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When Servant Becomes Leader: The Corazon C. Aquino Success Story as a Beacon for Business Leaders

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Abstract

This article makes the case for servant leadership as a model for business in its analysis of the leadership style of former Philippine president, Corazon C. Aquino. Premised on the idea that self-management requires deep spirituality lived integrally (and sustained by an interior or inner life), we identify specific traits and virtues of Aquino and their implications on her leadership and effect on people. The article begins with an introduction to establish the contribution of servant leadership on business. It continues with a summary of key points in servant leadership literature. Then, we analyze Aquino as a person and leader and find that the former spilled over to the latter. We conclude by providing a model based on Aquino’s journey into the role of servant leader; thus, presenting a framework that charts the path toward servant leadership to help businesses address the leadership crisis brought on by an Enron-WorldCom-Tyco dominated business culture.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the University of Macau for funding as well as all respondents who participated in the study, and the two blind reviewers for their advice and direction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Avenida Padre Tomas Pereira, Taipa, Macau SAR, China

    Zenon Arthur S. Udani

  2. School of Communication, University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, 1605, Pasig City, Philippines

    Caterina F. Lorenzo-Molo

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  1. Zenon Arthur S. Udani
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  2. Caterina F. Lorenzo-Molo
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Correspondence to Caterina F. Lorenzo-Molo.

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Udani, Z.A.S., Lorenzo-Molo, C.F. When Servant Becomes Leader: The Corazon C. Aquino Success Story as a Beacon for Business Leaders. J Bus Ethics 116, 373–391 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1449-5

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