Anticorruption Course: a new and vital component of the INCAE MBA curriculum

INCAE Business School recently concluded its Anticorruption Course for MBA students, taught virtually to comply with the School’s health protocols amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 2018, INCAE through its Regional Ethics and Transparency Initiative (RETAIN), made an addition to its curriculum that no other business school in Latin America has yet attempted: MBA students at INCAE are required to take nine consecutive classes in anticorruption in order to graduate. The concept of the course was originated by Professor Susan Clancy who is in charge of ethical instruction in the MBA Program.

Professor Luis Cuenca, who designed the curriculum, highlighted: “In the times we live in, every MBA student must be trained to manage the issues of corruption and fraud, or the school is not properly preparing them to be managers of businesses and organizations. This type of training is an essential component of the modern toolkit of professional management.”

The new required course focuses primarily on corruption and fraud at the firm or organization level, providing students with the right managerial tools for monitoring, prevention and sanctions. Through this curriculum, INCAE seeks to help form well-rounded professionals for high-level positions and roles in firms and organizations who can make an invaluable contribution to the fight for more transparent societies governed by rule of law.

Prof. Cuenca has wide experience working in fields such as fraud and corruption prevention. He was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Bank of Costa Rica and is the head of the Board’s Compliance Committee. He also served as the Vice Minister of Labor in Costa Rica.

A follow-on elective course, entitled Advanced Anticorruption Course, will be offered in September. This advanced course examines corruption from the perspective of institutional design, exploring how it functions on the national and international level. It also covers the challenges of finding comprehensive solutions to prevent fraud and corruption in Latin American countries.

Through RETAIN, INCAE’s goal is to be the leading business voice in the region promoting ethics and transparency. The initiative builds on the Institution’s academic expertise and research centers as well as its vast network in the region to both promote ethical behavior and to reduce opportunities to commit corrupt acts.