In a recent Poets&Quants Faculty Spotlight conversation, Gies College of Business professor Aimee Barbeau tackled a persistent and often unspoken concern among business students. Many enter the classroom with a quiet doubt that choosing business means choosing a less meaningful or more self-interested path.

Barbeau is determined to change that narrative.

“I think my students come in with a secret worry that by picking business, they’ve picked the selfish major,” she explains.

That perception, she argues, is both common and deeply flawed. Early in her courses, Barbeau makes it a priority to reframe how students think about the role of business in society. Rather than positioning business as purely profit-driven, she emphasizes its central role in creating value, driving innovation, and enabling broader social impact.

Her message is clear. Business is not separate from societal good. It is foundational to it.

Barbeau points out that while sectors like government and nonprofits play essential roles, they depend on the value generated by business activity. Governments redistribute resources through taxation, and nonprofits rely on donations. But the creation of new wealth, innovation, and opportunity begins with business.

This perspective is especially important for a new generation of students who are increasingly motivated by purpose and impact. Many arrive at business school wanting to do meaningful work, but unsure how that aligns with a career in business.

Barbeau meets that tension head-on.

In her classroom, she challenges students to rethink what it means to contribute to society. She encourages them to see business not as a trade-off between profit and purpose, but as a powerful mechanism for achieving both. By shifting this mindset early, she helps students approach their education with greater confidence and clarity.

This reframing also changes how students engage with their coursework. When they understand business as a force for value creation, they begin to see finance, strategy, and operations not as abstract disciplines, but as tools for solving real-world problems.

Barbeau’s approach reflects a broader evolution in business education. Today’s leading programs are increasingly focused on integrating purpose with performance, preparing students to navigate complex challenges that require both financial acumen and ethical judgment.

At its core, her teaching philosophy is about expanding how students define impact. Helping professions are not limited to traditional paths like medicine or education. Business, when practiced thoughtfully, has the potential to improve lives at scale by creating jobs, developing solutions, and fueling economic growth.

For students wrestling with doubts about their choice of major, that message can be transformative.

By the end of her course, Barbeau hopes her students no longer see business as the “selfish” option, but as one of the most powerful platforms for creating meaningful change.

It is a shift in perspective that not only shapes how students view their education, but also how they approach their future careers.

And in a world where business increasingly intersects with global challenges, that mindset may be more important than ever.

Listen to the full conversation here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/221123/episodes/18875847

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