Executive summary. The article argues that Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA) programmes should be understood as transformative educational experiences rather than mere career credentials. The author emphasises that effective business education must integrate personal development (“being”) with knowledge (“knowing”) and practical skills (“doing”). He stresses the importance of self-awareness, ethical reflection, interdisciplinary dialogue, and responsible engagement with technology—especially AI. By fostering purpose, character, and service to the common good, BBA programmes can prepare graduates to become resilient, ethical leaders who positively impact organisations and society.

Key takeaways

• Business education goes beyond skills: True leadership requires self-knowledge, values, and ethical reflection, not just technical competence.
• Personal development is essential: Undergraduate years are a critical time for identity formation, purpose, and character building.
• Technology must be used wisely: AI and digital tools should enhance learning, not replace deep thinking, resilience, and reflection.

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Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) programmes enjoy significant popularity today. They are frequently perceived as practical, versatile, and gateways to diverse career opportunities. While this perception is accurate, it is also incomplete. A narrowly utilitarian view risks overlooking the transformative potential that emerges at the intersection of management education and the undergraduate journey.

A BBA should not be regarded as a commodity. For students, it can — and should — be a profoundly life‐changing experience. For society, it offers the chance to cultivate entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders who are not only competent but also purposeful and principled. For educators, this dual promise makes the BBA a unique opportunity: to shape individuals and, through them, the future of business and society.

A Time for Personal Discovery

University life cannot be reduced to the pursuit of a credential. It is not simply another stage to be completed, but a formative period of self-discovery — a time for students to define their own self, clarify their aspirations, and determine their place in the world both professionally and personally. As educators, we must recognise that we are guiding individuals in a critical phase of transition. To put students at the centre of their education is not a slogan; it is a responsibility. True professional development cannot exist without personal development.

We often express concern about the state of our institutions — from corporations and markets to politics and society at large. Yet these realities are shaped by personal decisions. Technical competence is indispensable, but it is not sufficient. Meaningful, ethical leadership requires clarity of direction, an orientation toward the common good, and a capacity for reflection. This, in turn, demands virtue — and virtue begins with self-knowledge. It requires students to examine their motivations, their values, and the broader impact of their choices.

University life cannot be reduced to the pursuit of a credential.

Undergraduate years are an unparalleled opportunity to engage with life’s most essential questions: Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? What path should I pursue? Though challenging, these questions anchor future decisions. For business graduates, they provide the foundation not only for career success but also for meaningful leadership. To lead others effectively, students must first learn to lead themselves. Helping students cultivate self‐awareness, motivation, and a sense of purpose is therefore central to preparing them for the business world. It ensures they graduate not only as competent professionals, but as reflective, responsible individuals ready to contribute to organisations and society at large.

The Big Picture

In many respects, we live in a better world than previous generations. Economic growth has lifted millions out of poverty, and standards of education and health have steadily improved. Businesses have played a pivotal role in these advances, driving innovation, creating opportunities, and generating wealth across multiple sectors.

Yet, significant challenges remain. Large segments of the global population still face a lack of opportunities and resources. Geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainties are intensifying. Governance—both political and organisational—often falls short of expectations. Societies are aging, loneliness and disconnection are on the rise, and many young people increasingly feel that companies and institutions fail to provide them with confidence, hope or inspiration.

Business schools equip students to engage with the world primarily through a corporate lens. Indeed, undergraduate education is mainly about academics! Strategy, finance, entrepreneurship, technology, marketing, data analytics—each is a dynamic field requiring distinct expertise. It is therefore natural that BBA programmes offer a wide array of courses and pathways to build specialisation. However, the contemporary context demands that we look beyond traditional silos. Business education must prepare students not only to manage organisations, but also to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and interconnected global systems.

To meet these challenges, BBA curricula should place greater emphasis on digital fluency, innovation management, geopolitical literacy, strategic adaptability and cross‐cultural leadership. International exposure remains indispensable. Exchange semesters and global immersion programmes not only broaden students’ horizons but also foster the cultural intelligence and adaptability essential for leadership in an interconnected world.

Like other undergraduate programmes, the BBA encompasses two complementary dimensions: knowing and doing. Students need a strong foundation of hard skills—analytics, finance, operations—as well as soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and ethical reasoning. Project management, teamwork, and leadership development should be integrated into the curriculum in ways that mirror the realities of the professional world. When these dimensions are combined thoughtfully, the result is not just graduates who are career‐ready, but leaders who are capable of contributing effectively to organisations, communities, and society at large.

What Else Can Business Schools Do?

As I mentioned above, business education often emphasises these two dimensions: knowing (knowledge acquisition) and doing (practical application). Yet, there is a third, frequently overlooked, dimension that is equally critical: being—the art of becoming a person oriented toward the common good.

We are quick to criticise institutions and corporations for prioritising narrow self-interest over service to the community. While incentives and regulations can mitigate some of these shortcomings, organisations are ultimately shaped by the individuals who lead them. Sustaining trust in institutions requires more than technical expertise; it calls for leaders with an unwavering commitment to serving others. This is where being becomes indispensable.

Business degrees should offer students a genuinely holistic perspective— outwardly, through engagement with society, history, politics, and economics; and inwardly, through reflection on ethics and anthropology. Only by integrating these dimensions can students learn to situate themselves meaningfully within their communities and respond constructively to real‐world challenges. Helping students develop this awareness begins with cultivating care for those around them. For BBA students, this means fostering spaces for authentic friendship, dialogue, and reflection—spaces where mutual support and concern for others are not peripheral but central to their formation.

Beyond traditional coursework, interdisciplinarity should be reinforced through dialogue-based learning. Forums where students exchange perspectives on significant texts, workshops that encourage collaborative problem-solving, and discussions that move beyond business case studies to real‐world societal issues can all serve as valuable platforms.

Importantly, these conversations should not be confined to business students alone. Encouraging BBA students to engage with peers from other disciplines can enrich perspectives, deepen understanding, and spark innovative thinking. In a world that demands cross‐sector collaboration, such exposure is vital preparation for leadership.

By integrating being into the heart of business education—through interdisciplinarity, reflection, and dialogue—we can form graduates who are not only skilled professionals, but also responsible leaders committed to the flourishing of the organisations they manage and the communities they serve.

Living in a Student Residence with Undergraduate Students

I have lived in the University of Navarra’s student residences for over twenty years now, a long‐standing tradition that fosters unique opportunities for learning. Here, students and professors learn not only from one another but also with one another. For me, this experience has been deeply fulfilling in countless ways. Something similar can be said of students, as they engage in sometimes endless discussions with other students and professors.

Too often, today’s youth are portrayed as irrational, unmotivated, or overly individualistic. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. They are eager to learn, highly socially-minded, and deeply searching for a purpose worthy of their dedication. The challenge, then, lies with us as professors: to inspire them and to provide the framework that helps channel their aspirations toward the greater good.

One of the most pressing challenges facing today’s undergraduate students is how they engage with artificial intelligence and technology more broadly. On the one hand, technological innovation is a powerful enabler: it enhances access to knowledge, accelerates problem‐solving, and expands learning opportunities. On the other hand, its very efficiency can short-circuit the learning process. When solutions are delivered instantly, students risk missing the deeper intellectual struggle and reflective practice that are essential for both personal and professional growth. The result can be graduates who are technically adept but less resilient—more fragile in the face of real‐world complexity.

Social networks provide another example. Excessive use can create dependency and even addiction, narrowing students’ capacity for independent thought. The rising demand for wellness services on university campuses reflects the scale of this issue, as many students struggle with focus, discipline, and overall well-being.

These realities underscore the need for character education as a central component of undergraduate programmes. Through both curricular and extracurricular activities, we must help students cultivate self‐discipline, critical thinking, and responsible decision‐making. These are not peripheral to business education; they are foundational. Personal development is the bedrock upon which professional competence is built, and without it, the long‐term effectiveness of business graduates—whether as entrepreneurs, managers, or leaders—will remain limited.

A Resilient Call to Serve

Our business‐as‐usual is filled with duties and obligations, many of them defined by compliance frameworks imposed by governments, regulators, and corporations. While necessary, compliance often emphasises prohibition—the ‘do nots’. Business schools, however, have the opportunity to shift this narrative. Instead of focusing primarily on what must be avoided, we can form students who actively seek to do the common good.

Civil society increasingly demands accountability from organisations. Real accountability, however, cannot rest solely on rules and systems; it must be rooted in the personal responsibility of managers and employees alike. When individuals feel genuinely called to contribute to something meaningful, external obligations are transformed into internal commitments. Responsibilities stop being burdens, and instead become expressions of a deeper desire to serve. Love, service, empathy are not ideals opposed to business, but values that can and should animate corporate life. When embraced authentically, they strengthen workers, organisations and build trust in society.

Of course, life brings both successes and setbacks. For future leaders, the challenge is to remain resilient and guided by a clear moral compass. This is precisely where business schools can make a lasting difference: by nurturing not only the technical skills of BBA students but also their sense of direction, resilience, and commitment to the common good.

In short, we can transform the world by transforming students—and we transform students by reimagining the BBA experience as more than technical training, but as a formation of character and leadership for the service of others.