The purpose of this paper is to contribute to thecomprehension of management education in the Global South, focusing on how contextual specificities, exemplified in the Colombian case, have driven curricular reforms. These reforms harmonize traditional practical training with a substantial emphasis on humanities education. to
Using a historical approach, this study conducts a heuristic and hermeneutic analysis of historical primary documents from archives, secondary sources and interviews.
The curricular reforms in Eafit’s Business Administration program responded to the need to diverge from a model borrowed from the United States. This departure leads to organic transformations that empower the inclusion of humanities for holistic professional manager education. This holistic approach was aimed to equip graduates to address organizational challenges and unique local issues, transcending conventional boundaries of education.
This research serves as an initial exploration of a Global South case, laying the groundwork for future analyses of analogous cases. Comparative studies may eventually provide a more comprehensive understanding of management education beyond the Global North.
This work pioneers a relatively unexplored area of literature by investigating the history, unique aspects of business administration curricula and the role of curricular reforms within specific contexts. It is particularly pertinent in understanding the distinctive characteristics of business schools in the Global South. These institutions initially took inspiration from well-established American counterparts and literature reflecting Northern Global settings. However, they introduced innovations tailored to their local demands. This study spotlights the distinctive character of management education in Latin America, emphasizing a robust humanistic component.
Introduction
Management education in the Global South began in the early 20th century but gained significant recognition only in the mid-20th century, with the USA playing a key role, particularly in fostering business schools. Business administration degrees, or more broadly, management degrees, are typically offered by universities or independent business schools and focus on practical aspects, emphasizing economic goals and the responsibility of professional managers to ensure business success. Over time, business administration has faced both advocacy and opposition while serving various societal segments. Traditionally, these programs have prioritized practical skills in areas such as accounting, finance, marketing and organizational leadership over academic pursuits. Internships, practical experiences and case studies have been integral educational tools. During the Cold War, the USA promoted management education to alleviate poverty and counter communism, particularly in Latin America.
In Colombia, the northernmost country in South America, the first business school – formerly known as Escuela de Administración y Finanzas, now Universidad EAFIT – was established as a private university in 1960 to meet the growing local demand for professional managers while aligning with USA geopolitical objectives. This initiative has been successful, with Management now being the most popular degree among students. The Association for Management Education (ASCOLFA) lists 405 management programs and reports that 16% of Colombian undergraduates are majoring in this field (Arias-Velandia et al., 2018). Despite this success, management education faces criticism for its limited practical impact in everyday management (Bennis and O’Toole, 2005; Dameron and Durand, 2011). Moreover, in Colombia concerns arise because the limited local research and the great reliance on foreign literature, examples and case studies. This paper aims to enrich the history of management education in Latin America by analyzing a case study in which the humanities played a key role in developing a contextualized model of management, challenging the dominance of traditional practical emphasis.
Although management thought has evolved over three millennia (Witzel, 2016), teaching topics related to the modern conception of public management can be traced back to the mid-14th century in Europe. However, the teaching of private enterprise management emerged more recently, primarily after schools of commerce were established in the 19th century (Passant, 2019). The concept of management was initially associated with governing states, the military and public organizations. As the 19th century unfolded, countries like Germany, France and the USA began to offer courses in bookkeeping and secretarial techniques in various schools and institutes, serving as precursors to the formal business administration academic programs and degrees we know today. Notably, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1881, took a pioneering role in offering management courses, and from 1899 onward, numerous undergraduate and graduate administration programs were established in various colleges and universities (Sass, 2016).
In the Latin American context, management education closely followed the guidelines and works developed for USA programs, encompassing curriculum and textbooks (Dávila, 2020; Lluch and Amdam, 2024). This influence was evident not only in the programs’ focus on business but also in their professionalizing nature. While this professional focus led to the establishment of Colombia’s first business school in 1960 (Universidad EAFIT), by the end of the 20th century, a shift toward incorporating the humanities began to emerge at EAFIT (López Díez, 2010). This shift resulted in a groundbreaking fusion of traditional managerial pragmatism with a more holistic approach to the specific challenges within the Colombian context.
The concept of the humanities is broad, complex and subject to extensive debate, with no widely accepted consensus on its precise definition. Nonetheless, we advocate for a traditional and contextually relevant interpretation, emphasizing disciplines that enable individuals to appreciate, interpret and critically assess the diverse facets of human society. The scope of the humanities is vast and encompasses a wide range of disciplines, with a general emphasis on history, philosophy and languages (Thanem and Wallenberg, 2021). The humanities have been intimately connected to education since the Renaissance, with the goal of contributing to human development by engaging individuals with cultural heritage, enabling them to navigate the tension between instinct and freedom (Restrepo Gallego, 2015). In the pioneering business administration programs, known for their professional and practical orientation (which understandably drew attention and criticism from concerned observers), the humanities were studied as supplementary subjects, typically offered separately from the courses defining the professional focus. However, certain elite members, concerned about society’s future, viewed the integration of humanities with practical skills into the core curriculum as essential.
In Latin America, there is a growing interest in incorporating more humanities into business administration programs. However, in addition to the challenges faced in other regions, there is a noticeable lack of research addressing Latin American management thought. Thus far, there has been limited investigation into how management education has been contextualized and developed in this area (Amdam and Dávila, 2023). To contribute to a contextualized understanding and provide insights into the integration of humanities into business administration programs and knowledge about management education in Latin America, this article examines the case of humanities adoption at EAFIT’s Business School in Medellín, Colombia, between 1994 and 2007.
This case study, based on the analysis of a single institution through micro-level research, enhances our understanding of the history of undergraduate business administration programs in Latin America and their integration of the humanities. In this specific case, the inclusion of the humanities within certain courses significantly influenced the overall concept of management education. Since the 1990s, the humanities have played a central role in shaping the identity of undergraduate management education, subsequently impacting other undergraduate and graduate programs at EAFIT’s Business School and even extending to the entire university’s educational framework. This transformation has been especially noticeable in the fields of management education and managerial philosophy, giving EAFIT a unique reputation within Colombia and throughout Latin America. Public institutions, such as Universidad del Valle, have also contributed to the integration of the humanities in management education in Colombia (Silva Castellanos et al., 2012).
Using historical methods and perspectives, this article explores the changes at EAFIT’s Business School, specifically the transition toward integrating the humanities into its undergraduate Business Administration program. Our research involved a thorough examination of EAFIT’s historical archives, with a primary focus on analyzing approximately 800 min of Academic Council meetings dating back to 1964. We also conducted eight interviews with key figures who either held senior administrative roles or played a central role in advocating for the incorporation of the humanities into the undergraduate Business Administration curriculum. This was supplemented by relevant historical and secondary sources documenting EAFIT’s history. Notably, two of the authors of this article were faculty members at EAFIT’s Business School during the period in question. Their firsthand recollections and experiences have enriched our analysis of historical records, interviews and other evidence compiled for this study. We analyzed the gathered information and selected evidence that clarified the shift toward the humanities as a primary watershed. This analysis was further discussed with the wider interdisciplinary research group from the Grupo de Historia Empresarial at EAFIT, focusing on various drafts of this paper.
This article is structured into six sections. The first provides a literature review. The second offers a brief overview of the history of practical training in Colombia, focusing mainly on engineering programs that preceded business administration schools and examining the economic and political context that led to the establishment of the first such programs in Colombia. Section 3 explores the origins of EAFIT and traces the evolution of its business administration program, with particular attention to humanities-related courses. Section 4 analyzes the “Values and Culture” reform as a precursor to the humanities shift in the business administration curriculum. Section 5 examines the program during the 1990s, while the sixth details the changes associated with the humanities-oriented transformation at EAFIT during this period.
The humanities in management education: a literature review
Management education as a research subject has maintained its impetus. Some publications have addressed the antecedents of this academic program, while others have considered the creation of business schools, and others have begun to research changes in the management programs’ micro-curricula. These interests have been studied not only in the USA and Western Europe but also in some Latin American contexts (Amdam and Dávila, 2023; Batiz-Lazo, 2012; Lluch and Amdam, 2024; Passant, 2019, 2024). Because our interest is in studying how humanities education was incorporated into business programs, we present the cognitive and practical skills that humanities education should contribute and synthesize three interconnected clusters of research that address the presence of humanities in business administration programs.
The incorporation of humanities education into business administration programs has been studied in various articles and research across different contexts and time periods. The literature consistently acknowledges that this type of education enhances the development of cognitive and practical skills often overlooked by traditional management training and research (Landfester and Metelmann, 2021). By introducing humanities education, the aim is to foster skills such as critical thinking, epistemological doubt (Landfester and Metelmann, 2021), innovation, creativity and the ability to integrate diverse perspectives in decision-making (Colby et al., 2011). It also seeks to instill ethical and moral considerations within professional roles (Colby et al., 2011; Donaldson and Freeman, 1994).
The literature review conducted for this article indicates three distinct yet interconnected clusters of research that address the role of the humanities in business administration programs. The first cluster explores topics related to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). The existing literature on the integration of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into business administration programs, particularly emphasizing the principles of PRME, explores the inclusion of humanities education. These publications investigate the implementation of changes designed to promote social responsibility, environmental sustainability and ethical behavior among professional managers (Abdelgaffar, 2021; Flores et al., 2023; Haertle et al., 2017; Herrmann and Rundshagen, 2020; Moratis, 2013; Shah et al., 2023). Furthermore, the adoption of a humanistic approach to management guided by the SDGs has been examined in the Latin American context (García-de-la-Torre et al., 2021). Notably, five out of the 38 pioneering PRME programs are located in Latin America:
EGADE at the Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico);
The Dom Cabral Foundation (Brazil);
INCAE (Costa Rica);
ISAE (Brazil); and
The Universidad Externado de Colombia (Abdelgaffar, 2021).
The second cluster of literature assesses management education programs and suggests changes for both undergraduate and postgraduate management education. This includes reports such as the Carnegie Report, which focuses on the USA context and advocates a reevaluation of undergraduate management education. This report highlights that a significant number of programs do not sufficiently encourage students to challenge assumptions, foster creative thinking and develop a comprehensive understanding of business within intricate social, economic and environmental contexts (Arenella et al., 2009; Colby et al., 2011; Thomas et al., 2014). This body of literature also encompasses specific critiques of undergraduate and MBA business administration programs (González et al., 2011; Starkey and Tempest, 2009; Waddock, 2016). Furthermore, it offers insights into experiences and reflections on the incorporation of humanities into business administration programs (Ballesteros, 2021; Eizaguirre et al., 2020; Cummings et al., 2017; Landfester and Metelmann, 2021, 2018; Örtenblad et al., 2013; Sathya, 2020; Starkey and Tempest, 2009; Thanem and Wallenberg, 2021; Waddock, 2016), liberal arts (Greenhalgh et al., 2020) and humanistic management (Laszlo, 2019). Within this literature, an engaging discussion revolves around whether management education should be considered universal content or if it is imperative to account for the cultural, economic and political context when delivering management education (Turnbull, 2011). In the context of Latin America, a study investigating the rankings of MBA programs focuses on evaluating faculty qualifications, research activities, academic publications and opportunities for international student engagement (Quinteros et al., 2020). In the Colombian context, there have been examinations of faculty qualifications (Arias-Velandia et al., 2018; Ocampo and Torres, 2014) as well as research in management (Malaver Rodríguez and López Gallego, 2016), aligning with the criteria set by AACSB accreditation.
The third cluster of literature, which revolves around managers’ performance, puts forth proposals for adjusting business administration programs in response to instances of unethical conduct. This cluster focuses on articles that were prompted by the indignation over unethical behavior exhibited by managers, which contributed to the economic crisis stemming from subprime mortgages in the USA between 2007 and 2008. Given the profound economic and social repercussions of this crisis, certain publications underscored the potential of the humanities in offering solutions (Fioravante, 2023; Melé & Sanchez‐Runde, 2011; Rayment and Smith, 2013). This concern even led to a special issue of the Journal of Management Development in 2011, where a collective call was made for a more comprehensive and humanistic approach to management and organizations (Melé and Sanchez‐Runde, 2011). While the humanities hold promise for exerting a positive influence on management education, further research is required to gain deeper insights into how to incorporate the humanities into business administration programs more effectively (Landfester et al., 2016).
Practical training in Colombia: a precursor to business administration programs
During the 19th century, Colombian engineering programs embodied a practical ideal aimed at promoting economic development. This period was marked by significant political and social upheaval as the nation-state of Colombia took shape following its independence from Spain in 1819. The absence of a modern economy was exacerbated by the upper classes’ preference for careers in law, literature and politics. This inclination was deeply rooted in the aristocratic Spanish ideals that had prevailed during the colonial era. For a segment of the elite, these values were considered responsible for economic stagnation. Through their actions and narratives, they advocated for the introduction of practical knowledge as the means to achieve the desired economic growth and development. According to Safford (1976), this ideal motivated Colombian elites – typically small, influential families involved in intellectual activities, politics and business – to pursue education in technical fields by traveling to the industrialized world, primarily the USA and Europe. These elite men also played a crucial role in establishing and strengthening local engineering programs. Their goal was to enhance proficiency across various fields, including mining, hydraulics, electricity, public works and mechanics. In the early 20th century, engineering programs, particularly at the School of Mines in Medellín, were pioneers in providing management education in the country (Mayor Mora, 1989; Orozco and Anzola-Morales, 2019).
The administrators of the National School of Mines in Medellín recognized that for their institution, as a training ground for engineers, to contribute effectively to the management of public and private enterprises, they needed to impart organizational and management education to their students. Consequently, in 1911, they introduced a curriculum reform that included courses on Industrial Hygiene, Notions of Civil Code, Political Economy and Industrial Economy (Mayor Mora, 1989). Industrial Economy courses included the study of works by pioneering management authors such as Henri Fayol and Frederick Taylor. American influence was particularly evident in these early managerial training courses, even in the practical exercises undertaken by mining engineering students at the School of Mines. The school’s statutes stipulated that students’ theses should result from “extensive practical field studies” (Mayor Mora, 1989). Following the 1911 reform, several theses conducted empirical analyses of Colombia’s private and public enterprises, including El Zancudo, a mining company established in the mid-nineteenth century that eventually employed approximately a thousand workers, and the relatively newly established railway company Ferrocarril de Antioquia. These studies examined both the burgeoning industrial economy and the resulting urban development, addressing challenges such as waste management within a context of significant manufacturing growth. This period of expansion was marked by the establishment of nearly 100 industrial companies in Medellín and its surrounding areas between 1900 and 1920 (Campuzano-Hoyos, 2013).
Other early instances of management education in the Colombian context can be traced back to the law and economics programs offered in the 1930s. In 1943, the first program at the School of Industrial and Commercial Administration was established as a department at Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá. Subsequently, this program became integrated into the economics department at the University of the Andes and eventually began operating independently from 1974 onward (Mayor Mora, 1989; Pabón-Suárez, 2007).
The environment surrounding the emergence of the first business administration programs in Colombia
Colombia entered the 1950s with one of its most significant business milestones: the establishment of the state-owned Colombian Petroleum Company (Ecopetrol), which remains the country’s largest enterprise to this day. Concurrent with the emergence of Ecopetrol was the rise of the “State-entrepreneur,” exemplified by the founding of state-led companies like Paz del Río, the nation’s sole integrated steel mill. Additionally, within the framework of constitutional changes, “autonomous entities” were established, granting the initial public service companies financial, contractual and administrative autonomy (López Díez, 2018). These reforms yielded tangible results, including the formation of the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Cauca (CVC) in 1954 and the Public Enterprises of Medellín (EPM) in 1955, both of which continue to operate today.
Moreover, this decade began with a revision of the protective tariff, which had remained unchanged since President Enrique Olaya Herrera’s term (1930–1934). This revision marked the beginning of the era of “import substitution,” a strategy promoted in Latin America by the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA), a UN agency established in 1948. In the 1960s, ECLA found a partner in the Alliance for Progress, one of the most substantial USA initiatives aimed at countering left-wing insurgent groups in Latin America, particularly after the success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 during the Kennedy administration.
Unlike Argentina, which had to contend with dictatorial regimes, mid-century Colombia faced social challenges rooted in violence. However, economic growth was supported by several businessmen and hundreds of firms that had been founded since the dawn of the century. These businesses began to demand professional managers, a profession that was notably lacking in the Colombian context.
The 1950s marked a significant period of industrial growth in 20th-century Colombia. Between 1950 and 1960, the country consistently achieved an impressive average industrial GDP growth rate of 6.6% (Poveda Ramos, 2005). This growth was prominently exemplified by the flourishing basic consumer goods industry, which thrived in various industrial hubs across Colombia. In the food sector, companies such as the Compañía Nacional de Confites y Galletas (NOEL) enjoyed substantial success. In the textile industry, three major companies – Coltejer, Fabricato and Tejicóndor – rose to prominence as industry leaders. In the beverage industry, several breweries, including Bavaria and the soda company Postobón, played a pivotal role in consolidating the industry. In the cigarette sector, Coltabaco and Protabaco gained significant market share, while the industrial ceramics industry was defined by the success of Corona. Many of these successful companies were concentrated in the Medellín area.
Due to the unprecedented industrial development of the 1950s, by 1960, major Colombian cities boasted a thriving business environment. This growth prompted the business elite, represented by figures like Carlos Lleras Restrepo – the founding dean of Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá and later President of Colombia (1966–1970) – to recognize the country’s need for managerial training. Notably, this period marked a significant historical shift in which the management of large enterprises transitioned from being led by lawyers, engineers and entrepreneurs without formal business degrees to being conducted by professionally trained managers. This growth-friendly environment facilitated the establishment of management departments and business schools in Colombia, which, in turn, garnered support and endorsement from the USA within the framework of “modernization theory.” Through the Alliance for Progress, this theory aimed to guide Latin America toward modernity (Plank, 1962; Wanderley and Barros, 2020; Wolf, 2023). Industrialization, synonymous with modernization at the time, was a key component of this agenda. In this economic and geopolitical context, Universidad EAFIT, our case study, was founded.
The establishment of EAFIT, evolution of the business administration undergraduate program and the role of humanities until 1994
The undergraduate program in Business Administration led to the creation of Universidad EAFIT in Medellín. Established on May 4, 1960, it was initially named the Escuela de Administración y Finanzas (EAF). One of the first two classes offered that year began on Tuesday, August 16, with 30 students attending the Principles of Accounting class, taught by US professor Bernard J. Hargadon (López Díez, 2010; Molina Jaramillo, 1990). The decision to establish a business school was made by 18 individuals affiliated with some of Colombia’s most prominent companies, representing both their own interests and those of the industrial sector through the industrial association ANDI, as well as executive training centers such as Incolda and Centro de Industria. Notably, most of the founders held engineering degrees, some from Medellín’s School of Mines (López Díez, 2010; Molina Jaramillo, 1990), highlighting the significant role of engineering education in Colombia and other Western countries in fostering management education.
To create the Business Administration program, the founders of EAFIT received support from the Alliance for Progress through American universities, an initiative also pursued in many other Latin American countries (Davila and Elvira, 2009; Lluch and Amdam, 2024; Wanderley and Barros, 2020). In the case of EAFIT, this assistance was tangible through the support of Syracuse University and the Drexel Institute of Philadelphia. With the establishment of a technological institute in February 1962, involving American organizations like Burlington Industries, Whirlpool Foundation and Tools for Freedom, the institution began to be known as the Escuela de Administración y Finanzas e Instituto Tecnológico (EAFIT) (López Díez, 2010).
The first curriculum of the Business Administration program at EAFIT was organized into eleven semesters, with the third, fifth, seventh and ninth semesters dedicated to industrial internships. In addition to these internships, the academic courses placed a significant emphasis on economics, accounting and finance, reflecting a focus on practical matters and functional areas – critical skills needed to develop middle management to meet the demands of growing companies. The curriculum also included courses on commercial and labor law, as well as one titled Government and Business. For subjects related to the humanities, it offered courses in political and economic history. Despite the emerging focus on the humanities, the main aim remained the development of practical skills. Notably, only the subjects on legal matters and Government and Business addressed topics specific to the Colombian or Latin American context.
The program’s curriculum underwent reform in 1968, retaining its core educational subjects. In terms of the humanities, the revised curriculum introduced a literature course and a subject titled Colombian Economics. It also included two courses on modern history and an ethics course offered during the final semester. However, the humanities were still perceived as supplementary subjects, with no indication of a significant shift toward developing a more humanistic approach to management education.
EAFIT’s cultural atmosphere clearly reflected the spirit of the 1970s. To some extent, this decade continued the famous counterculture movements of the USA, Europe and Japan. These youth movements spread across the world, including to Latin American cities like Mexico City, Córdoba in Argentina and Medellín, Colombia. At EAFIT, for example, students criticized the university’s administration, certain course content and the quality of professors, leading to the removal of Rector Ricardo Botero (1970–1973). In contemporary Colombia, there is a common perception that such clashes were typical of public universities, which is not entirely accurate, at least for this period. In fact, during those years, due to student discontent and strikes at EAFIT, there were discussions about closing the undergraduate Business Administration program and offering only the newly introduced MBA program, which was pioneering in the Colombian context. However, this did not occur, and EAFIT continued to offer both degrees.
In response to this situation, a new reform in the Business Administration program was introduced. This reform was the result of a proposal by Professor Hannan from Syracuse University (Minute 76, 1969). The objective was to offer students the opportunity to specialize in areas such as marketing and controllership, moving away from a generalist education (Minute 81, 1969). The revised curriculum included five subjects related to accounting and finance and three subjects related to legal matters. Among the humanities courses, there were classes on language culture, communications, four compulsory “humanities” courses (numbered 1–4, one per semester) and an ethics course. The focus of the latter shifted toward professional ethics, “moving away from the study of the Social Doctrine of the Church” (Minute 92, 1970). This shift confirmed the founders’ choice of EAFIT as a non-denominational institution, a novelty for private universities in the Antioquia context. Additionally, this reform marked a change in the subject that addressed issues specific to the Colombian context, which was renamed Colombian Issues (Minute 166, 1972), indicating an early interest in critically examining structural matters within Colombian society.
In 1976, another curriculum reform was implemented, introducing two additional “humanities” courses. One of these explored capitalism, followed by an introduction to Colombian history, and concluded with a Geopolitics course (López Díez, 2010). In legal matters, the program included four subjects:
Introduction to law;
Commercial law;
Labor law; and
Tax law.
This reform also introduced a course on Eco-Administration, focusing on “environmental issues and their social, economic, cultural, legislative, and ethical implications” and their impact on economics and administration (Pérez, 1978). Using a systems approach and case analysis, it aimed to address environmental issues. In this curriculum, it is evident that the internship periods were reduced to two, and the study of Colombian Economics was reintroduced through two courses. Unlike previous reforms, this one reflects a clearer orientation toward integrating the humanities into the curriculum, preparing managers to operate in a more complex and contextualized environment, as well as a novel interest in environmental issues.
In 1984, discussions began about a new curriculum to be implemented in the second semester of 1985. The primary focus of the reform was to emphasize five key elements considered central for the new EAFIT Business Administration professionals:
Developing skills for creating new companies (entrepreneurship);
Understanding the Colombian business environment;
Shifting from traditional accounting auditing to managerial control;
Strengthening the Ethics course-seminar at the end of the curriculum; and
Guiding students toward the public sector, including the addition of an Administrative Law subject.
Another important and disruptive aspect of this reform was expanding the range of student internships to include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is worth noting that EAFIT’s tradition had previously leaned toward large corporations as internship locations, even in class examples and content. Interest in the humanities remained, with the reformed curriculum offering “humanities” courses, plus a course on Colombian Social History. The Eco-Administration subject remained part of the program.
The new orientation revealed both subtle distinctions and resemblances when compared to the 1976 reform. The latest reform emphasized that professional managers should embody expansive and comprehensive leadership to achieve objectives that extend beyond traditional business aims, aligning with societal needs and the economic context. This vision of future alumni was of individuals who “scientifically manage the human, financial, physical, and technological resources available to an organization to attain its objectives, in alignment with the country’s economic and social development plans” (Minutes 182 and 183, 1984). The description of the new manager’s profile further asserted that “they are catalysts for change within organizations and are acknowledged as adaptable and versatile professionals.” This profile, as reflected in the curriculum, aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the nation’s dynamics beyond merely producing “exceptional” professionals for companies. Instead, it sought to broaden students’ horizons in line with the demands of the 1970s youth. This new profile moved away from the earlier Fayol-inspired emphasis on organizational functions as the core focus and, in its place, promoted a leadership role that positioned administrators as change agents within a broad socio-economic context. The 1980s unfolded with the implementation of the 1984 reform.
In 1994, against the backdrop of Colombia’s new free-market economy policy, another curriculum reform was implemented. This reform centered on developing competencies in line with the principles of competency-based education. Concepts from Michael Porter and his consulting firm, Monitor, regarding competitive advantages in businesses and nations, became recurring themes in the curriculum. As a result, three skills development courses were incorporated into the program:
Leadership;
Negotiation; and
Communications, along with two additional courses: Problem Analysis and Solution, and Creativity.
To effectively teach these courses, it was necessary to expand faculty qualifications, leading to the recruitment of professors with doctoral-level backgrounds in the humanities. This marked a promotion of doctoral studies among the teaching faculty within EAFIT’s Business School. However, due to the unarticulated roles of individual actors, the skill development courses faced challenges that hindered further efforts to implement enduring changes. Although the changes were well thought out, they had little impact on actual skills formation. Notably, no students graduated under this curriculum (López Díez, 2003). Nevertheless, during this period, a significant transformation was underway in the humanities education provided across all undergraduate programs offered by the university under the “Values and Culture” project.
A groundbreaking reform: the “values and culture” project
The Values and Culture (V&C) project was initiated to broaden the horizons in the humanities and social sciences at Universidad EAFIT. This initiative began in the late 20th century, a period marked by global optimism as nuclear tensions between the Soviet Union and the USA eased. However, unlike many other countries, Colombia experienced considerable unrest during these years due to narco-terrorism. The conflict between the powerful drug cartels, Cali and Medellín, plunged the nation into one of its most violent eras, characterized by bombings, mass kidnappings, extortion and cartel confrontations (Restrepo, 2016). In August 1989, the Medellín Cartel assassinated the leading presidential candidate, Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento, during the 1990 campaign. A few months later, two left-wing candidates also fell victim to violence, one of whom was Carlos Pizarro, the leader of one of the few successful peace processes in the country, involving the M-19 guerrilla. Although EAFIT’s records and documents do not explicitly mention it, it is reasonable to assume that the country’s challenging years, perhaps the most turbulent since the period following El Bogotazo (a violent era after the assassination of presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in 1948), necessitated a reevaluation of the type of professional needed – one imbued with values and social concerns. This shift was precisely the aim of the V&C project.
A summary of the V&C project proposal, first presented to EAFIT’s Academic Council in March 1994, is outlined in the document’s justification. This summary stated that the proposal aimed to clarify relationships with language (symbolizing and signifying reality), understand and reflect on the environments that encompass it, develop thought structures and critically contemplate the knowledge, values and techniques constituting its education (Minute 370, 1994). The V&C proposal led to the introduction of a new array of subjects, marking a significant departure from the traditional humanities curriculum. This new offering included semiotics, literary theory, esthetics, religion, philosophy and epistemology, politics, history, geopolitics, psychology, anthropology, sociology, professional ethics, hermeneutics and qualitative research (Minute 370, 1994). These diverse subjects aimed to enrich students and the university community intellectually, spiritually, methodologically and critically. The proposal represented a clear and direct move toward radically changing the university’s orientation, with the Business School faculty playing a central role. They championed this initiative with the goal of graduating humanistic managers.
Within the Business School, this development led to the introduction of a new curriculum and new research initiatives, grounded in the establishment of two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctoral program. The new reality broadened the horizons of humanities at various levels. This transformation was evident from the project’s inception and announcement to higher authorities: “The research lines would constitute a kind of “School of Humanities,” dedicated to the scholarly contemplation of human existence, marking a significant transition from EXTERNAL to INTERNAL within our University” [original in capitals] (Minute 370, 1994). The document outlining these lines specified the learning objectives that laid the foundation for what is now known as a “competency-based model” (Minute 375, 1994). These competencies, specific to the field of social sciences and humanities, emerged in EAFIT’s Business School and extended to the entire university, ultimately becoming a hallmark of the EAFIT university community. This marked the beginning of what would later become EAFIT’s Humanities School, a topic not addressed here.
The V&C project encompassed a comprehensive set of objectives designed to enrich the educational outlook at EAFIT. These objectives included fostering proficiency in precise oral and written expression, with support provided to all members of the university community. Additionally, the project aimed to develop a leadership profile within organizational settings, nurturing students with a well-defined personal, social and professional identity while equipping professionals with foundational knowledge of human personality. It sought to foster a deep understanding of contemporary social and cultural issues and their implications in professional environments, emphasizing the importance of a strong grasp of global historical events. The project also highlighted the ability to interpret the environment effectively and formulate solutions to problems. Critical analysis was a key component, encouraging the ability to take positions, deconstruct phenomena and events and recognize cultural and organizational variables, with a particular emphasis on enhancing critical thinking skills. The V&C project explicitly acknowledged that “the poverty of thinking skills” was a significant issue in students’ education, emphasizing the urgent need to address this issue across the entire curriculum spectrum” (Minute 461, 1998).
Furthermore, the V&C project aimed to foster a capacity for rationalization and critical analysis, enabling the formation of a foundation for conceptual criticism and self-reflection, grounded in the dynamic and evolving nature of knowledge. It also encouraged political and organizational responsibility, ethical decision-making and leadership abilities, including the capacity to lead and interact effectively within workgroups while identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, it promoted the alignment of individual, cultural and social values with scientific and technological values relevant to professional and human practice. This was supported by pillars such as an esthetic sense of existence, the integration of theoretical and practical models with real-world contexts, an awareness of the historical, cultural and philosophical dimensions of knowledge and self-directed learning leading to innovation. Finally, the project aimed to cultivate individuals with a perspective capable of comprehending and interpreting the processes of human development, history and culture, paving the way for the establishment of the School of Sciences and Humanities.
These objectives were intended to be integrated into a core set of subjects, offering various avenues for students to develop their humanistic sensibilities according to their preferences. The initiative also encouraged faculty-led research activities and provided seminars, conferences and diploma programs to reach a broader audience, extending beyond the student body to the general public. This comprehensive approach aimed to deliver an academic, artistic and cultural offering to the population of Medellín and its metropolitan area.
Disciplinary routes and flexibility
The objectives of the V&C reform were twofold: to address deficiencies in basic education and to foster critical thinking skills. It aimed to tackle issues related to reading comprehension, including the ability to extract central and secondary ideas, identify counterarguments and discern the author’s perspective, theoretical framework or political position. To address these challenges, a set of “disciplinary routes” was created, encompassing core humanities subjects such as Political Theory, History of Cultures, Principles of Communication, Literature and History of Art. The new curriculum included 24 credits, comprising two mandatory introductory subjects – Mankind and Language and Mankind and Culture – along with five elective subjects within the disciplinary routes proposed by the newly established School of Sciences and Humanities, culminating in an axiology course.
In January 1996, Juan Felipe Gaviria G., an alumnus of the School of Mines of Medellín, was appointed as the university’s Rector. He embraced and personally led the V&C project, steering the university toward becoming a more humanistic institution. Under his leadership, several significant developments occurred:
the creation of the School of Sciences and Humanities;
the introduction of the Music program;
the establishment of the EAFIT Symphonic Orchestra;
the founding of the University Press; and
the development of the Luis Echavarría Villegas Cultural Center.
The Cultural Center featured a library, an arts center, a music listening room and patrimonial collections that include personal, familial and company records. Curricular reforms during his administration were framed as “curricular flexibility.” Rector Gaviria believed that homogeneity, despite its appearance of order and tranquility, led to stagnation, and he emphasized the importance of diverse and heterogeneous education (Mejía, 2019).
Toward the end of 1997, the Council approved the flexibility project, establishing guidelines for all university programs. Over the following year, academic departments and their leaders presented their flexibility proposals to the Council. The curricular flexibility project achieved strategic importance for the university as it was incorporated into the new Development Plan. This plan articulated the project’s objective of encouraging diverse learning options aimed at graduating professionals with varied profiles rather than adhering to a single model. One of the stated objectives was to “provide university students with a robust and well-rounded education in mathematics, physics, humanities, social sciences, and the arts” (Universidad Eafit, 1998). This approach is often referred to as comprehensive education.
Despite the support for the V&C project, it faced criticism. During the first Academic Council meeting of 1997, there was extensive discussion about the academic rigor and evaluation systems of the university. As a result, general evaluation policies were defined, including the requirement for all subjects to have a final exam. Students were encouraged to exert significant academic effort to succeed (Minute 438, 1997). This criticism provided evidence used by some faculty members of the Business School and University administrators to challenge the V&C project, arguing that it deviated from the primary goal of offering a managerial program. While the intention of training a humanistic manager was maintained, the poor results and the perception among students that these subjects were unnecessary posed significant challenges. However, as the rector was a strong supporter of the humanities orientation, these criticisms were relatively subdued and did not prompt opposing reform initiatives.
While it would be both inaccurate and unjust to claim that EAFIT’s business programs lacked humanistic education from the outset or that the V&C project was the sole introduction of the humanities at EAFIT, it is accurate to say that the V&C project, along with its emphasis on flexibility and a broad educational spectrum, played a crucial role in elevating the prominence of the humanities within EAFIT’s educational mission. As a result, these values became deeply embedded in programs such as the Business Administration undergraduate program. By the close of the 20th century, the Business Administration curriculum had undergone substantial changes that continue to influence the program today, even as subsequent adjustments and reforms are made to preserve the essence of the initial vision.
The business administration program within the framework of flexibility
With the introduction of more humanities within the framework of flexibility and the hiring of new professors at EAFIT’s Business School – many of whom had humanities backgrounds and some holding PhD degrees – a new curriculum for the Business Administration Program began to take shape. Teams of professors were responsible for presenting proposals for this curriculum. Within this internal context, the ideas developed by the renowned historian Marco Palacio during his tenure as Rector of the National University of Colombia were also considered. Palacio emphasized the need to align undergraduate programs with international standards in terms of duration and the importance of educating lifelong learners.
These curriculum discussions were passionate, often pitting professors who advocated for a more humanistic approach against those who favored a practical orientation. It sometimes felt like a battlefield, with proponents of the humanities on one side and those focusing on practical, professionally oriented content on the other. Some professors believed that introducing more humanities would “ruin” the degree, while others felt it would deter prospective students. The debates reflected the paradigmatic differences between supporters of the humanities and advocates of practical education, as well as the commitment to their specific subjects.
In this new academic program, three subjects were introduced:
Managerial Thought;
Colombian Business History; and
Organizations.
The latter, which had previously existed, was enhanced and its focus changed. These subjects drew from a range of disciplines, including the evolution of managerial knowledge, history, psychology and sociology. The curriculum also included subjects in strategic management and process management, all incorporating ethical content and reflections. Particularly in the strategy subjects, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ethical considerations were integrated.
The 1998 reform of the Business Administration program involved the school’s professors and integrated humanities into the subject programs, helping define the profile of an EAFIT manager for that era. This reform was more than just a list of subjects; it involved creating study groups known as “coordinations” for each subject, responsible for developing the micro-curriculum, selecting bibliography and designing academic activities. These coordinations aimed to ensure consistency and collaboration among faculty members, avoiding isolated interpretations of the curriculum. They have continued to exist and are currently known as “academic lines.” The curriculum reform involved discussions within and between subjects, which strengthened the academic community. However, reducing the number of subjects in specific areas and the early specialization of students into emphasis lines generated debates, as it could potentially limit their historically valued generalist capacity in the job market.
Changes related to the emphasis on humanities in EAFIT’s business school
The shift toward the humanities at EAFIT played a crucial role in creating new academic programs, notably the pioneering Master of Science in Management (MSc) and the first PhD in Administration in Colombia. This shift also spurred the development of research endeavors, which later culminated in the formation of research groups.
The inception of the MSc can be closely tied to the late 1990s reforms. The MSc program was designed to offer research training for business administration faculty, with a strong emphasis on theoretical frameworks from the social sciences and humanities. It focused particularly on individuals within organizations. During the 1999 overhaul of the undergraduate Business Administration program, the first cohort of MSc students began their academic journey. This group primarily consisted of EAFIT professors and faculty from other business schools in Medellín and its surrounding areas. Subsequently, faculty members from various Colombian universities also enrolled in the MSc program at EAFIT.
The MSc program was developed in collaboration with the HEC School of Business at the University of Montreal. Professors Alain Chanlat, Renée Bédard and Omar Aktouf played pivotal roles in shaping the program. A variety of Canadian and Colombian professors, including those with international experience, enriched the seminars. The MSc program served as the research sufficiency phase of the European-style doctorate and was grounded in four foundational pillars:
Humanistic;
Theoretical (anchored in administrative and organizational thinking);
Epistemological; and
Methodological.
Simultaneously, alongside the holistic, humanistic and research-oriented transformation of the Business Administration program and driven by local and international accreditation efforts, research activity increased, leading to the formation of research groups such as Administration and Organizations and Business History. This period also saw the launch of the Ad-Minister journal, which featured peer-reviewed academic publications.
The profound influence of the expanded humanities offering extended beyond students’ education to impact the wider community. The V&C project was not confined to a mere set of formal subjects but also encompassed extracurricular activities reaching out to external audiences. As a result, EAFIT emerged as a primary cultural reference in the region, as articulated by Rector Juan Felipe Gaviria at the turn of the millennium. This project enabled the university to actively engage with the city and expand its influence, marking a significant step in advancing consciousness and humanistic perspectives in Colombia.
While concerned individuals promoted practical education in Colombia to contribute to economic development during the 19th century and a significant part of the 20th (Safford, 1976), a century later, in contrast, the idea of strengthening academic education in fields like management – which was already quite practical – shifted toward a deeper emphasis on the humanities. At EAFIT University in Medellín, this shift came with the reform of the undergraduate program in Business Administration in 1998, affecting the micro-curricula and the curriculum itself, which also had an impact on other programs within the Business School. This shift did not imply the replacement of practical knowledge with a humanistic one but rather signified a pioneering fusion of both. This fusion has precisely marked the history of management education at EAFIT during the last three decades, beginning in 1994.
Conclusions and research agenda
In Latin America, business administration programs, along with their associated body of knowledge, began to take root in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly with private organizations establishing business schools offering undergraduate and graduate programs. In Colombia, these programs marked a second phase of practical training. For instance, the emergence of the Business Administration program at EAFIT was driven by engineers who, after their experiences in industrial leadership, recognized the need for professionals to manage modern corporations. The prevailing notion was that the administrative demands of companies required a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum extending beyond isolated relevant courses, complementing fields such as Engineering, Law or Economics within the Colombian context.
The launch of the undergraduate business administration program at EAFIT coincided with the US government’s Alliance for Progress initiative, supported by US universities and aligned with the interests of local business leaders, primarily engineers. It is important to emphasize that the Alliance for Progress initiative alone cannot fully explain the establishment and enduring popularity of business administration programs in Colombia and other Latin American countries. EAFIT’s initial business administration program curricula closely mirrored US business administration programs in terms of core concepts, content, literature and teaching methodologies, with some courses or portions thereof even being delivered by US university professors. Humanities courses have consistently been an integral component of EAFIT’s business administration program, offering a complement to the practical training in fields such as finance, accounting and marketing. Course titles and emphases within this domain have naturally evolved over time. Nevertheless, in the early years, the curriculum of EAFIT’s business administration program underwent frequent revisions driven by various factors. These included student demands for revisiting content, challenges associated with recruiting professors with expertise in specific knowledge domains, and shifts in the local landscape. These changes prompted a greater degree of autonomy and recognition of the role that humanities could fulfill in the educational journey of future business professionals and leaders. It was recognized that this distinct context, shaped not only by regional influences but also by unique historical processes, necessitated a nuanced understanding and contextualized intervention.
The process of integrating more humanities into EAFIT highlights how the humanities in business administration programs can enhance the core management subjects that define the professional profile. Before the 1994–2007 reform, humanities subjects in EAFIT’s business administration program primarily aimed to cultivate competencies and were often regarded as components of general culture. However, some programs went further, nurturing critical thinking and complex thought processes. These capacities gradually gained more significance. The reforms thus originated within the university, with professors from the Business School playing a pivotal role in shaping the changes. Some of these professors, despite having limited backgrounds in the humanities and being valued for their business management expertise (or technical backgrounds), took on the role of integrating this domain to help blend managerial professional skills with a humanities approach. This transformation was a two-way process, with the university administration setting general guidelines while the School and its professors, through study groups, explored the specifics. These groups initiated a process of study and discussion, which, in conjunction with other contextual factors, promoted research and strengthened the academic community, ultimately leading to the creation of additional programs such as the Master of Science in Management and the PhD in Administration.
This case underscores that topics related to social responsibility and ethical reflection can be integrated into programs as overarching themes, adding value to subjects contributing to professional education. It serves as an invitation for supplementary research that complements existing work on the adoption of SDGs or topics related to the teaching of Corporate Social Responsibility. The study highlights how business administration programs strive to balance knowledge developed for other contexts with the specific demands shaped by local conditions – within the framework of regulatory institutions and accrediting agencies, which often influence program reforms based on their evaluation criteria.
The study also highlights how business administration programs strive to balance knowledge developed for other contexts with specific demands shaped by local conditions. Furthermore, considering different organizational objectives, it is important to reinforce research about both non-governmental and governmental organizations. The role of regulatory and accrediting agencies is significant, often influencing program changes based on their evaluation criteria and concepts. This can be seen as an invitation to undertake comparative case studies to explore the potential benefits that increased emphasis on humanities could bring.
Given the complexity of education, its effects may not consistently align across different times and places. Therefore, future research endeavors may contribute to a better understanding of the lasting effects of incorporating the humanities into management education at EAFIT, particularly in relation to goals such as enhancing critical thinking, fostering epistemological doubt, encouraging creativity, promoting a comprehensive approach to problem-solving, fostering solidarity and cultivating ethical behavior. This assessment goes beyond the scope of this study but remains a pursuit of the program since the mid-1990s.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the employees of the Document Management Center (CAD) at Universidad EAFIT, the members of the Grupo de Historia Empresarial at the same institution, and the reviewers of the Journal who evaluated the initial draft of this manuscript. We are especially appreciative of the reviewers’ generosity, detailed suggestions, and constructive criticisms. Our thanks also go to the individuals who provided invaluable insights through interviews, offering significant recollections and memories that greatly enriched our research.
References
Archives
Minutes of the Academic Council of EAFIT University. From minute 1, November 6, 1964 to Minute 771, December 5, 2019. Document Management Center (CAD, for its acronym in Spanish), EAFIT University, Medellín.
Interviews
Acevedo Jaramillo, Manuel. August 2020.
Gallego Franco, Mery. August 2020.
Jaramillo Jaramillo, Alberto. August 2020.
Jaramillo Estrada, Pablo José. August 2020.
López Gallego, Francisco. August 2020.
Muñoz Grisales, Rodrigo. August 2020.
Ochoa Díaz, Héctor. August 2020.
Uribe Marín, Ricardo. August 2020.
