Introduction
Business and economics, particularly in the context of social entrepreneurship, present specific ethical challenges that must be addressed to pursue profitability and sustainability responsibly. TOMS Shoes’ success in implementing philosophically-based ethical theories and principles to achieve both its direct causal purpose and its goal of maximizing societal benefit serves as a case study.
By applying the three central tenets of Catholic social thought (namely, conscience, distributive justice, and natural law), this paper seeks to determine which additional products or services would be well-suited for Mycoskie’s one-for-one business strategy. It will also consider how the philanthropic aspect of the company may have aided its growth and profitability.
Conscience
Catholic social teaching is based on the idea of conscience, which recognizes that everyone is responsible for choosing their moral course of action. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, conscience plays three crucial roles: it judges right and wrong, accepts responsibility for one’s actions, and acts morally (O’Brien, 2015a). Businesses such as TOMS Shoes, which describe their mission as shoes for a better tomorrow, have taken this underlying message of conscience to heart. This phrase symbolizes acting with unwavering accountability, without hesitation or carelessness, and for the greater good.
Similarly, TOMS upholds moral principles and keeps a clear conscience while proactively improving the lives of those in need. Furthermore, the concept of conscience emphasizes the importance of setting aside self-serving motivations while ensuring that all work accomplished through willpower is moral and righteous (O’Brien, 2015a). It is, therefore, evident that the foundation of TOMS’ humanitarian workplace ethos is this idea of conscience.
The foundation of TOMS’s one-for-one program is the moral conviction that it is wrong for a child to go without shoes and jeopardize their health when they could have easily been provided with them. There is a moral obligation to acknowledge this wrong and take action to rectify it. Recognizing what would be wrong to do in a particular circumstance and ensuring it is not done is the essence of conscience (O’Brien, 2015a).
In this way, TOMS’ larger social mission is ingrained in its core values, which the company is confident is always the best course of action. Customers join a movement by purchasing a pair of TOMS, allowing TOMS to take a stance that transcends a business model and gives each purchase a significant purpose that customers can wholeheartedly support. Mycoskie believes that the benefit of a small business giving back in a weighted way is that customers become the marketers, creating a moral obligation.
Distributive Justice
The distributive justice theory, which contends that all members of a society should have equal access to and distribution of its economic resources, forms the basis of the one-for-one model. This extends far beyond simple equity, as it also entails ensuring that members of the community who are particularly vulnerable or in dire need have fair access to the essentials of life (O’Brien, 2020).
The foundation of distributive justice is the idea that no one should be denied social benefits due to their socioeconomic status or other life circumstances, and that everyone has a right to a fair and equitable share of these benefits. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all communities to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to benefit from social assets, even those who might not have the means or access to do so.
By being aware of a fundamental wrong and acting to right it, TOMS achieves fairness in a manner akin to how it achieves conscience. When TOMS discovered that kids in developing nations were going without shoes, they thought it was unfair and developed a system to make up for it by giving the kids shoes. In addition to financial gain, TOMS sought to leverage its success to support the sustainability of its mission, which aims to address the disparity in access to essential goods – the purest form of distributive justice.
A sense of ownership of the mission is also established through the one-for-one model because every purchase directly helps someone else who needs shoes (O’Brien, 2020). This enables a customer base that is more engaged and buys into the distributive justice dimension that underpins TOMS’ model. Customers should acknowledge and accept their responsibility to participate in TOMS’s distributive justice and contribute to the greater good whenever possible.
The Natural Law
Another principle of Catholic Social Thought is that morality is ingrained in human nature, known as the natural law. The idea that people can recognize the direction of the divine Creator by examining the evidence of their physical world is one that St. Thomas Aquinas embodied (Nyanda, 2022). The best way for humans to behave and coexist with nature can be understood through rational thought (O’Brien, 2015b). TOMS’s primary goal is to alleviate suffering for those living in the world’s underdeveloped regions, and in doing so, they uphold the natural law principle of defending the rights of the least privileged.
TOMS’s decision to focus on a single, simple solution that could have the greatest impact—providing shoes for the underprivileged—is another example of their adherence to natural law. According to TOMS, shoes are the most essential item for the world’s poor, improving their health, social well-being, and economic stability. As a result, genuine love for our fellow humans and a strong commitment to resolving societal issues must coexist with environmental concern.
Mycoskie compares the impact of glasses on our ability to perceive the world to the difference that shoes can make in people’s lives. He claims that when someone in need of glasses was given them, it changed how they perceived and interacted with the outside world; with shoes, they hoped to achieve the same effect. This is an excellent example of how the natural law principle operates. TOMS believes that assisting those in need is a natural and intuitive act. By doing so, they improve the world for those in need by facilitating greater access to opportunities, education, and necessities.
Conclusion
The one-for-one social entrepreneurship model TOMS uses is founded on the ideas of conscience, distributive justice, and natural law. They demonstrate how TOMS developed and implemented a comprehensive model that effectively aligns its goals with profitability while contributing to a larger mission to advance society globally. Any good or service that could be sold using a one-for-one model has the potential to make a positive impact on society on an equitable scale, in response to the essay prompt’s questions.
Regarding how a philanthropic component can aid in a company’s growth and profitability, the example of TOMS shows how providing a significant and compelling philanthropic model can provide enormous value to customers, attracting more buyers and supporters to fuel the brand’s momentum. Businesses can positively impact the world by prioritizing their goals as socially responsible and economically productive actors, remaining knowledgeable and committed to the principles of conscience, distributive justice, and natural law.
References
Nyanda, J. C. (2022). The influence of ideas on the existence of the physical world based on Plato’s theory of form. Repository.tangaza.ac.ke.
O’Brien, T. (2015a). Conscience. YouTube.
O’Brien, T. (2015b). The Natural Law. YouTube.
O’Brien, T. (2020). Distributive Justice. YouTube.