Marcel Meyer and Matthias P. Hühn
The purpose of this study is to discuss the advantages and challenges of using virtuous language in business.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to discuss the advantages and challenges of using virtuous language in business.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a theoretical exploration based on a literature review and philosophical analysis that uses a quantitative study from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as its starting point.
Findings
This study argues that neo-Aristotelian leadership and positive leadership explain why companies whose financial filings use value-laden language that stresses the higher purpose of the organisation to outperform companies whose reports use the language of profit maximisation. While neo-Aristotelian leadership is based on Aristotle’s Rhetoric, positive leadership is primarily influenced by research results from Positive Psychology and Positive Organizational Scholarship. The two approaches to leadership highlight something that conventional business research largely ignores, namely, the role of values as drivers of human behavior and the importance of character in leadership. Both research streams indicate that it is possible for organisations to do well and do good because they are seen as groups of value-driven individuals. Thus, using virtuous/positive communication is a possible means to do well financially and to (re-)humanize the business world of tomorrow.
Research limitations/implications
The BHI study investigates the outcomes of written language only; thus, it does not consider oral communication. Moreover, there is no “perfect level” of virtuous language in corporate environments. We should not expect the same precision in ethics as in mathematics.
Practical implications
By way of explaining how to best use virtuous language in a business context, this study helps business practitioners to do good and well.
Social implications
This study offers a pathway to (re-)humanize tomorrow’s world of business, which is once again subjugating humanity to imagined technological imperatives.
Originality/value
By deliberating the benefits and possible downsides of using virtuous language in a business environment, this paper advances a topic that has recently gained considerable attention but is still in need for more research.
Propósito
el propósito de este estudio es discutir las ventajas y desafíos de usar el lenguaje de la virtud en los negocios.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
este artículo es una exploración teórica basada en una revisión de la literatura y análisis filosófico que utiliza un estudio cuantitativo del Boston Consulting Group (BCG) como su punto de partida.
Hallazgos
este estudio sostiene que el liderazgo neo-aristotélico y el liderazgo positivo explican por qué las empresas cuyas declaraciones financieras utilizan un lenguaje cargado de valor que enfatiza el propósito superior de la organización superan a las empresas cuyos informes utilizan el lenguaje de la maximización de beneficios. Mientras el liderazgo neo-aristotélico se basa en la retórica de Aristóteles. El liderazgo positivo es principalmente influenciado por los descubrimientos de la Psicología Positiva y la Teoria Organizacional Positiva. Los dos enfoques del liderazgo destacan algo que la investigación empresarial convencional ignora, a saber, el papel de los valores como impulsores del comportamiento humano y la importancia del carácter en liderazgo. Ambas corrientes de investigación indican que es posible que las organizaciones hagan el bien y que les vaya bien al mismo tiempo, justo porque son vistos como grupos de individuos impulsados por valores. Por lo tanto, usar la comunicación virtuosa / positiva es un medio que permite hacer el bien financieramente hablando y para (re) humanizar el mundo empresarial de mañana.
Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigación
el estudio BHI investiga los resultados del lenguaje escrito solamente; por tanto, no considera la comunicación oral. Además, no existe un "nivel perfecto" de lenguaje virtuoso en entornos corporativos. No deberíamos esperar la misma precisión en ética que en matemáticas.
Implicaciones prácticas
a modo de explicación de cómo utilizar mejor el lenguaje virtuoso en un contexto empresarial, este estudio ayuda a los empresarios a entender mejor la relación entre hacer el bien y que les vaya bien a sus organizaciones.
Implicaciones sociales
este estudio ofrece un camino para (re)humanizar el mundo empresarial del mañana, que una vez más está sometiendo a la humanidad a imperativos tecnológicos imaginados.
Originalidad/valor
deliberando sobre los beneficios y las posibles desventajas de usar un lenguaje virtuoso en un entorno empresarial, este documento presenta un tema que recientemente ha recibido considerable atención pero que necesita de más investigación.
Objetivo
o objetivo deste estudo é discutir as vantagens e os desafios do uso da linguagem virtuosa nos negócios.
Design/Metodologia/Abordagem
Este artigo é uma exploração teórica baseada em uma revisão da literatura e análise filosófica que usa um estudo quantitativo do Boston Consulting Group (BCG) como ponto de partida.
Descobertas
Este estudo argumenta que a liderança neo-aristotélica e a liderança positiva explicam por que as empresas cujas demonstrações financeiras usam uma linguagem carregada de valor que enfatiza o propósito superior da organização de superar as empresas cujos relatórios usam a linguagem da maximização de benefícios. Enquanto a liderança neo-aristotélica é baseada na retórica de Aristóteles. A liderança positiva é influenciada principalmente pelos resultados da pesquisa da Psicologia Positiva e do Estudo Organizacional Positivo. Ambas as abordagens da liderança destacam algo que a pesquisa convencional de negócios ignora, a saber, o papel dos valores como motores do comportamento humano e a importância do caráter na liderança. Ambos os fluxos de pesquisa indicam que é possível que as organizações façam bem e que façam bem porque são vistas como grupos de indivíduos movidos por valores. Portanto, usar a comunicação virtuosa / positiva é um meio de fazer o bem financeiramente e (re) humanizar o mundo dos negócios do amanhã.
Limitações/implicaçõesda pesquisa
O estudo BHI investiga apenas resultados de linguagem escrita; portanto, não considera a comunicação oral. Além disso, não existe um "nível perfeito" de linguagem virtuosa em ambientes corporativos. Não devemos esperar a mesma precisão na ética que na matemática.
Implicações práticas
Por meio da explicação de como usar da melhor forma a linguagem virtuosa em um contexto de negócios, este estudo ajuda os empreendedores a fazer o bem e melhor.
Implicações Sociais
Este estudo oferece um caminho para (re) humanizar o mundo empresarial do amanhã, que mais uma vez está submetendo a humanidade a imperativos tecnológicos imaginários.
Originalidade/valor
deliberando sobre os benefícios e as desvantagens potenciais do uso de linguagem virtuosa em um ambiente de negócios, este artigo apresenta um tópico que recentemente recebeu atenção considerável, mas precisa de mais pesquisas.
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Dina Al Raffie and Matthias P. Huehn
The chapter tries to highlight the critical importance of values to leadership, and argues that the research design of the ‘social scientific’ mainstream is incommensurable with…
Abstract
The chapter tries to highlight the critical importance of values to leadership, and argues that the research design of the ‘social scientific’ mainstream is incommensurable with the language of the scientific discipline that studies values: moral philosophy. The chapter shows that (a) through goals and actions, ethics is a central aspect of leadership and (b) that ethics cannot be reinterpreted as being ‘value-neutral’. Therefore, ‘effective’ leadership must always be connected to a specific value set. After arguing that leadership cannot be meaningfully looked at without reference to virtue ethics, two case studies are used to demonstrate the relationship between the two. By looking at two prominent terrorist leaders, the chapter shows how values are at the heart of their visions and actions. There are at least two practical implications: the study of leadership, and leadership education, must be reconnected with moral philosophy. The chapter connects three hitherto unconnected topics: leadership, (virtue) ethics and terrorism, presenting new insights into especially leadership.
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The purpose of this paper is to hypothesise that business theory and education suffer from having been systematically de-philosophised over the last 200 years. Viewed through this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to hypothesise that business theory and education suffer from having been systematically de-philosophised over the last 200 years. Viewed through this lens the economistic narrative can be understood and new and integrated solutions to theoretical and pedagogical problems can be debated.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a theoretical exploration based on a literature review and philosophical analysis.
Findings
Going back to a social science philosophy would fundamentally affect how management is conceptualised, done and taught. The paper focuses on outlining the impact a re-philosophisation would have on management education.
Practical implications
If one agrees that philosophy plays a too small role in management, it would change how scholarship is currently defined and how management education functions. Business schools would have to fundamentally change in every respect.
Originality/value
Current criticism of the management mainstream focuses on either the political/ethical or the epistemic level. The paper argues that the epistemic and the ethical are connected and by making an integrated argument the debate can be re-energised and solution strategies become obvious. I am not aware of any other contribution making this argument. Ghoshal (unwittingly) used the same reasoning but without using the clear frame of reference (philosophy) that this paper proposes.
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Afef Sahli and Yuan Zhai
The purpose of this study is to show that as technologies expand the personalization capabilities of advertisers and that intrusive ad formats online and in mobile contexts raise…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to show that as technologies expand the personalization capabilities of advertisers and that intrusive ad formats online and in mobile contexts raise privacy and control concerns, this emerging area requires better understanding.
Design/methodology/approach
The model tests antecedents and outcomes of advertising intrusion based on surveys of 170 respondents and structural equation modeling. Personalized mobile ads, privacy concerns and perceived vulnerability heighten intrusion, leading to resistance behaviors like avoiding ads and negative brand attitudes.
Findings
The findings offer several practical implications for marketers targeting youth to balance relevance with transparency in personalized communications to avoid irritation that damages brand perceptions and relationships. The authors believe the article contributes uniquely to the literature at the intersection of interactive marketing technologies, privacy concerns and adolescent consumers – an impactful yet understudied demographic. The rigorous methodology also advances knowledge of advertising intrusion phenomena.
Research limitations/implications
As with all research, it is important to recognize the limitations of this work that can be taken advantage of in future avenues of research. Firstly, the authors did not consider demographic variables, such as gender, and psychographic variables (lifestyle, personality, etc.), as factors that may influence advertising intrusiveness. Secondly, the authors limited the consequences of intrusion to the variable resistance over time, since several consequences can be studied in this context. Further investigations may remedy those limitations by integrating additional variables into the models, as well as resistance proxies. Besides, a new path for research would consider a breakdown of the age range of teenagers, i.e. the beginning, the middle and the late teenage years.
Practical implications
The discoveries from this study have significant implications for marketers and organization. The authors therefore recommend that companies commit to creating value through personalization and implement techniques to reduce consumers’ privacy concerns “personalizing mobile advertising involves several important aspects including choosing the right target market, sending users relevant and wanted information and creating personalized advertising contents” (Wang et al., 2019). One way forward, in an environment that will be even more connected in the future, is for companies to request only the data that is relevant and necessary for the smooth running of their business and to integrate privacy practices into their operations.
Originality/value
This research can contribute to the development of a theory on the role of advertising intrusion in shaping adolescent behavior. The research model has enabled us to deduce the impact of personalization on the perception of an advertising intrusion, providing us with information on the importance of elements provided by the company, such as the importance of the characteristics and beliefs of the adolescent consumer, i.e. perceived privacy concerns and risks, in deciding whether or not to participate in personalization. The conclusions of the study therefore highlight the need for companies to adapt their marketing strategy to remain consistent with new expectations, i.e. to conceive personalization and privacy as two consubstantial issues.