Building Practical Wisdom in Business, Organisation and Management through Transformative Civic Education (´Bildung´)

Abstract

This paper revisits the concept of Bildung as a transformative approach to civic education, aimed at renewing business and management education and organisational practices to foster both human and non-human flourishing and sustainability. It synthesises key insights from the literature on practical wisdom and wisdom learning to develop a conception of spiritually informed, embodied wiser practice in business, organisation, and management. As a component of transformative civic education, Bildung is demonstrated to have significant potential for cultivating the character traits, identity, and capabilities needed to address the profound ecological, economic, social, and cultural challenges of the Anthropocene. Specifically, the paper establishes a nexus between spirituality and embodied practical wisdom, advocating for more responsible and sustainable business practices and education. By leveraging the tradition of Bildung, both business practices and education can be rejuvenated through the development of the whole person within social praxis.