‘The Integration of Laudato Si’ in Management Education: Forming Students with a Deeper Awareness of the Implications of Integral Ecology

Abstract Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home (2015), is a disruptive teaching document. It challenges contemporary paradigms and human social systems including education, economy and business to transform. Laudato Si’s proposal of “Integral Ecology” bears significant implications for the business world, especially business management and business education. The importance of educating through the lens of Laudato Si’ and Integral Ecology has been affirmed by several global initiatives and is an emerging focus for universities and academic research. However, higher education institutions and management programs seem to be slow to institute standards of sustainability, global responsibility, and social innovation (Wilp et al. 2022). Therefore, exploring how Laudato Si’ can guide and accelerate the transformation of business education to be of service to the common good is of vital importance. We have conducted a literature review investigating the relationship and impact of Laudato Si’ on educational programs provided by Business Schools. Furthermore, we developed a proposed survey tool intended to gather insights into whether graduate students after attending University Business Schools have developed attitudes that cohere with Laudato Si’ and Integral Ecology. This tool might be particularly useful for universities that foster a Humanistic Management approach and Catholic institutions with a commitment to the pursuit of the common good. Results from the implementation of a survey tool of this kind will help to inform strategies to further embed the principles of Integral Ecology into programs offered by Business Schools.