The Legatus organization is composed of senior executives (CEOs, presidents or managing partners) of various companies, all of whom are Catholic and all of whom week to apply the moral teachings of the Catholic Church to their businesses. The members of Legatus find that the capitalist environment is not mutually exclusive with a Christian environment.
In theory, the group is not contradicting the philosophy of the marketing concept, which is not concerned with how business is conducted, but the efficient conducting of that business. Companies which operate with a strong sense of civic responsibility, which is one aspect of Christian values, may actually benefit from the increased and positive public relations such activities bring. Apart from this theoretical approach, companies that have a "green" policy (that is, companies which are responsive and proactive with regard to the environment) may avoid costly lawsuits or fines from government, making this approach not only ethically sound but also economically sound.
There is some question as to whether this group should be limited to Catholics. Given the strong culture that exists within the Catholic Church, and the emphasis that these executives are placing on a Catholic, not merely Christian, orientation, it is entirely appropriate that the group should be composed exclusively of Catholics. This would certainly not preclude members from joining other groups that are dedicated to other forms of Christian application of ethics, but the Catholic orientation renders the group insulated. In fact, non-Catholics who might be attracted to the group could be made to feel uncomfortable because of the strong Catholic orientation.
There is also the question of whether managers who are not at the head of their organizations should be included in this group. As with the Catholic orientation, this is a matter of group culture. The group is composed of senior decision makers within ...