From islands of impact to a culture of responsibility

Prof Carla Wilkin, 2026

Opening

Professor Carla Wilkin.

Monash Business School's cultural transformation is the result of a deliberate, multi-year effort to embed responsible management across its structures, practices and everyday operations – not as an add-on, but as a core expectation. This work responds directly to reflective insights from our purpose driven work, including taking action to embed responsible management education principles into how we operate. That action has guided the School’s shift from isolated examples of impact toward a coherent, school-wide culture of responsibility.

Building the foundation

Historically, Monash Business School demonstrated strong pockets of positive impact through research partnerships, community engagement and sustainability-focused teaching – but these initiatives were not yet part of a unified cultural framework. To close that gap, the School began integrating ethics, sustainability and societal impact into strategy, accreditation evidence, reporting cycles and recognition mechanisms, creating the structural foundation for genuine cultural change.

Momentum in action

A major milestone came with the appointment of School-wide PRME ambassadors, who convened a 2024 workshop bringing together representatives from every department and the student body. The workshop built a shared understanding of responsible management and the capability to identify, document and showcase impact – directly supporting what PRME describes as institutions creating conditions that make change possible and equipping people to act. To embed this work structurally, the School implemented a governance model comprising departmental representatives and a student advisory panel, ensuring ongoing cross-departmental communication and giving students a genuine voice in decision-making – an approach strongly aligned with PRME's call for mechanisms that connect evidence to learning, governance and follow-through.

Making it visible

Visibility and recognition became central to reinforcing this culture. Internal reports, e-posters and online profiles now showcase examples of responsible management across teaching, research and engagement, demonstrating our positive impact becoming credible when it is embedded in how we act. These practices have normalised responsible management as part of the School’s identity and encouraged staff to keep contributing new examples of embedded impact. In 2025, the School extended this momentum beyond its own walls, hosting a forum for Australian and New Zealand business schools with input from faculty and students – reflecting PRME's emphasis on collaboration, sector leadership and collective advancement.

Impact

Together, these initiatives – governance, recognition, student engagement and external collaboration – represent a comprehensive cultural transformation. They show how Monash Business School is closing the implementation gap, moving from isolated initiatives to embedded systems and shared cultural ownership. “This work has fostered a shared sense of purpose, inspired deeper engagement and strengthened our culture of responsibility,” says Professor Carla Wilkin.