University Education in Economics and Business from a Holistic Perspective Based on Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum’s Capability Approach

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation explores the potential of the Capability Approach (CA), developed by Nobel Laureate in Economics Amartya Sen and philosopher Martha Nussbaum, as a conceptual framework for enriching the academic debate on university education in the field of Economics and Business. The research is structured into four complementary chapters and is grounded in a mixed-methods methodology that combines bibliometric, qualitative, quantitative, and theoretical-argumentative techniques, with the aim of offering a multilevel analysis of the CA from an applied perspective. Chapter One presents a co-citation bibliometric analysis conducted with CiteSpace, based on 2,320 publications indexed in the Web of Science (SSCI, AHCI, and ESCI, 1994–2022). Using indicators such as centrality, silhouette coefficient, and modularity index, the intellectual structure of the field is mapped, identifying seminal works, prevailing thematic clusters, and emerging research lines. Notably, these include contemporary economic and sociopolitical challenges, digitalization, organizational management, and higher education. Chapter Two employs a qualitative methodology based on ten focus groups involving 134 undergraduate and master’s students from the Economics and Business field at Rey Juan Carlos University. Using Atlas.ti software and the CA as an interpretative framework, the study examines students’ perceptions of their university education. Frequency and co-occurrence analyses, represented through Sankey diagrams, highlight students’ emphasis on employability, interdisciplinarity, the need to align curricula with current societal challenges, and the value of a holistic education oriented toward expanding horizons and constructing a meaningful life project. Chapter Three adopts a quantitative approach based on a structured survey administered to 345 students from the Faculty of Economics and Business. The questionnaire, designed within the CA framework, assesses students’ perceptions of the relevance and integration of interdisciplinary knowledge and soft skills within the curriculum. The analysis includes descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman's rank correlation, and the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results indicate a broadly positive evaluation of holistic education, closely linked to both professional and personal development. These findings are contrasted with national and international employment reports that highlight the gap between the qualifications demanded by the labor market and those currently provided in higher education. The thesis concludes with a theoretical contribution to the academic debate on university education, grounded in the integrative perspective of the CA. It emphasizes four of its distinctive features: its interdisciplinary nature, adaptability to diverse contexts, ethical dimension, and epistemological potential. This final chapter is resented as an open and tentative contribution, intended to foster critical deliberation on some of the major challenges currently facing the university