Towards radical subjects: workplace spirituality as neoliberal governance in American business [chapter]

James Dennis LoRusso
2020 Spirituality, Organization and Neoliberalism  
There is only one social responsibility of business-to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud. (Milton Friedman, New York Times Magazine, September 1970) In these words written nearly 50 years ago, Milton Friedman, the Nobel Laureate economist and father of the Chicago School of economics, expressed the prevailing view of
more » ... business at mid-century: that business exists solely for the pursuit of profits. Anything else is superfluous. Surely, the notion that companies should devote any of their energies towards other ends would have seemed foreign, perhaps even nonsensical. The truism, often attributed to long-time chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors Alfred P. Sloan, that 'the business of business is business,' certainly still rang true. Yet today, the culture of business couldn't appear more different. Companies, at least on their public face, more often present themselves as responsible stewards of society, boasting aspiration mission statements, entire divisions devoted to 'corporate social responsibility,' and core values committed to respecting the dignity of their employees. Every year since 1998, Fortune magazine publishes its coveted list of the 'Best Companies to Work For,' measured not by their profit margins but how they ensure a fulfilling and rewarding experience for their workforces. The expectation that work should be 'more than a paycheck' but also intrinsically rewards seems almost unexceptional to working people today. The workplace of the twenty-first century aims to be a space to which individuals can bring their 'whole selves.' Business schools and corporate training programs instill ideas about management and 'leadership' as a form of service to others, specifically for their clientele and their staff. Indeed, for a growing number of firms, business leaders, and even mid-level managers, this quest has taken on 'spiritual' significance. Companies offer extracurricular courses that claim to draw on spiritual disciplines in order to promote employee well-
doi:10.4337/9781788973304.00006 fatcat:6pbzd3gpcbgybicnwm6mz5yjny