Inspiring Morally Courageous Leaders: Proposing the Integrative Justice Model as a Normative Ethical Framework for Jesuit Business Education

With an eye toward the future of Jesuit Business Education, we present evidence of students’ perceptions of their ethical preparedness when exposed to the Integrative Justice Model (IJM). The IJM is a normative ethical framework for promoting justice in economic exchange, with particular consideration of the impact of one’s business decisions upon the impoverished consumer. We propose the IJM as a shared framework for Jesuit business education. We discuss linkages to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and make recommendations for implementing the IJM based on collaborative resources including the Inspirational Paradigm Project and Ignited.Global. Promoting morally courageous leadership can facilitate collaborative promotional strategies to attract and give hope to the youth, inspire them during their Jesuit business education, and accompany them throughout their career. This work is a collaborative endeavor between faculty and graduating
seniors, now young Jesuit alumni. Given the Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education (CJBE) 2023 conference theme of “The Next Quarter Century of Jesuit Business Education: Looking Forward!” we present evidence of business students’ perceptions of their ethical preparedness when exposed to the Integrative Justice Model (Santos and Laczniak, 2009), and make recommendations for network-wide use in our business classrooms. The Integrative Justice Model (IJM) is a normative ethical framework that promotes justice in economic exchange, with a particular eye on the impact of one’s business decisions upon the impoverished or otherwise marginalized consumer. A group of students from John Carroll University competed in and placed First in two of three categories of the 2023 International Business Ethics Competition, hosted by Loyola Marymount University. The students directed their business case to the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), comprised of nearly 200 universities, founded in 2018 and approved by Father General, Arturo Sosa, of the Society of Jesus. IAJU serves as the international advisory and coordinating body to the Secretariat of Jesuit Higher Education. As such it is related to the entire Jesuit Higher Education and Intellectual apostolate. Here, we reposition this work more directly at the Jesuit business education audience.

Jesuit education is grounded on the principles of ethical reasoning and societal justice, based on the 16th century teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Jesuit institutions have a duty to promote a framework that will encompass his teachings and create morally courageous leaders who upon graduation, will
go into the business world and make a positive impact. Students need frameworks to address today’s complex ethical issues. In Jesuit higher education, talk about “ethics” is typically delivered through business and ethics courses.
A “group of people deserve justice” or a “decision in business is ethical” or “Enron was an unethical company” is heard a lot in business schools. How can a student in a Jesuit school really determine how “ethical” a decision really is? The IJM provides a framework to assess business decisions based on five key characteristics that facilitate a just and fair marketplace: authentic engagement with non-exploitative intent, co-creation of value, investment in future consumption without endangering the environment, representation of all stakeholders’ interests, and long-term profit management vs. short-term profit maximization (which is, unfortunately, an all too typical mantra in business education). Business leaders and students can assess the ethical implications of their decisions while considering economic, social, and environmental justice, as well as Catholic Social Teaching (CST) principles of respect for human dignity and the common good. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established in 2015, provide an additional framework for consideration. SDGs addressed in this discussion include #4 Quality Education, #12 Sustainable Consumption & Production, #16 Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions, and #17 Partnerships for the Goals. These four SDG’s can facilitate our delivery of a normative business ethics approach to evaluating and addressing ethical issues while enhancing the preparedness of Jesuit business students in their ability to navigate the complex social, political, and spiritual realities of our times. Further, we provide evidence of students’ responsiveness to the IJM as an ethical decision-making tool, and means to implement the SDGs. 

Applying the IJM, Jesuit educators can develop morally courageous business leaders who create a culture of transparency and accountability within companies by prioritizing the impact of their decisions on others, especially the poor or marginalized. By promoting morally courageous leadership and aligning Jesuit institutions with a shared framework for business ethics, we can create a more just and sustainable future for all. Moreover, we can collaborate on a shared promotional strategy to attract and give hope to the youth, inspire them during their Jesuit business education, and accompany them throughout their career.