In an Ideal Business: How the Ideas of 10 Female Philosophers Bring Value into the Workplace (IE Business Publishing)

Business decisions are not just based on abstract theories or models. They reflect a world view of how a company operates and the philosophy of management that it follows. Even denying any connection between management and values is a philosophical statement in itself. Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, President of the prestigious IE Business School, looks to the greatest female philosophers from modern history to help us bring purpose and meaning back into the workplace and management education. He shows how their pioneering work can be applied in specific situations, from Iris Murdoch's emphasis on compassion to Hannah Arendt's work on making the world more human, each philosopher can, in a very practical way, help inform your own approach to work and life. Packed with examples, personal stories and anecdotes from some of the world's most influential companies and women in business, this book examines how the contributions from female philosophers stand up in the real world, helping to drive inclusion, diversity and ultimately, innovation Acknowledgements 7 How to Read This Book 9 Contents 10 1 Why Female Philosophers Matter to Management: Randi Zuckerberg 15 An Unforgivable Absence 15 Why Female Philosophers Have a Contribution to Make to Management 17 Why Should Managers Philosophize? 20 Insights from a Committed Entrepreneur and Mom: Randi Zuckerberg 22 2 Balance: Patricia Churchland/Belinda Holdsworth 33 What Distinguishes Humans from Robots? 33 The North Pole of Philosophy 36 Mind and Body 37 The Brain Is Our Center of Operations 40 Could Psychopharmacology Generate More Talent and Make Better Companies? 41 Takeaways 44 3 Courage: Ayn Rand/Jiang Qiong Er 47 Ying and Yang, Tradition and Modernity: Jiang Qiong Er 47 Ayn Rand, a Conservative Thinker? 51 Creators as Leaders 55 Leaders and Administrators 58 Takeaways 59 4 Virtue: Philippa Foot/Angelica Kohlmann 61 Science, Business and Cosmopolitanism: Angelica Kohlmann 61 Philippa Foot, Oxford and Analytical Philosophy 64 The Meaning and Relevance of Virtue 67 The Trolley Problem and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence 69 Takeaways 73 5 Love: Iris Murdoch/María Benjumea 75 Passion Enlightens a Professional Life: María Benjumea 75 Generalists and Specialists: The Case of Iris Murdoch 80 Compassion, Love and Leadership 81 Exercising Compassion to Enhance Leadership 84 Takeaways 85 6 Authenticity: Elizabeth Anscombe/Catherine Moukheibir 88 A Tale of Three Continents: Catherine Moukheibir 88 A Thinker Who Stuck to Her Principles: Elizabeth Anscombe 93 Speaking Out: When CEOs Have to Stand up for Their Principles 95 Consequentialism and Absolutism: The Business Case and the Moral Case 97 Takeaways 100 7 Humanity: Martha Nussbaum/Olga Urbani 103 A Company Rooted in the Humanities: Urbani Tartufi 103 The Measuring Malaise and Its Critics: Martha Nussbaum 106 Why Studying the Humanities Makes More Sense Than Ever 109 Management Has Been Ascribed to the Social Sciences... 112 ...And Management Belongs to the Humanities 114 Takeaways 115 8 Fortitude: Hannah Arendt/Maria Tereza Leme Fleury 118 Fair, Fearless, Forerunner: Tereza Fleury 118 A Critical Thinker During Critical Times: Hannah Arendt 121 The Banality of Evil 123 Critical Thinking, a Major Source of Innovation at Companies 126 Takeaways 128 9 Passion: Simone Weil/Michelle Raymond 131 Per aspera ad astra: Michelle Raymond 131 Authenticity as Practicing What You Preach: Simone Weil 135 Work: Alienation or Liberation? 138 Will Education Become Fully Automatized? 140 Takeaways 141 10 Ethics: Adela Cortina/Inés Temple 144 Reflecting on the Enterprise of One’s Life: Inés Temple 144 Making the Connection Between Business and Ethics: Adela Cortina 148 Business Ethics: An Oxymoron? 150 The Rise of Corporate Social Responsibility 152 Fear of the Poor 155 Takeaways 157 11 Vision: Simone de Beauvoir/Usha Prashar 159 An Agent of Change: Baroness Usha Prashar 159 Simone de Beauvoir: The Beginnings of Feminist Philosophy 164 Engagement and Speaking Out 169 Do We Grow Old, or Start a Second Life? 170 Takeaways 173 12 Resolve: African Challenges/Ifeoma Idigbe 175 Women Hold the Keys to Africa’s Future 175 Challenging Nigeria’s Traditional Gender Roles: Ifeoma Idigbe 177 Index 181 Business decisions are not just based on abstract theories or models. They reflect a world view of how a company operates and the philosophy of management that it follows. Even denying any connection between management and values is a philosophical statement in itself. Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño, President of the prestigious IE Business School, looks to the greatest female philosophers from modern history to help us bring purpose and meaning back into the workplace and management education. He shows how their pioneering work can be applied in specific situations, from Iris Murdoch's emphasis on compassion to Hannah Arendt's work on making the world more human, each philosopher can, in a very practical way, help inform your own approach to work and life. Packed with examples, personal stories and anecdotes from some of the world's most influential companies and women in business, this book examines how the contributions from female philosophers stand up in the real world, helping to drive inclusion, diversity and ultimately, innovation Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Why Female Philosophers Matter to Management: Randi Zuckerberg (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 1-18 Balance: Patricia Churchland/Belinda Holdsworth (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 19-32 Courage: Ayn Rand/Jiang Qiong Er (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 33-46 Virtue: Philippa Foot/Angelica Kohlmann (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 47-60 Love: Iris Murdoch/María Benjumea (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 61-73 Authenticity: Elizabeth Anscombe/Catherine Moukheibir (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 75-89 Humanity: Martha Nussbaum/Olga Urbani (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 91-105 Fortitude: Hannah Arendt/Maria Tereza Leme Fleury (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 107-119 Passion: Simone Weil/Michelle Raymond (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 121-133 Ethics: Adela Cortina/Inés Temple (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 135-149 Vision: Simone de Beauvoir/Usha Prashar (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 151-166 Resolve: African Challenges/Ifeoma Idigbe (Santiago Iñiguez)....Pages 167-172 Back Matter ....Pages 173-179