Rhodes University School of Business Department

Leadership for Sustainability

Welcome to the South African business school that takes sustainability issues seriously. Thank you for visiting our website. We trust that you will find interest in what we do in the business education arena, as well as in how we do it.

Sustainability embodies two main ideas. Firstly there is the idea of “business continuity” and organizational longevity, and secondly, there is the idea of “sustainable development”. Both ideas are tied up with the concern of “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”.

Our essence is “Leadership for Sustainability”. Our vision is to “Transform business for a sustainable world” and our mission is to “Educate and influence responsible business practice, responsibly”. We believe that business has the greatest potential to change the world for the well-being of current and future generations.

Our aim is to produce integrated and holistic thinkers, who are able to:

•            Critically understand equitable, ethical, economic and ecological imperatives for a world that is consuming resources faster than it can replenish them

•            Responsibly lead and manage organizations that understand and act upon the needs, interests and expectations of stakeholders

•            Make the business and moral case for sustainability

•            Enhance the pursuit of responsible management practices and functions

We commit to engage around the above philosophies and practices of leadership and management through:

•             Innovative, intimate and integrated teaching and learning

•             Ongoing, informed and progressive research

•             Critical thought

•             Active engagement with stakeholders

•             Operating sustainably

In all its programme offerings, MBA, PDEM, executive and short courses, Rhodes Business School emphasises the balance which needs to be placed on the social, environmental, economic and ethical performance of organizations which is essential to their sustainable impact and performance. As a result of the concerns with climate change, for example, there is a risk that public policies and social movements will speed up the demands for companies and other organizations to operate in a more sustainable way.

All organizations need to understand these imperatives, as well as to be empowered to respond practically and appropriately. The Rhodes Business School offerings aim to do this.

?The Rhodes Business School MBA programme is accredited by the Association of MBA’s (AMBA).