Virtuous Organization Research Articles

Virtuous organizations: Desire, consumption and human flourishing in an era of climate change.

The notion of virtuous organizations has an established place in the business ethics/organization studies literature. But this conceptualization drew principally on Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue. His more recent work Ethics in the Conflicts of Modernity, with its focus on desire, consumption and human flourishing, demands a revisiting of the original concept. The first aim of this paper, therefore, is to provide an extended theory of the notion of the virtuous organization. An obvious application of this extended theory is to the issue of climate change. In exploring this, the paper has a further aim which is to respond to Banerjee et al.'s call for more theory building that articulates post-growth possibilities at the organization level in relation to the multiple challenges which society faces in response to the changing climate. The paper begins by summarizing the current conceptual framework of the virtuous organization while recognizing critiques of MacIntyre's work and its organizational application. It then turns to the issues of desire and consumption highlighted in MacIntyre's latest book, drawing also on an extended literature in these areas including insights from Girard's work, and concluding with MacIntyre's contentions in relation to human flourishing. This leads to the extended conceptual framework which is then applied to the issue of climate change. The particular theoretical contribution of the paper is to understand virtuous organizations as playing an important role in the redirection and re-education of desires, leading to the pursuit of goods that we have good reason to desire, and so to the good for individuals and communities, and ultimately to human flourishing within ecological limits. The similarities with and differences from the degrowth/post-growth movement are explored to demonstrate the distinctive contribution a MacIntyrean approach makes. The practical implications of this theoretical contribution are then spelled out, including a consideration of the potential ubiquity or otherwise of this approach, before conclusions are drawn.

Going green: decreasing medical waste in a paediatric intensive care unit in the United States

The healthcare industry generates significant waste and carbon emissions that negatively impact the environment. Intensive care units (ICU) are a major contributor to the production of waste, due to patient complexity and needs requiring extensive equipment, cleaning practices and pre-emptive supplies. To quantify the extent of the problem, health care professionals collected all unused medical supplies destined to be discarded over three one-week periods in a paediatric intensive care unit, weighed the items, and created an inventory. This article argues for greener hospital standards and provides a specific example of a project framework to reduce disposable waste with the hope that others can embark on similar initiatives for a more ethical and sustainable future for hospitals. Healthcare facilities must not just meet short-sighted safety standards of the now. In order to be a virtuous organization, one must consider all implications of daily decisions, including disposable supplies and cleaning.

The clear conscience of the controversial sector marketer: A neutralization theory approach

The aim of this article is to study neutralization techniques used by marketing practitioners to justify unethical pro-organizational behavior. We analyze the narratives of 17 practitioners in two controversial sectors (alcohol and tobacco). In total, three sets of arguments are used: moralization of professional activity through the virtuous organization, denial of responsibility due to over-restrictive legislation, and economic rationalization.

Minimizing Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity: A Virtuous Organization Approach

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study is to examine how organizational justice, formalization, and organizational commitment can minimize role conflict and role ambiguity among long-term-care staff. A total of 1,732 staff members from a set of 10 health and rehabilitation centers were surveyed and 511 usable questionnaires were received. The findings indicated that procedural justice, formalization, and organizational commitment are likely to minimize both role conflict and role ambiguity. Distributive justice was found to have a negative significant relationship with role conflict but not with role ambiguity. The virtuous organization approach is used to explain the results.

Quantum Strategy Creation by Interlocking Interconnecting Directors in Boards of Directors in Modern Organizations at Time of Globalization

The research explores a scientific problem on the quantum strategy creation and implementation by the interlocking interconnecting directors in the boards of directors in the modern organizations at the time of globalization, solving the winning virtuous strategy search, the most effective strategy selection and the organizational strategy optimization paradigms. We know that, having the different mindset architectures, the directors in the interlocking interconnecting directors networks in the boards of directors in the modern organizations complete the information sensing, filtering, processing, resonant absorption, analysis, strategy decision making processes with the aim to create and implement the most effective optimal winning virtuous organization development strategy, applying the early researched deductive, inductive and abductive logics. We propose that the new quantum strategy can be considered as a most effective optimal winning virtuous organizational strategy, allowing the board of directors to set a right direction vector toward the business development, to establish a necessary actions plan and to reach the sustainable business profitability goals in the economies of the scales and scopes. We explain that the quantum strategy can be formulated, going from: 1) the new quantum logic principles in the Copenhagen interpretation in the quantum mechanics science, 2) the deductive, inductive and abductive logics existing knowledge in the philosophy science, and 3) the modern strategy research findings in the business administration science. We think that the directors in the boards of directors in the complex organizations can implement the quantum strategies with the ultimate goal to build the prosperous organizations in the economies of the scale and scope at the time of the disruptive changes and opportunities by the globalization.

Utopie de la communication interne : vers une « maïeutique managériale de la confiance » dans l’organisation vertueuse

La présente recherche exploratoire, dans le cadre des rapports complexes entre communication des organisations et management, questionne le concept de confiance organisationnelle, face à certaines menaces socioprofessionnelles, en la forme d’une défiance contre-productive pour l’organisation et d’une utopie de la communication interne, mais aussi devant le champ – encore peu exploré –, des opportunités d’un rapprochement original entre management, philosophie, vertus morales et maïeutique socratique. Sur la base des résultats obtenus à la suite d’un travail de thèse, notre terrain est un dispositif numérique de collaboration et de communication interne que nous avons piloté, durant trois années successives, au sein d’une grande entreprise française d’assurance. En y examinant nos pratiques de Community Manager, nous approchons un mode de pilotage que nous nous sommes efforcé d’appliquer en la forme originale d’une maïeutique managériale de la confiance.

Organizational Justice and Quality of Working Life: A Road That Leads to a Virtuous Organization

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to find the effects of distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justices on quality of working life (QWL)—namely, job and career satisfaction, working conditions, control at work, home–work interface, and general well-being. A total 1,732 full-time employees from a set of 10 health and rehabilitation centers were surveyed, and 511 usable questionnaires were received. Correlations and regression analysis techniques were used in data analysis. Data revealed that fair distribution of resources and fair use of procedures improved 5 dimensions of QWL. Social exchange theory, multifocal perspective, and virtue ethics were used to explain the findings. This information is relevant for future research in the area of staff–client relations and quality of service. Theoretical, practical, and professional implications, directions for future research, and limitations of the study are discussed.

"What's in a Word? The Power of Articulating Values to Develop Values-Driven, Virtuous Organization"

The focus of this symposium is the values our words reflect, and how these values then shape the culture of our organizations. The symposium brings together several prominent scholars and practitioners who, separately, are working closely with organizational leaders to help them understand the relationship their values have with shaping the culture of the organization. By presenting and sharing their disparate though related work and dialoging with symposium attendees, we hope to raise awareness and positively influence the words- values-culture connection as an area of scholarship (research and teaching) and strategic management practice. Presenters will provide unique insight into the power of words - what values they articulate and give voice to, and how they facilitate sustainable change, and create strong value-based, and virtuous, work cultures. The Meaning of Excellence: Using Dialogue to Enable the Virtues Within Presenter: David S. Bright; Wright State U.

Virtuous organization: A structural equation modeling approach

Article history: Received October 5, 2012 Received in revised format 30 November 2012 Accepted 30 November 2012 Available online December 4 2012 For years, the idea of virtue was unfavorable among researchers and virtues were traditionally considered as culture-specific, relativistic and they were supposed to be associated with social conservatism, religious or moral dogmatism, and scientific irrelevance. Virtue and virtuousness have been recently considered seriously among organizational researchers. The proposed study of this paper examines the relationships between leadership, organizational culture, human resource, structure and processes, care for community and virtuous organization. Structural equation modeling is employed to investigate the effects of each variable on other components. The data used in this study consists of questionnaire responses from employees in Payam e Noor University in Yazd province. A total of 250 questionnaires were sent out and a total of 211 valid responses were received. Our results have revealed that all the five variables have positive and significant impacts on virtuous organization. Among the five variables, organizational culture has the most direct impact (0.80) and human resource has the most total impact (0.844) on virtuous organization. © 2013 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moving towards virtuousness in organization: An analysis of factors affecting virtuous organizations

Article history: Received July 15, 2012 Received in Revised form August, 27, 2012 Accepted 19 September 2012 Available online September 22 2012 For years, there has been growing interest on virtues, especially in various organizations and progressive companies are exploring their impacts in generating new, holistic, healthy, and human work environments. Many firms are trying to become more sensitive to the requirements of the community and virtuous concerns such as caring, compassion, integrity and wisdom, and less interested in ideas such as efficiency, profitability and competitive advantage. In other words, most firms are going towards virtuous firms. The primary objective of this work is to detect the drivers and principal components of a virtuous firm to put virtues into practice. The study consists of two parts. In the first part, a Delphi study among the informed individuals is conducted and request them to detect the most effective drivers of virtuous firm, while in the second part, we do an exploratory factor analysis to detect the principal factors influencing virtuous organization. The data implemented in this phase include questionnaire responses. The survey distributes 750 questionnaires and collects 574 valid responses. The factor analysis empirically grouped the drivers of virtuous organization into five factors including Leadership, Human Resource, Organizational Culture, Structure and Processes and Care for Community. These five factors describe approximately 81.305% of the total variance. Finally, we ranked the principal factors extracted from factor analysis. © 2012 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Board Oversight of Community Benefit: An Ethical Imperative

Board oversight of community benefit responsibility in tax-exempt organizations in the nonprofit health care sector is attracting considerable attention. Scrutiny by the IRS and other official bodies has led to stricter measures of compliance with the community benefit standard. But stricter compliance does not sufficiently engage the underlying ethical imperative for boards to provide effective oversight--an imperative that recent research suggests has not been sufficiently honored. This analysis considers why there is a distinctively ethical imperative for board oversight, the organizational nature of the imperative involved, and practical ways to fulfill its obligations. We adopt an organizational ethics paradigm to illuminate the constituent components of the ethical imperative and to clarify emerging benchmarks as flexible guidelines. As these emerging benchmarks enhance board oversight of community benefit they also can shed light on what it means to be a virtuous organization.

Sustainable Performance with Values‐Based Shared Leadership: A Case Study of a Virtuous Organization

AbstractThis article presents a qualitative case study of Herman Miller Inc., a “Virtuous Organization” and leading innovator and manufacturer in the business furniture industry. It adds to the literature by examining the role shared leadership can play in fostering sustainable performance in one organization that has a track record of virtuous organizational behaviour and long‐term success. Herman Miller has survived and thrived in the face of multiple setbacks. Our findings suggest two primary values potentially moderate the relationship between shared leadership and sustainable performance: (a) an ongoing creative process, and (b) recognition of every organization member as a valuable resource. We propose a conceptual model and offer preliminary qualitative evidence supporting key components and relationships implied by the model. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Positive Psychology in the Workplace

An economy in a downward spiral, rising unemployment, anxieties about future job loss, lack of access to affordable health care, a crisis in the financial industry, and declining consumer confidence are among some of the challenges creating significant stress in the lives of workers and their families. What impact are these stressors having on the day-to-day lives of people in the workplace? What role do concepts of positive psychology have in helping people to not only cope more effectively, but open their hearts and minds to move forward with newfound confidence, resilience, determination, hope, and vision for a better future? How can workers and their organizations create a more positive and proactive workplace that bridges economic and human goals? The purpose of this article is to examine these questions through an integrative analysis of conceptual and empirical approaches to positive organizational behavior and outcomes. Theory and research covering such areas as self-determining behavior patterns, emotional intelligence, psychologic capital, innovation, and workplace change are described, analyzed, and applied to individuals, groups, and the overall organizational system. These themes come together through the concept of a virtuous organization. These organizations have cultures infused with a strong ethical–moral foundation and leaders who bring out the best of their employees. Organizations of virtue strive to do well by doing good and strive to do good by doing well. These organizations succeed by having multiple bottom lines, not just economic ones. As such, they bridge the goals of economic development with human development.

What is an Exemplary Workplace? Evidence from Cuba

Management researchers and practitioners have developed a marked interest for the notion of good companies to work for, workplaces, meaningful work, virtuous organization, truly healthy organizations or authentizotic organizations. We complement the previous studies, conducted in the context of capitalistic economies, with an analysis of the representation of the organization in the context of a communist country, Cuba. An inductive study with 39 managers suggests that some elements of the exemplary workplace profile are heavily influenced by the local conditions (e.g., transportation system), whereas others may be viewed as probably general (social contribution). We also conclude that the balance between material conditions and social issues is a major determinant of how people evaluate the exemplarity of their organization.

The Virtuous Organization:: The Value of Happiness in the Workplace

The Virtuous Organization:: The Value of Happiness in the Workplace

The Quality and Ethics Connection: Toward Virtuous Organizations

Quality as a philosophy of management practice has become widely embedded in organizational mindsets. This paper looks at the fundamental theories of ethics and morality, and shows how these and a fuller consideration of these can lead to better practice of social responsibility through a higher platform of quality, which we call quality consciousness. The paper shows that business actions, and indeed the pedagogy of management theory, are not in themselves amoral. Rather, they are driven by a systematic reflection of the context. The paper develops the implication of this for the extension and strengthening of the concept of quality by delineating the definitional boundary of quality, and then scrutinizing the philosophy of quality and the philosophy of virtue and morality to examine conceptual inter-linkage and symbiosis. The paper promulgates a view of quality that explicitly incorporates virtue as part of the quality paradigm. The paper then charts how the rigorous incorporation of ethics and organizational morality can be made in quality management, and how this will lead to the next stage of evolution in quality theory and the role this new heightened sense will play in better managerial practice of corporate social responsibility. By critique, the paper develops a tentative framework to move toward the virtuous organization. This, the paper suggests, is the next stage of quality evolution.

The Virtuous Organization

Can a business be said to demonstrate moral virtues, and does being virtuous mean that it is more likely to behave ethically?

The virtuous organization.

In this essay, I shall assume that at least some groups are moral agents, a view successfully argued for by Peter French (1972, 1979, 1981). To that view I add only the following two refinements: (a) The reality of group or organizational agents depends on the existence of rules that constitute them. Because a moral agent acts in a community of moral agents, it is important that the rules that give a group agent its identity be accepted not only by persons in the group but also by the persons and groups with which that group can reasonably be expected to interact. (b) The rule structure of groups provides a basis for claims about the (in)-voluntariness of group action. This is especially important in moral contexts. My primary concern in the essay will be to lay a conceptual foundation for certain normative questions about group moral agency. The questions with which I shall be concerned have to do most directly with the structure of the organization itself and only indirectly with its interactions with others.