tao is innate

in Filipinos, and the root of this value is not wholly religious.” Again, these ideal values

fall in the sphere of self-transcendence.

Shifting values

While these Filipino values form strong roots that have resulted in the Filipino leader’s

CSR commitment, these values still could be reoriented towards the sphere of openness

to change and self-transcendence. For example, utang na loob, a deeply held, sacred debt

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of gratitude, is a key Filipino value. However, over time, this value has been corrupted,

such as when favors given create relationships of indebtedness that can be manipulated to

obtain disproportionate or reprehensible favors.

Also, moving toward the transcendence sphere’s value of benevolence and universalism

enforces values that are aligned with current trends in Catholic Social Teaching (CST).

CST prioritizes worker dignity and financial security, and stresses managerial

responsibility for the common good (Zigarelli, 1993). For the Filipino leader,

inculcating these values shows a maturing and pro-active faith beyond merely trusting in

God.

Superimposing these Filipino values on Schwartz’s sphere (see Figure 1) strengthens the

arguments to shift toward the self-transcendence values dimension, as evidenced by

universalism, and towards the openness to change dimension, as evidenced by self-

direction and stimulation. Universalism and benevolence mean assuming other

responsibilities beyond making money (Siltaoja, 2006). This paradigm shift in values

will ensure the continued development and enhancement of leaders who have the will to

champion and implement CSR.. This is because leaders and their companies who want

to be connected with society, take care of the environment and act as good corporate

citizens will want to prioritize these values.

9

Self enchangement

Conservation

Openness to Change Self

transcendence

Figure 1: Filipino Values superimposed on Schwartz’s Value Sphere

The role of education

While it is not the only avenue for change, education plays a key role in the reorientation

of the typical Filipino’s set of values. A well thought out values education program can

increase comprehension of and appreciation for values in the areas of benevolence,

universalism and self-direction. Such a program is key to ensuring that CSR is rooted in

the country’s cultural and moral milieu.

This sentiment is reflected by the framers of the 1986 Philippine Constitution.

Section 3(2), Article XIV of the Constitution states:

All educational institutions shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism,

foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role

of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the

rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values,

develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and

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creative thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge and

promote vocational efficiency.

This section embodies the country’s goal in educating for values, virtues, ethics, and

morals. Such an education, as reflected in the curricula from grade school to graduate

school, can inculcate these ideals in Filipino students and provide them the impetus for

integrating CSR in daily life.

It is gratifying to see corporations focusing on values education. For example, Jollibee

has established its program, Ang Batang Pinoy ay Jollibee Kid, to promote four values:

courtesy (magalang), honesty (matapat), helpfulness (matulungin) and sense of

community service (mapaglingkod). After three years of supporting this program,

Jollibee believes it has succeeded in realigning, restoring and reinforcing these Filipino

values in the Filipino child.

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Values can also go as far as providing a motivation to act well. Fr. Gorospe’s

recommended framework has as its basis the key theme of CST; i.e., human dignity.

Using this basis, the core values of truth, love and faith, integrity, hard work, and social

justice should be developed. Fr. Gorospe believes that the country’s educational system

should be revised to ensure that these values are inculcated in the youth to create persons

who embrace universal values.

Melé (2005) recommends that knowledge of proper rules and principles and their correct

application be taught. The education and training of students should include the

presentation and discussion of rules, generally from codes, principles and values which

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CSR in Action: Ang Batang Pinoy ay Jollibee Kid!

Addressing the alarming problem on the youth’s deterioration of values, Jollibee organized “Ang Batang Pinoy ay Jollibee Kid!” in 2003, a way of thanking customers for their 25 years of patronage. This program has a threefold objective: to enhance the understanding of values deemed essential to nation building, to appreciate and preserve the Filipino cultural heritage, and to inspire the value of patriotism among the youth of this generation.

Jolibee first focused its effort in 14 areas in Metro Manila where they distributed over 300,000 workbooks. The 28 participating schools were selected by Batang Pinoy organizers by raffling off the names of the schools in each area.

"Batang Pinoy" hopes to cultivate in the children of grades 1 and 2 the four core values: courtesy ("magalang"), honesty ("matapat"), helpfulness ("matulungin") and sense of community service ("mapaglingkod"). The workbook, which doubles as a coloring book, contains practical exercises on values application.

As of October 2005, program has been implemented in 85 schools all over the country. In an unveiling ceremony held in Manila, the keynote speaker was DepEd OIC Fe Hidalgo. Hidalgo commended Jollibee for its pro-active support in nation-building. "Ang Batang Pinoy ay Jollibee kid shows that Jollibee is more than just fulfilling a corporate commitment. This project is responsive to the well-being of our children from whom will rise our future leaders."

Sources:

http://www.jollibee.com.ph/corporate/press10.htm#http://money.inquirer.net/features/view_features.php?yyyy=2005&mon=02&dd=16&file=1http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2005/10/05/bus/adopt.a.school.project.gets.boost.from.fastfood.giant.html

are necessary for acquiring virtues. The result of such a comprehensive education is the

development of moral behavior, which is influenced by ethical knowledge, external

forces, wisdom, and virtues.

The role of business schools

Business educators have attempted to address CSR by discussing social and ethical issues

in business ethics and business-and-society courses or by infusing these subjects

throughout the business school curriculum (Murray, 1987). The goal is to increase

students' awareness of the importance of this area and its significant impact upon both

business and society. The basic premise is that today's business students aspire to be

tomorrow's business leaders.

Unfortunately, the past decade has seen an increase in corporate scandals and business

failures that have seriously affected the way businesses, especially big businesses, are

perceived. As a result, the livelihood and future of numerous groups, such as employees,

shareholders, suppliers, and creditors, have been profoundly affected or ruined. Investors'

confidence has been seriously shaken, major economies have been weakened, and the

world's stock markets are in disarray (Angelidis and Ibrahim, 2004).

The best and brightest graduates of the world’s top business schools have been

responsible for these scandals. Business schools have been criticized for their failure to

inculcate values that could have prevented these scandals. After all, most business

courses such as economics, accounting, finance, and strategy focus solely on the

maximization of shareholder value.

Critics have asserted that a good portion of the blame for the cause of the scandals should

be assigned to business educators. In his op-ed piece, Amitai Etzioni (2002) cited an

Aspen Institute study of about 2000 graduates of the top 13 business schools which found

that business school education not only fails to improve the moral character of the

students but also actually weakens it.

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Defensively, business school faculty members have just as stridently declared that it

really wasn't their fault. They claimed, "We were only preparing students for the real

world." (Verschoor, 2003). Unfortunately, this real world is viewed in terms of profits

and returns whose influence is so strong that they overwhelm the other ways in which the

responsibilities of business can be perceived.

The State of CSR Education

Gioia (2002) declared that many business schools don't take ethics training seriously as

part of business curricula. He observed that the teaching of ethics, corporate social

responsibility, and other business-and-society courses has been marginalized—assumed

to be some sort of trifling requirement that students should get out of the way quickly, so

they can get on with other "more important" things.

The Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking allows prospective and current students, faculty, and

administrators to compare programs on how well they incorporate social and

environmental issues into MBA training. The 2005 survey showed that an increasing

number of schools surveyed (54% in 2005, up from 45% in 2003 and 34% in 2001)

require one or more courses in ethics, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, or

business and society.

In a survey of CSR education across Europe, Matten and Moon (2004) found that two-

thirds of the respondents provide some sort of CSR education across the executive/short

course, MBA, MA/MS and bachelor degree programs. The result of their survey led

them to give a qualified rejection to the blanket claim that business schools are

necessarily incapable of educating business managers and leaders in business social

responsibility and ethical behavior.

In the Philippines, not all the MBA schools provide ethics, values, or CSR courses. If

offered, the course is usually a three-unit business ethics course. However, there are

14

some schools that are on the global forefront of CSR education. For example, the Asian

Institute of Management placed no. 19 in the 2005 Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey,

ranking higher esteemed global educational leaders such as Yale, INSEAD, and

Georgetown. The Doctor in Business Administration (DBA) program of the De La Salle

Professional Schools has refocused its thrust to produce Lasallian DBAs who are

practitioner-oriented management scholars able to source, assimilate, evaluate, create,

disseminate and apply management knowledge guided by humanistic and ethical values.

Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders

The May 2004 issue of The Economist confirmed the growing demand for changing the

way tomorrow’s leaders are educated: “Business schools face more competition and

more criticism of the quality of their work than they have ever done before. In time, that

may lead to fundamental changes in the structure of the business-school market, and

perhaps in what schools teach and how they teach it.” Business for Social Responsibility

(BSR), in a May 2006 occasional paper, echoed The Economist’s sentiments. BSR

laments that the failure of business schools “to teach our business leaders more about the

necessity and advantages that sustainable business approaches hold puts business itself at

risk.”

Over the past five years, critics of business schools have centered on the theme that

MBAs are failing to provide adequate leadership skills for managing in today’s

increasingly complex operating environments. Valentino (2007) has proposed that CSR

“framed in core MBA concepts and skills, offers an innovative way to look at the

interdependent relationship between business and society. This new thinking roots CSR

in a business case scenario rather than in a scenario dominated by philanthropy or public

relations…This directs the focus more on meaningful impact of initiatives and the

strengthening of long-term competitive advantage. This new approach fosters a broad

understanding of the interrelationship between a corporation and society based on how a

MBA mindset with its frameworks, tools, skills and processes can be used to actively and

strategically manage and operationalize CSR in companies.”

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Taken together, these critiques point to a need for business leader training that

incorporates the following (BSR, 2006):

More practice in decision-making skills based on complex, uncertain and often

unquantifiable matters;

More opportunities for experiential learning pertinent to today’s business

environment;

A broader understanding of the interdependent nature of business functions;

More integrated, multidisciplinary pedagogical techniques; and

More consistent and cross-cutting emphasis on ethical leadership.

Service-Learning: the GSB Experience

The vision statement of the De La Salle Professional Schools Ramon V. del Rosario Sr.

Graduate School of Business (GSB) highlights the school’s commitment to develop in

students the virtue of being change agents: “collaborating with the larger community to

transform society.” As management educators, the school’s goal is to teach its students

that a leader’s concern should go beyond mere profitability. The faculty want to instill

CSR values in their students and to make them realize that human dignity, participation,

integrity, fairness and the common good are part and parcel of management.

But how can the GSB operationalize this lofty goal? The solution was to make this value

part of the learning engagement via the introduction of the Service Learning concept.

Jacoby (1996) defines service learning as a form of “experiential education in which

students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with

structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and

development. Reflection and reciprocity are key concepts of service learning.” Thus, in a

new elective, Global Corporate Citizenship, a seemingly unremarkable line was inserted

into the course’s learning objectives: joining theory with experience and thought with

action via service learning opportunities.

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Most students who enrolled in this course initially expressed apprehension with this

additional requirement of service learning. But over the next 14 weeks, they truly learned

a lot by serving. Service learning is hallmarked by the 4 R’s: Reality, Reflection,

Reciprocity, and Responsibility. Students were required to keep a journal to reflect on

their experiences before, during, and after their service learning opportunities. Here are

some of their thoughts:

I am looking forward to this service learning activity. It will be tiring, and muscle

pains will be felt the day after, but the accomplishment will make me feel good

thinking that I have accomplished something and I was able to help some people.

(Carlo)

I have been telling myself then, and I believe that it is still true, that I have to be

part of something bigger than myself. Otherwise, I will get lost in the mundane

and end up selfish and self-absorbed. (Vanessa)

Reflecting on my day, I just realized how blessed I was to be living in this part of

the country (Makati) which is free from filth, noise, and stench. I had heard of

Smokey Mountain, but I didn’t imagine it could be so bad. I asked myself: how

long are we going to remain indifferent and apathetic to the plight of our fellow

human beings who have fallen even lower than dust? (Linda)

In this service learning activity, I actually experienced how to help those in need.

I realized that studying inside the classroom would not matter if you are not going

to do something to apply what you have learned in the real world. This service

learning opened my whole being to what’s really happening in our society.

(Wilfredo)

Serving the deaf community is a part of me, almost becoming a habit that would

be hard to break and a deep, deep love I cannot live without (Carol).

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Armed with photographs, memories, and my handy-dandy map, I maneuvered my

way home afterwards, thinking: for every rich person who would support a poor

one, for every peso donated to Gawad Kalinga, and for every drop of sweat

excreted while constructing another family’s home, blessings float down from

above and embrace one’s soul. Would it not be great if every single one of us

experiences this kind of high? (Kim)

As the course facilitator, I found that using the service learning pedagogy beautifully

balanced academic rigor with practical relevance. It allowed the course participants to

immediately apply concepts learned in the classroom to real world situations and to make

them realize that they have an active role to play in creating a safer, more humane, and

sustainable world.

I believe that service learning is a powerful tool that can be used to instill and strengthen

the values that will allow for CSR to thrive now and well into the future. Thus, I strongly

recommend that service learning should be adopted as a key learning pedagogy not only

for selected electives, but also for core MBA courses such as accounting, finance, and

strategic management.

Summary

The pressure on business to adopt corporate social responsibility practices in the future

will increase. The demands of the firm’s various stakeholders will challenge leaders and

their companies to integrate environmental, human rights, stakeholder engagement, and

other CSR practices in a meaningful way throughout their entire organization.

The impetus for change begins with the leader and his values. If CSR is lead from the

top, the adoption and integration of these CSR initiatives into the organization will

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happen. As Rudi Plettinx, Managing Director of the Creative Leadership Council stated

in an interview with the Business Journal of the American Chamber of Commerce in

Belgium (AmCham 2005), “we believe that if you change the leader, you can change the

organization– and if you change organizations, you can change society. We also believe

that self-awareness is key to leadership development, and self-awareness leads to the

recognition of interconnectedness and responsibility, the foundation of ethics. Corporate

social responsibility is a reflection of ethical values and connected leadership.”

These new imperatives for CSR raise the challenge for corporations to acquire and

develop appropriate skills and competencies. As the key provider of business education,

business schools have been challenged to provide graduates with CSR skills and to define

the values future business leaders should have.

While Filipinos have some key values that are needed to manifest CSR, including

honesty, respect, and compassion, I recommended that a shift in values be initiated to

allow for more universalism values, such as broadmindedness, wisdom, social justice,

and equality, to prevail. This shift in values should be initiated to allow for a new

generation of leaders to emerge, “educated to the needs of their fellow citizens and the

planet, and anxious to do the right thing.” (Wilson, 2002 cited in Hemingway and

Maclagan, 2004).

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References

Adler, P.S. (2002). Corporate scandals: It’s time for reflection in business schools. Academy of Management Executive, 15(3), 148-149.

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