Papers

Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Frugality, Intrinsic Value of Nature, and Wellbeing-Oriented Businesses.’ The Journal of the Macau Ricci Institute, 2021, vol. 7. The paper suggests three key ideas that are crucial to change the economic paradigm towards an economy oriented to the common good based on solidarity and fairness. These are frugality in consumption and production, acknowledging the intrinsic value of nature, and developing wellbeing oriented businesses. Frugality, Intrinsic Value of Nature, and Wellbeing-Oriented Businesses (English) Frugality, Intrinsic Value… Read More »Frugality, Intrinsic Value of Nature, and Wellbeing-Oriented Businesses

Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Business and Violence.’ , in New Frontiers in Conflict Management and Peace Economics: With a Focus on Human Security, eds. M. Chatterji, and P. Gangopadhyay, Emerald, UK, 2021. (This book may be available at: Emerald) Today business, especially mainstream global business, seems to be at war with society and nature. Striving for profit and competitiveness, mainstream business produces monetary results at the expense of nature, society and future generations. With its exclusive focus on profit-making, mainstream businesses… Read More »Business and Violence

Laszlo Zsolnai ‘The Responsibility of Scientists.’ Magyar Tudomány, 2001, vol.182, no. 3, pp. 425-427 This Hungarian essay discusses the prospective (future oriented) responsibility of scientists related to the various stakeholders affected by the application of their scientific results. It uses negative examples from business and management sciences including the agency theory and shareholder value maximization theory. It suggests the scientists should avoid focusing on wrongly defined problems and should take ethical criteria seriously. The Responsibility of Scientists

Laszlo Zsolnai and Mike Thompson ‘The Call for Responsible Research in Business and Management.’ , in Responsible Research for Better Business, ed. Laszlo Zsolnai and Mike Thompson, Palgrave, London, 2020. Theories greatly influence business and management practices. In his seminal work the late London Business School professor Sumantra Ghoshal (2005) warned that bad management theories are destroying good management practices. Similarly, good management theories may help to bring forth new and better business practices. The Call for Responsible… Read More »The Call for Responsible Research in Business and Management

Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Identifying and Solving the Right Problem by Using Multidimensional Systems Thinking.’ , in Responsible Research for Better BusinessLaszlo Zsolnai, Palgrave, London, 2020. It is a serious failure of business and management researchers when they solve the wrong problem precisely. This means that their problem formulation is inadequate which may lead to disastrous consequences for the well-being of the stakeholders. To avoid substantive failures in problem solving business and management scholars should reconsider the basic assumptions of… Read More »Identifying and Solving the Right Problem by Using Multidimensional Systems Thinking

Paul Shrivastava, Laszlo Zsolnai, David Wasieleski, Mark Stafford-Smith, Thomas Walker, Olaf Weber, Cary Krosinsky, & David Oram ‘Finance and Management for the Anthropocene.’ Organization & Environment, 2019, vol.32, no. 1, pp. 26-40 The Anthropocene era is characterized by a pronounced negative impact of human and social activities on natural ecosystems. To the extent finance, economics and management underlie human social activities, we need to reassess these fields and their role in achieving global sustainability. This article briefly presents… Read More »Finance and Management for the Anthropocene

Laszlo Zsolnai, & Bernadette Flanagan ‘Spirituality in society and the professions.’ , in The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions., eds. Laszlo Zsolnai, and Bernadette Flanagan, Routledge, London and New York, 2019. Increasingly it is being recognized that spirituality is an aspect in almost every sphere and aspect of social life, especially in the context of crises and vulnerabilities. It appears in humanity’s dealing with nature, home and community, healing, economics and business, knowledge,… Read More »Spirituality in society and the professions

Luk Bouckaert, & Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Spirituality in economics and business.’ , in The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions, eds. Laszlo Zsolnai, and Bernadette Flanagan, Routledge, London and New York, 2019. Economics and business need a more spiritual foundation to solve their ethical, social and ecological problems. Spirituality as an inner experience of deep interconnectedness with all living beings opens a space of distance from the pressures of the market and the routines of… Read More »Spirituality in economics and business