California B-School Announces “Purpose-Driven” MBA Program

Sonoma State University is redesigning its MBA program to focus more on purpose and less on profits.

The new Purpose Driven MBA program is an effort by the B-School to adapt to the demands of generation Z students, The Press Democrat reports.

“They do not want to just make money and work away. They want meaning. They want to make a difference in the world,” Dr. Jean-Francois Coget, dean of the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University, tells The Press Democrat. “A business school with a purpose-driven business focus should be attractive to them.”

FIVE NEW COURSES

As part of the redesigned program, Sonoma State will add five new courses to its MBA curriculum: Sustainable Business Management, Leadership and Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice, Sustainable Operations Management, and Introduction to Purpose-Driven Business.

“Purpose-driven business practices go beyond merely maximizing profits to having a positive impact on society and the environment,” Coget says. “The themes of sustainability, community engagement, corporate social responsibility and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) are particularly salient.”

THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS

Coget says the B-School is planning to review its undergraduate curriculum as well in an effort to make it more purpose-driven. Sonoma State has formed a task force of faculty, staff, and external stakeholders to help drive the redesign.

Kristel Corson, chief revenue officer at Petaluma-based company Clover Sonoma, says the organization supports the B-School’s efforts in making its MBA program more purpose-driven.

“The future of business is one of purpose, and our company was founded on this notion three generations ago,” Corson tells The Press Democrat. “We’ve baked conscious business practices into our DNA and continue to look for ways to foster meaningful growth, and lead by example — empowering future generations to follow suit.”

Sources: The Press Democrat, Sonoma State University