Abstract
Spirituality is an area of interest for management and business. But two issues confront it: (1) the struggle to be amidst a utilitarian framework where spirituality is reduced as a means to forward profit-oriented goals and (2) difficulty with spirituality’s subjective and multifaceted nature in business management. Challenges abound in determining which spirituality is appropriate. Business scholarship is dominated by a utilitarian view, which some more philosophically oriented scholars have opined to be counterintuitive to the real purpose of workplace spirituality. But some recognize the significance of pragmatic and useful approaches, which this paper views as something integrated into the more philosophic approaches, particularly through virtue ethics. Thus, the authors offer the case for virtue, examined in the person of Corazon C. Aquino, Asia’s first woman president, who successfully bridged the gap between the sacred and secular. To appease both utilitarian and more metaphysical orientations, this research stipulates that for every value-added service rendered to others, there is a corresponding virtue enhancement in the person.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aranzadi, J. (2013). The natural link between virtue ethics and political virtue: the morality of the market. Journal of Business Ethics, 118, 487–496.
Arjoon, S. (2000). Virtue theory as a dynamic theory of business. Journal of Business Ethics, 28(2):159–178.
Ashforth, B.E. & Pratt, M.G. (2003). Institutionalized spirituality: an oxymoron? In G. Gotsis, Z. Kortezi (Eds.), Philosophical foundations of workplace spirituality: a critical approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 78:575–600.
Ashmos, D. & Duchon, D. (2000). Spirituality at work: a conceptualization and measure. In M. Sheep (Ed.) Nurturing the whole person: the ethics of workplace spirituality in a society of organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 66(4):357–375.
Benefiel, M. (2003). Mapping the terrain of spirituality in organizations research. In E. Poole (Ed.), Organizational spirituality—a literature review. Journal of Business Ethics, 8:577–588.
Brandt, E. (1996). Corporate pioneers explore spirituality. In K. Cash, G. Gray & S. Rood (Eds.), A framework for accommodating religion and spirituality in the workplace (and executive commentary). Academy of Management Executive, 14(3):124–134.
Burton, B., & Goldsby, M. (2009). Moral floor: a philosophical examination of the connection between ethics and business. Journal of Business Ethics, 91(1), 145–154.
Campbell, D., Bommer, W. & Yeo, E. (1993). Perceptions of appropriate leadership style: participationversus consultation across two cultures. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 10(1):1–19.
Cash, K., Gray, G., & Rood, S. (2000). A framework for accommodating religion and spirituality in the workplace (and executive commentary). Academy of Management Executive, 14(3), 124–134.
Cavanagh, G., & Bandsuch, M. (2002). Virtue as a benchmark for spirituality in business. Journal of Business Ethics, 38(1/2), 109–117.
Crossan, M., & Mazutis, D. (2008). Transcendent leadership. Business Horizons, 51, 131–139.
Dawson, D., & Bartholomew, C. (2003). Virtues, managers, and business people: finding a place for MacIntyre in a business context. Journal of Business Ethics, 48, 127–138.
Driscoll, C., & Wiebe, E. (2007). Technical spirituality at work: Jacques Ellul on workplace spirituality. Journal of Management Inquiry, 16(4), 333–348.
Dyck, B., & Schroeder, D. (2005). Management, theology and moral points of view: towards an alternative to the conventional materialist-individualist ideal-type of management. Journal of Management Studies, 42(4), 705–735.
Feldman, S. (1998). Playing with the pieces: deconstruction and the loss of moral culture. Journal of Management Studies, 35(1), 59–79.
Flynn, G. (2008). The virtuous manager: a vision for leadership in business. Journal of Business Ethics, 78, 359–372.
Fry, L. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14, 693–727.
Fry, L., & Kriger, M. (2009). Towards a theory of being-centered leadership: multiple levels of being as context for effective leadership. Human Relations, 62, 1667–1696.
Giacalone, R., & Jurkiewicz, C. (2003). Right from wrong: the influence of spirituality on perceptions of unethical business activities. Journal of Business Ethics, 46(1), 85–97.
Gotsis, G., & Kortezi, Z. (2007). Philosophical foundations of workplace spirituality: a critical approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 78, 575–600.
Grant, D., O’Neil, K., & Stephens, L. (2004). Spirituality in the workplace: new empirical directions in the study of the sacred. Sociology of Religion, 65(3), 265–283.
Haydu, J., & Lee, C. (2004). Model employers and good government in the late 19th and late 20th centuries. Sociological Forum, 19(2), 177–202.
Heugens, P., Kaptein, M., & van Oosterhout, J. (2008). Contracts to communities: a processual model of organizational virtue. Journal of Management Studies, 45(1), 100–121.
Hicks, D.A. (2003). Religion and workplace pluralism, spirituality, leadership. In Gotsis, G. & Z. Kortezi (Eds.), Philosophical foundations of workplace spirituality: a critical approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 78:575–600.
Indartono, S., & Wulandari, S. (2014). Moderation effect of gender on workplace spirituality and commitment relationship: case of Indonesian ethics. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 3, 65–81.
Juico, M. (2009). Cory: an intimate portrait. Pasig: Anvil Publishing.
Juico, M. (2010). An intimate portrait II: selected tributes and eulogies. Pasig: Anvil Publishing.
Karakas, F., & Sarigollu, E. (2012). Benevolent leadership: conceptualization and construct development. Journal of Business Ethics, 108, 537–5553.
King, S. (2007). Religion, spirituality, and the workplace: challenges for public administration. Public Administration Review: 103–114.
Kolodinsky, R., Giacalone, R., & Jurkiewicz, C. (2007). Workplace values and outcomes: exploring personal, organizational, and interactive workplace spirituality. Journal of Business Ethics, 81, 465–480.
Kwong, K., Tang, F., Tian, V., & Fung, A. (2015). Can customer loyalty be explained by virtue ethics? The Chinese way. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 4, 101–115.
Langvardt, A. (2012). Ethical leadership and the dual roles of examples. Business Horizons, 55, 373–384.
Liu, S. (2013). A few good women at the top: the China case. Business Horizons, 56, 483–490.
Liu, C., & Robertson, P. (2011). Spirituality in the workplace: theory and measurement. Journal of Management Inquiry, 20(1), 35–50.
Lynn, M., Naughton, M., & Veen, S. (2010). Connecting religion and work: patterns and influences of work-faith integration. Human Relations, 64, 675–701.
Michaelson, C. (2012). Reading leaders’ minds: in search of the canon of 21st century global capitalism. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 1, 47–61.
Milliman, J. Czaplewski, J. & Ferguson, J. (2003). Workplace spirituality and employee work attitudes: an exploratory empirical assessment. In G. Gotsis & Kortezi, Z (Eds.), Philosophical foundations of workplace spirituality: a critical approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 78:575–600.
Pearce, C., & Manz, C. (2014). The leadership disease…and its potential cures. Business Horizons, 57, 215–224.
Poole, E. (2008). Organizational spirituality—a literature review. Journal of Business Ethics, 84, 577–588.
Robinsons, B., Stey, P., & Alfano, M. (2013). Virtue and vice attributions in the business context: an experimental investigation. Journal of Business Ethics, 113, 649–661.
Sandelands, L. (2008). The business of business is the human person: lessons from the Catholic social tradition. Journal of Business Ethics, 85, 93–101.
Schwartz, M. (2013). Developing and sustaining an ethical corporate culture: the core elements. Business Horizons, 56, 39–50.
Sheep, M. (2006). Nurturing the whole person: the ethics of workplace spirituality in a society of organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 66(4), 357–375.
Steingard, D. (2005). Spirituality-informed management theory: toward profound possibilities for inquiry and transformation. Journal of Management Inquiry, 14(3), 227–241.
Thanetsunthorn, N. (2015). The impact of national culture on corporate social responsibility: evidence from cross-regional comparison. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 4, 35–56.
Weaver, G. R., & Agle, B. R. (2002). Religiosity and ethical behavior in organizations: a symbolic interactionist perspective. Academy of Management Review, 27, 77–97.
Wordern, S. (2005). Religion in strategic leadership: a positivistic, normative/theological strategic analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 57(3), 221–239.
Wuthnow, R. (1999). After heaven: spirituality in America since the 1950s. In D. Grant, K. O’Neil & Stephens, L. (Eds.), Spirituality in the workplace: new empirical directions in the study of the sacred. Sociology of Religion, 65(3):265–283.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Udani, Z.A.S., Lorenzo-Molo, C.F. The utility of virtue: management spirituality and ethics for a secular business world. Asian J Bus Ethics 6, 21–39 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-016-0067-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-016-0067-1