Aristotelian Rhetoric as a Driver of Organizational Moral Change How Logos, Pathos, and Ethos can Initiate, Scale Up, and Sustain Moral Change in Organizations
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2024-09-27
Author(s)
Abstract
Driven by the ambition to transform their organization as a force for social good, a rising number of employees have started grassroots movements to drive positive change from within their workplace (Briscoe & Gupta, 2016; Scully & Segal, 2002; One Young World, 2022). Surprisingly, research examining how this rising phenomenon contributes to shaping organizational moral boundaries is still relatively scarce. In this paper, we build on the theoretical framework of organizational moral change by Solinger et al. (2020) and expand it by bringing in Aristotelian deliberative rhetoric. Specifically, we explain how logos, pathos, and ethos appeals enable each phase of a moral change process: 1) initiating, 2) scaling up, and 3) securing moral change (cf. Solinger et al., 2020, p.510). We argue that it is by opening up, widening, and integrating the moral space that rhetoric contributes to bringing about a moral change. Theoretically, anchoring our perspective in Aristotle’s moral philosophy, we demonstrate the importance of moral character in moving an organization and its members closer to the morally good life (Aristotle, 2004). Practically, our model offers a set of rhetorical tools that could be used to reduce moral muteness and establish durable patterns of morality in companies.
Language
English
Keywords
organizational moral change
Aristotelian deliberative rhetoric
moral space
good life
moral character
virtue ethics
Event Title
OMFT 2024 - Organizations, Management, and Theories of the Firm
Event Location
University of Bern, Switzerland
Event Date
26th-27th September 2024
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Fontanet et al_2024_Aristotelian Rhetoric as Driver of Organizational Moral Change.pdf
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1016.12 KB
Format
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