Beyond the Business of Doing Business

Our colleague, Tina Facca, from the Boler School of Business at John Carroll University in Cleveland shared with us some of her insights following the recent IAJBS Conference. What makes the Jesuit business community stand out?
There is something unique about Ignatian spirituality that regardless of culture or cultural nuances, colleagues can join together, take the time to listen to one another, and discern carefully the immense possibilities for collaboration.
“It is easy to get caught up in the typical business of doing business; the issues we seek to address are very complex – poverty, social injustice- but how we take a strategic business approach takes time and very careful collaboration,” says Tina Facca. Catholic social thought and Ignatian spirituality differentiates Jesuit Business Schools and serves as a common ground for academics and Jesuit higher education in general.
“We have tremendous resources within this network – the 17.000 Jesuits themselves, each with their own network of ministries as well as the friends and alumni that share in Ignatian spirituality. This network goes beyond Catholicism and crosses into other faiths and other religions. The over 450 year old tradition has always served as a bridge,  drawing people in and gives us an opportunity to work with others from different backgrounds and mobilize for the greater good in the 21^st century.”
A shared mission is what guides The International Association of Jesuit Business Schools (IAJBS) which works to enhance the ability of deans and administrators to encourage scholarship and knowledge that prepares students for business leadership in the global economy. At their recent world forum held at the Sogang Business School in Seoul, Korea, colleagues from Jesuit Business Schools around the world gathered to share ideas, information and tools for strengthening and mobilizing effective collaboration.
As a representative of the Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education (CJBE), an outgrowth and strategic partner of IAJBS, Tina Facca was present at the Conference. CJBE is more faculty-oriented, focusing on how to work with students using Ignatian Pedagogy to promote Ignatian values. CJBE has been crucial in enabling scholars to share their research interests and identify ways to collaborate. Next year, CJBE will hold its bi-annual meeting at the Universidad Catolica de Uruguay.
When asked about her motivation for becoming involved in these networks, Tina shares, “It is amazing to be with other people who help me to grow in Ignatian spirituality and collaborate with friends who feel a “shared mission” so much more transcendent then working toward your own goals or career motivations.”
Effective, careful collaboration for the Universal Mission is made possible by networks like IAJBS and CJBE as well as dedicated members like Tina.
 
Photo by Jenny Downing used under Creative Commons.