(A) Introduction (B) Background (II) Dialogue with Senior Government Officers and Community Leaders
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(A) Introduction (B) Background (II) Dialogue with Senior Government Officers and Community Leaders
The School of Business has been awarded a grant for a Strategic Development Fund (SDF) Project entitled "Corporate Sustainability: A Community Dialogue" (企業可持續發展：與社區對話), initially for a period of two years starting from September 2009. The main thrust of this Project is to promote the understanding of corporate sustainability through activities such as seminars, conferences, competitions, research projects that will engage students, the academic community, business corporations, and the Hong Kong community at large. These activities focus on corporate governance, business ethics, corporate wellness management and work-life balance which come under the main theme of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Institute for Enterprise Development (IED) has been appointed the Secretariat to provide administrative support for this Project.
(B)
Background
The School of Business, being the first business school in Hong Kong to join
the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) is
well-placed to launch a project that addresses the issue of corporate sustainability.
The project’s main aim is to promote an enhanced understanding of corporate
sustainability, its requirements and implications, through a multi-stakeholder
dialogue process that involves students and faculty, academia as well as the
community at large, and local as well as international. The School has the intention
of developing the area of corporate sustainability into an Area of Excellence
for the School of Business in due course.
To achieve the aim of the project, efforts are directed at exploring and developing at the theoretical and practical levels, business approaches that focus on sustainability defined by the ability to both generate long-term profitability and contribute to the common good. A multi-stakeholder dialogue process is adopted whenever possible to reflect and solicit the points of view of the diverse stakeholders involved in the very concept of corporate sustainability.
Activities in the past 15 months included conferences, seminars, workshops, contests, exhibitions and research projects. While the School of Business acts as the hub for the project, colleagues of all other faculties and schools are invited to participate in the activities hosted by the School.
Focusing on key themes such as corporate governance, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, the following is a summary of the activities initiated under this project:
The following 9 research projects were approved from September 2010 to August 2010 and were well in progress.
No.
1
Sustainable Management in China: An Empirical Study (March – December 2010)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Vincent CHOW, Associate Professor, Department of Finance and Decision Sciences, HKBU
Perceived Ethical Business Practices in China: The Interactive Effects of Values, Work Climate and Business Environment (April 2010 – October 2012)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Alicia LEUNG, Associate Professor, Department of Management, HKBU
Co-Investigator:
Dr. Jamie CHEUNG, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, HKBU
China’s Geely Automotive: A Case Study of Corporate Sustainability (April – June 2010)
Principal Investigator:
Prof. Allan CHAN, Associate Dean, School of Business and Co-Director, Chinese Businesses Case Research Centre (CBCR), HKBU
Co-Investigators:
Prof. SHI Yi-zheng, Co-Director, CBCR, HKBU
Dr. CHEN Yuanyi, Research Associate, CBCR, HKBUKey Measures of Corporate Sustainability: A Review of Literature (March – December 2010)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Vivienne LUK, Director, Institute for Enterprise Development (IED) and Wing Lung Bank International Institute for Business Development (IIBD), HKBU
Co-Investigator:
Dr. Audrey TSUI, Former Head, Corporate Wellness Management Unit (CWMU), IED, HKBUThe Sustainability of Corporate-environment Symbiosis, the Motivation of Top Management in Environmental Protection
(May 2010 – April 2012)
Principal Investigator:
Prof. Ji LI, Professor, Department of Management, HKBUCorporate Social Performance, Firm Valuation, and Industrial Difference in Hong Kong
(May – August 2010)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. TAN Weiqiang, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Finance and Decision Sciences, HKBUEmployer Strategies and the Minimum Wage in Hong Kong (August 2010 – January 2011)
Principal Investigators:
Prof. Randy CHIU, Professor, Department of Management, HKBU
Prof. Edward SNAPE, Head and Professor, Department of Management, HKBU
Co-Investigator: Prof. Geoff WHITE, University of Greenwich, UKBureaucratic Control and Corporate Governance - A Case Study of the Agricultural Bank of China
(May 2010 – February 2011)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. CHENG Yuk-Shing, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, HKBU
The Moderation Effect of Social Responsibility Climate on the Relationship between Work-Nonwork Conflict of Service Employees and Their Participation in Voluntary Community Services (June 2010 – June 2011)
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Henry FOCK, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, HKBU
Co-Investigator:
Dr. Frederick YIM, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, HKBU
II.
Dialogue with Senior Government Officers and Community Leaders
Four
Dialogue sessions were conducted during this reporting period. Prof. Stephen
Y.L. CHEUNG, (張仁良教授), Dean of the School of Business and Professor (Chair)
of Finance was the convenor of this dialogue session.
1. Sustainable Development: A Community
Dialogue with Mrs. LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor (30 September 2009)
Mrs. Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor, JP (林鄭月娥女士),
Secretary for Development, Development Bureau of The Government of HKSAR, was
invited by the School of Business to have a dialogue with HKBU students on “Progressive
Development - A Balancing Act” on 30 September 2009. Around 230 students and
staff members attended the event during which students put questions to Mrs.
LAM on infrastructure development, urban renewal and heritage conservation.
This event was covered by various media such as Ming Pao and Hong Kong Economic
Times.
2.
Corporate Governance: A Community Dialogue with Mr. Paul CHOW Man-yiu (12 November
2009)
Mr. Paul CHOW Man-yiu, SBS, JP (周文耀先生), Chief Executive
of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, was invited by the School to have
a dialogue with students to share his insights on corporate governance on 12
November 2009. The School also conferred an Honorary Professorship on Mr. CHOW
at the event.
3. The Sustainability of Hong Kong as
a Financial Centre: A Dialogue with Mr. LI Xiaojia, Honorary Professor of the
School of Business (1 September 2010)
Mr.
Charles LI Xiaojia (李小加先生), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Exchanges
and Clearing Limited conducted a dialogue session on 1 September 2010 with over
250 new postgraduate students of the School’s 9 postgraduate programmes on
the sustainability of Hong Kong as a financial centre vis a vis Shanghai. Mr.
LI was conferred an honorary professorship on the occasion.
4.
Corporate Social Responsibility in the Banking Industry: A Dialogue Session
with Mrs. Margaret LEUNG and HKBU Students (29 October 2010)
Mrs. Margaret LEUNG, JP (梁高美懿女士), Vice-Chairman
and Chief Executive, Hang Seng Bank, HKBU Court Member as well as Honorary Associate
of HKBU Business School, conducted a sharing session on Corporate Social Responsibility
in the banking industry with students and alumni on 29 October 2010.
III.
Conference
The 3rd World Business Ethics Forum (26
– 28 October 2010)
Founded by the School of Business and the Faculty
of Business Administration of University of Macau, the World Business Ethics
Forum (WBEF) has been held every two years since 2006. The 3rd WBEF with the
theme “ACE �o Accountability, Credibility, & Ethicality” was held from
26 to 28 October 2010. A total of 9 papers were presented by faculty members
of the School. Selected papers will also be published in the Special Issue of
Journal of Business Ethics.
The keynote speakers were:
a. Professor Hans van GINKEL, Chairman of the Kofi Annan Business School Foundation,
Former Under-Secretary-General of the United
Nations, Former Rector of the United Nations University, Former President of
the International Association of Universities, and Rector Emeritus of the University
of Utrecht; and
b. Professor Alex C. MICHALOS, Editor in Chief, Journal of Business Ethics and
Director of Institute for Social Research and Evaluation, University of Northern
British Columbia, Canada.
Over 120 papers were presented at the conference. For details, please visit
the website at http://www.wbef.umac.mo.
IV.
Symposium
A full-day Symposium
on Social Enterprises in China was held on 10 May 2010 to provide a platform
to discuss sustainable business models and success factors of social enterprises
on the Mainland through scholarly presentations and case studies. Social Social
enterprise is a business model that has sustainability at its core of existence.
The Symposium was attended by over 120 participants including scholars, representatives
of social enterprises, HKBU staff and students. Dr. Stephen FISHER (余志穩博士),
Former Director of the Social Welfare Department of the HKSAR Government and
Adjunct Professor of the School, delivered the Keynote Speech.
In addition to the Proceedings distributed to participants at the Symposium,
the Chinese Businesses Case Research Centre (CBCR) is working on the publication
of a case book on social enterprises, which is expected to be published by the
end of 2010.
V.
Forum on Sustainability
Two international forums relating to sustainability of
business education were held and attended by faculty members of the School of
Business which were considered very useful and important learning experience.
The details are given below:
1. Participation at 2nd UN Global Forum for Responsible
Management Education (23 June 2010)
As one of the signatory international business schools,
the School of Business was represented at the 2nd UN Global Forum for Responsible
Management Education on 23 June 2010. The Forum emphasised the importance of
business schools as change agents to instill the importance of corporate social
responsibility in order to nurture the next generation of leaders. At the end
of the forum, a declaration reiterated that ‘Management education must also
enhance its curricula, pedagogy, research and incentives, as well as lead by
example, to prepare organizational leaders who will balance economic and social
development.’
Both events were represented by international business schools in recognition
of the importance that business schools need to be the change agent and to instill
the importance of Economic gain is no longer a solitary end in the hearts and
minds of the globe’s six billion people. Business must emphasise societal and
environmental value just as much as its commitment to shareholder return.
2.
Participation at AACSB International’s 2010 Sustainability Conference (14-16
June 2010)
The School was represented at the AACSB International’s
2010 Sustainability Conference held from 14-16 June 2010 in Denver, Colorado,
USA. The Conference was attended by a diverse group of influential thinkers,
business experts, and management educators explored the emerging subject area
of sustainable enterprise, examined the intersection of sustainability and innovation
in business schools, and discussed how technology and innovation can solve some
of the planet's most pressing issues. Participated business speakers included
GE ecomagination vice president, Steve FLUDDER, Target Financial Services president,
Terry SCULLY and Nelmara ARBEX, director of Learning Services of Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI). Other university professors and administrators also shared
best practices of curriculum programmes and initiatives that geared towards
‘Sustainability’ education.
The Conference was organized in recognition of the important role played by business schools to instill the importance of ethical business behavior and the fact that economic gain is no longer a solitary end in the heart and minds of the worlds 6 billion population. Business must emphasise societal and environmental values just as much as its commitment to shareholder return. Please refer to for more details about these two events.
VI.
Case Competitions
The SDF Project also provided funding support for 2 international Business Case
competitions organized by the Wing Lung Bank International Institute for Business
Development (IIBD) in 2009 and 2010, as summarized below:
1. 2009 IIBD Case Competition on Corporate Social
Responsibility (13 November 2009)
IIBD Case Competition is a competition for IIBD member
and non-member universities worldwide. The purpose of the Competition is to
strengthen internationalisation through the enhancement of student and faculty
networks, both social as well as professional. The Competition highlights the
strategic challenges and managerial dilemmas faced by global business leaders.
Students have to work under pressure to solve a real world business problem,
using simulated business conditions, such as time-critical deadlines and incomplete
information, to formulate workable, action-oriented recommendations. The Competition
is a test of students’ creativity and problem-solving abilities. These students
as tomorrow’s business leaders will be better prepared to meet the challenges
of a rapidly changing global business environment.
The theme for the 2009 Competition was Corporate Social Responsibility that addressed to an important aspect of corporate sustainability. Twenty-nine teams from eleven countries participated in the First Round of the Competition. Five finalist teams were chosen and invited to HKBU to compete for awards in the Final Round of the Competition. They were:
2. 2010 IIBD Case Competition on Corporate Sustainability
(17 November 2010)
This is the 5th time that IIBD hosted such an international
competition for HKBU. The theme of this year’s Competition focused on Corporate
Sustainability (CS). This year, the Competition was organised by IIBD and Chinese
Businesses Case Research Centre (CBCR), School of Business, HKBU, and sponsored
by HKBU Century Club and Kerry Logistics.
During the First Round of the Competition, participating teams from 39 universities
in 11 countries submitted written case analysis reports focusing on CS. Five
finalist teams have been chosen and invited to HKBU to compete for awards in
the Final Round of the Competition. The finalist teams were:
The
Final Round of the IIBD Case Competition 2010 has been successfully held on
17 November 2010. The finalist teams received a real business case on "Geely
Automotive" in the morning and were given six hours to prepare for their
presentations to the Panel of Judges in the afternoon. Based on criteria such
as the depth and comprehensiveness of analysis, relevance, originality, and
persuasiveness, as well as each team’s ability to present arguments and recommendations,
the Judges determined the outstanding teams for the award of Gold, Sliver, Bronze
and Best Presenter prizes.
Panel of Judges:
Winning Teams: �
More information on the IIBD Case Competition 2010 is posted on the website: http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~iibd/CC2010.
VII.
Case Writing
The Corporate Wellness Management Unit (CWMU) of Institute
for Enterprise Development has obtained consent from two well-known companies
in Hong Kong to write cases related to the theme of corporate sustainability.
1. Cafe de Coral: The Home Kitchen for Hong Kong Families
Researchers: Dr. Audrey TSUI, Former Head, CWMU, IED
Dr. Emily HUANG, Assistant Professor, Department of Management
2.
Standard Chartered Bank: Initiative on Employee Engagement
Researchers: Dr. Audrey TSUI, Former Head, CWMU, IED
Mrs. KANG LIEW Inn-Lee, Assistant Director, IED
VIII.
Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility
Dr. Alan Muller from University of Washington was invited
to visit the School of Business from 6 to 11 September 2010. During this period,
a seminar was arranged to provide an opportunity for Dr. Muller and our faculty
members to explore possibilities of collaborative research on corporate social
responsibility. Dr. Muller also discussed with faculty members about several
research projects on CSR and corporate sustainability during his visit to our
School.
IX.
Forum on Corporate Sustainability: A Student Debate (24 November 2010)
A student debate named “mindXchange” was organised by
the School of Business on 24 November 2010 to promote students’ active participation
in free exchange of ideas on current issues especially related to the timely
topics of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and business ethics.
Its aims include 1) to increase the awareness of our students over the importance
of corporate sustainability and business ethics; 2) to promote a culture amongst
students, that is forward-looking, intelligent, proactive, competent and in
touch with our society; 3) to promote student relations-building through participation
of undergraduates, postgraduates and alumni in the processes of debate and audience
participation; and 4) to enhance the essential skills of business students including
critical & analytical thinking, active engagement and research over current
issues, public speaking, team work and persuasion.
The topic of this student debate was “Despite the rise of Shanghai as a financial centre, Hong Kong’s ethical business environment will safeguard its regional competitiveness beyond 2020.” It was attended by 80 students, faculty and staff. There were two teams made up of undergraduates and alumni from the Business School debating for and against the motion. Then the floor was given time to pose questions to either team. After that, the audience voted to decide the winning team. The event ended at a climax when the voting result was announced calling upon the winner who was Panel A, who argued FOR the motion. Members of team A and B are as follows:
Panel A
Panel B
The one-a-half-hour event was a great success with the audience and panelists fully engaging in debating, posing questions and exchanging of ideas. “mindXchange” endeavours to improve student’s English public speaking through thought-provoking topics and to further enhance student involvement in the Business School.
X.
Database Acquisition
The OSIRIS database is very useful for our research on
corporate growth and it provides financial and accounting data of over 57,000
large companies in 190 countries. The School needs to renewal this database
purchase for colleagues to conduct research on corporate sustainability.
Funding Limit
HK$50,000 or below
