Systemic inequities—such as wage stagnation, wealth concentration, housing insecurity, and labor exploitation—are deeply embedded in the economic systems our graduates will enter. Yet these realities often go unexamined in traditional business curricula. If Jesuit business schools are to fulfill their mission of forming leaders for a more just world, we must prepare students not only with technical skills, but with the moral clarity and courage to challenge unjust structures and contribute to meaningful change.
In our session, we explore how a School of Business Administration can become a school-wide site of justice-centered formation. Through examples from across disciplines, we will share how students at Gonzaga University are invited to move beyond abstract ethical theory and into critical economic and organizational analysis, values-based decision-making, and community-centered practice. These approaches help students engage with real-world inequities and explore more just and humane ways of doing business. Examples include:
- Barry-Wehmiller’s Truly Human Leadership, which prioritizes employee well-being and long-term social impact over short-term profits.
- Spokane Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Network (SEEN) – A partnership between Gonzaga, Catholic Charities, and the University of Notre Dame that equips low-income entrepreneurs with mentorship, training, and microgrants.
- Worker-Owned Businesses and Living Wages – Collaborating with cooperative businesses to explore alternative economic models rooted in Jesuit values of solidarity and justice.
- ALICE Household Simulation – A classroom exercise that helps students connect ethical theory to real-world financial precarity.
- Financial Literacy and Workforce Development – Engaging business students in teaching financial literacy and job readiness to marginalized populations.
This session will encourage an exchange of ideas—recognizing that Jesuit business schools operate in different contexts but share a common mission. By coming together, we can deepen our understanding of how to prepare future business leaders to navigate and transform unjust economic systems.
Some questions for discussion include:
- How does traditional business education overlook the economic structures that drive inequality?
- Walking with the excluded: How do we empower students to advocate for marginalized communities?
- Accompanying young people in creating a hope-filled future: How do we cultivate moral courage in business students?
- Caring for our common home: How can we link economic justice to sustainability?
- How do we instill discernment and moral courage in future business leaders, especially where justice-oriented decisions face resistance?
- How can we integrate systemic analysis, social justice, and ethical leadership into core business courses?
- What role do Catholic Social Teaching, the Integrative Justice Model, and the UN SDGs play in shaping ethical business practices?
- How can Ignatian discernment and reflection be incorporated into leadership education?
- How can Jesuit business schools collaborate across institutions to expand these initiatives and form a network of business schools working for justice?
What we teach—and how we teach it—forms the moral imagination of future leaders. What if we imagined more boldly?