Dean MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, has been named a 2024 Power Player in Corporate Social Responsibility. But the honor, she says, belongs to the entire Robert B. Willumstad School of Business.
PoliticsNY recently named MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, one of the (CSR). The list honors those who are 鈥減ioneering social responsibility within their organizations,鈥� with a dedication to 鈥減ositive change and shaping a brighter future for all.鈥�
It鈥檚 a recognition Dr. Hyland described as 鈥渧ery humbling,鈥� but she quickly shifted the credit to where she said it really belongs.
鈥淚t is the School that has done all the work,鈥� Dr. Hyland said, 鈥渁nd that is because developing socially responsible leaders is an integral part of our mission.鈥�
She defines CSR as 鈥渃reating a positive impact on society through one or more strategies or initiatives. It can involve minimizing environmental impact, improving the workplace, supporting community causes, charitable giving, among others.鈥�
Dr. Hyland explains that the School is focused on two of the to guide its CSR efforts. The first goal, she said, is providing a quality education that is inclusive and equitable. The second is reducing inequalities, especially as related to education.
A Mix of Classroom Education and Real-World Insights
This focus on CSR has become more structured over the years. As a result, the School offers a business education today that is a strong mix of classroom education and real-world insights. Courses include case studies and decision-making exercises that 鈥済ive students an understanding of how to address CSR in the business world and the tradeoffs that might be required,鈥� Dr. Hyland explained. 鈥淲e also have ethics as one of our School鈥檚 learning goals, and CSR comes into play there, too.鈥�
Additionally, students hear from guest speakers鈥攎any of whom are Willumstad alumni鈥攚ho can tell them about the challenges of implementing CSR in the world of business they will encounter after they graduate, where 鈥渄oing good鈥� and 鈥渄oing well鈥� are often at odds.
鈥淐SR is something that remains aspirational for many organizations,鈥� Dr. Hyland said. 鈥淭here has been a lot of progress, but there is still plenty of room for growth. If a company wants to get CSR right, they should be addressing all their stakeholders. That鈥檚 the 鈥榙oing good鈥� part of their business, and some companies are real leaders in achieving that.鈥�
The School鈥檚 commitment to CSR continues to evolve. The annual Business Plan Competition, for example, added an award category in 2022 for the best socially responsible plan. The goal, Dr. Hyland said, is to encourage students to think of CSR as an integral component when developing their business concept and writing their plan.
Faculty Research: Practicing What They Teach
For Willumstad faculty, moving CSR forward in their scholarly pursuits鈥攑racticing what they teach鈥攊s a key part of their role in the School鈥檚 mission.
鈥淚鈥檓 especially proud of what our faculty has done in their research,鈥� Dr. Hyland said. She cites several projects, including studies of CO2 emission abatement by Zhimin Huang, PhD; employee physical fatigue by Zahra Sedighi Maman, PhD; and the by Yun Jung Lee, PhD.
But in the end, the result of all the combined efforts is the 鈥減roduct鈥� that goes out the door: the Willumstad graduates.
鈥淲hen our students graduate, many of them are interested in CSR,鈥� Dr. Hyland said. 鈥淭hey often look for companies known for being socially responsible.鈥�
The hope is that the values embedded in the School鈥檚 curriculum have also become embedded in its new alumni. Dr. Hyland says the School strives to envelop students in what she calls 鈥渁 culture of conscience.鈥� It鈥檚 not only increasingly important in preparing them for the business world they will enter, but also, like CSR itself, she said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the right thing to do.鈥�