Reframing Organizations, 3rd ed.

Reframing Ethics and Spirit Chapter 19 Reframing Ethics and Spirit

Reframing Ethics and Spirit Soul and Spirit in Organizations The Factory: Excellence and Authorship The Family: Caring and Love The Jungle: Justice and Power The Temple: Faith and Significance

Soul and Spirit in Organizations Organizational soul: bedrock sense of identity, clarity about core ideology and values Core ideology emphasizing “more than profits” key to highly successful firms (Collins and Porras, 1994) Enron Rapid shift from pipelines to deal-making produced enormous growth -- for a while In the process, Enron lost a sense of core identity and values (“lots of smart people, but no wise people”) Merck Core purpose: not profit but “preserve and improve human life” Developed and gave away river blindness drug

Table 19.1: Reframing Ethics Metaphor Organizational Ethic Leadership Contribution Factory Excellence Authorship Extended family Caring Love Jungle Justice Power Temple `Faith Significance

Conclusion Organizational ethics ultimately need to be rooted in soul Modern organizations suffer a crisis of meaning and moral authority Leaders need to hold and model values like excellence, caring, justice, faith