Abstract
Scholars have recently begun to reflect on the potential benefits of “Buddhist organizing” for organizational theory and practice. However, relatively few scholars have empirically studied what people actually do to put a Buddhist philosophy into organizational action. To address this issue, this study examines how Mahayana (Madhyamaka) Buddhism is translated into everyday organizing practices by investigating the interactions in which people engage to organize the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, a Taiwanese Buddhist nonprofit voluntary organization. The results of this research offer important insights for the study and practice of Buddhist compassion and wisdom in an organizational context.
Acknowledgements
We kindly thank the following people for their assistance with the conduct of this research and the writing of this article: Elena-Luiza Bogateanu, Sarah Choukah, François Cooren, Kwo-yann Hwang, Mei-jen Lin, James Taylor, and Elizabeth Van Every. Moreover, we are very grateful to all the wonderful people we met at the Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation in Taiwan who allowed us to study their organization. The research for this article was funded through a Taiwan Studies Grant for Canadian Scholars provided by the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), Canada. In this regard, we especially thank Lawrence Huang and Helen Chiu for all their help, feedback, and support. Last, but certainly not least, we thank Tung-jung Chen, our liaison in Taiwan, for his invaluable guidance, assistance, and encouragements.