Skip to main content

A Perspective of Collective Consciousness of Business Organizations

Journal of Business Ethics volume 80, pages 889–898 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

The article discusses the meaning of consciousness and presents a collective consciousness view of business organizations and their development. It proposes an integrative hierarchical framework of three levels of organizational consciousness: material, social and spiritual. The concepts of excellence, ethical and moral temperament of organizations at different levels of consciousness are also discussed. The article describes the features of social and spiritually conscious business organizations, taking some examples from secondary sources. Overall, it is an attempt to link the ideals of human evolution with the potential behaviour of business corporations.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Assadourian E. 2006, Tranforming Corporations. in: S. Linda (ed.), State of the World: World Watch Institute Report on Progress toward a Sustainable Society. W. W. Norton & Company, New York, pp. 171–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Aurobindo S. 1994, The Human Cycle. Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharyya, K.: 1995, ‹Vedanta as Philosophy of Spiritual Life’, in K. Sivaraman (ed.), Hindu Spirituality: Vedas through Vedanta (Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi)

  • Calkin P., Vezina M. 1996, Transitional Paradigms to a New World Economic Order. International Journal of Social Economics 23(10/11): 311–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins C., Chippendale P. 1995, New Wisdom II: Values based Development. Acorn, Brisbane, p. 70

    Google Scholar 

  • Colvin, G.: 2006, The 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune, 153(1), p. 50

  • Delbrück M. (1986), Mind from Matter?—An Essay on Evolutionary Epistemology. Blackwell Scientific Publisher, Palo Alto, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, P. F.: 1981, ‹What is “Business Ethics”? The Public Interest’, 63(Spring), pp. 18–36

  • Durkheim, E.: 1965, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (Translated by Joseph Ward Swain), (The Free Press, New York)

  • Easwaran, E.: 1996, The Upanishads (Translated), (Penguine India, New Delhi)

  • Emmons R. A. 2000, Is Spirituality an Intelligence? Motivation, Cognition, and Psychology of Ultimate Concern. The International Journal for Psychology of Religion 10(1): 3–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frank R. H. 2003, What Price the Moral High Ground? Ethical Dilemmas in Competitive Environments. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Freshman B. 1999, An Exploratory Analysis of Definitions and Application of Spirituality in Workplace. Journal of Organizational Change Management 12(4): 318–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghoshal, S., G. Piramal and C. A. Bartlett: 2000, Managing Redical Change: What Indian Companies Must Do to Become World-Class (Viking, New Delhi)

  • Gupta, R. 1996, ‹Is There a Place for the Sacred in Organizations and Their Development’, Journal of Human Values 2(2), 149–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsson B., Harung H. S. 1994, Organizational Learning Based on Transforming Collective Consciousness. The Learning Organization 1(1): 33–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Habermas J. 1979, Communication and the Evolution of Society. Beacon Press, Boston, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Heaton D. P., Harung H. S. 1999, The Conscious Organization. The Learning Organization 6(4): 157–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermel P., Ramis-Pujol J. 2003, An Evolution of Excellence: Some Main Trends. The TQM Magazine 15(4): 230–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1984, Essays on Moral Development, Vol. II: The Psychology of Moral Development (Harper and Row San Francisco)

  • Kulshrestha P. 2007, Economics, Ethics and Business Ethics: A Critique of Interrelationships. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics 3(1): 33–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little, E. G.: 2002, ‹Moderate Materialism: Toward a Unified Ontology of Consciousness’, Ph.D. Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University at Buffalo, State University of New York

  • Marques, J.: 2005, ‹Socializing a Capitalist World: Redefining the Bottom Line’, The Journal of American Academy of Business 7(1), 283–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Milliman, J. F., A. J. Czaplewski and J. M. Ferguson: 2001, ‹An Exploratory Empirical Assessment of the Relationship between Spirituality and Employee work Attitude’. Academy of Management Proceedings (Washington DC)

  • Mitroff I. I., Denton E. A. 1999, A Spiritual Audit of Corporate America: A Hard Look at Spirituality, Religion, and Values in the Workplace. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Hara, S. U.: 1998, ‹Economics, Ethics and Sustainability: Redefining Connections’, International Journal of Social Economics 25(1), 175–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Ouimet, J. R.: 2002, ‹Reconciling Human Happiness and Profitability: Mission Possible Thanks to Sixteen New Management Tools, Ethics and Spirituality at Work’, in C. T. Puchant (ed.) (Quorum Books, Connecticut)

  • Passet, R. 1979, L’Economique et le Vivant, Economics and the Living

  • Pruzan P. 2001, The Question of Organizational Consciousness: Can Organizations Have Values, Virtues and Visions?. Journal of Business Ethics 29: 271–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quatro S. A. 2004, New Age of Age Old: Classical Management Organized Religion as Underpinnings of the Contemporary Organizational Spirituality Movement. Human Resource Development Review 3(3): 228–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Radhakrishnan S. 1951, Upnishadaun ka Sandesh. Rajpal & Sons, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasberry R. W. 2000, The Conscience of an Organization: The Ethics Office. Strategy & Leadership 28(3): 17–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabatino, C. J.: 1995, ‹World as Interrelational: A Discussion of the Zen Notion of CoArising’, Religiologiques 11(Spring) pp. 237–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Sartre, J. P.: 1958, Being and Nothingness. An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology (H. E. Barnes Trans.), (Routledge, New York)

  • Sen A. 1970, Collective Choice and Social Welfare. Holden Day, San Francisco, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen A.: 1987, The Standard of Living (Cambridge University Press)

  • Sharma, S., 2004, ‹Development of Sacro-Civic Society Through Harmonization Paradigm’, in S. Subrahmanya, M. Chakraborty and N. S. Viswanath (eds.), Women in Nation Building: Perspectives, Issues and Implications (Southern Economist, Bangalore)

  • Sharma S. 2006, Management in New Age: Western Windows Eastern Doors. New Age International, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Von K. G. and Roos, J: 1995, Organizational Epistemology (Macmillan, Hampshire)

  • Wakhlu A. 2000, Management by Heart. Sage, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilber K. 2002, Spectrum of Consciousness. Motilal Bavarsidas, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilber, K.: 2000, Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy (Shambhala, Boston and London) pp. 143–157

  • Zohar D., Marshall I. 2004, Spiritual Capital: Wealth We Can Live By. Bloomsbury, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Zohar D., Marshall I. 2000, SQ – Spiritual Intelligence the Ultimate Intelligence. Bloomsbury, London

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. OB, Pragati Leadership Institute, 301, Beaver Grandure, Baner road, Pune, Maharastra, India

    Ashish Pandey

  2. OB, Management Development Institute, Mehrauli Road, Sukharali, Gurgaon, Haryana, 122001, India

    Rajen K. Gupta

Authors
  1. Ashish Pandey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rajen K. Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashish Pandey.

Additional information

Ashish Pandey is leading research function at Pragati Leadership Institute, 301, Beaver Grandeur, Baner road, Pune, India. He is also scholar of Fellow Program in Management with Management Development Institute, (M.D.I.) Gurgaon.

Rajen K. Gupta is Professor of OD with M.D.I., Gurgaon. He is an OD consultant, alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and holds doctoral degree from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India.

Earlier version of the paper titled “Organization Development as Evolution of Collective Consciousness of Business Organization” was presented in the Global OD Summit, 2006, at Mysore, India and was adjudged the best paper in ‘Future-focus’ stream.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pandey, A., Gupta, R.K. A Perspective of Collective Consciousness of Business Organizations. J Bus Ethics 80, 889–898 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9475-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9475-4

Keywords

  • ethics
  • market
  • organizational consciousness
  • social and spiritual consciousness