From Traditional to Conscious: Assessing Paradigm Shifts in Students’ Business Perspectives.

This study evaluates changes in undergraduate students' perspectives on the essence and purpose of business after completing a one-semester Conscious Business Minor. A non-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted with data collected from 119 students using a 25-item instrument that measured alignment with either a "traditional paradigm" or a "conscious paradigm" of business. Statistical analyses included scale reliability and median comparison tests. The results revealed significant paradigm shifts in 12 items, particularly challenging the traditional view that business exists solely for profit and is driven by greed or selfishness. However, no significant changes were observed in items addressing the challenge of reimagining business as the greatest creator of value in the world or recognizing that for-profit enterprises can be as noble as non-profit organizations. These findings indicate that the minor fostered a more conscious business mindset while highlighting areas for further development.