Amplifying a Relational Ethic: A Contribution to PRME Praxis

• Author: Maria Humphries,Amy Klemm Verbos
• Published date: 01 March 2015
• Date: 01 March 2015
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12047

Amplifying a Relational Ethic:

A Contribution to PRME Praxis

AMY KLEMM VERBOS AND MARIA HUMPHRIES

ABSTRACT

Western economically driven instrumental ethics fuel the

dominant institutional logic in many business schools

and are associated with the negative social and environ-

mental situation widely linked to the mode of global devel-

opment. Other ethical framings have been subordinated,

marginalized, or denied. Through the explicit commitment

of prominent international certifying bodies of manage-

ment education, educators, researchers, and practitio-

ners will be encouraged to give increasing effect to the

Principles for Responsible Management Education

(PRME). The PRME is a United Nations-led, institution-

level mechanism for reorienting the direction of business

schools and for increasing both educator and student

capacities to contribute to a more inclusive and sustain-

able mode of development globally. We propose greater

emphasis be given to various forms of relational ethics

from which to guide the functional aspirations of institu-

tions. We explore the creative opportunity for institutional

change by contrasting the prevailing Western economi-

cally driven instrumental institutional logic with indig-

enous ethical framings. We draw upon Seo and Creed’s

Amy Klemm Verbos is an Assistant Professor of Business Law, Department of Finance and

Business Law, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, Whitewater, WI. E-mail: verbosa@

uww.edu. Maria Humphries is an Associate Professor, Waikato Management School, University

of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. E-mail: mariah@waikato.ac.nz.

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Business and Society Review 120:1 23–56

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conceptual framework of institutional change to discuss

two films—Mann v. Ford and Waste =Food—to bring

greater attention to the generative potential of indigenous

perspectives in institutional praxis. Our examples could

equally invite an application of other systems of relational

ethics that have been overshadowed by the current

domination of economic instrumentalism in almost all

realms of decision making. We conclude by providing

some teaching resources that can be used or adapted for

geographical- or disciplinary-specific attention to the

issues we raise.

INTRODUCTION

Western economically driven instrumental ethics fuel the

dominant institutional logic in many business schools.

We associate this instrumentalism with the negative

social and environmental situation now linked to the mode of

global development by scholars and activists from across the politi-

cal spectrum, Branson (2011), Maxton (2011), and Stiglitz (2010,

2012) among them. Other ethical framings have been subordinated

to the dominant logic, marginalized, or denied (Dyer et al. 2014).

Among transformational initiatives with global intent are the Prin-

ciples for Responsible Management Education (PRME)1attached as

Appendix 1. The PRME is a United Nations-led, institution-level

mechanism for reorienting business schools and increasing both

educator and student capacities to contribute to the generation of a

more inclusive and sustainable global economy. Our focus is on the

potential of indigenous wisdom to contribute to a shift in ethical

orientation by drawing attention to the rights of indigenous peoples

and to the responsibility of business to understand and respect

these rights globally. To this end, we provide a thumbnail sketch of

the response by The Royal Dutch Shell to responsibilities for the

restoration of Ogoniland as an orientation to the subsequent dis-

cussion of two films: Mann v. Ford (Chermayeff and Fink 2011) and

Waste = Food (van Hattum 2006). We initiate this discussion to

invite reflection on the potential of indigenous wisdom to assist in

addressing contemporary concerns about justice and environmen-

tal degradation. We illustrate our position with examples of indig-

24 BUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW

enous wisdom drawn from our home countries—United States and

New Zealand. The discussion can easily move to uncovering other

forms of relational ethics that have been overshadowed by the

current domination of Western economically driven instrumental-

ism in almost all realms of decision making. Regardless of the

choice of relational ethics to be used as examples, discussions

such as these are urged as a necessary first step in a revision of

ethical emphasis in the trajectory of global development.

THE UNITED NATIONS: ETHICAL REVISIONS

The PRME, with its origins in the United Nations Global Compact

(UNGC), brings corporate responsibility into the heart of manage-

ment education. Beginning in July 2000, participation in this

institution-level initiative to advance inclusive and sustainable

corporate citizenship has grown to over 10,000 participants,

including more than 7,000 businesses in 145 countries.2It is an

aspirational call at an institutional level for change to improve

responsible management education, research, and practice over

time (Rasche 2011; Waddock et al. 2010). Participating business

schools agree to reorient management education as an organiza-

tional field by committing to the six PRME principles (see Appen-

dix 1) and to exemplify these commitments in their own practices

(Alcaraz and Thiruvattal 2010; Rasche 2010). Through the explicit

commitment of prominent international certifying bodies of man-

agement education, educators, researchers, and practitioners will

be encouraged to give increasing effect to the PRME.

In their promotion of the PRME, Muff et al. (2013) urge teachers

to find ways to interrupt the current trajectory in management

education. They invite greater imagination in the shaping of a

more inclusive and environmentally sound trajectory for humanity

than is currently the case. Herein, we develop our view that

attention to the relational values expressed by many indigenous

peoples might stimulate student imagination for the creation and

support of a more inclusive human future and a flourishing

planet Earth. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

(DRIP) provides a solid introduction to indigenous aspirations in

the trajectory of global development.3The PRME, particularly with

closer integration of issues arising from the DRIP, provides a

25VERBOS AND HUMPHRIES