Background
The Public Management Program (PMP) founded in 1971, grew directly out of former Dean Arjay Miller's experience as president of Ford Motor Company in the 1960s. His intention in founding the PMP was to bridge the gulf he had observed firsthand between business and government leaders.
Merging Business with Politics
In 1965, Miller was called to Washington with other automobile industry executives to respond to charges of manufacturing unsafe vehicles. "We blew it," said Miller of their appearance. "Businessmen just didn't understand the political process." Nor, he observed, did politicians understand businessmen. A few years later, as head of Detroit's Economic Development Committee, Miller led the effort to bring jobs to the inner city in the wake of urban riots there. "We failed miserably," he recalled. When, in 1968, Miller was asked to become dean of the Business School, he accepted with one provision - that he be allowed to found a program that would train managers for the public sector.
Since those early days, the PMP has greatly expanded in scope. Today, students active in the PMP examine and involve themselves in nonprofits, social enterprise, the arts, education, environmentally sustainable business, venture philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, and more. Student-driven and institutionally supported, the PMP offers an academic option within the MBA and Sloan programs, experiential learning opportunities, and career resources.
Commitment to Social Sector Leadership
Stanford was the first business school to offer an academic certificate in public management. Today, over 15 percent of graduating MBA students annually earn the certificate. Additionally, nearly every student at the Business School participates in the PMP by taking an elective course, attending PMP-sponsored lectures and workshops, or joining a PMP club. This fulfills one of the most important functions of the PMP: to create a community of individuals committed to social sector leadership.
The School understands that to offer a complete education in business administration, business schools must address social sector issues in a substantive way so that leaders in every sector understand the intersections between business and government, nonprofits, philanthropy, and other organizations. Because there has been little systematic research into the application of business and market practices to solve complex, social problems, the Business School expanded its Center for Social Innovation (CSI) in 2000 to include the Public Management Program. The research center was a perfect fit for the PMP. Under the umbrella of the Center, the PMP looks forward to connecting students and alumni with the supplemented set of opportunities its relationship with CSI provides.
At the Graduate School of Business, students develop a deep understanding of business as a social institution, not just as an economic institution. the PMP believes this enables them to become effective leaders in any sector. Through such leadership, they can change lives, change organizations, and change the world.
