Critical Thought goes Live

Rhodes Business School, after much effort and planning, is pleased to see its Critical Thought website go live today. The Thought Leader site will create an online platform for facilitating and promoting critical thought around Responsible Leadership, Engaged Business and Integrated Society themes.

The website and associated social media campaign was launched on 19 August 2011 as part of the contribution to furthering dialogue, debate, understanding and knowledge around the business case for sustainability as taught and researched by Rhodes Business School.

Prof Owen Skae, Director of Rhodes Business School, explained that the “overriding goal of the website is to define the true purpose of business.

“The articles provide high-quality and insightful analysis on the socio-economic and business environment. The analysis focuses on topics such as innovation, strategy, policy, business practice, environmental issues, society, and the role of leaders in effecting change,” he added.

The Business School is hoping that the website will demonstrate that business is the key catalyst to change the way society lives, which in its current form is unsustainable.

Says Prof Skae, “Business cannot solve all of the problems, but through principled and committed leadership it can drive change in a way that no other entities can. Reading the articles on Critical Thought, confirm a number of key messages for everybody.”

Rhodes Business School has been inviting and will continue to invite thought leaders to contribute articles to the website. He explained that, “These will be a mix of people external to Rhodes University, colleagues within the University itself, Rhodes Business School staff and students.

“A social media campaign will then drive readers to this website and from there they can seamlessly interface with the Rhodes Business School and Rhodes University website.”

When asked how he felt about the launch of the website Prof Skae enthusiastically replied, “I am extremely excited about it, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a unique platform, which has struck so much resonance with everybody who has been invited that I have had very little convincing to do.

Secondly, it has been a collaborative effort from a number of people inside and outside the University.”

Prof Skae hopes to see the new critical thought website grow with dialogue, critical thinking and solutions to address the greatest human conundrum of all - sustainable human development that preserves future generations, our ecology and our planet.

Prof Skae concluded by showing his appreciation to those who had played an important part in the conception of the site, “Gavin Heron, Peter Vale, James Denton, Matthew Buckland, Lebogang Hashatse and my colleagues in the Business School who saw the importance of us engaging critically around what the true purpose of business is. Rhodes Business School is committed to walking the talk on the sustainability journey.”

criticalthought.co.za