Beyond Pay and Hours: Students and Business Leaders Reflect on the Meaning of work

work ation cannot be reduced to an economic transaction, and money alone is not enough to motivate people. Students and business leaders agreed on this point at the “ roundtable ” on the meaning of work , held recently at the University of Navarra, where the younger generation and those in leadership positions shared their expectations of one another.

The “ meeting,” moderated by Iranzu Sainz de Murieta, featured María Luquin Cía, a 5th-year student in the “ Degree ” program at Economics and in the Leadership & Governance program; Aimar Legarra Gutiérrez, a graduate ( graduate ) in Business Administration from the UPNA and a student in the “ Master's Degree ” program in process integration; Miguel Bernar Borda, CEO of Walter Pack Group; and Patxi Ceberio, general director of Frenos Iruña. The “ meeting,” attended by more than fifty people, drew on the ideas of Father José María Arizmendiarrieta, the driving force behind the Mondragón cooperative movement, and St. Josemaría—two figures who made “ work ” one of the central themes of their reflection and sought ways to humanize it.

The speakers identified three common misconceptions about the “ work ”: thinking that the more hours one devotes to it, the better; viewing it solely as a means of subsistence; and reducing it to a mere economic transaction. In contrast to this last view—which drew the most criticism—they defended it as source meaningful endeavor and a way to serve society. When people understand that meaning and commit to it, they added, it is easier for them to feel proud of what they do. 

The Best of Each Generation

When comparing today’s work culture with that of previous generations, participants highlighted the latter’s perseverance, hard work, patience, pride in a job work well done, and commitment to something beyond oneself. “We must leave behind the rigid hierarchy of the old way of working. Today, companies are more willing to listen to new ideas, and the concept of “ work ” is no longer limited to job stability,” added María Luquin. 

The second part of the “ colloquium ” turned into a “ exchange ” of expectations regarding the use of artificial intelligence. The students explained what they would ask of an “ business ” upon joining the company: to clarify which decisions are made by AI and which by people; what “ data ” they can share with these tools; and what “ approach ” the company has regarding them, in addition to “ training .” Business leaders, for their part, detailed which tasks they would delegate to AI and which they would not, highlighting among the latter those decisions that require expert judgment since, as they emphasized, these must remain in human hands.

Beyond technology, student María Luquin asked companies to help bring out the best in new hires—who are motivated and have a lot to contribute. Aimar Legarra echoed this sentiment, adding that those in leadership positions should take an interest in them. Employers, for their part, expect young people to show a willingness to work and take initiative, and for that to translate into a well-executed “ work .”

These requests, which the participants expressed while looking each other directly in the eye at the request of an assistant, culminated in the closing remarks, during which the speakers drew on the teachings of St. Josemaría and Father Arizmendiarrieta to call for a more humane approach to everyday “ work ” based on Christian humanism.