Social Leadership Program for SAP Employees

Aug 10, 2012 2:15 PM ET

Posted by Vikas ViJ

SAP AG, a leading German multinational software corporation, has announced a social sabbatical program for company employees. The program provides an opportunity for innovative learning and exposure to the employees, while at the same time helping small businesses and entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

Focused teams of highly promising SAP employees will contribute their time, talent and experience in critical areas such as IT, marketing, strategy, consulting, finance or legal to social enterprises, nonprofits, government agencies and educational institutions to help address key business and organizational challenges.

The pilot phase of this program has begun in Brazil. It will be followed by assignments in South Africa and India over the next few months. Each short-term sabbatical assignment will present before SAP employees a unique opportunity to engage with emerging leaders from around the globe, expand their cultural horizons, and sharpen their leadership skills.

SAP employees are exposed to a number of education offerings at the company. The goal of these offerings is to foster career development and enhance the learning and skills of the employees continuously. The new innovative program will only complement the various ongoing education programs at the company.

Vikas is a staff writer for the Sustainable Development news and editorial section on Justmeans. He is an MBA with 20 years of managerial and entrepreneurial experience and global travel. He is the author of "The Power of Money" (Scholars, 2003), a book that presents a revolutionary monetary economic theory on poverty alleviation in the developing world. Vikas is also the official writer for an international social project for developing nations "Decisions for Life" run in collaboration between the ILO, the University of Amsterdam and the Indian Institute of Management.