The Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being and Ethical Orientations in Decision Making: An Empirical Study with Business Executives in Australia

Journal of Business Ethics · 2010 · Volume 95 · Issue 2

Abstract

The relationship between spiritual well-being and ethical orientations in decision making is examined through a survey of executives in organizations listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. The four domains of spiritual well-being, personal, communal, environmental and transcendental (Fisher, Spiritual health: its nature and place in the school curriculum, PhD thesis, University of Melbourne,1998; Gomez and Fisher, Pers Individ Differ 35:1975–1991,2003) are examined in relation to idealism and relativism (Forsyth, J Pers Soc Psychol 39(1):175–184,1980). Results reveal that spiritual well-being, in particular the communal domain of spiritual well-being, is correlated with and predictive of idealism. However, the relationship between spiritual well-being and relativism is weak. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of developing managerial programs that enhance communal well-being which should lead to greater idealism in decision making. Limitations of the study and future research opportunities are outlined.

Keywords

spiritual well-being, ethical decision making, idealism, relativism, executives, Australia

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