Doing well by doing right: where is practical wisdom in business?
ISSN: 1747-1117
Article publication date: 16 July 2024
Issue publication date: 21 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically examine the unexplored effects of organizational spirituality on the relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational practical wisdom (phronesis). By integrating these constructs, this study seeks to uncover the mechanisms through which organizations can cultivate practical wisdom and foster a more humanistic approach to management. Contributing in this way aids in the advancement of sustainable and ethical business practices. Drawing upon the theoretical foundations of knowledge dynamics and spirituality in the workplace, this research offers novel insights into the enablers of organizational phronesis.
Design/methodology/approach
To explore the influence of spirituality on the relationship between knowledge sharing and practical wisdom, a comprehensive study was conducted. An online survey was conducted to collect answers from 365 workers, ensuring a diverse and representative sample. Partial least squares structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses.
Findings
This research reveals a significant correlation. Knowledge sharing, when supported by spirituality, enhances workplace efficiency and extends its positive impact beyond the workplace. This underscores the importance of embracing organizational spirituality and knowledge sharing to embody organizational phronesis and achieve a humanized strategy. By fostering this, organizations can promote effective decision-making and problem-solving, thereby enhancing their sustainable performance.
Originality/value
This research breaks new ground by empirically investigating and establishing the previously unexplored effects of knowledge sharing and organizational spirituality on organizational phronesis, thereby contributing to the evolving field of organizational behavior, sustainability and business ethics.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
An early version of the manuscript was presented at the TAKE Conference 2021.
Funding: NECE and this work are supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. by project reference UIDB/04630/2020 and DOI identifier 10.54499/UIDP/04630/2020.
Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Authorship contribution: Raysa Geaquinto Rocha: Conceptualization, methodology, data curation, formal analysis. Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Paulo Pinheiro: Supervision. Conceptualization. Writing – review & editing. Florian Kragulj: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Célia Nunes: Methodology, data curation, formal analysis. Marcia d’Angelo: Methodology, data curation, formal analysis.
Citation
Rocha, R.G., Pinheiro, P., Kragulj, F., Nunes, C. and d'Angelo, M.J. (2024), "Doing well by doing right: where is practical wisdom in business?", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 20 No. 10, pp. 1868-1890. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-11-2023-0627
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited