Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-01T02:41:51.341Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Exploring managers’ conceptions of wisdom as management practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2015

Fahad Alammar  and
David Pauleen
Fahad Alammar*
Affiliation:
School of Management, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
David Pauleen
Affiliation:
School of Management, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
*
Corresponding author: F.Alammar@massey.ac.nz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper reports on an exploratory investigation into the concept of managerial wisdom. Six senior managers from diverse and large organisations in New Zealand were interviewed about their conception of managerial wisdom. The findings show that senior managers have a practical and positive conception of wisdom consisting of four factors: experience and knowledge, emotional intelligence, mentorship, and deliberation and consultation. The findings show that concepts of ‘spirituality’, ‘religiosity’, and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, ‘ethics’, are all absent from the participants’ descriptions of wise managers. A tentative definition of managerial wisdom is proposed based on these findings as well as an explanation for the absence of ethics. As interest in wisdom and management continues to grow, this exploratory empirical research serves as a base for further research on the understanding and place of wisdom in management.

Keywords

wisdommanagerial wisdomethicspractical wisdomagency theory
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , July 2016 , pp. 550 - 565
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ardelt, M. (2004). Wisdom as expert knowledge system: A critical review of a contemporary operationalization of an ancient concept. Human Development, 47(5), 257–285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ardelt, M. (2011). Wisdom, age, and well-being. In K. W. Schaie, & S. L. Willis (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 279–291). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Baltes, P., & Kunzmann, U. (2004). The two faces of wisdom: Wisdom as a general theory of knowledge and judgment about excellence in mind and virtue vs. wisdom as everyday realization in people and products. Human Development, 47(5), 290–299.Google Scholar
Baltes, P., & Staudinger, U. (2000). Wisdom: A metaheuristic (pragmatic) to orchestrate mind and virtue toward excellence. American Psychologist, 55(1), 122–136.Google Scholar
Bigelow, J. (1992). Developing managerial wisdom. Journal of Management Inquiry, 1(2), 143–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Birren, J., & Svensson, C. (2005). Wisdom in history. In R. Sternberg, & J. Jordan (Eds.), A handbook of wisdom: Psychological perspectives (pp. 3–31). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bluck, S., & Glück, J. (2004). Making things better and learning a lesson: Experiencing wisdom across the lifespan. Journal of Personality, 72(3), 543–572.Google Scholar
Bluck, S., & Gluck, J. (2005). People’s implicit theories of wisdom. In R. Sternberg, & J. Jordan (Eds.), A handbook of wisdom: Psychological Perspectives (pp. 84–109). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Burke, C. S., Sims, D. E., Lazzara, E. H., & Salas, E. (2007). Trust in leadership: A multi-level review and integration. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(6), 606–632.Google Scholar
Byrne, B. (2004). Qualitative interviewing. In C. Seale (Ed.), Researching society and culture (3rd ed., pp. 206–226). London, England: Sage.Google Scholar
Chia, R. C., & Holt, R. (2009). Strategy without design: The silent efficacy of indirect action. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Clayton, V. (1982). Wisdom and intelligence: The nature and function of knowledge in the later years. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 15(4), 315–321.Google Scholar
Clayton, V., & Birren, J. E. (1980). The development of wisdom across the life span: A reexamination of an ancient topic. In P. B. Baltes, & J. O. G. Brim (Eds.), Life-span development and behavior (Vol. 3, pp. 103–135). NY, New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Collis, J., & Hussey, R. (2009). Business research: A practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students (3rd ed.). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Craft, A. (2006). Fostering creativity with wisdom. Cambridge Journal of Education, 36(3), 337–350.Google Scholar
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989a). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 57–74.Google Scholar
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989b). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532–550.Google Scholar
Erikson, E. H. (1959). Growth and crises of the healthy personality. In E. H. Erikson (Ed.), Psychological issues: Identity and the life cycle (Vol. 1, pp. 91–146). New York, NY: International Universities Press.Google Scholar
Flyvbjerg, B. (2001). Making social science matter: Why social inquiry fails and how it can succeed again. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gibson, P. S. (2008). Developing practical management wisdom. Journal of Management Development, 27(5), 528–536.Google Scholar
Glück, J., Bluck, S., Baron, J., & McAdams, D. (2005). The wisdom of experience: Autobiographical narratives across adulthood. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 29(3), 197–208.Google Scholar
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2002). The new leaders: Transforming the art of leadership into the science of results. London, UK: Little, Brown Book Group.Google Scholar
Hammer, M. (2002). The getting and keeping of wisdom: Inter-generational knowledge transfer in a changing public service. Ottawa, Canada: Public Service Commission of Canada. Retrieved from http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/psc-cfp/getting_keeping_wisdom-e/html/research/knowledge/wisdom_e.htm Google Scholar
Hershey, D. A., & Farrell, A. H. (1997). Perceptions of wisdom associated with selected occupations and personality characteristics. Current Psychology, 16(2), 115–130.Google Scholar
Holliday, S. G., & Chandler, M. J. (1986). Wisdom: Explorations in adult competence. In J. A. Meacham (Ed.), Contributions to human development (Vol. 17, pp. 1–96). Basel, Switzerland: Karger.Google Scholar
Intezari, A. (2013). Wisdom and decision making: Grounding theory in management practice (Doctoral dissertation). Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University. Retrieved from http://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/5374.Google Scholar
Intezari, A., & Pauleen, D. J. (2013). Management wisdom in perspective: Are you virtuous enough to succeed in volatile times? Journal of Business Ethics, 120(3), 393–404.Google Scholar
Kessler, E. H. (2006). Organizational wisdom: Human, managerial, and strategic implications. Group & Organization Management, 31(3), 296–299.Google Scholar
Kilburg, R. R. (2006). Executive wisdom: Coaching and the emergence of virtuous leaders. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kolodinsky, R. W., & Bierly, P. E. (2013). Understanding the elements and outcomes of executive wisdom: A strategic approach. Journal of Management & Organization, 19(1), 1–24.Google Scholar
Kriger, M. (2013). Wise leadership in organizations: Integrating Eastern and Western paradigms. In J. Neal (Ed.), Handbook of faith and spirituality in the workplace (pp. 255–269). New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Küpers, W., & Pauleen, D. J. (2013). A handbook of practical wisdom: Leadership, organization and integral business practice. Surrey, UK: Gower Publishing.Google Scholar
Levitt, H. M. (1999). The development of wisdom: An analysis of Tibetan Buddhist experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 39(2), 86–105.Google Scholar
Malan, L.-C., & Kriger, M. P. (1998). Making sense of managerial wisdom. Journal of Management Inquiry, 7(3), 242–251.Google Scholar
McKenna, B., & Biloslavo, R. (2011). Human flourishing as a foundation for a new sustainability oriented business school curriculum: Open questions and possible answers. Journal of Management and Organization, 17(5), 693–710.Google Scholar
McKenna, B., Rooney, D., & Boal, K. B. (2009). Wisdom principles as a meta-theoretical basis for evaluating leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 20(2), 177–190.Google Scholar
McKenna, B., Rooney, D., & Liesch, P. W. (2006). Beyond knowledge to wisdom in international business strategy. Prometheus, 24(3), 283–300.Google Scholar
Melé, D. (2010). Practical wisdom in managerial decision making. Journal of Management Development, 29(7/8), 637–645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moberg, D. J. (2001). Managerial wisdom. In J. Dienhart, D. Moberg, & R. Duska (Eds.), The next phase of business ethics: Integrating psychology and ethics (Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations. Vol. 3, pp. 377–396). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Google Scholar
Moberg, D. J. (2008). Mentoring and practical wisdom: Are mentors wiser or just more politically skilled? Journal of Business Ethics, 83(4), 835–843.Google Scholar
Montgomery, A., Barber, C., & McKee, P. (2002). A phenomenological study of wisdom in later life. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 54(2), 139–157.Google Scholar
Nonaka, I., & Toyama, R. (2007). Strategic management as distributed practical wisdom (phronesis). Industrial and Corporate Change, 16(3), 371–394.Google Scholar
Pasupathi, M., & Staudinger, U. M. (2001). Do advanced moral reasoners also show wisdom? Linking moral reasoning and wisdom-related knowledge and judgement. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 25(5), 401–415.Google Scholar
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Pauleen, D. J., Rooney, D., & Holden, N. J. (2010). Practical wisdom and the development of cross-cultural knowledge management: A global leadership perspective. European Journal of International Management, 4(4), 382–395.Google Scholar
Prusak, L. (2013). A handbook of practical wisdom: Leadership, organization and integral business practice. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 12(2), 312–313.Google Scholar
Roberts, J. (2005). Agency theory, ethics and corporate governance. In C. R. Lehman, T. Tinker, B. Merino, & M. Neimark (Eds.), Corporate governance: Does any size fit? (Advances in Public Interest Accounting. Vol. 11, pp. 249–269). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Roca, E. (2008). Introducing practical wisdom in business schools. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(3), 607–620.Google Scholar
Rooney, D. (2013). Empirical wisdom research: A community approach. In M. J. Thompson, & D. Bevan (Eds.), Wise management in organisational complexity (pp. 34–52). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Rooney, D., & McKenna, B. (2005). Should the knowledge-based economy be a savant or a sage? Wisdom and socially intelligent innovation. Prometheus, 23(3), 307–323.Google Scholar
Rooney, D., & McKenna, B. (2007). Wisdom in organizations: Whence and whither. Social Epistemology, 21(2), 113–138.Google Scholar
Ross, S. A. (1973). The economic theory of agency: The principal’s problem. The American Economic Review, 63(2), 134–139.Google Scholar
Rowley, J. (2006). Where is the wisdom that we have lost in knowledge? Journal of Documentation, 62(2), 251–270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowley, J., & Gibbs, P. (2008). From learning organization to practically wise organization. The Learning Organization, 15(5), 356–372.Google Scholar
Rowley, J., & Slack, F. (2009). Conceptions of wisdom. Journal of Information Science, 35(1), 110–119.Google Scholar
Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1989). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, cognition and personality, 9(3), 185–211.Google Scholar
Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Currency.Google Scholar
Small, M. W. (2004). Wisdom and now managerial wisdom: Do they have a place in management development programs? Journal of Management Development, 23(8), 751–764.Google Scholar
Staudinger, U., Dörner, J., & Mickler, C. (2005). Wisdom and personality. In R. J. Sternberg, & J. Jordan (Eds.), A handbook of wisdom: Psychological perspectives (pp. 191–219). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Implicit theories of intelligence, creativity, and wisdom. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49(3), 607–627.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (1998). A balance theory of wisdom. Review of General Psychology, 2(4), 347–365.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (2001). Why schools should teach for wisdom: The balance theory of wisdom in educational settings. Educational Psychologist, 36(4), 227–245.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (2004a). What is wisdom and how can we develop it? The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591(1), 164–174.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (2004b). Words to the wise about wisdom? Human Development, 47(5), 286–289.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (2005). Older but not wiser? The relationship between age and wisdom. Ageing International, 30(1), 5–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sternberg, R. J., & Jordan, J. (2005). A handbook of wisdom: Psychological perspectives. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Takahashi, M., & Overton, W. F. (2005). Cultural foundations of wisdom. In R. J. Sternberg, & J. Jordan (Eds.), A handbook of wisdom: Psychological perspectives (pp. 32–60). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Takayama, M. (2002). The concept of wisdom and wise people in Japan (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation). Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo University.Google Scholar
Taylor, S., & Bogdan, R. (1998). Introduction to qualitative methods: A guide and resource. New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar
Valdez, J. M. (1993). Wisdom: A Hispanic perspective (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation) Ann Arbor, CO: Colorado State University.Google Scholar
Webster, J. D. (2003). An exploratory analysis of a self-assessed wisdom scale. Journal of Adult Development, 10(1), 13–22.Google Scholar
Whittaker, T. (1916). The theory of abstract ethics. London, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wink, P., & Helson, R. (1997). Practical and transcendent wisdom: Their nature and some longitudinal findings. Journal of Adult Development, 4(1), 1–15.Google Scholar
Yang, S. (2001). Conceptions of wisdom among Taiwanese Chinese. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32(6), 662–680.Google Scholar
Yang, S. (2008). A process view of wisdom. Journal of Adult Development, 15(2), 62–75.Google Scholar
Zacher, H., McKenna, B., & Rooney, D. (2013). Effects of self-reported wisdom on happiness: Not much more than emotional intelligence? Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(6), 1–20.Google Scholar
Zaidman, N., & Goldstein-Gidoni, O. (2011). Spirituality as a discarded form of organizational wisdom field-based analysis. Group & Organization Management, 36(5), 630–653.Google Scholar