Humanism in Business

Cambridge University Press
Edition: First Edition, 2/26/2009
EAN 9780521727624, ISBN10: 0521727626

Paperback, 472 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm
Language: English

What is the purpose of our economic system? What would a more life-serving economy look like? There are many books about business and society, yet very few of them question the primacy of GDP growth, profit maximization and individual utility maximization. Even developments with a humanistic touch like stakeholder participation, corporate social responsibility or corporate philanthropy serve the same goal: to foster long-term growth and profitability. Humanism in Business questions these assumptions and investigates the possibility of creating a human-centered, value-oriented society based on humanistic principles. An international team of academics and practitioners present philosophical, spiritual, economic, psychological and organizational arguments that show how humanism can be used to understand, and possibly transform, business at three different levels: the systems level, the organizational level and the individual level. This groundbreaking book will be of interest to academics, practitioners and policymakers concerned with business ethics and the relationship between business and society.

List of figures
List of tables
List of editors and contributors
HUMANET
HUmanistic MAnagement Research NETwork
paving the way towards a life-serving economy
Introduction Michael Pirson, Ernst von Kimakowitz, Heiko Spitzeck, Wolfgang Amann and Shiban Khan
Part I. Philosophic-Historical Grounding of Humanism
1. Philosophical grounds of Humanism in economics Julian Nida-Rümelin
2. The Humanist tradition Matt Cherry
3. Humanism and culture
balancing particularity and universalism among the world's religions Greg Epstein
4. A requisite journey
from business ethics to economic philosophy Claus Dierksmeier
5. The global economy from a moral point of view Stephen B. Young
6. The implications of Humanism for business studies Omar Aktouf and W. David Holford
7. Current trends in Humanism and business Domènec Melé
Part II. Towards an Integration of Humanism and Business on a Systems Level
8. Towards a civilized market economy
economic citizenship rights and responsibilities in service of a humane society Peter Ulrich
9. Development as freedom - individual freedom as a social commitment Amartya Sen
10. On corporate responsibility for human rights Klaus M. Leisinger
11. The value shift
merging social and financial imperatives Lynn Sharp Paine
12. The ugly side of capitalism
what the young generation needs to combat Ulrich Steger
Part III. Humanistic Management
13. Democratizing the corporation Allen L. White
14. Social entrepreneurship – a blueprint for humane organizations? Michael Pirson
15. Humanism at work
crucial organizational cultures and leadership principles Claudia Peus and Dieter Frey
16. Positive organizational scholarship
embodying a humanistic perspective of business Miguel Pereira Lopes, Miguel Pina e Cunha, Stephan Kaiser and Gordon Müller-Seitz
17. Corporate sustainability as an indicator for more humanism in business? A view beyond the usual hype in Europe Oliver Salzmann, Aileen Ionescu-Somers and Ulrich Steger
18. Changing direction - corporations as ambassadors of the environment? Oliver Rapf
Part IV. The Individual as a Change Agent for a Humane Business Society
19. Ethical codes at work Adrian Henriques
20. The daunting challenges of globalization and the power of individuals in cross-stakeholder networks for a humanistic face of globalization Jean-Pierre Lehmann
21. The leader as responsible change agent
promoting Humanism in and beyond business Thomas Maak and Nicola Pless
22. Quiet leadership - a way to sustainable positive change Joe Badaracco
23. Everyone a changemaker
social entrepreneurship's ultimate goal William Drayton
24. Social business entrepreneurs are the solution Muhammad Yunus
25. Concluding observations Ernst von Kimakowitz, Michael Pirson, Heiko Spitzeck, Wolfgang Amann and Shiban Khan
Index.

"In the last few decades business has become increasingly aware that shareholder value cannot be the only indicator for success. Sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (CSR) concepts attempt to address negative trade-offs. But at the heart of the matter stands a humanistic attitude, an ethical stance towards all we do, be that in business or as private individuals." Claude Martin, Ex Director General, WWF International "This book is a most crucial and insightful collection showing persuasively how humanism can be practiced creatively at the core centre of economic development policy agenda, not being a rhetorical flourish but the fundamental basis of economic prosperity and sustainability. Many contributors to this collection illuminate the role of business within society and its potential as a life-serving organ for positive social change. It offers an intriguing blueprint for how the world would be better with a more life-conducive economic system. A must-read for world policy leaders of the future." Kriengsak Chareonwongsak, Member of Parliament, Thailand "This book offers a bold yet practical vision for leading business and shareholder capitalism into a more humane economic system. An impressive array of contributors embody this 'humanism' at work, showing how it can increase stakeholder trust, employee satisfaction and, above all, human dignity." Alnoor Ebrahim, Associate Professor, Harvard Business School "The notion that 'Humanism in Business' is an oxymoron is nonsensical, discredited by both history and logic. Ultimately, business - the centralization and utilization of physical, financial resources, human energy and intellect within organizations great and small - has the societal function of providing the goods and services essential for human survival and well-being. How this function is fulfilled has varied greatly over time and place. An important factor in determining the 'how' are the values which underlie the society and are manifested in the operations of its business institutions and those who lead them. The editors and authors of this creative volume demonstrated convincingly that business activity in the twenty-first century is not and cannot be governed by mechanistic markets operating autonomously of broader societal values and expectation." Edwin M. Epstein, Professor Emeritus, International and Area Studies and Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley "An important book because it provides a comprehensive overview of alternatives to our current, harsh and highly imperfect economic system. The authors demonstrate that positive change towards a more humane economy is an urgent and very possible task." Susan Davis, President and CEO BRAC USA; Director of the Ashoka Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship; Founding Board Member of the Grameen Foundation "Values make a difference. For the most part, having a 'purpose beyond profit' has proven one of the best ways for a company to be profitable and socially valuable. Some of the earliest socially responsible businesses achieved this purpose beyond profit from the religious convictions of their founders. In this more secular age, there are many who will be interested in how such values translate into the pragmatic, success-oriented business environment of today. Those seeking a rigorously academic study from an avowedly humanistic perspective will find a wealth of food for thought in Humanism in Business." Mallen Baker, CEO Business Respect and Development Director for Business in the Community in the UK "Ensuring business success while minimizing negative social consequences is one of the main managerial challenges of our time. This book provides a valuable tool to understand and face this challenge from a practical as well as a theoretical view." Peter Gomez, Chairman of the Board of the Swiss Stock Exchange "This book stresses the theme of humanism in business in terms of seeking the goal of sustainability, not only in terms of the earth's resources, but also in terms of relationships to all the contributors to the creation of wealth. The editors propose that the corporation needs to be conceived as a community of people who are committed not only to one another's sustainable well being, but beyond that to the further enrichment of one another's lives. Call it sustainability plus." Paul Lawrence, Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School