The lack of spiritual perspective of organizations: an exploratory study

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the key features of a non-spiritual organization (NSO) and to show what it is capable of delivering to society. Design/methodology/approach This study relies on grounded theory method, given that it allows the researcher to apply flexible guidelines to collect and analyze qualitative data to build theories on the grounds of the data themselves. Therefore, qualitative data are derived from quotations, observations and excerpts from documents. The backdrop of this investigation was the accident caused by a Brazilian miner in the Rio Doce basin after the collapse of the Fundão dam in Bento Rodrigues, Brazil. Findings Overall, data revealed a pattern in which five themes emerged naturally, namely, the antecedents, poor corporate values, lack of appropriate management tools, unjustified dynamics and dealing with the consequences. Further, the ethical imperatives of doing right, doing good and doing well may be only discursive elements for great corporations. At first sight, adhering to an NSO frame is a result of a strategic decision. Research limitations/implications Taking into account the method that was used, the results cannot be generalized and herein resides the major limitation of this study. Practical implications It is very concerning that an acknowledged and awarded company is involved in such an episode. Such evidence prompts us to suspect that many so-called good companies may be deliberately hiding their shadows from society. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first empirical work toward untangling the meaning, nuances and contours of an NSO. In doing so, it helps understand the impact of this sort of companies on society and environment.

Knowledge hiding in two contrasting cultural contexts

“…Knowledge hiding was also established under different organizational contexts including academia (Hernaus et al , 2018; Ladan et al , 2017; Peng, 2013; Qureshi and Evans, 2015; Vasconcelos, 2018). Nevertheless, as in the case of any established organizational behavior, knowledge hiding is also distinct and discrete in various cultural contexts (Arain et al , 2018; Bilginoğlu, 2019; Bogilović et al , 2017; Boz Semerci, 2018; Černe et al , 2017; Peng et al , 2018).…”

Unfolding irrationality: how do meaningful coincidences influence management decisions?

“…Although studying meaningful coincidences and their impact on management decisions can be considered as an odd topic far from the conception of science, the demonstrated heavy impact of this and related irrational phenomena on firms' decisions and consequent performances (Tsang, 2004;Liu and De Rond, 2016), such as corporate spirituality (Vasconcelos, 2018(Vasconcelos, , 2020 -International Journal of Organizational Analysis), underline that not considering them undermines a complete understanding of managerial decision-making and firms' performance. Indeed, several important decisions within organizations regarded as "irrational" strongly influence its outcomes (Brunsson, 1982); for example, the decision by the Kennedy administration to start the invasion in the Bay of Pigs, which was found to be based on poor rational analysis (Janis, 1972).…”

Don’t play the odds, play the man

“…Collectively, these four theoretical perspectives imply a broad range of antecedents of knowledge hiding. To identify the specific antecedents of knowledge hiding, we summarize previous empirical studies of knowledge hiding (Kidwell, 2010; Peng, 2013; Serenko and Bontis, 2016; Vasconcelos, 2018). From each study, we identify key antecedents of knowledge hiding and apply them to the TISM and MICMAC approaches.…”

“…These studies were notable in highlighting that knowledge hiding is driven by organizational factors; it is not merely individual deviant behaviour. Some researchers (Serenko and Bontis, 2016; Vasconcelos, 2018) have further investigated the antecedents of knowledge hiding. Issac and Baral (2018) describe knowledge hiding as a distinct behaviour, emphasizing that it is neither a lack of knowledge sharing nor knowledge hoarding.…”