Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spirituality, Virtue, and Management: Theory and Evidence

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the conceptual and empirical literature examining the interrelationships between spirituality, virtue, and management. Against the background of a Weberian conceptual framework, it will examine what the term spirituality refers to, how it is related to virtue, and what this means for management. As speculated by Weber, the literature suggests that there is a strong link between spirituality and virtue and also that spirituality often gives rise to an alternative form of management that may enable escape from the materialist-individualist type. This “radical” form of management is typically associated with virtue ethics and counterposes the utilitarian assumptions of “conventional” management. Management guided by spirituality is often presented as pointing to a new paradigm in business.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allevato E, Marques J (2011) Systemic thinking from a scientific and spiritual perspective: toward a new paradigm and eco world order. J Glob Responsib 2(1):23–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Althauser RP (1990) Paradox in popular religion: the limits of instrumental faith. Soc Forces 69(2):585–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashar H, Lane-Maher M (2004) Success and spirituality in the new business paradigm. J Manag Inq 13(3):249–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell M (2011) Teaching of the elders. In: Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of spirituality and business. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, pp 187–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (eds) (2011) The Palgrave handbook of spirituality and business. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (2012) Spirituality and business: an interdisciplinary overview. Soc Econ 34(3):489–514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calás M, Smircich L (2003) Introduction: spirituality, management and organization. Organization 10(2):327–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavanagh GF, Bandsuch MR (2002) Virtue as a benchmark for spirituality in business. J Bus Ethics 38(1–2):109–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clegg S (1996) The moral philosophy of management: book review. Acad Manage Rev 21:867–871

    Google Scholar 

  • Dent EB, Higgins ME, Wharff DM (2006) Spirituality and leadership: an empirical review of definitions, distinctions, and embedded assumptions. Leadersh Q 16(5):625–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denton EA, Mitroff II (1999) A spiritual audit of corporate America: a hard look at spirituality, religion, and values in the workplace. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll CA, Wiebe E, Dyck B (2012) Nature is prior to us: applying catholic social thought and Anabaptist-Mennonite theology to the ethics of stakeholder prioritization for the natural environment. J Relig Bus Ethics 3(1):art. 3

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyck B (2013) Management and the Gospel: Luke’s radical message for the first and twenty-first centuries. Palgrave-Macmillan, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dyck B (2014) God on management: the world’s five largest religions, the ‘theological turn’, and organizational and management theory and practice. Res Sociol Organ 41:23–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyck B, Neubert M (2010) Management: current practices and new directions. Cengage/Houghton Mifflin, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyck B, Schroeder D (2005) Management, theology and moral points of view: towards an alternative to the conventional materialist-individualist ideal-type of management. J Manag Stud 42(4):705–735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyck B, Weber JM (2006) Conventional and radical moral agents: an exploratory look at Weber’s moral-points-of-view and virtues. Organ Stud 27(3):429–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyck B, Wong K (2010) Corporate spiritual disciplines and the quest for organizational virtue. J Manag Spiritual Relig 7(1):7–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fayol H (1930) Industrial and general administration (trans: Coubrough JA). Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Fornaciari CJ, Sherlock JJ, Ritchie WJ, Dean KL (2005) Scale development practices in the measurement of spirituality. Int J Organ Anal 13(1):28–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster RJ (1978) Celebration of discipline: the path to spiritual growth. Harper & Row, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisdiantara C, Sahertian P (2012) The spiritual leadership dimension in relation to other value-based leadership in organization. Int J Humanit Soc Sci 2(15):284–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Zamor JC (2003) Workplace spirituality and organizational performance. Public Adm Rev 63(3):355–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geigle D (2012) Workplace spirituality empirical research: a literature review. Bus Manag Rev 2(10):14–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Giacalone RA, Jurkiewicz CL (eds) (2003) Handbook of workplace spirituality and organizational performance. ME Sharpe, Armonk

    Google Scholar 

  • Green M, Wheeler CA, Hodgson MN (2012) Leader spirituality and leader virtues as predictors of effective leadership. Spiritual Leadersh Manag 6(1):35–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gundolf K, Filser M (2013) Management research and religion: a citation analysis. J Bus Ethics 112(1):177–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hackett RD, Wang G (2012) Virtues and leadership: an integrating conceptual framework founded in Aristotelian and Confucian perspectives on virtues. Manag Decis 50(5):868–899

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamel GP (2009) Moon shots for management. Harv Bus Rev 87(2):91–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Hicks DA (2003) Religion and the workplace: pluralism, spirituality, leadership. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 11(1):27–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson R (2013) The question of theoretical foundations for the spirituality at work movement. J Manag Spiritual Relig 11(1):27–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Ims KJ (2011) Deep ecology. In: Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of spirituality and business. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, pp 227–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Karakas F (2010) Spirituality and performance in organizations: a literature review. J Bus Ethics 94(1):89–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karakas F, Sarigollu E (2013) The role of leadership in creating virtuous and compassionate organizations: narratives of benevolent leadership in an Anatolian tiger. J Bus Ethics 13(4):663–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasser T (2011) Materialistic value orientation. In: Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of spirituality and business. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, pp 204–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu CH, Robertson PJ (2011) Spirituality in the workplace: theory and measurement. J Manag Inq 20(1):35–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcic D (2000) God, faith and management education. J Manag Educ 44(5):628–649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miner JJ (2003) The rated importance, scientific validity, and practical usefulness of organizational behavior theories: a quantitative review. Acad Manag Learn Educ 2(3):250–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moberg DJ, Calkins M (2001) Reflection in business ethics: insights from St. Ignatius’ spiritual exercises. J Bus Ethics 33(3):257–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neal J (ed) (2013) Handbook of faith and spirituality in the workplace: emerging research and practice. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Novak M (1996) Business as a calling: work and the examined life. The Free Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nur YA (2003) Management-by-virtues: a comparative study of spirituality in the workplace and its impact on selected organizational outcomes. Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Google Scholar 

  • Osman-Gani AM, Hashim J, Ismail Y (2010) Effects of religiosity, spirituality, and personal values on employee performance: a conceptual analysis. In: Proceedings of 9th international conference of the Academy of HRD (Asia Chapter), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia pp 11–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Osman-Gani AM, Hashim J, Ismail Y (2013) Establishing linkages between religiosity and spirituality on employee performance. Employ Relat 35(4):360–376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parameshwar S (2005) Spiritual leadership through ego-transcendence: exceptional responses to challenging circumstances. Leadersh Q 16(5):689–722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavlovich K, Krahnke K (2012) Empathy, connectedness and organization. J Bus Ethics 105(1):131–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petchsawang P, Duchon D (2012) Workplace spirituality, meditation, and work performance. J Manag Spiritual Relig 9(2):189–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poole E (2009) Organisational spirituality – a literature review. J Bus Ethics 84(4):577–588

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pruzan P (2011) Spiritual-based leadership. In: Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of spirituality and business. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, pp 287–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Reave L (2005) Spiritual values and practices related to leadership effectiveness. Leadersh Q 16(5):655–687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarmiento R, Beale J, Knowles G (2007) Determinants of performance amongst shop-floor employees: a preliminary investigation. Manag Res News 30(12):915–927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Senger J (1970) The religious manager. Acad Manage J 13:179–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spiller C, Pio E, Erakovic L, Henare M (2011) Wise up: creating organizational wisdom through an ethic of kaitiakitanga. J Bus Ethics 104(2):223–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stead WE, Stead JG (2013) Green man rising: spirituality and sustainable strategic management. In: Neal J (ed) Handbook of faith and spirituality in the workplace: emerging research and practice. Springer, New York, pp 271–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Verbos AK, Gladstone JS, Kennedy DM (2011) Native American values and management education: envisioning an inclusive virtuous circle. J Manag Educ 35(1):10–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waddock S, Steckler E (2013) Wisdom, spirituality, social entrepreneurs, and self-sustaining practices: what can we learn from difference makers? In: Neal J (ed) Handbook of faith and spirituality in the workplace: emerging research and practice. Springer, New York, pp 285–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber M (1958, original 1904–1905) The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism (trans: Parsons T). Scribner’s, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiersma J (2011) Protestant economic principles and practices. In: Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of spirituality and business. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, pp 129–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Zamagni S (2011) Avarice. In: Bouckaert L, Zsolnai L (eds) The Palgrave handbook of spirituality and business. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, pp 212–218

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Christopher Eads, James Leaman, and Kenman Wong for their encouragement and helpful comments on earlier drafts of this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, 181 Freedman Crescent, R3T 5V4, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Bruno Dyck

Authors
  1. Bruno Dyck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruno Dyck .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Alejo José G. Sison

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this entry

Cite this entry

Dyck, B. (2015). Spirituality, Virtue, and Management: Theory and Evidence. In: Sison, A. (eds) Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6729-4_47-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6729-4_47-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6729-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation