Actions that make an impact

What have we been up to?

We foster and train positive leadership. We inspire people for societal progress, through knowledge, actionable insights and by joining forces with key partners. Our projects reflect our ambition to make a meaningful impact in each person we reach and society in general. Step by step, we are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Check out our projects below.

Partners for progress
Joining forces

Partners for progress

We collaborate with different partners in our projects, namely with Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Fundação Amélia de Mello, Fundação "la Caixa", Randstad, and Rui Diniz. The Nova SBE Leadership for Impact Knowledge Center also collaborates with several Nova SBE clubs and associations such as Nova Social Consulting, Nova Junior Consulting, Nova SBE Students' Union, oikos Lisbon, and Nova Marketing Club.

Our Current Projects

 

The Inclusive Communiy Forum (ICF) is an initiative dedicated to the lives of people with disabilities that aims to promote a more inclusive community.

The ICF aims to build a network composed of all those involved in the lives of people with disabilities, challenging them to take an active role in co-creating solutions to the greatest challenges for inclusion. In this way, the ICF brings together people with disabilities, their families and friends, Nova SBE students, academics and staff, social organizations in the area of disability, companies, schools, and people from the community in general, to co-create new solutions to these social challenges.

In turn, the co-created solutions are tested in pilot projects, ensuring their sustainability and scale in the post-pilot, their communication and the dissemination of good practices.

Given the size and complexity of the issue in question, the ICF identified two central themes for the promotion of a more inclusive community: Employability and Education for people with disabilities.

You can learn more about this project at https://www2.novasbe.unl.pt/pt/icf.

Team:

  • Isabel Almeida e Brito
  • Frederico Oliveira Pinto
  • Margarida Castro Caldas
  • Maria Castro e Almeida

Adressed Sustainable Development Goals:

 

 

The Social Leapfrog program is a customized reflection and capacitation program for hybrid social organizations. With a duration of three years, it aims to support organizations in "taking a leap" in terms of impact and sustainability. It has the support of Nova SBE's community (students, alumni, faculty, staff, and partners) through student projects (Master's thesis, student clubs, and pro bono internships), traditional educational training (Master's courses and Nova SBE Executive Education programs), mentoring and coaching programs, workshops with faculty from the school, among others.

The pilot edition started in 2019 with seven social organizations from the Metropolitan Area of ​​Lisbon:  A Barragem, Ajuda de Mãe, Alzheimer Portugal, Biovilla, Cercica, Mezze and Semear. The second edition is starting the experience stage with nine organizations from different parts of the country:  Aria, Arcil, Associação Salvador, CECD, Centro Social de Soutelo, CRESCER, Fundação Dr. José Lourenço Júnior, Just a Change, U.Dream, and Vila com Vida. Learn more here.

This program is part of the Social Equity Initiative, a partnership between Nova SBE, BPI, and the "la Caixa" Foundation, which aims to promote Portugal's social sector with a long-term vision. Learn more here.

For more information, please send an email to social.leapfrog@novasbe.pt.

Team:

  • Carmen Lages
  • Talita Feliciano
  • Inês Rola Pereira

 

Addressed Sustainable Development Goals:

8- Decent Work and Economic Growth

16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

17 – Partnerships for the Goals

 

The Leadership & Wellbeing Observatory is a research project which started in 2018/2019 with the aim of studying leaders and their social, organizational and personal views. This preliminary study was issued in the Leadership Report 2020.

Presently, the Leadership & Wellbeing Observatory is under the academic supervision of Professor Filipa Castanheira and Professor Pedro Neves who are developing a study on Technostress, an eminent effect of the dependency on technology in the workplace, which has shown a negative impact over performance and quality of life of an organization's human resources.

For more information please contact leadership.observatory@novasbe.pt

 

Team:

  • Filipa Castanheira
  • Pedro Neves
  • Inês Dias da Silva

 

Adressed Sustainable Development Goals:  

3 – Good Health & Wellbeing

8 – Decent Work & Economic Growth

 

The mission of the Centre is to advance and transfer paradox and plurality knowledge, not only to organizations but to society at large, in order to protect pluralism, diversity and democracy against divisive forces that polarize and impede dialogue.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Learn more on the Center's website: https://www.paradoxandorganization.com/

Team:

  • Miguel Pina e Cunha
  • Aníbal Lopez

 

Adressed Sustainable Development Goals:

4- Quality Education

8- Decent Work and Economic Growth

10- Reduced Inequalities

16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

3-day executive training program to support C-Level executives in transforming their businesses into more sustainable ones.

Partner: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Learn more here

Team:

  • Pedro Oliveira
  • Rita Aragão Ramos

Addressed Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG 4 , 8,12 e 17

 

An executive intensive training program concerning the context and leadership of social organizations, to empower business professionals that have non-executive roles in social organizations, hence supporting the social sector.

Partner: BPI and “la Caixa” Foundation

More information here.

Team:

  • Miguel Pina e Cunha
  • Rita Diniz

Addressed Sustainable Development Goals: 4 and 17

 

A program designed for students who wish to create their own social enterprise or develop a social innovation project within the organization they work for, using a hands-on approach to better to prepare future agents of change for the growing challenges of society​.

Partner: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

More information here.

Team:

  • Pedro Oliveira
  • Rita Nascimento
  • Rita Aragão Ramos

Addressed Sustainable Development Goals: 4 and 17

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian Chair in Impact Economy attributed to Professor Pedro Oliveira

Fundação Amélia de Mello Chair in Leadership attributed to Professor Miguel Pina e Cunha

ERA Chair in Social Innovation attributed to Professor Anne-Laure Fayard

Our Completed Projects

Business Memory dives into the history of work, organizations and economy. From the corporate archives of the largest Portuguese economic group of the 20th century there are important lessons to help pave the way for future organizations, workplace and economies. The aim of this project is to bring these lessons to light and allow access to academia, practitioners and society as a whole.

Partner: Fundação Amélia de Mello

Team:

  • Álvaro Ferreira da Silva
  • Inês Dias da Silva

For more information please contact: lfi@novasbe.pt

This online colloquium, a co-organization between Nova SBE and our partner FAM - Fundação Amélia de Mello,  brought together marketing scholars, practitioners, and society, to discuss the role of consumers and companies in humankind’s efforts to achieve important societal goals, including responsible production and consumption, public health, consumer welfare, and equality. Together they discussed the role Marketing plays in improving the welfare of all stakeholders and benefit the world and brought evidence forward of how marketing practices are moving towards a greater purpose.  

For more informations watch the conference videos here.

Members involved:

  • Carmen Lages
  • Irene Consiglio
  • Sofia Kousi
  • Inês Dias da Silva

This study provided a systematic map of impact assessment methodologies and a retrospective analysis of the history and stakeholder impact of the “Prémios de Solidariedade BPI” between 2010 and 2018.

Parceiro: BPI | “La Caixa” Foundation

For more information please contact: lfi@novasbe.pt

Partnership project cofounded by the EU Erasmus+ program. It focuses on the societal problem of land degradation and develops educational programs and activities in integrated management landscape, based on sustainable business models.

https://www.rsm.nl/enable/about-us/

The Academy of Purpose aims to inspire and foster student’s personal development, while promoting direct contact with role models that have a clear sense of purpose and that are able to share their experience, impact and visions of the future. The Academy includes three initiatives:

  • Purpose Takeovers- Inspirational moments through which Nova SBE’s community gathers to listen to surprising and breathtaking guests that share their meaningful experiences;
  • Social Impact Talks- Powerful talks by international managers and entrepreneurs who are able to combine progress with performance
  • Resilient Leaders– Personal interviews to individuals who were able to overcome major challenges or traumatic events and pursue their dreams or a higher purpose

 

For more information please contact lfi@novasbe.pt.

Adressed Sustainable Development Goals:

4 – Quality Education

An intensive 2-day digital bootcamp that took place in June 2020 in which students and mentors came together to solve specific management challenges faced by the participant social organizations as a result of the pandemic. It counted with the participation of 28 students, 7 mentors, 7 social organizations and 2 faculty members. This event was organized by the Role to Play, the Impact Experience and the Social Leapfrog program with the support of two master students and one alumni.

For more information please contact roletoplay@novasbe.pt

Nova SBE Impact Experience accounted for the School mission to be a community dedicated to the development of talent and knowledge that impacts the world. It produced the annual Impact Report while engaging its community to foster societal impact, focusing on both impact assessment and impact activation.

It clarified the strategy of the School in the community, contributing for a stronger engagement and impact aligned with the SDGs, ultimately turning Nova SBE accountable for the impact it generates.

From the perspective of the students, it accounted and integrated all the opportunities in the social area that students could take part in, including classes, social internships, volunteering and social entrepreneurship initiatives.

After the success of this initiative the project spun off and is currently part of the Role to Play.

For more information please contact roletoplay@novasbe.pt

Adressed Sustainable Development Goals:

16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The NOVA SBE Impact-Driven Alumni is a network of previous students of Nova SBE who are involved in social impact initiatives or started social enterprises or work for organizations that “do well and do good”.

Goals:

1. Creating an international network of professionals passionate about creating social impact and working toward a better society, helping them develop their bonds;

2. Sharing impact opportunities such as internships, jobs or volunteering offers that are made available by any type of organization aligned with the group’s values (Social Enterprises, Impact Investors, Non-Profit Organizations, Companies, Public Administrations, International Development Organizations and others);

3. Playing as a platform for the inspiration and development of social impact opportunities of any kind (Local Initiatives, Starting Up of Social Enterprises, etc)

This group gathered face to face for the first time on January 2018, to share inspiring stories with one another, learn more about the social sector and the various initiatives of the Leadership for Impact Knowledge Center.

As the Social Impact Experience, this initiative is now under the Role to Play coordination.

For more informations, please contact roletoplay@novasbe.pt.

The Social Impact Talks were devoted to inspire and spread ideas through powerful talks by international managers and entrepreneurs who are able to drive real impact throughout their professional or personal experiences.

This initiative aims to foster learning by providing life examples and inspiring future leaders, namely to Nova SBE Masters students. The project also aims to gather important research materials from faculty-led interviews.

Organized by Leadership for Impact Center, Social Impact Talks took place monthly at Nova SBE Campus de Carcavelos and were open to students and the public in general. During 1h30m an invited guest would give an impact-focused talk based on his/her experience and would after interact with the audience through Q&A.

 For more information, please contact lfi@novasbe.pt

Partnership project cofounded by the EU Erasmus+ program. It focuses on the societal problem of security threats and defense and develops educational programs and activities on international security management.

https://www.ism-ka.eu/

The Nova SBE Summer School The Lisbon Experience: Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation aimed to be an immersion exercise in which students were able to experience the academic excellence of Nova SBE’s faculty and the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Lisbon and Cascais.

During 10 intensive days, the summer school offered a mix of master classes, field trips and workshops around three themes: entrepreneurship, social innovation, and responsible leadership. Through action learning participants had classes with Nova SBE’s faculty, met entrepreneurs and investors, worked on real challenges and enjoyed the vibrant Lisbon/Cascais summer experience.

Learning goals:

  • Understanding the entrepreneurial process, based on real-life cases;
  • Applying innovation methods to address current social challenges;
  • Realizing student’s own leadership potential as an entrepreneur;
  • Understanding the specific entrepreneurial ecosystem of Lisbon;
  • Making sound choices about their future education and career.

For more information please contact: lfi@novasbe.pt

CEMS is a Global Alliance of 31 leading business schools, over 70 multinational companies and 7 NGOs that together offer the CEMS MIM, Master's in International Management.

The Responsible Global Leadership Challenge was a two-day seminar that brought together representatives from Corporate and Social partners, CEMS professors and students, for an experiential learning opportunity.

CEMS students had the opportunity to explore personal responsibility in the context of being a future leader/manager, starting to better understand their personal values, their impact on decision making, and how this in turn affects other people and society.

For more information please contact: lfi@novasbe.pt

This program was developed together with Nova University rectory and had the goal of promoting the training four African universities in order to better respond to the social and economic challenges of the regions where they operate, promoting local development in a sustainable and inclusive way.

The participants were 32 faculty members from four African partner universities: Universidade Agostinho Neto (Luanda), Universidade Katyavala Bwila (Benguela), a Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Maputo) and Universidade Lúrio (Nampula) and four knowledge areas: Economics, Social Sciences, Health and Engineering.

Students testimonials:

“The experience in social entrepreneurship has been fantastic, and it will be passed on to my students and colleagues through seminars.”

Fidel Bilika, Universidade Lúrio (2018)

For more information please contact: lfi@novasbe.pt