Research Article
Confucianism and Business Management
Chungnam National University
Published: January 2014 · Vol. 18, No. 1 · pp. 31-47
Full Text
Abstract
This paper aims to get a hint from Asian classic philosophy, Confucianism to solve the corporate sustainability management issue. First, after examining the validity of the concept of Confucian capitalism by asking two questions: Did Confucianism ignore or deny interests? What does mean the accumulation of interests in Confucianism? In other words, does it represent cultivating moral virtues? I deduce that Confucianism oriented moral capitalism. Second, I explain cultural assets for business that can be obtained from Confucianism in humanism, sense of community, morality, self-reflection, and the mean. Finally, I suggest two problems of Confucianism that should be solved for playing 21 Century Asian business philosophy: The coexistence of the pursuit of interests and moral values, and the embracement of hierarchical -and horizontal human relations.
