Catholic universities tend to share educational purposes of developing a sense of service, forming ethical leaders, fostering moral virtues and social justice, among others. However, as criticisms against capitalism and the role of business in addressing societal and environmental problems increase, business schools in Catholic universities can face the challenge of aligning their institutional mission and values with learning objectives often focused on maximizing wealth, outperforming competitors, reinforcing consumerism, among others. Is there a pedagogical tension between the principles of Catholic higher education and business education? If so, how can this tension be reconciled? This qualitative and exploratory study aims to illuminate these questions by interviewing business professors at Catholic universities. The study reveals divergent perspectives on the mission of Catholic universities, intriguing viewpoints about the presence of a pedagogical tension, and valuable suggestions to strengthen alignment between business learning goals and Catholic principles of education.
Cortes et al. (2026) studied this question.