Beyond the Classroom of Social Responsibility

Microfinance: Enhancing Financial Access for the Poor

ptayal — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:53:55 +0000

Course Name: Enhancing Financial Access for the Poor
Professor: Romi Bhatia
Credit Hours: 1.5
Course Number: MBAD 290

(To be continued)

Reflections on volunteering on MLK Day

ptayal — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:50:54 +0000

Amongst all the volunteers who did attend, we were broken up into various groups depending on projects and skills. In my group of volunteers, we created a Word Wall in the hallway outside the cafeteria. Other than writing words that are going to be used by teachers as a teaching tool to improve the students’ vocabulary and reading skills, we also created a creative and interactive mural for the students to enjoy.

It was such an experience to detach oneself for an afternoon and get back to the roots of volunteering. Not only that, but using creative skills and my interest (though not necessarily skill!) in drawing and coloring, enhanced my day of service. Being at the school itself was like a flashback in childhood, but being surrounded by the students and using felt tips, markers and coloring pencils that afternoon made me feel like a kid again! Check out the picture of the finished mural.

The Net Impact Conference 2009

ptayal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:12:31 +0000

Waking up at 5am, driving 9 hours, sleep deprived, hungry and completely exhausted, I arrive in Ithica, New York on Friday afternoon. What was to follow was 48 hours, 2 days of the Net Impact Conference. My first of its kind, and memorable from the outset.

http://www.netimpact.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=2029

(To be continued)

Business Ethics

ptayal — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:22:47 +0000

Course Name: Business Ethics
Professor: Tim Fort
Credit Hours: 1.5
Course Number: MBAD 281

The first module is over! I have to admit, amongst the hustle and bustle, I am glad to be back at school. The classroom has truly been a knowledgeable experience and it is interesting to see the relevance of business concepts after being in the working world, but also through the realization of my ultimate career goals.

Of my courses from this module, Business Ethics has been the most pertinent in terms of the PRME objectives. Before we even began the course, we were asked to submit a list of 5-7 values that we believed were most important for a successful business. After collecting almost 120 sets of values, the following were the “election results” – Honesty, Respect, Dedication, Innovation, Collaboration, Moral/Ethical/Sustainable, Leadership and Passion. From the outset, it is clear that the purpose and values of this course aligns with those outlined in the Certificate.

The goals of the course were stated as the following: (1) to clarify values, (2) to create ethical awareness, (3) to develop a moral decision-making process, and (4) to learn the central steps in creating ethical business communities that tend to enhance peace and security. These goals are in line with the objective of “Purpose” as the course aims to provide students with an educational framework around ethics in a business environment, and promotes us (as future business leaders) to think scenarios through the main ethical theories pertaining to Shareholders, Stakeholders and Virtues. This was the “Method” through which the course is communicated. Using various real-life cases and scenarios, we were encouraged to use this structure to decipher clear and sound ethical and sustainable decisions.

However, the core of this class came from the “Research” portion as the majority of our final grade is determined by a research paper based on an actual case where a company was faced with an ethical dilemma. Through this intense research, students were able to advance our understanding of the three theories which incorporate “the role, dynamics, and impact of corporations in the creation of sustainable social, environmental and economic value.” My collaborative paper was an incident that the Coca-Cola Company faced against child labor in El Salvador. Through this paper, I was able to explore business decisions the corporation had to make, and the impacts these decisions had on the shareholders and stakeholders. Specifically, the paper’s contents dealt with the first 6 principles that are mentioned in the United Nations Global Compact in terms of “Human Rights” and “Labor”.

Through “Partnership” and “Dialogue” with fellow classmates (and thus former business professionals) as well as Tim Fort (our primary educator in this course) our discussions and debates allowed appreciation of different viewpoints and possibly different ethical frameworks. Especially through the real-life case discussions, we learnt, understood and challenged social responsibilities of corporations, the power of individual and collective values and attitudes within corporations as well as the sustainable precedents set with decisions made in ethical dilemmas.

Tim Fort as a professor is also extremely engaging. He clearly has passion for his subject and is enthusiastic about passing his experiences and learning to the students. I highly recommend this course, even for those who think ethics cannot be taught in a classroom setting. The class will at the least, allow you to acknowledge your own ethics and think about them in a business setting.

Back to the basics…

ptayal — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:17:07 +0000

Into the first module of my MBA career, to say it is an adjustment after 4 years of working is an understatement. I went to undergrad for my BBA at the University of Miami after which I proceeded to work in the field of Finance in New York city. Undoubtedly my experiences at two of the world’s largest investment banks were priceless, but I knew that my knowledge domain had to be enhanced in order to be in line with my career objectives. Finance helped me discover that the clients I wanted to work with were and are at the other end of the spectrum. Being from India and living, traveling and studying extensively in developing countries, International Development is a natural fit for me.

With this realization came a further insight – education was key to my success. I wanted to pursue a degree which could leverage my business background while allowing me to pursue my goals in development. Here, the George Washington University served as an ideal match. Let alone the political capital that is the Washington DC, GWU through the provision of the Strategic Management and Public Policy domain, has allowed me to align my education with my career ambitions. Furthermore, pioneering opportunities such as the Certificate in Responsible Management align the union between management (business) and responsibility/sustainability (development). Visualizing my MBA through the lens of development is extremely important for me to get the most from my education, and pursuing possibilities which permit this, such as the Certificate, are vital and valuable.