Building Leadership on the Invaluable. Towards the Groundworks for a Phenomenological Approach to the Philosophy of Management

AuthorIvo De Gennaro
PositionScholar of Bocconi University Milan and Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Pages78-87
78 ANCILLAIURIS(anci.ch)2006:78Article
Abstract1
Intheperspectiveoftraditionalethics,muchofthecurrent
debateontheroleofbusinessinsocietyandonresponsibleman
agementlacksanyethicalcontent.Thereasonforthisisthat,in
thisdebate,thecriterionforethicalactionisbasedonmeasurable
outcomesoreffectswhich,assuch,donottellusanythingabout
thenatureoftheactionwhichcausedthem.However,ethicsis
preciselyamatterofthe„quality“ofaction,notofitseffects.On
theotherhand,traditionalethicsdoesnotallowustodiagnosethe
originandtheimplicationsofthemountingdemandforthisef
fectethics.Aphenomenologicaldiagnosiscanbeattemptedinthe
lightofthedominanttraitofourtimei.e.empowermenttoperfor
mance.Inthislightitappearsthat„ethical“issuessuchassus
tainability,governance,accountability,etc.arebutformatsfor
theprogressivetranslationofallaspectsofreality(theenviron
ment,society,humanconscience,etc.)intoasteerablecircuitof
measurableeffects(values)drivenbythenecessityofselfen
hancement.Thus,ethicalclaimsarefunctionaltotheenhance
mentofthelevelofcommandedeffects,which,beingcongruous
withthedominanttrait,isuniversallyperceivedasbeingdesir
ableandgood.However,thiscircuitisfundamentallyunethical,
i.e.markedbythegrowingabsenceofanethos.Aslongasitcon
sistsinthemereimplementationofthiscircuit,managementis
notonly,inturn,unethical,butalsoirresponsible,i.e.notre
spondingtothedominanttraitassuch.Thepapersuggeststhat
theinsightintothephenomenonofontologicaldifferenceinter
ruptstheexclusiveorientationofmanagementtowardstheimple
mentationoftheselfempowermentofthedominanttrait,thus
indicatingaperspectivefortheeducationtoleadership.
*
Whatdomeanwhenweuseexpressionssuchas„phi
losophyofmanagement“or„ethicsofmanagement“?We
meanthatphilosophicalorethicalconsiderationsare
appliedtomanagementassomethingaformofaction
whichisessentiallygiven.However,philosophyandethics
1IvoDeGennaroisascholarofBocconiUniversityMilanandFree
UniversityofBozenBolzano.Ashorterversionofthispaperwas
presentedatthe„14thInternationalSymposiumonEthics,Busi
nessandSociety.Toward saComprehensiveIntegrationofEthics
intoManagement“,IESE,Barcelona,May1819,2006.Iamgrate
fultoCrinaBondreArdeleanandtoBurtHopkinsformakingthis
textsoundmoreEnglish;theresponsibilityforremaining
mistakesoroddnessesisofcourseonlymine.
donotfirstandforemostaimtoestablishtheessenceor
theethicalcharacterofthings;firstandforemosttheyseek
toestablishwhat„things“likeessenceandethosthemselves
consistin.Infact,wheneverphilosophicalthinking(which
isalwaysinitselfethical)isattempted,thisattempt
respondstoanecessarytransformationoftheunderstand
ingofessence(orbeing)andethos(thedimensionofhuman
being)assuch.Therefore,aphilosophyoranethicsofman
agementdoesnotdeterminetheessenceortheethicalchar
acterofmanagementasagivenformofaction,butshakes
thisverygivennessatitsbase.Inotherwords,theencoun
terofphilosophy(orethics)andmanagementnecessarily
impliesafundamentalchangeinthemeaningofwhat
managementis.
Thispaperpresentssomepreliminaryconsiderations
towardsaphenomenologicalethicsofmanagement.The
preliminarystepconsistsintheattempttodefinetherela
tionbetweenethicsandmanagementintermsofadiffer
ence.Thisdifferencedoesnotreflectthetraditionalhierar
chybetweenethics(asdeterminingthereignofends)and
economics(asthescienceofthemeanstowardstheachieve
mentoftheseends);however,itimpliesthatan„integra
tionofethicsintomanagement“bymeansoftheinclusion
ofparameterisedelementsoftraditionalethicsintoa
managementpracticeunquestionedinitsconstitutive
traits,isanillusion.Provisionallywemaysaythatethics,in
theoriginalsensethatwillbesuggestedinthispaper,
constitutesthedifferenceformanagement,whereasmanage
mentis,fundamentally,themanagementofdifference.
Theentireargumentationissustainedbythereference
towhatiscalled„thedominanttraitofourtime“.Thisref
erenceconstitutesthespecificallyphilosophicalapproach
ofthepaper.Inphilosophyandthereforealsoinaphilo
sophicalconsiderationdevotedtotheissuesofmanage
mentandleadershipnothingcanbesaidifnotwith
regardtothetraitthatdominates,i.e.universallyorients
thesenseofallthings.
1.Thedominanttraitofourtime
Theexpression„thedominanttraitofourtime“refers
tothefundamentaltraitwhich,inourepoch,constitutesthe
senseofallthings.Thistraitwecalltheempowermentto
performance(or,whichisthesame,empowermentto
BuildingLeadershipontheInvaluable
Tow ard stheGroundworksforaPhenomenologicalApproach
tothePhilosophyofManagement
IvoDeGennaro

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