Abstract
This article examines spiritual growth and the business career. Rather than a certain decline into workaholism or materialism, the world of business becomes a necessary step on the path of enlightenment, through the transcendant philosophical models of the Hindu householder and the Native American Medicine Wheel.
The householder concept, including mastering the material world and the resulting spiritual growth, stresses the importance of action, also a criterion for success in business. Current views, based on studies of modern life, Judaic thought, and Christian beliefs, add further dimension to this executive's model of enlightenment.
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Additional information
John Hayes Barnett is Associate Professor at The Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire, U.S.A. He was previously a Management Consultant (Cresap, McCormick & Paget) and a Volunteer Executive (Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines) He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Doctor of Divinity. His most important publications are: Strategic Evaluation and Experimental Gaming (University of Colorado); Constants, Controversy and Change in Cultural Concepts (Sierra Madre Seminary); and Down the Rose Path: A Businessman's Search for Enlightenment (in press).
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Barnett, J.H. A business model of enlightenment. J Bus Ethics 4, 57–63 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382674
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382674