A historical theory of organization and management in Europe's Orthodox East: A Weberian re-enchantment of disenchanted rationalization

Abstract

With my article I first and foremost aim to contribute with a re-enchanting historical alternative to the winning western model of disenchanted rationalization in organization and management. I also promote moderation to the dominance of organization and management theories of Northern America and core Europe. I spell out a Weberian ideal-type theory of Eastern Orthodox monastic organization and management, implementing Weber's advice to contextualize social and human science research on the principle of Kulturbedeutung – cultural relevance. This I seek from presentday organization and management research, Weber's works, the self-understanding of Eastern Orthodox monasticism, and the geographical and historical predicament of my country, Finland. I advance from questions of aims and agency in Orthodox monasticism to its ethics, its aesthetics, its organization and management rules and hierarchies, and its self-understanding made up by aporiai – hard-to-resolve logical puzzles. Advised also by Weber, in my conclusions I contrast my ideal type with organization and management theories of Catholic monasticism elaborated by Alfred Kieser and others, with two pronouncedly purified ideal types of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and with a representative of present-day general organization and management theory.

Keywords:

• aesthetics
• agency
• aporia
• asceticism
• charisma
• disenchantment
• ideal type
• Alfred Kieser
• monasticism
• mysticism
• re-enchantment
• Max Weber