Maybe it’s the fact that Pope Francis is, well, the pope who by the position commands a world-wide microphone, that there was and still is such an outcry to his call for businesses to be more aware of the plight of the poor and to be better stewards of the earth. Pope Francis spoke at the Davos Conference in 2014. His theme was that humanity needs to be served by wealth, not ruled by it. I teach that profit is good, Pope Francis knows this too, so does the Church. It’s an indicator of corporate health. He just doesn’t want any business owner to forget that business is – in fact – a vocation, and a noble vocation, provided that those engaged in it see themselves continually challenged by a greater meaning in life. (from Evangelii Gaudium, 203). He’s asking us to ensure our focus remains on God and not on the self. It’s a simple rubric to follow if you are a well formed executive.
So along comes the B-Corporation, a fairly new (2006), secular and global movement with roughly the same goals as Pope Francis and of the Catholic Church sans God of course.
A certified B Corporation, is a for-profit business that is dedicated to social and environmental issues. Some of the bigger names to receive the certification include Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, Etsy, and our own New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire – a family favorite), here in Colorado. As of October 2014, 28 states have passed legislation allowing for the creation of benefit corporations or the B-Corp.
B-Corp is a legal entity requiring business owners to consider their employees, the community, and the environment when making decisions. In the Catholic world this is called “solidarity” one of the four main principles of Catholic Social Teaching. The status also provides vendors, prospects, potential employees and consumers a really easy way to spot genuine commitment to the common good (another of the four main principles of Catholic Social Teaching).
On the
B Corps website under “Why B-Corps Matter?” is written:
“Certified B Corporations are leading a global movement to redefine success in business. By voluntarily meeting higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance, Certified B Corps are distinguishing themselves in a cluttered marketplace by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business. We hope that you are inspired, not just by our vision, but by the movement’s ability to translate ideas into action.
Government and the nonprofit sector are necessary but insufficient to address society’s greatest challenges. Business, the most powerful man-made force on the planet, must create value for society, not just shareholders. Systemic challenges require systemic solutions and the B Corp movement offers a concrete, market-based and scalable solution.”
I’ll tell you why B-Corps matter. They matter because the movement seeks to uphold the dignity of the human person. (another of the four main principles of Catholic Social Teaching).
The movement is a fantastic first step, just like its kin Conscious Capitalism which I have been following for a while now. These movements were created with the desire to make the world a better place for everyone. No one can argue that goal for sure. However, as a Catholic, these noble initiatives are simply a result of the real why that should drive these initiatives and which drives Attollo. That all human beings are imago dei – made in the image and likeness of God and should be treated as such.
Catholics, and really the entire world, already have access to an operating “standards group” that is buried deep in one of the many treasures and best kept secrets of the Catholic Church, called Catholic social teaching. Someone call author Dan Brown! Catholic social teaching offers everything a business needs in order to “certify” as a Catholic business which is basically a B-Corp but with a defined purpose of serving God.
Eventually, at the end of the day, even the most ardent B-Corp Business Owners, CEO’s, and presidents and their supporters will ask one of the basic and oldest questions of humanity…why? The answer isn’t too far away from them as they are already doing what God asks of them, they just aren’t acknowledging Him. The simple answer is “because your employees, stakeholders, clients, prospects and vendors and those impacted by the decisions of your organization, near or far, are all children of God.”
