(List #111) 5 Examples of Business School Materiality Analysis

Every year I do a bit of a scan through business school websites to see how they are exploring the concept of materiality. Materiality, according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), is information “that could influence the decision making of stakeholder in respect of the reporting company”.  Some schools approach it in a very formal way, connected with the GRI framework, while others use it as a tool to help guide their thinking around sustainability priorities. Here are five examples from Europe.

1. Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor Slovenia

To determine which issues were most material to the institution and stakeholders, FEB regularly conducts surveys and consultations with students, staff, and partners. These surveys help to identify key sustainability and social responsibility issues that are relevant to the institution and stakeholders, and also inform their teaching, research and engagement activities. 

2. INSEAD, France

In order to identify the schools most material topics, an analysis of INSEAD’s sustainability activities, business relationships and challenges in the business education industry (identified by networks such as AACSB, EFMD, AASHE and PRME) was completed. Material issues identified were then linked to the schools four pillar sustainability strategy – Knowledge, Learning, Engagement and Walk the Talk. 

3.IESEG, France

IESEG’s materiality survey was sent to identify those topics that were most relevant to stakeholders and that have the greatest impact on their business. It went to professors, staff, students and the parents of students. The assessment helped them to prioritize on social and environmental issues based on their importance to stakeholders and degree of impact on the school. 

4.ESADE, Spain

The materiality analysis at Esade involved 11 stakeholders through different methods of consultation combined with relevant topics for sustainability. This exercise resulted in an initial list of 17 topics which stakeholders were then asked to prioritize through interviews, focus groups and surveys. The results were then validated by the project coordination team and professor experts in materiality analysis. The result was a definition of seven broad areas of work: Curriculum, research and social debate, climate action, diversity, equity and inclusion, people wellness and work, culture and values, community engagement and compliance.

5.POLIMI Graduate School of Management, Italy

POLIMI Graduate School of Management in Milan, Italy developed a Sustainability Plan as part of their B Corp certification. This process involves evaluating the SDG targets in terms of relevance (from low to high) based on feedback gathered via an anonymous survey sent to internal staff at the Graduate School of Management, in particular the management team as well as stakeholders, namely the members, main corporate clients, a selection of current students and alumni as well as a selection of faculty. 

Previous looks at Materiality on List…

Thanks for reading,

Best

Giselle