Corporate sustainability remains a relevant framework for addressing the pressing social, cultural, and environmental challenges facing contemporary society. However, it is often grounded in relatively weak philosophical and ethical foundations. To address this limitation, this study proposes an approach to corporate sustainability based on integral ecology, drawing on Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato si’ (2015) and situating it within the broader tradition of Catholic social thought. Integral ecology offers a comprehensive vision that integrates environmental, social, economic, and cultural dimensions within a coherent anthropological and ethical framework, thereby providing a broader and more robust foundation for sustainability. Embedding this perspective within firms requires understanding sustainability not merely as a strategic or instrumental concern, but as a moral commitment. This shift calls for rethinking corporate sustainability through the lens of integral ecology, broadening its conventional dimensions to include culture while grounding and orienting them through its anthropological, ethical, and ecological insights.
Educators navigate a landscape of complex challenges in their professional journeys, emphasizing the urgent need for a robust framework that fosters their holistic well-being. This study utilized a descriptive-correlational cross-sectional research design to investigate the relationship between Workplace Dignity and Spiritual Well-Being (SWB). Data were collected via an electronic survey from a stratified sample of 750 participants (449 teachers and 301 counselors) across public and private institutions. The study employed the Arabic versions of the Dignity Scale and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), both of which were subjected to Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). CFA fit was acceptable for the Dignity Scale but fell below conventional thresholds for the SWBS, so SWB findings should be interpreted cautiously. Results indicate a high level of perceived workplace dignity among educators in this sample and a statistically significant positive correlation between dignity and SWB (r = .42, p < .01), indicating that higher dignity is associated with higher SWB; this association does not establish causal direction or reciprocal influence. Notably, no significant differences in dignity (gender p = .23; job title p = .22) or SWB (gender p = .68; job title p = .33) were found; these nonsignificant comparisons do not demonstrate group equivalence or universality, and the findings describe this non-probability sample only. These results point to the potential value of institutional environments that prioritize respect and personal growth, which may support educator resilience, although longitudinal research is needed to test this.
This paper critiques the dominant framework of modern financial theory and presents impact investing and regenerative finance as morally grounded alternatives. Impact investing expands the utility function of investors to include non-financial outcomes but still operates within a logic of constrained optimization and trade-offs. Regenerative finance goes further by seeking to re-integrate finance into the web of social, ecological, and spiritual relationships that sustain human flourishing. Drawing on Catholic Social Teaching, Fullerton’s (2025) principles of regenerative vitality, and recent governance innovations, this paper articulates a framework for finance as a moral vocation rather than a technical discipline. A central contribution of this paper is a typology of abundance—material, existential, and performative—which contrasts with the scarcity logic underpinning modern financial theory. The paper critiques foundational reductionist assumptions, especially those formalized by Fisher (1930) and Robbins (1932), that treat human persons as utility maximizers and exclude subjective goods from financial models. Through real-world case studies and engagement with philosophical perspectives, this paper illustrates both the promise and limits of regenerative finance. By going beyond systems design, this paper offers a metaphysical foundation for why regeneration is necessary and what it might look like in finance.
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home (2015), is a disruptive teaching document. It challenges contemporary paradigms and human social systems including education, economy and business to transform. Laudato Si’s proposal of “Integral Ecology” bears significant implications for the business world, especially business management and business education. The importance of educating through the lens of Laudato Si’ and Integral Ecology has been affirmed by several global initiatives and is an emerging focus for universities and academic research. However, higher education institutions and management programs seem to be slow to institute standards of sustainability, global responsibility, and social innovation (Wilp et al. 2022). Therefore, exploring how Laudato Si’ can guide and accelerate the transformation of business education to be of service to the common good is of vital importance. We have conducted a literature review investigating the relationship and impact of Laudato Si’ on educational programs provided by Business Schools. Furthermore, we developed a proposed survey tool intended to gather insights into whether graduate students after attending University Business Schools have developed attitudes that cohere with Laudato Si’ and Integral Ecology. This tool might be particularly useful for universities that foster a Humanistic Management approach and Catholic institutions with a commitment to the pursuit of the common good. Results from the implementation of a survey tool of this kind will help to inform strategies to further embed the principles of Integral Ecology into programs offered by Business Schools.
