‘인간적’ 조직과 ‘인간의 조건’: 아렌트(Arendt)의 ‘활동적 삶’에 대한 통찰

Abstract

With the rising distrust in Capitalism and despair over corporations, many firms have implemented a variety of changes wishing to become “human” organizations. In response, this essay questions whether we really have a way of thinking that is required to build such human organizations. The failures of corporations are due at least in part to the failures of mainstream economics and the failures of business administration. In order to address the issues of corporate distrust, it may be necessary to search for new wisdom from other sources outside of business. Philosophy is one such field from which inspiration can be drawn. Indeed, this essay draws upon Arendt’s philosophical insights into the human existential condition and the fundamental forms of “vita activa” to understand the possibility of “human” organizations given the relationship between corporations and their employees. It first presents Arendt’s typology of the three basic human activities, namely labor, work, and action, as developed in her book The Human Condition. It then describes the reality of the one-sided dominance of labor over the other two activities.
 Next, this essay addresses the necessity and the possibility for the restoration of work and action in organizations, using teams as a contextual example.
 It concludes with discussion of comprehensive implications.