Civil Economy and the Inspirational Paradigm for Jesuit Business Education

Abstract

The objective of this article is to develop a framework for operationalizing the Inspirational Paradigm for Jesuit Business Education considering the challenges issued by Laudato Si’. This article proposes that the civil economy paradigm should be aligned with the Inspirational Paradigm and presents a framework that bridges these two paradigms. The framework proposed is anchored in the Catholic social tradition. This article starts by discussing the relevant features of the civil economy paradigm as developed by Bruni and Zamagni, emphasizing the business applications of fair trade, solidarity enterprises, and the Economy of Communion. An argument is then constructed to show that the civil economy paradigm is well poised to meet the hungers discerned in the Inspirational Paradigm for Jesuit Business Education, especially due to its alignment with the Catholic social tradition and pertinence to addressing sustainability challenges. The article concludes by proposing a model for implementing the civil economy paradigm within the curricula of Jesuit business schools.

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Keywords

Civil Economy, Inspirational Paradigm for Jesuit Business Education, Catholic Social Thought, Social and Solidarity Economy, Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, Fratelli Tutti