About The Humanistic Management Network
The Humanistic Management Network is an international, interdisciplinary, and independent network that promotes the development of an economic system in service of human dignity and well-being.
We subscribe to the following positions:
The Humanistic Management Network defends human dignity in face of its vulnerability. The dignity of the human being lies in its capacity to define autonomously the purpose of its existence. Since human autonomy realizes itself through social cooperation, economic relations and business activities can either foster or obstruct human life and well-being. Against the widespread objectification of human subjects into human resources, against the common instrumentalization of human being into human capital and a mere means for profit, we uphold humanity as the ultimate end and principle of all economic activity.
In business as well as in society, respect for human dignity demands respect for human freedom. Collective decision-making, in corporations just as in governments, should hence be based on free and equal deliberation, participation or representation of all affected parties. Concerns of legitimacy must, in economics like in politics, precede questions of expediency.
We believe that market economies hold a substantial potential for human development in general. To promote life-conducive market activities, we want to complement the quantitative metrics which hitherto define managerial and economic success with qualitative evaluation criteria that focus on the human dignity of every woman and every man.
These are our activities:
As researchers, we work towards a humanistic paradigm for business and economics, trying to identify and facilitate corporate and governmental efforts for the common good.
As a think-tank, we set out to spread intellectual tools for culturally and ecologically sustainable business practices that have the human being as their focal point.
As teachers, we strive to educate, emancipate and enable students to contribute actively to a life-conducive economy in which the human dignity is universally respected.
As practitioners, we act towards the implementation of a humanistic economy on an individual, corporate, and governmental level.
As citizens, we engage our communities in discourse about the benefits of a human-centered economy.
The two main questions that drive our activities are:
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What is the role of business in society and how can humanism help us to better assess this role?
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How can we continue to reap the benefits of free market economies whilst becoming more effective in creating shared benefits and prosperity?
Our mission is to influence business academia, management practitioners, policy makers, and the general public in defining the purpose and role of business in a global society. We foster the creation and dissemination of actionable knowledge to change business practices towards humanistic ideals.
Our vision is a global economy in which all stakeholders are equally respected so that market mechanisms are applied to maximize societal benefits rather than individual profits; an economy in which economic rationality is applied as a means rather than an end in itself.
To work towards achieving our mission we focus on academic work as well as offering consulting services to organizations that are interested in learning about, and potentially adjusting the way in which they take on societal responsibilities. Please visit the research and consulting pages of this website to learn more about our activities.
The Humanistic Management Network is an association under Swiss law based in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Please contact us under info[at]humanetwork.org should you have any further queries.