Towards a Spiritually Integral Theory of Management

Abstract

Novel epistemological, ontological, and metaphysical foundations of the burgeoning spirituality in management “movement” suggest a fundamental revisioning of the extant management disciplines. First, we examine the roots of management knowledge by revisiting Burrell and Morgan's (1979) classic work on sociological paradigms and organizational analysis. Their subjectivist-objectivist/sociology of regulation-sociology of change, four-quadrant paradigm framework has become a seminal work in organizational studies. Second, we explore the interdisciplinary work of philosopher Ken Wilber (1998), whose integral four-quadrant, holonic paradigms nicely complement Burrell and Morgan's efforts. Third, as inspired by the vanguard ideas and practices of the spirituality in management movement, we synergistically combine these two bodies of knowledge to produce a spiritually integral theory of management. Such a holistic theory may serve as an intellectual and methodological grounding for the new spirituality in management movement. In conclusion, we envision new possibilities for the future of management research and application in light of praxiological advancements offered by a spiritually integral theory of management.

A “Spiritual Turn” in Organizational Studies: Meaning Making or Meaningless?

“…If researchers in the field widely accept the notion that spiritual concerns cannot be reduced to material, economic and instrumental gains (Steingard and Fitzgibbons, 2004), then perhaps this calls for reflection on why arguments continue to be presented that emphasize how spirituality in organizations is linked to just such gains (King and Nicol, 1999;Kinjerski and Skrypnek:, 2004;Mathieson and Miree, 2003;Mitroff and Denton, 1999). Perhaps it is worth reflecting on how researchers also struggle with maintaining a space in which existential meaning may be created.…”

“…Moreover, while most definitions of the meaning of work may have some economic, materialist dimensions, it has been suggested that the meaning of work cannot be reduced to such an exchange (Brief and Nord, 1990). Indeed reducing the meaning of work to economic or instrumental purposes is the kind of "flatland" perspective in which higher, spiritual realities are collapsed into observable externalities but lack spiritual integrity Downloaded by [Gazi University] at 11:49 03 January 2015 -68-A Spiritual Turn in Organizational Studies Driver (Steingard and Fitzgibbons, 2004). In this sense, work and organizations have meaning for life beyond an economic exchange (Morse and Weiss, 1955) as places where human beings interpret and make life meaning (Ashar and LaneMaher, 2004;De Klerk, 2004;Pava, 1999), central in the human search for meaning (Frankl, 1992).…”

A new model of practical spiritual intelligence for the leadership development of human capital in Indian Universities

“…The work done on integral theory by various researchers (Anthony, 2005; Boyatzis et al , 2000; Green and Noble, 2010; Steingard and Fitzgibbons, 2004) documents the knowledge about the nature and development of human intelligence from all relevant sources including the world’s philosophical and religious traditions’ as well as modern-day constructs in consciousness studies. The five definitional models/frameworks of spirituality as stated by Wilber (2001) can be considered as a seminal framework that has served researchers in this complex domain of spirituality for years.…”