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  • 1.  Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    Posted 10-11-2006 18:37
    At the risk of appearing even more egotistical and self-promoting than I already am, I'd like to mention that I have an article on "Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace" in the new issue of Organization Management Journal, which is a free online journal published by the Eastern Academy of Management (www.omjonline.org). I've reproduced the abstract below, as I thought some members of the list might be interested in it.

    The author reflects on his experience and discusses problems in teaching a course about spirituality and religion
    in the workplace. Sometimes indoctrination happens when professors treat their own spiritual ideology
    as the truth, or they require students to engage in religious practices in class. Indoctrination is teaching
    people "to accept a system of thought uncritically." The management education literature has little to say
    about indoctrination. Indoctrination can be avoided by (1) ensuring informed consent, (2) designing learning
    activities for students from all spiritual perspectives, (3) teaching about the topic (instead of taking the
    "how to" approach), (4) presenting diverse spiritual perspectives, (5) encouraging respect for others' spirituality
    and religion in discussion, and (6) presenting one's own set of beliefs as one among many. It is
    hoped that these guidelines can prevent indoctrination not only in courses in spirituality and religion in the
    workplace, but also in other management courses.

    Although it does feel socially awkward to mention one's own latest publication on this list, I would actually like it if more people did that. It would help me keep up with the field if, when one of us published an article or a book, we put a notice of it in this listserv.

    Awkwardly yours,

    Don


  • 2.  Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    Posted 10-12-2006 13:49
    Don,
    No awkwardness at all... You are one of the gems in our field, and we all need/want to know what you are doing/publishing. And frankly, that desire to know, extends to knowing what we're all doing!
     
    Maybe instead of occasional "call for papers" announcements in this listserv, we should have a monthly "call for what you're doing or have gotten published" request!  We'll all be the richer for it, including our students and respective research projects.
     
    Thanks,
    David
    _________________________________
    David W. Miller, Ph.D.
    Executive Director, Yale Center for Faith and Culture
    Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Business Ethics
    Yale Divinity School
    409 Prospect Street
    New Haven, CT 06511
         
    Tel: 203-432-8669
     
    Mission of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture:
    to promote the practice of faith in all spheres of life through theological research and leadership development.
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Management, Spirituality & Religion [mailto:MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Don McCormick
    Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 6:37 PM
    To: MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    At the risk of appearing even more egotistical and self-promoting than I already am, I'd like to mention that I have an article on "Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace" in the new issue of Organization Management Journal, which is a free online journal published by the Eastern Academy of Management (www.omjonline.org). I've reproduced the abstract below, as I thought some members of the list might be interested in it.

    The author reflects on his experience and discusses problems in teaching a course about spirituality and religion
    in the workplace. Sometimes indoctrination happens when professors treat their own spiritual ideology
    as the truth, or they require students to engage in religious practices in class. Indoctrination is teaching
    people "to accept a system of thought uncritically." The management education literature has little to say
    about indoctrination. Indoctrination can be avoided by (1) ensuring informed consent, (2) designing learning
    activities for students from all spiritual perspectives, (3) teaching about the topic (instead of taking the
    "how to" approach), (4) presenting diverse spiritual perspectives, (5) encouraging respect for others' spirituality
    and religion in discussion, and (6) presenting one's own set of beliefs as one among many. It is
    hoped that these guidelines can prevent indoctrination not only in courses in spirituality and religion in the
    workplace, but also in other management courses.

    Although it does feel socially awkward to mention one's own latest publication on this list, I would actually like it if more people did that. It would help me keep up with the field if, when one of us published an article or a book, we put a notice of it in this listserv.

    Awkwardly yours,

    Don


  • 3.  Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    Posted 10-12-2006 14:54
    I tend to agree with David. I think that we should use this
    listserve to share our hard work. Unless the subject reads
    PRIZE WINNING ARTICLE ATTACHED or something like it, it's
    not arrogant to share work. It makes sense.

    Bob

    Robert A. Giacalone, Ph.D.
    Department of Human Resource Management
    Acting Director, Center for Ethics and Organizational Integrity
    313 Speakman Hall, FSBM
    Temple University
    1810 N. 13th St.
    Philadelphia, PA 19122
    e-mail: ragiacal@temple.edu
    Work phone: 215 204-7038
    Fax: (215) 204-8362

    Without a rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar.--Ralph Waldo Emerson

    It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society - Krishnamurti

    To care for anyone else enough to make their problems one's own, is ever the beginning of one's real ethical development--Felix Adler


  • 4.  Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    Posted 10-12-2006 15:14

    I've just read Don's article and found it excellent. It's message is an important one. I would welcome listserv members telling us what they have written or read recently that is particularly germane to this subgroup of the Academy. Dialogue on the content of particular articles could also be helpful. Don's article makes visible issues about which many people are subconsciously unaware. Without this awareness, we have less hope of bringing spirituality into the classroom or into the workplace.

     

    Pauline J. Albert

    Assistant Dean, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Management</st1:placename></st1:place> and Business

    St. Edward's University

    paulinea@stedwards.edu 

     

    "Be the change you want to see." Gandhi

    From: <st1:personname w:st="on">Management, Spirituality & Religion</st1:personname> [mailto:MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of David W. Miller
    Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 12:49 PM
    To: MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    <st1:personname w:st="on">Su</st1:personname>bject: Re: Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

     

    Don,

    No awkwardness at all... You are one of the gems in our field, and we all need/want to know what you are doing/publishing. And frankly, that desire to know, extends to knowing what we're all doing!

     

    Maybe instead of occasional "call for papers" announcements in this listserv, we should have a monthly "call for what you're doing or have gotten published" request!  We'll all be the richer for it, including our students and respective research projects.

     

    Thanks,

    David

    _________________________________

    David W. Miller, Ph.D.

    Executive Director, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Yale</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> for Faith and Culture

    Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Business Ethics

    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Yale</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Divinity</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place>

    <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">409 Prospect Street</st1:address></st1:street>

    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">New Haven</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CT</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">06511</st1:postalcode></st1:place>

         

    Tel: 203-432-8669

    David.W.Miller@yale.edu      

    www.yale.edu/faith

     

    <st1:city w:st="on">Mission</st1:city> of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Yale</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> for Faith & Culture:

    to promote the practice of faith in all spheres of life through theological research and leadership development.

    -----Original Message-----
    From: <st1:personname w:st="on">Management, Spirituality & Religion</st1:personname> [mailto:MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Don McCormick
    Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 6:37 PM
    To: MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    <st1:personname w:st="on">Su</st1:personname>bject: Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    At the risk of appearing even more egotistical and self-promoting than I already am, I'd like to mention that I have an article on "Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace" in the new issue of Organization Management Journal, which is a free online journal published by the Eastern Academy of Management (www.omjonline.org). I've reproduced the abstract below, as I thought some members of the list might be interested in it.

     

    The author reflects on his experience and discusses problems in teaching a course about spirituality and religion

    in the workplace. Sometimes indoctrination happens when professors treat their own spiritual ideology

    as the truth, or they require students to engage in religious practices in class. Indoctrination is teaching

    people "to accept a system of thought uncritically." The management education literature has little to say

    about indoctrination. Indoctrination can be avoided by (1) ensuring informed consent, (2) designing learning

    activities for students from all spiritual perspectives, (3) teaching about the topic (instead of taking the

    "how to" approach), (4) presenting diverse spiritual perspectives, (5) encouraging respect for others' spirituality

    and religion in discussion, and (6) presenting one's own set of beliefs as one among many. It is

    hoped that these guidelines can prevent indoctrination not only in courses in spirituality and religion in the

    workplace, but also in other management courses.

     

    Although it does feel socially awkward to mention one's own latest publication on this list, I would actually like it if more people did that. It would help me keep up with the field if, when one of us published an article or a book, we put a notice of it in this listserv.

     

    Awkwardly yours,

     

    Don



  • 5.  Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    Posted 10-12-2006 17:13
    On Oct 12, 2006, at 12:13 PM, Pauline Albert wrote:

    I've just read Don's article and found it excellent. It's message is an important one. I would welcome listserv members telling us what they have written or read recently that is particularly germane to this subgroup of the Academy. Dialogue on the content of particular articles could also be helpful. Don's article makes visible issues about which many people are subconsciously unaware. 

    Thanks Pauline for your kind comment.

    Without this awareness, we have less hope of bringing spirituality into the classroom or into the workplace.

    I agree completely with this point. I think that a lot of the fear that people have about bringing spirituality and religion into the classroom or workplace is not so much a fear of those topics as it is a fear of indoctrination. Indoctrination is the only way many people have only experienced learning about spirituality or religion. They don't understand that you can teach about spirituality and religion in the workplace, just like you can teach about marketing, about world religions, about ethics, about politics, etc. Unfortunately there still is a fair amount of indoctrination in education--some of the most prominent cases are not in MSR, but politics. 

    A good case in point is high school. I grew up in a conservative, white, racist suburb of Los Angeles (Downey, CA). High school was loaded with conservative indoctrination. My son is attending a liberal, multicultural high school in Los Angeles (Venice High), and he regularly complains about the liberal indoctrination that pervades his education. Teachers declare that Bush is just bad. Conservative students aren't treated with respect when they voice their ideas. Even though I agree with many of the liberal ideas my son is being taught, it is disappointing to realize that much of the response to conservative indoctrination in secondary education isn't critical thinking and a more free and open exchange of ideas, it is just indoctrination from a different political ideology.

    One point I try to make in the article is that in MSR, we sometimes engage in indoctrination when we teach the perennial philosophy* as if it is the truth, instead of one among many different, legitimate, competing spiritual ideologies. 

    * Which, by the way, I tend to believe in.

    - Don
    ---
    Don McCormick, Ph.D.
    2030 Overland Avenue
    Los Angeles, CA 90025
    (310) 470-2492



  • 6.  Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

    Posted 10-17-2006 07:37

    It is so helpful to know about other MSR members' work. Please let us continue to share our experiences and reflections about our experiences.

     

    I am currently teaching Spirituality in management and organization in a theological master's program. The fear of indoctrination by bringing spirituality and religion in the management classroom is striking. In the department of theology we are teaching about religion all the time. Far from becoming indoctrinated, students who study religion start to think critically about their faith. Every year, invariably, I will meet some students who have become skeptical about their faith through the study of religion. Maybe teachers of spirituality and religion in MBA programs could learn from the practice of teaching in theology programs. I awkwardly draw attention to an article I have written last Spring for a theological journal about spirituality in the marketplace – awkward because it is in Dutch. I will gladly send a copy to anyone in MSR who can read Dutch or have it translated. It outlines some theological principles of sound spirituality in the workplace from the Christian perspective with respect for other religious traditions.

     

    Erik de Jongh

    Vrij Universiteit Amsterdam

    ECT.de_Jongh@th.vu.nl

     

     

    Van: <st1:personname w:st="on">Management, Spirituality & Religion</st1:personname> [mailto:MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] Namens Don McCormick
    Verzonden: donderdag 12 oktober 2006 23:13
    Aan: MSR@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Onderwerp: Re: Indoctrination, Diversity, and Teaching About Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace

     

    On Oct 12, 2006, at 12:13 PM, Pauline Albert wrote:

    I've just read Don's article and found it excellent. It's message is an important one. I would welcome listserv members telling us what they have written or read recently that is particularly germane to this subgroup of the Academy. Dialogue on the content of particular articles could also be helpful. Don's article makes visible issues about which many people are subconsciously unaware. 

    Thanks Pauline for your kind comment.

     

    Without this awareness, we have less hope of bringing spirituality into the classroom or into the workplace.


    I agree completely with this point. I think that a lot of the fear that people have about bringing spirituality and religion into the classroom or workplace is not so much a fear of those topics as it is a fear of indoctrination. Indoctrination is the only way many people have only experienced learning about spirituality or religion. They don't understand that you can teach about spirituality and religion in the workplace, just like you can teach about marketing, about world religions, about ethics, about politics, etc. Unfortunately there still is a fair amount of indoctrination in education--some of the most prominent cases are not in MSR, but politics. 

     

    A good case in point is high school. I grew up in a conservative, white, racist suburb of <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city> (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Downey</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state></st1:place>). High school was loaded with conservative indoctrination. My son is attending a liberal, multicultural high school in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> (Venice High), and he regularly complains about the liberal indoctrination that pervades his education. Teachers declare that Bush is just bad. Conservative students aren't treated with respect when they voice their ideas. Even though I agree with many of the liberal ideas my son is being taught, it is disappointing to realize that much of the response to conservative indoctrination in secondary education isn't critical thinking and a more free and open exchange of ideas, it is just indoctrination from a different political ideology.

     

    One point I try to make in the article is that in MSR, we sometimes engage in indoctrination when we teach the perennial philosophy* as if it is the truth, instead of one among many different, legitimate, competing spiritual ideologies. 

     

    * Which, by the way, I tend to believe in.

     

    - Don

    ---

    Don McCormick, Ph.D.

    <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">2030 Overland Avenue</st1:address></st1:street>

    <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">90025</st1:postalcode></st1:place>

    (310) 470-2492