Green-Belt MBA

MBA course: 'blind pursuit of profit is destroying the planet' | Leo Hickman | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "Let's play a little game. Please read the following quote and try to guess who said it:

Lies, cheat, deceit, distortion, hype, and a blind pursuit of profit have poisoned the business world. The price of this has been the destruction of the planet, its ecosystems and the alienation of humans from their soul and genuine inner needs. Pollution, contamination, climate change, poverty, rising sea level, unemployment, financial crisis, social unrest, war, and a general lack of trust has taken over as a result.

Strong stuff. I'm fairly confident that you currently have the image of an angry environmental campaigner in your head. Or, perhaps, a far-left politician waving their fist at the world's multiple injustices.

Well, these are both wrong: the right answer is these words come from the press release of a new MBA course now being offered at Marbella University in southern Spain. Yes, an MBA course: that rarefied habitat that has long been the butt of jokes due to the air of self-importance and unworldliness nurtured within. (The same is often said of the environmental movement, of course!)

Perhaps this common perception is unfair, but MBA courses are not usually associated with environmental tub-thumping. Rather, they are often seen as little more than finishing schools for the "corporate leaders" who will go on to pillage the earth in the name of "shareholder dividends" and "quarterly results". So it comes as something of a shock to see an MBA course being advertised in such a way.

Marbella University, the only English-speaking university in southern Spain, was founded in 2009 and, in addition to its MBA, offers courses on communication & public relations, tourism, journalism and psychology. But, for our purposes, it is the "Green MBA" that catches the eye.

For those still rubbing their eyes in amazement, here's some more from the press release:

The world needs new managers and CEOs; new MBAs. The state of humanity and the planet clearly shows: politics has failed, corporations have failed, and most disturbingly even education has failed.
Humanity and the world need new leaders and experts to resolve the global problems. The MBA programs at Marbella University entail a vanguard approach to international business with a strong focus on "human factors" and the complexity of today's global business world…
In the words of the President of Marbella University: "The state of humanity and the planet clearly shows: most Masters programs are unusable, elitist, soulless products, made by people that don't understand anything about human beings and the values of being human!"
Dr Schellhammer adds: "All solutions start with a vanguard education, based on a new understanding of humans and life."

Look at the "Green MBA" course description and you can see that issues such as population growth, climate change and "limited resources and raw materials" are all prominently discussed – even if there is still a tendency to slip effortlessly into management speak: "The business world must become aware of such developments and use all vanguard tools to efficiently navigate in such a challenging business environment." (I'm curious: can business executives get belts to strap around their waists to hold all their vanguard tools?)

Look at the "Green MBA" course description and you can see that issues such as population growth, climate change and "limited resources and raw materials" are all prominently discussed – even if there is still a tendency to slip effortlessly into management speak: "The business world must become aware of such developments and use all vanguard tools to efficiently navigate in such a challenging business environment." (I'm curious: can business executives get belts to strap around their waists to hold all their vanguard tools?)

Is this evidence of enlightenment and hope in the world of big business? Or a desperate attempt by a new university to court attention in the super competitive world of MBA courses? And for those who have actually completed an MBA: how often did these issues ever get discussed on your own course?"