Category: Events

Remote inclusion: the challenge of wellbeing in the post-Covid society

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on Remote inclusion: the challenge of wellbeing in the post-Covid society
The Sars-Cov2 pandemic affirmed the position of the home as the central place of work and private life, disrupting all traditional social models. Technology made it possible to run the economic system effectively from a distance, but what are the consequences of “remotisation” on the well-being of individuals? The School of Management offers a multidisciplinary platform for studying the social benefits and costs of the remote economy.

 

Lucio Lamberti, Full Professor of Multichannel Customer Strategy, Coordinator of the Physiology, Emotion and Experience Lab
Alessandro Perego, Academic Director School of Management Politecnico di Milano

Inclusion and inclusiveness are key issues for sustainable development: a broad, multidimensional issue that requires not only a transversal effort, but clear vertical projects through which to contribute to real collective progress. Among the various initiatives undertaken by our School, one represents for us a theme that matches our sensibilities, our skills and the type of contribution our institution can offer: the analysis of the effects of technological mediation on study and work relationships.

The Sars-Cov2 pandemic has in fact reaffirmed the position of the home as the central place for work, private life, shopping, information gathering, study and entertainment, through the enormous acceleration of phenomena such as Working From Home (WFH) and distance learning.
In recent months, the social patterns of individuals and families have been transformed with unimaginable vigour and speed. Millions of people have begun to work and study diligently from home, and, although a return to more traditional social dynamics can be assumed once – hopefully soon – the pandemic phase is over, alienation phenomena are beginning to be observed (or at least a reduction in the value of experience) linked to the loss of the physical dimension of sociability, if not manifestations of the so-called Cabin (or Prisoner) Syndrome, i.e. the fear of returning to normal interaction outside the home with the rest of the world for those who are forced to remain confined in a space for a longer or shorter time.

Furthermore, after a phase of focusing on the technological and organisational enablement of WFH and distance learning, it is now time to evaluate their effectiveness compared to traditional models. We are faced with phenomena of historic significance: on the one hand, there is the issue of social inclusion and resilience, since the remote economy exacerbates the consequences of social detachment of the less digitised sections of the population, which are often also the most vulnerable sections of the population (e.g. low-income families, the elderly, the disabled).
On the other hand, in the very complex social equation estimating the social benefits and costs of a progressive “remotisation” of work and training, the terms relating to effectiveness (quality of learning, productivity, innovativeness, etc.) and to the well-being of the individuals involved (satisfaction, quality of life, sociality) are still largely unknown.

These are drivers of social cohesion, individual wellbeing, efficiency and effectiveness at work and at school, and interpersonal and emotional development which, in extreme terms, could be momentous achievements capable of generating sustainable development (less traffic, less pollution, greater inclusiveness, revitalisation of non-urban areas), or dangerous threats of the deterioration of economic well-being, quality of life and quality of human capital, if not of engendering individual, family and social tensions.

The School of Management has embarked on a multidisciplinary and multi-platform research project on the wellbeing of the individual in the remote economy aimed specifically at qualifying and quantifying the dynamics of relationships, engagement and productivity linked to WFH, the dimensions of the effectiveness of distance learning, the cost factors and social benefits of the “remotisation” of study/work relationships.

In order to do this, we want to (and must) draw on the wide range of skills that the School can express: the MIP, a business school at the forefront of the world in distance learning; the Digital Innovation Observatories, which have been analysing for more than ten years phenomena such as Smart Working, the digitalisation of homes and relationship models mediated by technology; the IOT Laboratory, which develops and studies models of interfaces between individuals and their connected devices; the Pheel Laboratory, which studies and measures, in a multimodal way and based on biometrics, the effectiveness and reaction of interfaces and experiences on individuals.

But even such a wide range of expertise risks failing to encompass the complexity of the issue. This is why, in accordance with our strategic plan and that of our University, we are creating a system of relations with the other branches of our Politecnico (e.g. the departments of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Physics, Civil Engineering, Mechanics, Design) with research centres in disciplinary domains other than the Politecnico (Psychologists and Sociologists, above all), and with companies and institutions jointly interested in the topic.

Our platform aims to create experimental environments that mimic the home experience to enable experiments on WFH and smart learning experiences in terms of ergonomics, sound insulation, contextualisation, material impact, user experience and productivity dynamics. In line with the strategic reflection on smart working in our University, we intend to explore the issue of balancing face-to-face and remote working in order to identify solutions that balance the advantages of both while limiting possible areas of weakness. At the methodological level, we intend to work with minimally invasive wearable devices to conduct research on well-being and stress with long-term designs on targeted population panels. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions and teaching practices, we intend to develop 3D simulation, augmented reality and virtual reality spaces and prototype distance learning interfaces.

The key to the project is its multi-faceted nature: the problems of sustainable development are too complex and multi-layered to be tackled really effectively within one subject area such as economics, management or engineering.
It is fusion, cultural inclusion that is the real key to innovation, and it is in this direction that research institutions, in every field, should move.

Work inclusion: knowing we are all different increases competitive potential

Posted on | by Marta Re Ferrè | Leave a Comment on Work inclusion: knowing we are all different increases competitive potential
Can we still accept that in-clusion is often replaced by re-clusion? It is not just a matter of ethics: acknowledging that each worker has a potential value for the company becomes a lever for configuring increasingly competitive production systems.

 

Guido J.L. Micheli, Associate Professor of Industrial Plants Engineering and Management
School of Management Politecnico di Milano

In everything, there are minimum time periods necessary for an evolution to start having an effect. In our Country, the constitution states that Italy is a “Republic […] founded on labour”; however, it is only in the last few decades that the problem of job inclusion of disabled workers, who – except in very rare cases – do not have the “standard” characteristics that companies look for in their employees, has begun to be addressed in some way.

To put it simply, the process is currently moving on two fronts. On the one hand, a large number of companies are obliged by law to employ disabled workers; on the other hand, there are companies (type B social cooperatives) whose ultimate aim is to prepare disabled people (also called “disadvantaged” in this case) for work. In the large number of companies that are obliged to employ disabled staff, the very frequent outcome is either the hiring of a person who is then “isolated” in tasks of little value to the company itself (in other words, hired but not included) or the deliberate choice to pay the penalties attached to not hiring, which are considered paradoxically “sustainable” when compared with the burden of managing a person considered of little value.
Why is this? The motivation is, after all, quite simple: companies are used to and want to continue working in situations where every activity, machine, equipment, place, process is designed for “standard” people. Every difference is experienced as a source of inefficiency.

It is undoubtedly true that the initial and continuous training of disabled workers is in some cases significantly higher, but why? One of the answers is easily identifiable: the effort in training/preparing disabled workers for any job task is linked to the very purpose of such training, i.e., to provide them with the same skills as non-disabled workers. In other words, even the training that companies design and implement is not inclusive, but rather aimed at bringing disabled workers into line with others.

What should be done to change the status quo?

A profound cultural change is needed. Companies need to critically study their processes, in order to identify those aspects of them that can be carried out with “different” characteristics; by doing so, these “different characteristics” no longer require an effort to be adapted and included, but become naturally functional, and therefore naturally included.

This type of analysis is what social co-operatives (manufacturing or agricultural companies in the true sense of the word, which primarily employ disabled workers) must undertake on a daily basis in order to understand, for example, how an assembly process can be “subdivided and supported” in order to be efficiently and effectively carried out by a wide range of disabled workers.

This focus on processes has the secondary effect of simplifying them, and therefore reducing errors, which translates into a reduction in waste and an overall increase in efficiency.
So, being aware that everyone in the company is “different” can become an important lever for change: every activity, machine, equipment, place, process, which used to be designed for “standard” people, can finally be designed in an worker-centric and non-standard-centric way.

What is the point of the flexibility of the components of production systems (machines, lines, roles, …), which has been much sought after in recent decades, if it is not then used on an ongoing basis to review processes and tasks in the search for an ever better overall system configuration? If this were the approach, inclusion would no longer be sought as such.
We are realising that inclusion cannot be forced: if it is imposed, as is the legislative approach, it turns into reclusion in many cases. Instead, acknowledging that each worker has her/his own potential value for the company becomes a lever to configure production systems and make them increasingly competitive.

After all, who among us has never thought “I have the right person in mind for this”? It is simply a matter of starting to acknowledge the individual strengths of all people – including those with disabilities.
Let’s start here. And let’s not close our eyes: some companies already do!

Inclusion: shaping a better society for all

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on Inclusion: shaping a better society for all

Conversation with Donatella Sciuto, Vice-Rector of Politecnico di Milano

 

Decreasing the gender gap is part of the 2030 agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including in relation to the prevalence of women in STEM subjects. Disciplines that provide very high employment rates but are still predominantly the preserve of men. What are the factors that are causing this gap?

The factors are diverse and can in my view be traced to three dimensions: individual, context and culture. By individual I mean personal attitudes; by context I mean the environment in which girls grow up – the family, the school, the community closest to them; by culture I mean that of a country or geographical area, which with its own rules can influence individual choices.

Even today, there is still a distinction in children’s play between male and female roles: from pre-school onwards, girls are used to being confronted with certain models, and even those who have grown up with different models when they are with their peers tend to conform to the “expected” behaviour so that they are not marginalised. And growing up things do not change, because in adolescence group identity is even stronger.

At the level of family context, gender socialisation is usually favoured and the same applies to exposure to science, mathematics or technology: girls tend to be less exposed and therefore less interested in these topics, probably also by virtue of group identity. There is a lack of role models, which at this stage of growth are of a different kind.
Girls often have a lower level of risk-taking than boys, which is why families tend to protect them more. In some contexts, scientific careers are considered more “risky” than others, or less appropriate for girls because they are male-dominated, thus fuelling the fear of a hostile working environment.

At the cultural level, there are countries where the study of scientific disciplines is more widespread, such as some Asian countries, and girls are consequently more inclined to study them, even if this does not necessarily lead to scientific careers. In Europe and the Anglo-Saxon countries, the study of science is less widespread, with the exception of the Scandinavian countries where gender equality is more deeply rooted at all levels.

Against this background, what role should universities play in reducing the gender gap in these studies?

We can do a lot, and from the earliest stages of schooling: by working with schools we can show that science and technology have no “gender” and are fun and interesting for everyone.
With this purpose in mind, in recent years the Politecnico di Milano has organised science lessons and workshops for primary school children in collaboration with Focus Junior magazine.

To create awareness and encourage orientation on 11 February, the UN’s day dedicated to celebrating women in science, we published a video to help girls consider engineering as a university path.  The video is now being distributed in the secondary schools we are in contact with. In fact we work a lot with secondary schools, and in particular with physics and mathematics teachers to discuss engineering-oriented teaching. We also organise Summer School Tech Camps for third and fourth year students. Tech Camps take place in English, last one week and involve the development of a technology project (theory and practice) which are presented to the families.

At our university we have also decided to support girls with specific scholarships. The Girls@Polimi programme aims to encourage their enrolment in engineering degree courses where they are less represented, by offering additional financial support funded by companies: in the first year we had 2, in the second 12 and now 20. Then there are scholarships for female master’s degree students, and mentoring courses, again in collaboration with companies.

Finally, and this is a prerequisite, in addition to guidance and support, universities must ensure equality and ban all forms of discrimination.

In Europe, our country has a higher percentage of female PhD graduates, in total and also in STEM areas, more than Spain, the UK, France and Germany (*Ministry of Education report on women’s careers in academia, March 2020). Does this mean that we are moving in the right direction as far as women’s representation is concerned or is this just a first step?

We are only at the beginning. Looking at the data more closely, one realises that it is good because STEM subjects often include biology and medicine, which have never had the problem of a gender gap. Let’s use biomedical engineering as an example: at our university, female students in this course account for 50%. However, in other areas there are very few women, such as electronics and IT, where the female rate is less than 10%, despite the fact that IT professions are in great demand. At doctoral level, the figures improve because we have a lot of female foreign students who decide to study here, so the international presence reduces the gap.

It is true that we are in a moment in history when there is awareness of the problem and a renewed interest on the part of companies to reduce the gender gap, in line with the SDGs, but reality shows that it is the pay gap that is still important, and it occurs from the first job and with equal grades in studies.

In order to help women professionally, it is essential to eliminate the pay gap, and for their development consider them from the perspective of diversity.
An increase in female representation is therefore relative if it relates only to certain functions and areas of the company, which are usually more humanistic.
There is still a lot to be done in this respect and the right place in the job market still has to be won.

Apart from gender issues, what are the challenges of inclusion that you think are most pressing for the research and university sector?

First of all, support the careers of women. As one moves up the academic hierarchy, there are fewer and fewer women, as was found in the report by the Italian CRUI (Conference of Italian University Rectors). Women’s careers should not be damaged by caring duties and motherhood, for example. We have created an economic bonus to support the return of female researchers after maternity leave and support them in resuming their scientific research activities.

Apart from this, I believe the issue of inclusion must be addressed in universities in the full extent: the priority is to create the conditions for welcoming diversity in all its forms.

We are doing this with the “POP” (Polytechnic Equal Opportunities) programme, which aims to ensure a study and work environment that respects gender identities, different abilities, cultures and backgrounds. As an international university, it is also important to learn to live with people from different cultures, and this is a path to which we must all commit ourselves, lecturers, students and administrative staff.  In order to achieve these objectives, in last year’s reorganisation of the services at the Politecnico we wanted to create an organisational unit to follow all aspects, called Equal Opportunities, within the Campus Life area.

People should not be judged by appearances, but by merits.  Only by eliminating any kind of stereotype or prejudice can we build an inclusive world for all.

 

Air transport sustainability: a PhD in collaboration between easyJet and the School of Management

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on Air transport sustainability: a PhD in collaboration between easyJet and the School of Management
Diego Babuder, easyJet pilot, will undertake the four-year Executive Research Path of the PhD Programme in Management Engineering

 

This year the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with easyJet, is launching an Executive PhD in Management Engineering focusing on sustainability in the airline industry. The course focuses on the challenges and opportunities that digital innovation can have in this area, with a particular focus on how airlines can contribute to the de-carbonisation of the sector and reduce the effects of climate change.

Environmental sustainability is a cornerstone of easyJet’s development strategy and in 2019 it decided to offset emissions from the fuel used on all its flights to meet the global challenges of climate change. “Investing now in the research and development of revolutionary technologies such as hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft is the best way to effectively address the global challenges posed by climate change for this sector. This is a historic moment for commercial aviation and we intend to play a leading role in the transition towards solutions capable of significantly reducing the impact of aviation on the environment” – explains Lorenzo Lagorio, easyJet Italy country manager.

“The transition to more sustainable and circular industrial systems is an unstoppable process and for commercial aviation it represents both a challenge and a great opportunity. This is not just about technological innovation, but an overall transformation of business models with systemic impacts at sector level that will lead to the emergence of new supply chains – comments Paolo Trucco, Professor of Industrial Systems at the School of Management and head of the research project with easyJet – It is a source of pride and great stimulus for us to be able to study and address these phenomena through a research and training partnership with a leading company in the sector such as easyJet. It is also significant that this collaboration is centred around the doctoral studies of one of their pilots; a demonstration of how the development of human capital underpins the ability of organisations to transform themselves and take advantage of all the technological and operational opportunities to make their business more sustainable”.

Diego Babuder, easyJet pilot for over 7 years, now a new PhD student at the Politecnico, has a degree in air transport management from the UK and has collaborated with the Politecnico di Milano on the lessons of the first level master’s degree in “Fundamentals of the air transport system”. “I am convinced that air transport can play a leading role in combating climate change and set an example for many other industries. There is a lot of enthusiasm for the various research areas that are currently underway, starting with the development of hybrid and electric aircraft and the production of sustainable fuels.”

«Thanks to the Full-Time MBA I learned to enhance the family business»

Posted on | by Angela Leone | Leave a Comment on «Thanks to the Full-Time MBA I learned to enhance the family business»

Fabio Borgia, a Full-Time MBA student, has a leading role in the Le Rogaie farm, managed together with his parents and siblings. The history of an innovative project that, through social media, tells the story of a group that is attentive to social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Innovating in a sector that is considered to be among the most traditional is possible. That is shown by Le Rogaie, a family-run farm in the Tuscan Maremma, which during the first lockdown deciding to talk about its activities online. The family business is managed by the Borgia family: two parents and five children. Among these is Fabio Borgia, currently enrolled in the Full-Time MBA programme at MIP Politecnico di Milano. An engineer by training, specialised in the energy sector, he talks to us about the reasons that led Le Rogaie online: «We took our inspiration from some foreign farmers, who thanks to social media had the opportunity to talk about their activities in a transparent fashion and without stereotypes. And we also decided to try».

The farm goes online

So, Le Rogaie landed on YouTube, on Facebook, on Instagram. The views and registrations in its social channels are growing, as is the interest of users: «I believe the success comes from the mix of tradition, passion, familiarity and innovative spirit. We are real, we show ourselves for what we are, and our initiative is already attracting users from outside of Italy.  The face of the initiative is my brother Edoardo, who in the videos talks about the activities of our company with language that is technical but also informative», explains Borgia.  The contents created, which have an educational objective, and the company’s opening to research have also drawn the interest of the academic and scientific world: «The European and Italian space agencies, together with the research institute CNR and different European universities, collaborate with Le Rogaie carrying out advanced studies on chlorophyll photosynthesis, as well as taking measurements useful for the calibration of satellites». Returning “to earth”, instead, it is worth mentioning that initiative that allowed students of agricultural faculties to virtually visit the company, thus bypassing the restrictions caused by the pandemic: «Thanks to our initiative, those visits now take place online. But we would like to give everyone the opportunity to live a real experience on the farm». In fact, the social media pages are aimed at the widest possible audience. «Le Rogaie mainly produces milk. The growing attention paid to the issue of breeding, and to zootechnical issues in general, deserves in-depth information that talks about this in an honest way, also stressing an element that is central for us like sustainability».

Social, economic, environmental sustainability

«It’s a theme that has always been important for us, and that we see from three points of view», explains Fabio Borgia. «The first is that of social sustainability.  Our first commitment is to involve the local community, to be present, open to the outside world. Then comes economic sustainability, which perhaps is the biggest challenge: we have an advantage, from this point of view, from having preserved the dimensions of a family business. Each of us leverages off specific skills to reinforce the fundamentals of the company. Specifically, I follow the development of online activities and handle establishing new contacts. Last, but not in terms of importance, there’s environmental sustainability». A theme that, in the case of Le Rogaie, is strictly tied to an aptitude for innovation: a family tradition, seeing that, as Borgia tells us, his father Giulio has never shied away from experiments, whether of a social or technical nature. «In 2008 we invested in a biogas plant that closes the CO2 cycle and produces 250 Kilowatts of electricity per hour that is now sold entirely to Enel. Our goal, ambitious but possible, is to transform Le Rogaie to become carbon negative. We want to convey the message that agriculture isn’t the exploitation of nature, on the contrary: human intervention improves nature itself», says Borgia.

At MIP for an entrepreneurial mindset

Fabio Borgia is currently enrolled in the full time MBA programme at MIP and is preparing to immerse himself in bootcamps ahead of the summer internship. «I am an engineer, but I am gradually becoming interested in governance issues. In general, I find that the whole course has been done well and is well-structured. I decided to enrol in this MBA programme because I find the technological tradition of Politecnico di Milano to be winning. For me it was an investment motivated by curriculum needs and the desire to gain access to a type of training that can offer countless opportunities, also thanks to the strong tie between MIP and companies. In fact, I have already had several interviews. Then there’s also PoliHub, the MIP incubator. Thanks to this MBA I am developing an entrepreneurship mindset, able to stimulate reflection and innovative ideas. Ideas that, of course, will also make a strong contribution to Le Rogaie», concludes Borgia.

 

Fighting food waste: the success of the neighbourhood Hubs for recovery and support for the most vulnerable

Posted on | by Beatrice Grillo | Leave a Comment on Fighting food waste: the success of the neighbourhood Hubs for recovery and support for the most vulnerable

On the National Day for the Prevention of Food Waste on 5 February 2021, the data monitoring carried out by the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano shows that, thanks to the Isola and Lambrate Hubs, more than 3,300 families have been reached with 152,000 meals

 

The surplus collection target for 2020 is 76 tonnes: 62 were gathered between January and February and between June and December in via Borsieri and 14 in the newly opened Hub in via Bassini.

The idea of the neighbourhood Hubs stems from the “ZeroSprechi” memorandum of understanding between the City of Milan, Assolombarda and the School of Management at the Politecnico di Milano, signed in 2016. One of the priorities of Milan’s Food Policy is to reduce food waste and innovate ways of collecting food for the needy by designing and testing a model for collecting and redistributing surplus food based on local neighbourhood networks.

This project, as Giovanni Fosti explains, “is made possible by the presence of networks in the area such as the Qubi Programme – Fondazione Cariplo’s formula against child poverty”.

As Anna Scavuzzo, the deputy mayor of Milan in charge of Food Policy, affirms, “this action has allowed us to continue to work towards the goals of sustainability, but also of the right to healthy food”. The commitment to fighting waste will lead to the opening of two more neighbourhood hubs in the Corvetto and Gallaratese areas next summer.

“Even in the face of the difficulties of the time” – according to Alessandro Perego, Director of the Department of Management Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano – “the results of the first Hub in Isola and the recent Hub in Lambrate have demonstrated the sustainability of a model that is based on structured operational processes and solid cross-sector collaboration. Hubs are also a central point in the social network of a neighbourhood. We will continue to work closely with contributing companies and all project partners to ensure the continuity and replicability of the system in other areas of the city.”

As Alessandro Scarabelli, General Manager of Assolombarda, puts it, “the crisis caused by Covid has severely affected the finances of many families, unfortunately worsening the conditions of those who were already struggling to find essential supplies. For this reason, the opening of two new hubs is even more significant for the social resilience of the city. The important results achieved are a clear sign of how important it is to team up and strengthen our commitment to build a model of collecting the surplus and redistributing them in support of the most vulnerable people”.

 

Project partners: City of Milan, Politecnico di Milano School of Management, Assolombarda, Fondazione Cariplo, Banco Alimentare.

FLEXA, the “digital mentor” of MIP Politecnico di Milano and developed in collaboration with Microsoft, is now accessible to everyone free of charge

Posted on | by Angela Leone | Leave a Comment on FLEXA, the “digital mentor” of MIP Politecnico di Milano and developed in collaboration with Microsoft, is now accessible to everyone free of charge

The ongoing and customised training platform has been operational since last year and has been recognised as one of the most innovative projects in the world.

MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business announces that it has made FLEXA the ongoing and customised training platform created in collaboration with Microsoft and BlueIT, accessible to everyone free of charge. FLEXA also promotes networking between students, alumni and companies, to which it provides support in recruiting campaigns through the use of artificial intelligence algorithms that facilitate the matching of job supply and demand.

The project, which has already been recognised by the international association AMBA – which certifies the best MBA programmes of business schools around the world – as one of the most innovative promoted by a business school, has been running for just over a year and has so far been aimed exclusively at business school students and alumni.

FLEXA is based on the Azure cloud platform and Microsoft’s artificial intelligence and analytics capabilities. It acts as a digital mentor with access to an ecosystem of some 800,000 pieces of content, including self-guided digital courses, webinars, podcasts, articles and case studies, some of which remain restricted to MIP students and alumni. The platform creates and suggests customised training paths for each user, starting with an assessment phase that evaluates the skills gaps to be filled in order to achieve professional goals. The method of use is based on a “smart” approach, i.e. it can be adapted to the time available to each individual for professional development.

Federico Frattini, Dean of MIP Politecnico di Milano: “After one year, we have managed to meet the learning and lifelong learning needs of an increasing number of students and alumni of our school by using FLEXA. We now aim to contribute to the development and updating of the skills of anyone who wants to get involved and continuously develop their professional skills over time, by opening FLEXA free of charge to anyone interested in using it.  We strongly believe that there is a need for a very broad re-skilling process in our country and beyond, to ensure that managers, entrepreneurs and professionals stay up-to-date and develop their skills through an effective and rigorous tool such as FLEXA. This is why we have decided to make our platform available to anyone interested, free of charge”.

Sustainability and companies: towards a hybrid model

Posted on | by Angela Leone | Leave a Comment on Sustainability and companies: towards a hybrid model

 

In recent years, the issue of sustainability, also thanks to the agendas of economic and financial institutions at European level, has increasingly been brought to the centre of the debate.
This is why we asked Raffaella Cagliano, Professor of People Management and Organisation at the School of Management of the Politecnico and Director of the Master in Sustainability Management and Corporate Social Responsibility at MIP, how sustainable behaviour by managers and businesses can have an impact on society.

Let’s start from the basics: when we talk about sustainability in business, what exactly do we mean?

Today, companies should no longer be focussing exclusively on achieving profit  ̶  and therefore solely on shareholder satisfaction  ̶  but must act for the benefit of a wider set of stakeholders, who also have different objectives, such as the sustainable development of our society, both from an environmental and social point of view.
It is, however, difficult for companies to achieve these goals by themselves. In order to make a significant contribution, it is important that several players work together: businesses, the non-profit world, public administrations and civil society. The issue of partnerships is essential in this area: only by joining forces can we make a significant impact.

But what is driving companies to take this path right now?

It has been a long-term process, although we are now seeing an increasing awareness of these issues, especially on the part of the younger generation, who are more attentive and who are no longer willing to work for realities that are not perceived as sustainable. It is therefore important for companies that want to continue to attract talent and sell to these segments of the population to move in a new, more sustainable direction.
Not to be underestimated is the growing emphasis on these issues at the level of European public institutions, through a series of policies that encourage sustainable development. I am thinking of the Green New Deal, to name just one.

Finally, there is also the feeling that this pandemic has somehow revitalised consciences, raising people’s awareness of broader issues than was the case in the past. But this is only a further push to an already well-established phenomenon.

So something has already changed.…

Yes, indeed it has. It is precisely this growing focus on social and environmental challenges that is bringing companies closer to some of the logic of the non-profit world.

We are facing a sort of hybridisation: while on the one hand, “traditional” companies are becoming increasingly aware of their impact on society, non-profit concerns are using business models typical of the world of enterprise to make themselves economically sustainable and reinvest profits in the goals – social or environmental – for which they were created.

It is precisely this convergence between the two sectors that leads us to explain why MIP does not include specific programmes dedicated to the non-profit world in its educational portfolio.

Rather, the school decided to address the issue of sustainability by thinking about the business function concerned. While it is indeed true that all managers should have expertise on the subject, given the central role of sustainability in creating value, there are also some areas that deserve a more specific approach.

So, while we have created the International Master in Sustainability Management and Corporate Social Responsibility for those who need to set a company’s strategy with a view to sustainability, for those who want to apply it to the productive core business of industrial companies, there is the Master in Sustainable Industrial Management.

Then there are the International Master in Circular Economy & Green Management, which focuses on environmental objectives, and the International Master in Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which discusses how companies and start-ups can address and overcome major social challenges.

Finally, specific attention is paid to the financial world, with the International Master in Sustainable Finance. In fact, dealing with sustainability in this particular area involves two different tiers. On the one hand, more and more financial institutions are including sustainability in their parameters for evaluating and choosing investments; on the other, companies must both manage their financial assets by including a logic of sustainability, and know how to interface correctly with the financing bodies, which are changing perspective.

Such a wide range of courses shows a definite interest in the topic. After all, MIP is the only Business School in Europe to have received B Corp certification, which attests to its commitment to combining profit, the search for well-being for society and attention to the environment…

I don’t believe that we can teach sustainability if we are not putting it into practice ourselves. MIP is a company, which first has to apply those principles that it then teaches in the classroom.
For example, we have always demonstrated a strong interest in the social aspects of sustainability, such as inclusion, equal opportunities, and access to training. Just look at the Gianluca Spina Association, which, with its scholarships, guarantees access to the Masters to deserving young people who might otherwise have difficulty in obtaining such a place.
In recent years, however, we have also committed ourselves to embracing other aspects of sustainability, such as reducing food waste, the use of paper and plastic and the proper disposal of waste.
For these efforts, we have also been awarded B Corp certification. Being the only Business School in Europe to have received this certification must not be an end in itself, but a starting point on a path of continuous growth. Precisely for this reason, the School is developing a strategic plan aimed at improving those aspects of sustainability that still need a further push.
The idea is to become one of the world’s leading business schools in transmitting this message  ̶  as well as obviously wanting to build a better future for everyone.

10 Students | 10 Stories: fundraising campaign kicks off for 10 deserving students

Posted on | by Mirja Calgaro | Leave a Comment on 10 Students | 10 Stories: fundraising campaign kicks off for 10 deserving students

“10 Students | 10 Stories – Working together for the students of Management Engineering” is the fundraising campaign that the School of Management at Politecnico di Milano is promoting to help 10 bright young people plan their future together with us.

The number of students enrolling in programmes in Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering is growing every year. This multidisciplinary training course, demanding but gratifying, is much appreciated in the working world. But not everyone can afford the costs involved, not least the cost of living in Milan. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the problem, putting a strain on the resilience of our economic system.

Management Engineering prepares students to be leaders in innovation and change, combining the scientific rigour of methods and theories with the continuous search for a positive impact for the whole community. By supporting deserving students we will all contribute together in the creation a generation of competent and responsible professionals.

All together, we can make a difference, especially at this time, for talented young people.
For more information, visit the campaign page and donate too!

The fundraiser is organised with the support of the Fundraising Office of the Politecnico di Milano.
Please also visit https://www.dona.polimi.it/en/.

The Economist’s 2021 ranking of full-time MBA programmes: Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management among the top ninety in the world

Posted on | by Angela Leone | Leave a Comment on The Economist’s 2021 ranking of full-time MBA programmes: Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management among the top ninety in the world

MIP Politecnico di Milano, part of the School of Management, enters the Economist’s rankings dedicated to the best full-time MBAs in the world for the first time. 

MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business is delighted to announce that, for the first time in its history, it has joined The Economist’s 2021 ranking of  full-time MBA programmes, the classification that recognises the best full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes in the world. Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management is, in fact, among the ninety schools selected and, specifically, ranks 86th.

At a European level, the school is the only one in the ranking among technical universities with a Business School or Management Department, and the fourth among generalist universities with technical expertise and a Business School or Management Department. More broadly, thirty-five European schools feature in the ranking.

Among the parameters considered by the classification, the Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management stands out in terms of the percentage of students who found work within three months of the end of their course, the average increase in their salary and the representation of international students and  alumni.

In the words of Vittorio Chiesa and Federico Frattini, President and Dean of MIP Politecnico di Milano, respectively: “We are honoured to join this ranking for the first time in our history. It is an achievement which we would like to share with all the students who have chosen our school and with all those who, we hope, will want to do so during the year that has just started.”