Our Mission and Vision
The vision of the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics is to be recognized locally and globally for our commitment to developing future leaders for a sustainable and equitable world.
Reflecting the University of Guelph’s commitment to ‘Improve Life’, Lang’s mission is built upon the belief that ‘business as a force for good’® is important in the world. It is our mission to inspire purpose by promoting responsible and sustainable businesses and communities through interdisciplinary learning, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Our ability to inspire purpose and cultivate business as a force for good® in society is guided by, and established within, three foundational pillars Developing Sustainable Prosperity, Empowering People, and Caring for the Planet:
Developing Sustainable Prosperity.
Commitment to the development of leadership for a sustainable future through our teaching, research, and community engagement, with a strong emphasis on indigenization, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Empowering People.
We value a diverse array of scholarly pursuits, including discovery, integration, application, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Our impact is realized through the advancement of discipline-based theory, management practice, and public policy.
Caring for the Planet.
Advocating for responsible, ethical, and sustainable business and organizational practices through dynamic and impactful research, pedagogical innovation, and intellectual curiosity.
Read our full strategic plan here.
We attract students and faculty who have a social conscience, an environmental sensibility and a commitment to community involvement. We offer robust and challenging programs to students across five academic units:
- Department of Management
- Department of Economics and Finance
- Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies
- School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management
- Executive Programs (MBA, MA Leadership)
Lang's commitment to the United Nations Global Compact
Left to Right: Dean Christensen Hughes addressing the UN's Global Compact in 2015; Bachelor of Commerce students hold signs of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals; Bachelor of Commerce students attend a UN's Global Compact event in New York City.
The UN's Global Compact encourages businesses and academic institutions worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies. The UN Global Compact is a principle-based framework for businesses, stating ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. These principles led to the development of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a global platform to encourage responsible management education. We are both champions and signatories to the PRME initiative.
Read more about our commitment to developing and being leaders for a sustainable world: