This is a book about the business practices of a group of companies who are dedicated to changing the world. These companies participate in the Economy of Communion (EOC) project, which is an initiative of the international and ecumenical Focolare movement. For these companies, changing the world means "humanizing" the economy by consistently privileging relationships over profit-maximizing, and by putting profits in common and using them to address acute social needs and concerns. It also means "humanizing" companies and organizations through business practices that respect the inherent dignity of each person, and that are aimed at breaking down barriers between people in business.
The book is the product of a rigorous, robust and multi-year research project involving more than a dozen U.S and Canadian based EOC companies, and should be considered a case study of the EOC rather than a study of any of the individual companies. What, indeed, do we mean by "structures of grace"? First and foremost, the title reflects our conviction that EOC companies are indeed different. And that difference is centered on a conviction of the business as a set of relationships, or more accurately, a community, and the conviction that the purpose of economic activity -- the production and distribution of goods and services -- is to bring people together, to create community. For us, this is the defining characteristic of the EOC.
