Why Business School Students Should Study Humanities

Over ten years ago, I led a team that designed, developed, and implemented a new program that taught executive MBA students some advanced-level business concepts in a unique setting – China.

I had designed courses and programs before, of course, but nothing like this. And while the list of things I learned is long, you might be surprised by one of the most enduring insights from the experience: How powerfully it reinforced my belief that all business majors benefit by expanding their studies to include more courses in humanities.

The humanities? What do they have to do with business?

Far more than many business students – and business leaders – often realize.

The humanities, of course, focus on human beings. More specifically, the study of the interests we value as people and the cultural ties that bind groups together such as language, literature, music, art, history, and philosophy. The content is very different from the physical and biological sciences, and unique from the social sciences as well. And while all business students study social sciences like economics, they also need to study humanities.

This was particularly clear during my time as director of the Executive MBA China Program, which I led in China from 2008-09 for the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Our multidisciplinary team worked with retail and consumer product companies that did various types of business in the country. Those companies included Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Dillard’s, Kimberly-Clark and others. We also worked directly with international executive students from five cities across China and partnered with local Chinese governments, a University, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

Getting the program approved by the Chinese government and our partner university was tricky, and it might not have happened if I hadn’t spent time learning about the country’s history, language, and culture. One example of this was when I learned where people should sit at a table based upon their status.?

I also had a Chinese name (王刻太), and could use many traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions to engage in simple conversations in Mandarin. Those that I interacted with could see that I had made a serious effort to understand the customs and people of the nation, allowing me to gain the buy-in needed for the program.?

I wasn’t fluent in their languages or an expert in their culture and history, but making the effort to learn some basics helped me build necessary trust. This trust is one of the most important constructs to establish in any business – especially an international one.

Studying the humanities is vital to success in any business – because business, at its core, involves human beings. How can you build a business that serves people, works with partner companies, and navigates things like governmental regulations if you don’t understand what is important to people? How can you grow genuine relationships if you can’t authentically relate to people who are different??

Beyond teaching us just about people, the humanities teach us how to think about people. When students study business and economics, they learn how to analyze statistics, use mathematics, and engage in critical thinking. Studying humanities generally doesn’t involve statistics and mathematics, but it does involve critical thinking. It helps you think about textual sources more critically, write about topics other than business, question assumptions, and discuss your understanding of what is interesting to people.

Furthermore, humanities are enjoyable. The older I’ve grown, the more I’ve developed an appreciation for studying humanities and the more I’ve found myself wishing I would have taken more related courses when I was an undergraduate.

Understanding humanities helps you understand and relate to people. And relating to people is one of the most important capabilities in any business and in any leadership position. For example, if you are doing business with someone interested in art and have studied art history, your common knowledge and interest can help build a more genuine relationship.

The broader your understanding of humanities, the more likely you can find a common interest that goes beyond the business at hand. And when you take time to discuss this common, enjoyable interest with another person, business and trust will naturally begin to flourish.