Purpose, Values, and Nurturing Organizations:
From Chester Barnard to Present and Beyond
Chair:
Sunita Singh Sengupta, Ph.D., Professor of Organizational Leadership, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, India
CONCEPT NOTE
When we nurture others, we nurture ourselves"
- (Post & Neimark 2007, p.48).
Barnard (1938) observed the organization as a complex social system within which he managed to move back and forward, demonstrating a unique capability, from empirical experiences towards theoretical tenets and vice versa, keeping up with the latest achievements in psychology, sociology, and human relations. A person in an organization accepts communication as authoritative when: he can understand the communication; he believes that it is not inconsistent with the purpose of the organization; he believes it to be compatible with his self-interest as a whole; he is able mentally and physically to comply with it; and there exists a zone of indifference in each individual within which orders are acceptable without conscious questioning of their authority (1938: 165-167).
Barnard (1938) focused on the complexities of the human element in the organization, on the psychological forces of human behavior, and on developing ways to manage the complexities of human behavior and to cope with its limitations (Gabor, 2000). He talks about the art and science of organization and advocates joining the two by conveying the aesthetic element in the decision-making process, which is derived from the "intimate habitual, interested experience" (1938: 235).
The human dimension of the organization is very important and requires attention to create organizations based on principles of inclusion and discuss the art and science of organization. The trend from various research suggests a growing need for a new direction, for new values, strongly felt among people in and around organizations (Singh Sengupta, 2003). The human consciousness is hard to comprehend but it is growing and making progress within the human system, through the ages impacting human conduct, and institutional systems that govern human activities (Singh Sengupta & Guangpuanang Kahmei, 2022).
The modern organization is deeply fragmented, where an invisible wall demarcates people based on gender, caste, creed, and region (Singh Sengupta & Guangpuanang Kahmei (2023). For decades, research has been persistent on the significance of ethics for an organization's success (Lee et al., 2022).
The purpose of this Panel Symposium is to engage a group of panelists in a formal, moderated, interactive discussion of (1) Organizational theories from Chester Bernard and beyond to understand them from the management lens of higher possibilities of human nature, (2) The art and science of organization, (3) Organizations as a living entity, (4) Integration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in organizational theory based on principles of inclusion, and (5) Integration of Personal values with organizational purpose and values.
References
| Barnard, C. (1938). The Functions of the Executive. (pp. 3-290). Cambridge: Harvard. |
| | University Press. |
| Gabor, A. (2000). The Capitalist Philosophers: The Geniuses of Modern Business – Their |
| | Lives, Times,and Ideas. New York, NY: Random House. |
| Lee J., Oh S-H and Park S. (2022). Effects of Organizational Embeddedness on Unethical |
| | Pro-Organizational Behaviour: Roles of Perceived Status and Ethical Leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, Vol.176, No.1., pp.111-125. |
| Post, S. and Neimark, J. (2007). Why Good Things Happen to Good People. New York: |
| | The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group. |
| Singh-Sengupta, Sunita (2003). Business and Society. New Delhi: Discovery Publishing |
| | House. |
| Singh-Sengupta, Sunita and Guangpuanang Kahmei (2022). Role of Integral Leadership, |
| | Mindfulness, and Spirituality in Creating the Learning Organization. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. |
| Singh -Sengupta, Sunita and Guangpuanang Kahmei (2023). Examining the Influence of |
| | Principled Leadership Approach on Learning Organization Culture. The IUP Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Vol.22, No.3, pp. 5-33. |
INTERESTED SCHOLARS PLEASE RESPOND BY DECEMBER 31, 2023 with one paragraph on what you would like to speak about with citations included along with a brief bio-sketch.
I am eagerly looking forward to hearing back from you.
WISHING A VERY PROSPEROUS AND PEACEFUL 2024.
Sunita
-- Professor of Organizational Behaviour & Former Dean
Faculty of Management Studies,University of Delhi (www.fms.edu)
Founder & Honorary Convener,Integrating Spirituality and Organizational Leadership Foundation (isol.asia) Cell No.: 9873167484;