The Ethics of Sustainability in Management: Storymaking in Organizations

This book develops a new ethics of sustainability for management and organizations, proposing a terrestrial ethics of storymaking based on Arendts political philosophy and the principle of natality. It emphasizes that stories are spatial, embodied, and material practices that are tied to a specific time and space, and that technology is an important dimension in making stories. It draws implications for business ethics and constructs a comprehensive ethics framework that connects the biological and physical with the social, economic, and political regarding how organizations work.

Format: Hardback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 13 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Organizational storytelling has been a prevalent teaching approach across various contexts, including organizational development, organizational change, organizational learning, and business ethics. However, a comprehensive framework that addresses sustainability within organizations has yet to be established. This book aims to fill this gap by developing a novel ethics of sustainability for management and organizations.

A terrestrial ethics of storytelling is proposed, which responds to Latour's assertion that the Terrestrial has emerged as a significant political actor in politics. The Terrestrial originates from Gaia, a metaphor representing a fresh perspective on life on Earth. Gaia situates life within the thin layer of matter that constitutes the Earth's surface. It entails the belief that nature is a continuous process involving human participation. Storytelling is constructed from Arendt's political philosophy, which is ontologically rooted in the principle of natality: the rebirth of life. The term "storymaking" is derived from Arendt's understanding of storytelling as a political act to emphasize that stories are spatial, embodied, and material practices that are tied to specific times and spaces. Moreover, technology plays a crucial role in shaping stories. Stories are thus human practices that encompass meaning-making, politics, and the use and manipulation of material and objects. They are essential for shaping the human world, which is further influenced by the rhythms of life embedded within the complex landscapes traversed by humans.

Storymaking is developed through a reevaluation of the connections between the central categories of labor, work, action, and thinking in Arendt's writings. Implications for business ethics are drawn out, and a comprehensive ethics framework is constructed that bridges the biological and physical with the social and ethical dimensions. This framework aims to guide organizations in integrating sustainability principles into their operations and decision-making processes, fostering a more responsible and sustainable approach to business. By embracing the power of storytelling, organizations can create meaningful connections with their stakeholders, promote social change, and contribute to the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants.

Weight: 490g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367466718