Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/55878
We deliberately banned the words 'leadership' and 'excellence' from our discussions. We felt that business schools now use those words so readily that they don't mean as much anymore. —Carolyn Woo, University of Notre Dame integrity, effective organizations, and the greater good. Other boxes highlight images selected to represent the school's more defined sense of identity. When visitors place their mouse arrow over a box, its con- tents switch to a new message related to a particular ethics- based topic. When visitors click on that message, a new larger box appears with an introduction and link to related articles, research, and information. The new site builds direct avenues from the home page to information about the school's focus on ethics and social responsibility, says Gangluff. It also includes an added fea- ture: a commentary section that provides faculty with a dedi- cated platform to discuss specific current events in business. The multiple-box format is designed to be flexible, user- friendly, and distinctive enough to have the staying power to serve the school's needs for years to come, says Gangluff. More important, the new Web site and supporting marketing materials unify departments in a way they weren't before. "Although we all had the same DNA, so to speak, each program was allowed to interpret that code in different ways. One degree program might have had a completely separate positioning line from another," he says. "Now, everyone's on the same page." Making It Meaningful The "Ask More" initiative has helped the school bring even more passion to its ethics-based curriculum, says Conlon. "Over the last couple of years, we have worked to make these issues even more real and relevant for our students," he says. For example, faculty revised the first ethics course that Mendoza's MBA and executive MBA students take, "Foun- dations of Ethical Business Conduct," to expose students to major ethical perspectives that people have conceived over the course of history. They then discuss how these perspec- tives apply to business. The course also now includes "front- line ethics experiences," where students submit for discus- sion ethical challenges they've faced in the workplace. The school's schedule includes four-day courses in the middle of each semester called "Interterm Intensives." Dur- ing these courses, all first-year MBA students tackle a current corporate social responsibility case facing a major corpora- tion. They work closely with company executives to analyze the issue and present their findings to a panel of judges. In fall 2008, students worked with Coca-Cola executives; in fall 2009, representatives from GE participated. Interterm courses for second-year MBAs involve both ethics-based and mainstream business problems; some students participate in two-week immersions overseas. These and other established courses have taken on new importance, says Conlon. He refers to Mendoza's outreach course, "Business on the Front Lines," which sends three teams of six students each to former war zones. Last year, teams traveled to Bosnia and Lebanon; this year, three teams traveled to Lebanon, Kenya, and Uganda. While there, students conducted research and offered recommen- dations for rebuilding businesses in those regions that have been affected by conflict. "What we do in courses like this has become more con- crete for us. It's more grounded in the realities of business," says Conlon. The "Ask More" message was implemented at a very ser- endipitous time in history, he adds. "We want to make it real for our students that business isn't the creator of problems— it's the solver of problems," says Conlon. Making Good on a Promise Mendoza's process mirrors that of many companies, says Conlon. He points to Whole Foods' commitment to pro- moting healthy lifestyles and to GE's "eco-imagination" initiatives. "The best companies have a sense of purpose that goes beyond profitability," he says. He believes that business schools, too, can achieve more by making a public statement of commitment to their ideals. Conlon already has noticed a change in the way prospec- tive students view the school. When he attends informa- tion sessions, he asks each individual why he or she wants to attend Notre Dame. In the past, many have mentioned characteristics such as the university's location, football team, and financial aid packages. "I don't hear these answers much anymore," he says. "These days, 90 percent of them say that they want to come here because of our emphasis on ethics and social responsibility." The school's challenge is to make good on those expecta- tions. "We must stay true to our message and deliver to stu- dents what we've promised them—an education that allows them to leave here with a unique point of view and a belief that the purpose of business is more than maximizing share- holder wealth," Conlon says. Mendoza's efforts to translate its brand into an actionable set of principles centered on its particular interests, but the process can be meaningful for any business school, say Woo and Conlon. By crafting a precise statement of purpose, a business school gives the members of its community a clear sense of how their efforts contribute to a larger set of objec- tives. Moreover, it can strengthen their affiliation with—and enthusiasm about—the school and its mission. ■ z BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2010 51