IIMB features in the top slot in the Positive Impact Rating 2022; wins global recognition as ‘Pioneering School’

The school has performed solidly across all seven dimensions, from governance to student support to public engagement, measured in the survey

05 June, 2022: IIM Bangalore features in the top category (Level 5) in the Positive Impact Rating (PIR) 2022.

IIMB Director Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan described the news as inspiring and said it is particularly good to see that IIMB and three other business schools from India have achieved the highest level in this edition of the rating as “Pioneering Schools”, globally. 

In this third edition of the PIR, business schools from the Global South, particularly India, have performed better than their peers in the Global North. The Indian quartet, of IIM Bangalore, SPJIMR, XLRI and Woxsen Business School, has achieved the highest level of the PIR as “Pioneering Schools”.

The Positive Impact Rating (PIR) is a rating conducted by students and for students. For the third time, students worldwide assessed their business schools on how they perceive their positive impact on the world. The positive impact of business schools goes beyond their contribution to business and the economy; it addresses the need for their positive impact for society. 

The PIR was created by business school experts together with global NGOs – WWF, Oxfam, and UN Global Compact. International student associations oikos, AIESEC, and Net Impact partner with PIR, supported by VIVA Idea (Costa Rica), The Institute for Business Sustainability Foundation & Fehr Advice, both from Switzerland. 

Students from business schools located in five continents and 21 countries participated in the survey. Despite the continued COVID-19 crisis and its impact on campus education, the number of participating students, business schools, and countries remained stable. 

The PIR 2022 edition features 45 schools ranked at levels 3 or higher. Four business schools – all from India – have reached the top Level 5 (pioneering schools). At Level 4 (transforming schools), the PIR features 29 schools, up from 24 schools last year. Level 3 (progressing schools) includes 12 schools (18 last year). 

What students want

Students provided constructive comments on how their schools can increase their positive impact. They are very clear in what they want their schools to start doing: Teaching sustainability and responsibility in a wider number of courses, programs, and classes; providing practical skills for a future career as a sustainability leader in curricula, operations, and culture; but also updating curricula to include new theories and models of business and economics relevant to 21st century challenges. There is also a consensus on what they want their schools to stop doing: Using single-use plastics on campus and offering unsustainable food and catering services. 

The rating survey asked students 20 questions in seven relevant impact dimensions: governance and culture of the school; study programs, learning methods, and student support; the institution as a role model and its public engagement. The overall PIR score of the business school is used to position the schools across five levels. The different levels refer to the levels of achievement in developing the social impact. Business schools are provided with a defined social impact model and a tool that they can use for measuring their impact. 

A tool for collaborative learning and action 

The purpose of the positive impact rating is to enable learning at and across schools rather than creating a competitive ranking. A rating offers the safety of groups rather than individual ranks and intends to foster collaboration. Schools, therefore, are positioned in five different levels, where they are featured alphabetically. Students and the management of each participating school receive free online access to a dashboard featuring their school's results across the different areas compared to the average of all schools. This allows them to actively work towards increasing their positive impact. Students, who have access to the same data, are empowered to collaborate with the school administration.