Developing the Market Research Plan to Actualize Laudato Si’ & Fratelli Tutti

The purpose of this special session/roundtable is to continue the conversation begun at the 2022 World Forum on collaborative field research that explores the awareness and impact of two recent Encyclicals by Pope Francis, and the extent to which businesses and other catalytic institutions can contribute to their actualization. Our planet is under various assaults that pose an existential threat to many life forms, including Homo sapiens. Human choices and behaviors are largely responsible for the degradation of our delicate biosphere and the well-being of billions of people struggling to survive on it. This reality and accelerating trends – e.g., climate change, pollution, extinctions, exploitation, exclusion, hunger, incivility, forced displacement and wars – are so alarming that Pope Francis has promulgated two seminal Encyclicals over a 5-year timeframe, Laudato Si’ (2015) and Fratelli Tutti (2020). The overarching goals of both these encyclicals are sustainable well-being of our planet, social justice, fraternity and well-being for all people. Actualization of these sacred goals will require secular understanding and engagement, particularly from businesses and other catalytic institutions. The initial framing of the conversation will be around two theoretical macromarketing frameworks: facilitating QOL through constructive engagement (Shultz et al., 2012, 2017, 2022) and the integrative justice model (Santos & Laczniak, 2009). The expected outcome of this session is a draft survey instrument and an action plan that will involve faculty across the international Jesuit business school network.