Undergraduate Management Course that Promotes Existential Development for Business

Abstract

The modern workplace is broken because it retains a singular focus on shareholder value maximization. This orientation creates a variety of health hazards for workers. However, there are emerging approaches that promote more positive work climates. This report evaluated an undergraduate management course designed to address this issue by advancing principles derived from humanistic management practices. A sample of 234 women and 285 men who were enrolled in a Principles of Management course participated in this new curriculum. Students completed measures of the Numinous (i.e., ultimate existential orientation), personal well-being, conflict management, and empathic listening skills pre- and post- semester. Results indicated significant, positive changes across these four outcome variables. A cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that scores on the Numinous measure appeared to have a causal impact on the personal wellbeing scales. Training programs of this nature may be helpful in providing a long-term solution to improving the quality of the workplace.