NEW FOCUS

Starting April 2007, I am going to become the Chair in Corporate Responsibility and Director of the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility at Cranfield School of Management (www.cranfield.ac.uk/som)

Cranfield has an international reputation; and is a business school which combines academic rigour with practical relevance. Indeed, its strapline is "Knowledge into Action." It was one of the founding members of EABIS (www.eabis.org) - the umbrella organisation for business schools across Europe, which are committed to integrating responsible business into teaching and research.

I have long believed that Business Schools are a critical part of the equation in getting corporate responsibility widely understood and applied. I have been giving guest lectures to MBA, executive, faculty and alumni in business schools around the world, on Business and Society since 1992 - notably on the INSEAD Ethics Days. I have been privileged to have had short visiting fellowships at Stanford and currently at the CSR Initiative in the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard. I have also been a Visiting Fellow at several UK business schools including Imperial and Durham. I have been involved in EABIS since before its inauguration in 2002 - most recently helping to champion the topic of responsible entrepreneurship: small business and sustainability/ responsibility. Back in 1995, I worked with Chris Marsden on a project which BP sponsored about business schools and corporate responsibility which led to Chris setting up the Centre for Corporate Citizenship at Warwick.

This has though really been cajoling from the side-line. Now I have to get on the pitch and help to deliver! It is simultaneously exciting and daunting!

In "Corporate Social Opportunity," Adrian Hodges and I argued that corporate responsibility must not be a bolt-on to business operations, but built-in to business purpose and strategy. I feel the same way about business schools and corporate responsibility: built-in not bolt-on! It follows, therefore, that - whilst I do have some initial ideas about some of the possible areas of focus for the new Doughty Centre (helping boards to understand now crucial it is; how to make a genuine commitment to Responsible Business a source of new insight and opportunity; responsible entrepreneurship) - I am going to start at Cranfield by engaging stakeholders (inside and outside the School of Management) on their ideas for the Centre. We will be running a series of consultations over the summer and early Autumn to define our approach and initial programme. I would very much appreciate advice and suggestions.

I shall continue a connection to Business in the Community where I am currently focussing on what BITC has learnt in 25 years of engaging business - which is a joint project with my Fellowship at the Kennedy School of Government.

Throughout my life, I have been involved in start-ups: Project North East, the National Disability Council, Business Links and so on. I am honoured to be invited to start up and lead the new Doughty Centre. I hope that working with colleagues across the School of Management and through EABIS, that we will be able to contribute positively to a step-change in the quality and extent of responsible business.