Discernment in management and organizations

Abstract

Discernment integrates spiritual and religious values, wisdom, and sensibilities into decision making. What can spiritual and religious traditions of discernment contribute to management and organizations? A set of authors has responded to this question and offered initial empirical evidence. This article identifies and reviews research on discernment in management and organization studies, and clarifies the nature and location of discernment within the field. It also draws together writings on discernment from outside the field, organizes their coverage according to three units of analysis – processes, practices, and meetings – and elaborates the details of discernment within each. The literature review and conceptual development offered here sets the stage for further advances in discernment research and extending discernment in management and organizations.