Lisbon Conscious Business Education Conference 2024: Evolving Education for Ethical Business Practices 

The Conscious Business Education Conference 2024, held at the Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal on 19-21 June was a resounding success. The event brought together leading professors from business schools in Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, the Czech Republic, Mexico and the US, and business practitioners to co-design the future of business education. The event featured engaging presentations, panel discussions, collaborative workshops, and invaluable networking opportunities. 

Dr. Jay Jakub, Executive Director of the Economics of Mutuality Foundation, joined as a speaker on several panels and in workshops, highlighting the importance of aligning business strategies with purpose-centric approaches that use measurable impact on key societal and environmental challenges to drive superior value creation and performance. He observed that “Events like these are a unique opportunity to break down silos of knowledge and of networks, and to join together with like-purposed leaders across disciplines and geographies to act as force multipliers for meaningful change in how future business leaders are taught. Now more than ever we need unfettered collaboration and a sense of humility to deliver transformation in the classroom and in corporations, the latter of which are fast becoming the best positioned to move the needle on the most pressing challenges the world faces today.” 

Now more than ever we need unfettered collaboration and a sense of humility to deliver transformation in the classroom and in corporations”

The keynote address by Prof. Dr. Karen Maas of the Impact Centre at Erasmus Business School in Rotterdam set the tone for the event, exploring the journey from purpose to impactful action in business. Her speech underscored the vital role that conscious business education plays in fostering a more sustainable and equitable world. 

Workshops during the conference provided attendees with hands-on experiences in designing comprehensive Conscious Business Studies curricula across the disciplines of strategic management, finance, marketing, supply chain and manufacturing, organization and culture, and leadership. These sessions highlighted the need for a multi-disciplinary approach, incorporating perspectives from economics, ethics, and environmental science, as well as from business practitioners to create robust educational frameworks. 

Networking opportunities were abundant, allowing participants to connect with academics and industry leaders who are committed to change the business paradigm from maximising shareholder value to optimizing stakeholder value, in ways that remain profitable and scalable. These interactions facilitated the formation of collaborative initiatives aimed at creating a broader, more impactful alliance in the near future.  

The conference concluded with a sense of optimism and commitment to advancing conscious business education under a form of ‘neutral branding’ to ensure future partners are welcomed to collaborate with one another as equals. By integrating the principles of conscious business, which are well aligned with core aspects of the Economics of Mutuality Alliance approach to business transformation, we can look forward to a new generation of business leaders who prioritize purpose, people and planet alongside profit. 

Let’s Discuss 

If you’d like to discuss evolving education for ethical business practices or to explore how the Economics of Mutuality could drive transformation in your context, just reach out. We’d be delighted to start a conversation hello@eom.org