The Responsible Organisation

The interface between business and society is changing. New (environmental and social) risks are apparent, as is the challenge of sustainability. The search for answers to a world in transition generates a wide range of challenging questions that go beyond a traditional business perspective. It is unclear how roles, responsibilities and functions of business should be defined and handled. To address these issues great emphasis is placed on the identity of the organisation, its core values, capabilities and competencies. These issues can only be really effectively handled when they are embedded in a companyís business strategy, plans and activities. That is the real challenge of the contemporary business enterprise. It has become evident that business needs to find new ways to respond to many of these developments. Therefore they need to be studied in the context of a particular organisation by people working within it.

The Nijmegen School of Management (the Netherlands), in collaboration with the University Twente (the Netherlands), Humbold University (Germany) and University Toulouse 1 (France), has taken the initiative to create a PhD Network for people working in business. The idea of establishing a PhD Business network is based on the belief that its members, while in the job, should create knowledge inside organisations. The key is upfront fundamental and applicable knowledge development.

From September 2006 this network will be up and running; 15 places are available initially. This innovative network has some similarities with an MBA because participants follow a set programme. Besides regular supervision, a full course week is provided at different locations across Europe four times a year. It also has clear differences, because in this set-up the research character of a PhD project ensures involvement with the main problems and questions of the participating company. The programme lasts for a period of four years. Supervisors from various academic institutions across Europe will provide input and assure progress. Participating in the programme should result in a PhD. Participation is based on an annual fee.

Please visit the project website (www.resorg.nl) for further details.