A Humanistic Perspective for Management Research: Protecting Dignity and Promoting Well Being

32 Pages Posted: 18 Feb 2017

See all articles by Michael Pirson

Michael Pirson

Fordham University - Gabelli School of Business; Humanistic Management Network; Harvard University

Date Written: February 13, 2017

Abstract

Pope Francis in his Encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ suggests that “Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving our world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the areas in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good.” Despite such a positive view on the contribution of business, Pope Francis has also been highly critical of the capitalist economic system which in his perspective denies human dignity and where profit becomes the sole concern. “Money must serve, not rule,” he said. “Money does not have a neutral value, but acquires value according to the aims and the circumstances in which it is used.”

In line with these criticisms, leading management scholars have long questioned the premises of management theory and practice (Gladwin, Kennelly, & Krause, 1995; Hart, 2005). Pope Francis and his predecessors have given voice to many citizens around the globe who have been losing trust in the current economic and political systems as the number of societal challenges is increasing (Adams, 2012; Edelman, 2011). The leading academic institution of business school professors, the Academy of Management (AOM), claims to “foster [] a philosophy of management” that serves “the public’s interests” (AMJ Editors, 1958). Yet, many scholars suggest that management scholarship’ has largely failed to contribute to the common good (Walsh, Weber, & Margolis, 2003). Already 20 years ago AOM’s then president, Donald Hambrick, remarked about the lack of relevance of AOM’s work to society (Hambrick, 1994). This tendency has been bemoaned with increasing frequency since (Aguinis & Pierce, 2008; Hambrick, 1994; Walsh et al., 2003), because very few contributions discuss managerial solutions to environmental degradation, the dangers of climate change, or increasing social inequities (Hahn, Kolk, & Winn, 2010; Hambrick, 1994). This chapter is exploring reasons for why current management thought and practice is not in line with what Pope Francis suggests. It also proposes a paradigm shift towards the protection of dignity and the promotion of well-being. The author labels this perspective a humanistic perspective, which is reflected in Christian humanism but also transcends Christian faiths.

Keywords: Laudato Si, Humanistic Management, humanism, economism, Catholic Social Thought

JEL Classification: N00, M00, L00, P00

Suggested Citation

Pirson, Michael, A Humanistic Perspective for Management Research: Protecting Dignity and Promoting Well Being (February 13, 2017). Humanistic Management Association, Research Paper Series No. 17-8, Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University Research Paper No. 2916445, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2916445 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2916445

Michael Pirson (Contact Author)

Fordham University - Gabelli School of Business ( email )

140 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10018
United States

Humanistic Management Network ( email )

St. Gallen
Switzerland

Harvard University

1875 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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