Responsible Global Humanism as a New Model for Business Schools

Abstract

This paper examines the elements that make up global humanist learning (GHL) about cross-cultural management education (CCME) for the training of international responsible future managers. The first part of this study shows how business schools can find their way implementing a new curriculum based on transversal humanist studies and global responsibility. The study shows how, besides her/his cross-cultural knowledge, the future executive has to show a great adaptability acquired through a slow training characterised by cultural diversity with a global humanistic (human and social sciences) background coming from different cultures and perspectives. The second part of this paper develops the notion of sustainable education for responsible transcultural managers. Well-being is at the core of this section giving special importance to the notion of sustainable happiness in the workplace, element that replaces the sacro-saint three “P” concepts in traditional business: productivity, performance and profitability. The paper highlights new values in an emerging responsible “green environment” such as caring, “maternalistic” management, integral thinking and love for humanity in playful enjoyable contexts. The third part of this paper underlines the importance of a global humanism which questions Eurocentric and Western thinking as the main ground theory for business education. The paper will put forward the necessity of a post-colonial approach from political, social, economic and cultural thinkers and activists from emerging environments. Finally, this work will propose new challenges for the future: a profile for another kind of responsible business school across the globe.