Fostering the development of responsible leaders, businesses, organisations and communities.

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About us

The Hoare Centre for Responsible Management is part of the University of Winchester Business School. The Centre brings together academics in the field of responsible management to produce research to inform the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, in order to develop a community of practice built on principles of responsible management.. 

We do this through the following key activities:

  • Advancing knowledge by generating ongoing, high-quality peer-reviewed articles
  • Generating general research grant income
  • Producing reports and developing engagements to impact the practitioner community
  • Developing current and future responsible leaders through research-led teaching
  • Building a responsible management community by extending our collaborations with a range of influential partners in order to extend our impact on the development of responsible, sustainable business and management

Forthcoming events

Sustainable Research and Innovation Conference, 20/21 July 2022

An innovative two-day in-person event combining staff development (Day 1) and industry engagement (Day 2), with a focus on sustainable energy research. Featuring a mix of keynote lectures, workshops, exercises, networking and showcasing.

For more information and how to book your place (NB Day 1 UoW staff only), visit the conference website.

What we do

Advancing knowledge through academic and practice-based research

All staff are involved in conducting research into various aspects of responsible management. Topics include the circular economy, responsible leadership development, the application of leadership collaboratories within the Health Service, responsible leadership and organizational ambidexterity, ethical and sustainable tourism, business ethics - particularly in relation to professional supervisory bodies, sustainability and HRM, human rights and poverty.

In addition we have a number of professional doctorate students investigating a range of CSR topics including engagement with sustainability reporting and the ethical implications of data analytics within HRM.

Finally, we always seek to increase our impact with practitioners working in the field. We are currently working with a consultancy in the development of a tool to help businesses become more ‘purpose-led’ to support the government’s recent report on purpose-led business.

Developing current and future responsible leaders

The centre has a core group of staff conducting research into the development of responsible managers and leaders. A current project is investigating the creation of a ‘responsible leadership development framework’ to help guide educational interventions at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This research is being conducted in partnership with Business in the Community to support their work on developing emerging leaders.

Other research is investigating the impact of service learning and corporate volunteering on the development of responsible leaders within middle managers operating within large corporates.

Building a responsible management community

The Centre is extending collaborations with a range of influential partners in order to extend our impact. We work with a range of bodies at the national level (e.g. the professional accountancy bodies, Business in the Community) and at the international level (e.g. the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management initiative, for whom Professor Carole Parkes is an international advisor).

We also run a well-established series of talks at the Business School. Previous speakers have included:

  • Carolyn Fairbairn, Director General of the CBI
  • John Timpson CBE, Chairman of Timpson's
  • Jonathon Porritt CBE, veteran environmental campaigner
  • Paul Drechsler CBE, President of the CBI
  • Amanda Mackenzie, Chief Executive of Business in the Community

We also work closely with other Higher Education Institutions, such as the University of the West of England's Bristol Leadership and Change Centre (BLCC), with whom we co-organised the June 2019 symposium Responsible and Inclusive Leadership: Paradoxes and Possibilities. 

Supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals

We are currently working with a range of SMEs on the challenges of embedding the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their business practice. SDGs are both important and challenging for all organisations, but for SMEs it can be particularly tricky to embed strategic change, without the time and resources to support it. Supported by the University through the Higher Education Innovation Fund, the University's Hoare Centre for Responsible Management is facilitating a dialogue between academics and SMEs to share practice and develop and inspire thought, action and solutions to improve SMEs' business practice in terms of sustainable development and to increase their achievement levels with regard to the SDGs. Specifically:

SDG3: Good Health and Wellbeing: investing in skills, creating meaningful jobs, sustained growth and job security.

SDG4: Quality Education: around sustainable development for SMEs

SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: jobs become more valuable if SMEs can thrive whilst achieving SDGs.

8 June 2021: SMEs leading by example: discussing successes and challenges meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An online symposium showcasing SME progress relating to the SDGs

Achieving SDGs is important for all organisations, large and small. Led by SMEs, this online symposium shared good practice within SMEs and looked at overcoming challenges to work towards shared solutions.

Speakers were:

Emma Stewart MBE, Timewise Foundation

Rob Baker, Potentia Talent Consultulting Ltd

Steve Butler, Punter Southall Aspire

Seb Beloe, WHEB Asset Management

Find out more

Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)

Whilst business management has been part of our curriculum for over 10 years, the Business School itself is relatively new, and brings a fresh vision and approach to its teaching and learning. We were proud to be the 13th Business School in the UK to be accepted as part of the United Nations 'Principles of Responsible Management Education' initiative, or PRME. The aim of PRME is to develop a new generation of business leaders capable of managing the complex economic, environmental and social challenges faced by business in the twenty-first century. It now includes over 300 business schools worldwide.

In January 2016, The University of Winchester became a Global PRME Champion, one of only 3 in the UK and 30 worldwide. The mission of the PRME Champions group is to contribute to thought and action leadership on responsible management education through working collaboratively with the broader international PRME community to contribute to UN goals and issues, particularly helping to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Find out more about Principles for Responsible Management Education Champions

Supporting the Centre

Sponsorship

The Centre would be delighted to hear from business sponsors to help enable its events to take place. Sponsors will have their names and logos displayed at events hosted by the Centre, in addition to other benefits.

Membership

We also welcome external members, both individuals and companies and organisations. Individual members will gain free access to all the talks, as well as enjoy a range of other benefits.

To find out more about the Centre, and about sponsorship and membership, contact the Convenor, Dr Manuela Pilato.

Explore our recent news

2022 news

Teach your children well: Children in Sustainable and Responsible Tourism book launch

In his new book Children in Responsible and Sustainable Tourism, centre member Dr Hugues Seraphin argues that the empowerment of children, an often overlooked group in responsible management research, should be a core component of any responsible tourism initiatives and a requirement in helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The book was launched at the University in December 2021. Besides Dr Seraphin, the book launch saw presentations by chapter authors and colleagues Dr Emma Nottingham, a specialist in child and family law, and Dr Karen Cripps, the Business School's UN Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRiME) Champion.

"There is a dearth of research reflecting children's perspectives", said Dr Seraphin. "Researchers tend to ask the parents as they feel it will lend more validity to the data." Dr Cripps stressed the importance of respecting the rights of children's voices to be heard in research about matters that affect them and their future, and highlighted that involving children in sustainability empowers and engages them for the long-term, helping to ensure they become responsible citizens and business leaders.

Dr Nottingham drew attention to the tension between the need to protect children from harm and adults' responsibility to combat societal unease with young activists: "By listening to children and enabling them to have influence, we can benefit from their unique perspectives".

The event was a collaboration between the Centre for Responsible Management, the Centre for Information Rights and the Centre for Climate Change Action and Education.

2019 news

Download our 2019 newsletters or read them online:

CRM June 2019 Newsletter 

CRM Sept 2019 Newsletter

CRM Nov 2019 Newsletter

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