A New Business Excellence Model with Business Integrity from Ancient Confucian Thinking

Abstract

In this fast-paced world, companies are always trying to find quick solutions, and will focus almost entirely on financial results. However, such undue emphasis on profits makes companies pursue profits with no regard for the means employed. Although this is not necessarily bad, an equally important ingredient to business excellence is seemingly taking the back seat – business integrity. Instilling Confucian thinking into a company can correct the problem because employees will know how to behave appropriately in every situation. A successful company is much like a marathon runner – quite different from a short-distance sprinter – in which integrity is valued. This study has demonstrated the importance of business integrity and turned to Confucius thinking for concrete steps. We also developed a conceptual Confucian business excellence (BE) model and compared it with Kanji's BE model. Confucian thinking is parallel to Kanji's BE model, yet still maintains its uniqueness. These findings can provide concrete principles for companies striving for business excellence.

Keywords:

• Confucius thinking
• Confucianism
• business integrity
• Kanji's business excellence model

Notes

1. Enron lied about its profits and stands accused of a range of shady dealings, including concealing debts so they did not show up in the company's accounts.

2. http://www.ibe.org.uk/DBEPsumm.htm

3. http://www.tsmc.com/english/a_about/a01_profile/a0104_business.htm

4. In the fall of 1982, McNeil Consumer Products, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, was confronted with a crisis when seven people on Chicago's West Side died mysteriously. Authorities determined that each of the people that died had ingested an Extra-Strength Tylenol capsule laced with cyanide.