INTEGRATION OF LA SALLE SPIRITUALITY AND CHRISTIAN SOCIAL THOUGHT IN THE MBA CURRICULUM

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1 INTEGRATION OF LA SALLE SPIRITUALITY AND CHRISTIAN SOCIAL THOUGHT IN THE MBA CURRICULUM INTRODUCTION Jose Maria Siciliani. PhD. The lines that follow intend to show what has been done for three years with an "academic course" in which we have tried to encourage the dialogue proposed by De La Salle University between science and faith. This is the "Lasallian Laboratory" which is currently taught in the master s syllabus in La Salle University in Bogota. Here we outline the generalities carried out in this laboratory for the Master in Business Administration (MBA). First, we will present the epistemological horizons for which this dialogue is intended; next some of their teaching guidelines are shown, and finally some conclusions are given, these try to foster a dialogue between gospel and culture in the MBA of La Salle University in Bogota. EPISTEMOLOGICAL-THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF LABORATORY LASALLIAN To talk about foundations is to think of a number of principles that are in the basis of the dialogue between science and faith sought by the "Lasallian Laboratory." Think of concepts such as "gospel", "science" and "dialogue" and the same name that has received this academic course. From this point of view the question arises: What kind of science are we speaking about? What kind of faith? What is this dialogue looking for? What is its reason? What does the term lab mean here? These questions are not free. Indeed, has not faith been contrary to science? Don t many scientists experience religion as an obstacle to freedom of research? Is not faith perceived as private, personal and intimate, and which should not interfere in matters related to science? This is not the place to answer all these questions however; some partial answers have to be given from the beginning, so it can clear the horizon from what we have done in this academic space. What is authentically human is the most surprisingly revealing of the divine An excellent way to present this horizon is in the Preface to the Rules of Courtesy and Christian urbanity used at the Christian Schools of St. John Baptist De La Salle in which the saint writes "It is striking that most Christians only conceive urbanity and courtesy as a purely human and worldly qualities, and do not think to raise their spirit higher. They do not consider them as virtues related to God, with others and with ourselves. This clearly shows that there is little sense in the Christian world, and how few are the people who live in Himself and are guided by the Spirit of Jesus Christ". St. John the Baptist De La Salle was surprised because of the fact that urbanity is seen only from its human and worldly perspective. According to this way of thinking urbanity would have nothing to do with faith or the gospel. Here is a place to ask these questions in today s context: Why is it that science is considered alien to gospel? Why

2 do we think that the Academy has no relationship with problems of faith? Aren t some scientific problems deeply related to topics that the faith also questions? A clear separation between science and faith do not reflect, according to the Spirit of St. John the Baptist of La Salle, a certain "meanness" of spirit which we would have to leave, rising to higher levels of understanding? The consequence that St. John the Baptist De La Salle gets out of such a separation is serious because it would make clear the "poor Christian sense in the world". And, according to the saint, the Christian spirit does not separate Christian civility and faith, nor-in the world today, science and faith, gospel and culture, reason and belief, emotion and intelligence would be separated. The Christian spirit in the people who live by the Spirit of Jesus Christ should lead them to do everything seeking the glory of God, including science or knowledge building. Practical implications of these principles to the Lasallian laboratory This view of understanding the faith, and this approach to science led to prepare the "Lasallian Laboratory" by recognizing human problems in academic spaces in MBA. It should be emphasized that we completely studied all of the MBA Syllabus and we have gone back to review as curriculum changes were done in the Program. This study is the consequence of a conception of the dialogue between science and faith from the principle which wherever there are human questions, the gospel can resound. Thus, it will not come as an absolute truth with no connection to real situation; it will not come as a dogma descending from heaven, which would have immediate solutions to human anguish. The principle that the search of the human is the true road to establish a dialogue between science and faith detected some fundamental problems and expressed in this network of knowledge, research, teaching, learning, competences, profiles, core problems, areas, axes, sciences and disciplines, which constitute the "curriculum" of the MBA. The dialogue starts here by listening to others, their concerns, their anxieties. The dialogue demanded in this study as an attitude of respect for what the other says, so that the other thinks, dialogue simply requires knowledge of the other. Some handled points are highlighted below in a syllabus in which you can notice an interdisciplinary subject of a meeting between management sciences and the gospel. It is an example that proves the possibility of dialogue, without inventing issues without departing from the academic. These themes also show that the Lasallian Laboratory should not be confused with a kind of catechism. This is primarily a documented dialogue in which both parts -management science and the gospel-discuss common points from particular angles, which can enrich and extend each other. Human problems present in the academic management of human talent. As you read this syllabus several questions come to mind: How are the individual values in management theory which think of talent management? We believe this academic space has to interrogate about the underlying approaches to anthropology. It is not a priori deny its contents and importance of a management capable of managing intellectual capital and allow continuity to knowledge that the company acquires about a particular aspect of production. But the dialogue must be raised because the objectification of the person is a strong temptation in the current economic life. Competition can degenerate into an unfair and crushing aggression. Because the exclusion is at the door of a

3 mentality that is concerned only about what is effective in the sense of profitable. Because of the sense of gratitude, which is at the heart of Christianity, we would lose all chances of penetrating an economic efficiency mentality. The contents of this space appear, at least in a first approximation, as object of a critical dialogue, but it s certainly very fruitful. Because it should be noted that the Gospel calls the "cunning", the Gospel invites us to "bear fruit", the Gospel invites us to "calculate" when delivered to the service of the Kingdom, that is, to intelligently manage life. We recognize that this tension is already present in the consciousness of some administrators, as it can be seen in the next title presented in the bibliography: Cricket IE - Ramirez GT, can responsibility and financial success coexist, Case Buggy Business Group Panama, Bogota, External University of Colombia, In any case, here there are subjects to the dialogue proposed by the Lasallian Laboratory. EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE OF LASALLIAN LABORATORY After having presented the general horizon of understanding which makes the Lasallian Laboratory and the way of establishing a dialogue between business studies and Christian thought, it is convenient briefly to tell now what pedagogical and didactic elements have been used for the execution: First and foremost it is worth to highlight one particular fact: many of the MBA students come cautious to this academic space when they think of catechesis or a strategy of indoctrination as this is a Catholic university run by a Religious Order. The discomfort and reluctance of the first class is symptomatic, because it shows what is stated above: for the right reasons or not, there is a critical distancing, at least in academic circles in front of the church institution. The first thing to do then is to assume that reality without ignoring it, and even more without condemning with an unsympathetic or tense attitude. What has been done in the Lasallian laboratory to alleviate this reality? In the first meeting, the presentation of the Syllabus is the occasion for a dialogue in which the teacher allows students to openly express their expectations and apprehensions with respect to the laboratory. There is participation, expressly requested by the teacher to each student, which makes clear the like, dislike or indifference to the proposal made by the De La Salle University. This dialogue takes place in an atmosphere of deep respect, led by the teacher and his careful attention to the position expressed by each student. But that dialogue is a special occasion to remove from the minds of students some prejudices that, if sustained, would block any interest on the subject. The first class is therefore an opportunity to break down false images: the catechetical class, that you have to be Catholic to follow that course, the Lasallian Catholic indoctrination, the impossibility to openly raise questions about faith, the Church, the gospel, taking the risk of getting a low grades if anyone would dare to defy catholic faith. The breakdown of misconceptions and creating a greater willingness for dialogue is a key objective of this meeting. With him, it is emphasized that the dialogue will require improving the quality of the word to move from his/her own opinion to the review argued the sentence. Because, graduate students in most cases are no exception, we must recognize that there is much in religious opinion with little theological knowledge basis. What resources have been used? How is it possible to arouse interest and stimulate a debate? Given the background that leads to knowledge of the syllabus and its questions, special attention is given to the search for methodological strategies that facilitate active

4 student participation. But before commenting on them, it is important to underline a central point: the choice of reading material. It can be said a key because the Lasallian Laboratory has been well accepted in its selection of relevant texts that present some aspect of Christian life and that directly or indirectly illuminated business life. Sometimes they have been the journey of a whole text. Here's an example. In order to approach the laboratory having into account the tensions of administration, we had the idea to show that these contradictions as being human ones were also analyzed by great thinkers of Christianity. For example, the tension that exists in every company when it comes to making amends, when to reproving or imposing a sanction when to "talk" to those who do not agree with the "company" or when to evaluate. This issue relates to issues such as the general health, motivation, punishment or even dismissal. It turns out that this situation has not been immune to the Church's pastoral reflection. That is, when the Christian community thought and wrote about the processes of community life and pastoral governance in a community of Disciples of Christ, these issues were not strangers at any time. For this reason, a group of MBA students, studied several texts that cast a glance to some people in the Bible as great leaders and great managers. The first was a job done on the figure of Solomon, which revealed this biblical character from this side management, showing how this is articulated, or rather was rooted in a deep relationship with God. Such rooting led us to discover in this author a character worthy of emulation, despite the vast temporal distance that separates us from him. And the emulation is not understood here as a servile imitation, because the text does not consider it in those terms. Rather, the story of Solomon and the knowledge of some of his writings led to understand how biblical faith could penetrate a different sense and not less effective, to a corporate administrative activity. The following text studies the life of the early Christian community taking into account the impact that took place on two of its pillars: Peter and Paul. The proposed text was of the Benedictine monk Mauritius Wilde. According to him, the personality of Paul and Peter represent, from the administrative point of view, two emblematic types of personality, which are necessary to the success of every business: the entrepreneur and manager. Paul, bold and fearless, would be that figure that marks and drive the company into new spaces, is the kind of person who can smell the newness, who can venture into new areas with finesse. Peter is the man of wisdom, who knows to save non-negotiable securities acquired by the company. By reading this text, MBA students had the opportunity to meet many interesting aspects of the Christian faith, of the Gospels, and reconsider an administrative activity with a new and suggestive horizon. But the Lasallian style, at that time, was not limited to these two texts. The route was longer as it will be seen below. Indeed, for MBA students it was pleasantly surprised to read about the Pastoral Rule of Pope Gregory the Great ( ). This classical text of priestly and Episcopal education deals acutely, among other things, about the tension highlighted by the laboratory (in the case of Pastoral Rule is the tension between the pastor and members of the community away from their Christian commitment.), the advice and teaching guidelines that Pope Gregory wrote, far from reflecting an authoritarian administrative attitude, were attractive and full of subtlety for MBA students. The same reaction took place when they read a chapter of the book the six wings of the Seraphim of one of the two greatest thinkers of the thirteenth century; St.

5 Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church, mystical and CEO of the Sons of St. Francis, who wrote the text to help pastors to govern wisely the Church. Chapter VI (De quinta alis praelatorum quae est circumspect discretio / The fifth wing of the prelates, which is a discrete circumspection) is dedicated just to the correction and writes with such depth and sensitivity that is able to surprise any seasoned business executive. But the Lasallian spirit Style could not miss this tour, since it is part of this rich spiritual tradition that stems from the Bible and, undeniably, is a fact of civilization in Western culture. To approach the specific contribution of Lasallian spirit, two texts were used (or part thereof). The first one: the text collection of several treatises there are lines with this title: Ten conditions that must accompany the correction to be profitable, the second: the famous text of the twelve virtues of a good teacher, Brother Agathon, fifth superior General of the Lasallian Brothers, which it was worked the virtue of meekness. On the first text it is important to stress the precision with which St. John Baptist de La Salle distinguished-as usual in his writing-the conditions for a good correction from the educator. Seven of these qualities fall on who corrects, and only three are the responsibility of the recipient. Regarding the second text, it returns to feel the fineness of spirit of the great Christian thinkers discussed above. As a simple example is enough to evoke the initial distinction between four kinds of humility: that of spirit, of heart, of the customs and behavior. But the Lasallian Laboratory integrates contemporary rationalities as business. So, seeing that one of the texts of the Syllabus was the popular book The Seven Habits of Highly effective Stephen R. Covey, which is presented as a revolution of ethics in everyday life, these seven habits were studied with the aim of seeing what they said about the conflicts in the company, or what might infer from his statements about the tension that occurs when finding the human irresponsibility and failure in the company. Since the text includes aspects that have to do with faith, the debate was interesting, because the question was swift to addressing this issue: Are we using God to the service of our interests? What happens with the faith if there is an economic failure? CONCLUSIONS It has been has presented in one of the ways in which we have developed a course of academic space: Lasallian Laboratory with MBA students at De La Salle University in Bogota. It has been shown the reasons for this space, their way of understanding and the principles guiding its pedagogy. It has intended to show that it is primarily a dialogue between science and faith, for which, the first thing we did was to know the contents of the syllabus of the Master, to see the human questions that arose there. From there, it was presented in a way to build that dialogue, dialogue in which students were always respected, and sought to dispel the ideas that distort the meaning of this space. You will notice that from human problems present in the syllabus, has not meant giving up the explicit announcement of the Christian message. Since the De La Salle University says that the Social Doctrine of the Church arises from the encounter between the Gospel and Cultures, the Lasallian Laboratory seeks to promote the meeting, giving importance to both poles, but starting, pedagogically from the human pole, with the firm belief that the anxieties and hopes of men are also the problems and hopes of the Church.