The Global Jesuit Case Series (GJCS) was formally launched in 2015 with the singular goal of establishing a series of real-world business cases, written by executives, educators and entrepreneurs whose work would emphasize principled leadership by highlighting business decisions that showcase the triple bottom line of people and planet on equal footing with profit. Its founders envisioned leveraging the intellectual capacity, moral authority and rich history of the world’s nearly 200 Jesuit institutions of higher education in order to create these cases and shape the next generation of leaders. In the two years since its inception, the GJCS is well on its way to achieving that aim. Its leaders have hired a dedicated staff, built a website, and created pilot cases – all designed to develop compassionate leaders who embrace diversity and globalization.
“I am proud of the work we have done to develop business cases that broaden the conversation, emphasizing humanity while concurrently fostering innovation and profitability,” said Jim Joseph, host of the GJCS and dean of the Madden School of Business at Le Moyne College. “Too often in today’s society, we lose sight of the fact that business exists for the benefit of society, not the other way around. These cases are a direct response to that disturbing trend.”
The leaders of the GJCS recently announced the establishment of a new strategic collaboration with another organization committed to strengthening business education, the Society for Case Research (SCR). Established in 1978, the SCR facilitates the exchange of ideas leading to the improvement of case research, writing and teaching. The organization publishes three scholarly journals – the Business Case Journal, the Journal of Case Studies and the Journal of Critical Incidents – each of which features original cases designed to be used in the classroom. SCR staff members work with authors on every element of developing a case, including the narrative structure, teaching note, learning outcomes and theory. Craig Davis, president of the SRC, credited this collaborative spirit with the organization’s success.
“We are very excited about the potential our partnership with the GJCS has to further solidify the importance of case writing to business education in the 21st century,” he said. “One of our strengths is to help professors identify, develop, write and publish case studies about their disciplines that can be used in classroom. We want to be part of this idea of compassionate leadership that our society believes in and we want to publish more of it.”
Their chief aim of this strategic alliance is to strengthen both organizations. As part of their partnership, the GJCS and SCR will jointly sponsor a workshop and conference to be held this summer at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo. The event will serve as an important step in their efforts to encourage individuals from Jesuit institutions around the world to develop case studies that will become part of the GJCS. In addition, the best GJCS cases will be published in the Business Case Journal and a co-branded special edition of the Journal of Case Studies. Finally, the partnership will also build overall awareness of GJCS-themed cases by building upon the reputation, name recognition and marketing expertise of the SCR.
Beyond its benefit for students and educators, the creation of these cases, centered on issues such as moral leadership, ethics and sustainability, also serves as a conduit for business and social innovation. They emphasize humanity while also fostering creativity and profitability. To that end, them help shape individuals for whom discernment, compassion and adaptability are central to their work as leaders.
“This is a win-win partnership – the Society for Case Research is looking for cases on compassionate, transformational leadership, while the Global Jesuit Case Series is seeking the credibility of 40 years of case writing,” said Joseph. “This collaboration will help both achieve a shared mission of developing and publishing high-quality cases that are an invaluable resource for faculty, students, business leaders and alumni that improves business education.”