Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability (ERS) in Business School Accreditation: Peer-Learning Perspectives (2014 draft)

Produced by the GRLI's Values in Action Group in 2014, this peer-learning resource examines how business schools are integrating ethics, responsibility, and sustainability (ERS) into their institutions. Drawing on experiences from eight universities across Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States, the authors use the EQUIS accreditation framework to organize practical examples and good practices for implementing ERS across business school strategy, governance, teaching, research, and operations. The document addresses a significant gap in knowledge about how schools systematically define and embed ERS into their core activities, whether pursuing accreditation or not. It also surveys how other major accreditation bodies—including AACSB, AMBA, ACBSP, and EPAS—incorporate ERS standards, positioning the work within the broader landscape of management education reform. Rather than prescriptive guidelines, this discussion draft serves as a springboard for global dialogue and knowledge-sharing among peer institutions committed to advancing responsible leadership education.