Frequently Asked Questions

Humanistic management represents human-centered organizing practices. These practices honor the intrinsic value of all life and protect the dignity of all humans. The practices are oriented toward the flourishing of all life and the enhancement of human well-being. Humanistic management differs from traditional, mechanistic, or economistic practices in that humans are more than resources, stakeholders, assets, or capital. Human beings are both the means and the ends, and the purpose of management is to serve human flourishing rather than wealth creation.

In recent decades, numerous initiatives have emerged that aim to protect human dignity and promote well-being, including conscious business, the common good economy, B-Corps, etc. Without naming their practices humanistic, we would consider them such if they indeed aim to protect the dignity of all life and enhance the well-being of all humanity. There is, however, the danger of humanistic “washing,” in which the main argument brought forward is, “it is better for business; it is more profitable.” Humanistic management practices are indeed sometimes better for business and more profitable, but that typically is not the reason they are done. They are better for human beings, and often (but not always) that turns out to be better for business. In humanistic management, the ultimate reason to do something is that it protects human dignity and promotes the human flourishing of all.

No. In fact, humanistic management practices are as old as our species, Homo sapiens. These practices may not necessarily have been labeled “humanistic” at the time. In the past centuries and decades in which business administration emerged as a separate discipline, there have always been “humanistic” schools of thought (e.g., human relations, humanistic psychology, or their more modern versions such as positive psychology and positive organizational scholarship).

There are a number of books for academic audiences that appear in the Humanism in Business series at Springer Nature.

Check out our store for links to books on humanistic management.

Check out our membership page.

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In general, that is a possibility. There is a quality assurance process in place. If you are interested, please send us an email to that effect.

We have been working on and editing a number of case volumes, along with pedagogical guidebooks for executive education.

We are working on a number of online formats. To benefit from these, we encourage you to become a member.

Yes, you can. We are always interested in promoting and amplifying people’s work as it relates to Humanistic Management. Please use this form to submit your content.