Why Spirituality Belongs in the Business Curriculum

Abstract

The financial crisis of 2008, which followed Enron and other accounting scandals, has made it very clear that much of corporate America has lost its values. We have to rethink what we are teaching students. Since approximately 80% of first-year college students are interested in spirituality, it is quite reasonable to incorporate spiritual values into business courses. Spirituality is not religion so there are few problems with discussing this in a class. Spiritual values include making work meaningful, respect for the creativity of employees, and improving the world. The authors also present case histories of firms that have incorporated spiritual values into the way they conduct business.

Keywords: Spirituality, servant leader, ethics, meaningful work, improving the world.

JEL Classification: A22, A23, D81, G18, G21, I20, L20, L21, M14, M19, M31, Q20, Q38