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1 – 10 of 76The purpose of this paper is to revisit philosopher Hannah Arendt's classic study of the banality of evil in light of posthumously published works bearing on moral psychology and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to revisit philosopher Hannah Arendt's classic study of the banality of evil in light of posthumously published works bearing on moral psychology and philosophy.
Design/methodology/approach
Largely expository and interpretive, this conceptual paper articulates Arendt's approach to morally responsible thinking, with an emphasis on managerial decision making. Arendt's practical ethics draws, in part, on Kantian aesthetic theory, providing an original but unfinished account of “the life of the mind” and personal responsibility in community.
Findings
Arendt contends that humans can, and are morally obliged to, use conscience, imagination and reason to avoid evil‐doing; that self‐critical introspection, active imagination and representative judgment are essential for moral decision making, especially in times of moral crisis; and that neither profit nor pressure can justify breaching fundamental responsibilities to humanity.
Research limitations/implications
This paper discusses, but does not critique, Arendt's oeuvre. It interprets, connects and applies ideas from disparate works relating to responsible moral psychology.
Practical implications
Confronting a “modern crisis” in values, Arendt acknowledged pressures on leaders to fulfill organizational objectives, even those effecting harm which violate deeply‐held personal ethics. Warning against temptations to divide selves into a “personal” moral self and a compartmentalized “organisational self,” she prescribed ways of thinking and judging to counteract thoughtless evil‐doing.
Originality/value
The paper connects Arendt's privative analysis of evil‐doing in Eichmann in Jerusalem with later works which delineate shared human mental capacities and processes which facilitate morally responsible leadership, independent of culture or context.
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A regular feature giving news and comments on events and productions in the field of visual aids for technical and scientific teaching and training
Harriet Bradley, Geraldine Healy and Nupur Mukherjee
The influence of trade unions and the cross‐cutting of gender and ethnicity on career development is a neglected area of study. By drawing on research in four UK trade unions…
Abstract
The influence of trade unions and the cross‐cutting of gender and ethnicity on career development is a neglected area of study. By drawing on research in four UK trade unions, this paper engages with the career impact of unions on black and minority ethnic women trade union activists. In particular, it explores the career impact of three key areas of analysis: the gendered and ethnicised order, union networks and the career indeterminacy of union women. The experience of the women in our study demonstrated how careers are constrained by a complex set of racist and gendered forms. Union networks are shown to be an important arena for union involvement and personal development. Such networks facilitate the development of personal resources to challenge injustice in the workplace but they also provide a range of knowledge and skills that provide greater degrees of freedom in the way that an individual's career may unfold.
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This study aims to assess the nature and scope of dog-based programmes in prisons, assessing critically the potential opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks of developing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the nature and scope of dog-based programmes in prisons, assessing critically the potential opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks of developing innovative dog-based programmes for older prisoners in England and Wales. This paper outlines the potential benefits and challenges of developing dog-based programmes for older prisoners and sets out next steps for future research and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a scoping review of published research literature on prison dog programmes (PDPs) in the USA, the UK and other countries, with particular reference to older people in prison, followed by semi-structured interviews with six members of an expert advisory group. The literature review and data from the qualitative interviews were analysed thematically.
Findings
There is a substantial body of published research literature which supports PDPs as having identifiable positive impacts for people and also dogs, and also published research which highlights the benefits to older people of dog ownership or participation in dog-based activities. However, much of this research is small-scale and qualitative, and it has been argued that there is a lack of a quantitative evidence base. This research concludes that findings from the literature review and the semi-structured interviews support further research and the creation of pilot projects to develop dog-based projects for older people in prison.
Research limitations/implications
This study was small-scale, and the findings need to be approached with caution. The literature review searched a small number of databases and filtered out articles published in languages other than English, and the review of the grey literature focused on reports from the UK. The number of experts interviewed was small and there was no direct consultation with older people in prison nor with older people with recent personal lived experience of imprisonment and community resettlement. A more extensive future study would benefit from a more extensive literature review, a larger group of participants and the inclusion of service users, prison managers and government policymakers, subject to the appropriate ethical and security approvals. At the time the research took place, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on prison research meant that research with current prisoners and prison managers would not have been approved by the HMPPS NRC.
Practical implications
This research provides a research-based justification for future dog projects for older prisoners, leading potentially to improved well-being for older people in prison.
Originality/value
This study brings together the published research literature on PDPs with the research literature on the needs and experiences of older people in prison for the first time, and identifies potential directions for future research.
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Cécile Rozuel and Tarja Ketola
The purpose of this paper is to review the links between ethics, leadership and psychology, and to introduce the papers for the special issue of the Journal of Management…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the links between ethics, leadership and psychology, and to introduce the papers for the special issue of the Journal of Management Development.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides a conceptual review of issues attached to research in the field of responsible leadership psychology.
Findings
Individual organisational members affect and are affected by the organisation's collective psyche, and all are potential leaders; therefore, all should care about their “inner life” and reflect on the interrelationships between their ethical responsibility, their psychological world, and their interaction with others.
Originality/value
The paper shows that self‐enquiry and understanding the unconscious influences on ego‐consciousness are essential for nurturing ethical awareness and responsible action as leaders, followers and more generally as organisational agents.
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What careers does the coal industry offer — for both the school leaver and the graduate? How does one climb the ladder to an executive job? What effects have automation had on the…
This article considers how the persistence of race inequalities can be addressed in the field of regeneration. Race has been a consistent feature in inner urban areas yet there is…
Abstract
Purpose
This article considers how the persistence of race inequalities can be addressed in the field of regeneration. Race has been a consistent feature in inner urban areas yet there is little to suggest contemporary means of regeneration has taken this on board.
Design/methodology/approach
The article is based on a series of qualitative, semi‐structured interviews that were undertaken as part of ongoing work associated with the implementation of the Equality Standard for Local Government in England.
Findings
An emergent set of relations between equality, social inclusion and community cohesion is evident. As a result, aspects of inequality continue to lie at the heart of public sector intervention policies such as regeneration.
Research limitations/implications
The article suggests that while there may be methods of management to help ensure good equality principles, it is the role of local democratic and political processes to eradicate such practice.
Practical implications
The findings are important to public sector management. Continued work on Equality Standard for Local Government should take on board the findings of this article.
Originality/value
The article adds knowledge to how, in the field of regeneration, the characteristics of institutional racism can be locked into the practices and organizational cultures of public sector agencies.
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Sarah Graham‐Brown and Stuart Connor
HelpAge International carries out work on issues of ageing and development across a worldwide network. Experience suggests that older people are struggling to be seen, heard and…
Abstract
HelpAge International carries out work on issues of ageing and development across a worldwide network. Experience suggests that older people are struggling to be seen, heard and understood, and are still excluded from action to improve their situation. This paper also reports on the Madrid Plan, the first international agreement to recognise the potential of older people to contribute to the development of their societies.
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The central idea of action learning — that for any organism to survive its rate of learning must be equal to or greater than the rate of change in its environment — has stood the…
Abstract
The central idea of action learning — that for any organism to survive its rate of learning must be equal to or greater than the rate of change in its environment — has stood the test of time, and is used as a reason for selecting and launching action learning processes by management. Little emphasis has been placed on the learning side of the equation; change has always been the predominant factor. The notion of learning, seen as the key commodity necessary to guarantee the survival of the organisation is pursued and developed with examples. The main implications for the organisation by concentrating on action learning are given.
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