Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Practicing Human Dignity: Ethical Lessons from Commedia dell’Arte and Theater

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper considers two main cases of how the creative arts can inform a greater appreciation of human dignity. The first case explores a form of theater, Commedia dell’Arte that has deep roots in Italian culture. The second recounts a set of theater exercises done with very minimal direction or self-direction in executive education and MBA courses at the Darden School, University of Virginia, in the United States. In both cases we highlight how the creative arts can be important for promoting human dignity in organizations, and how they can lead to a more authentic conversation about values, ethics, and meaning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Our approach is action research oriented, as we are participant observers in the processes described here. For instance, Leonardo de Colle is a professional actor of the Piccolo Teatro of Milan with more than two decades of experience, and a teacher of the theater’s International Academy of Commedia dell’Arte directed by Ferruccio Soleri, giving classes in Italy and abroad. He has been performing in various roles in “Arlecchino Servitore Di Due Padroni,” the show directed by Giorgio Strehler since 1947 continuing the Italian tradition of Commedia dell’Arte that has been represented over a thousand times in theaters all around the world including Moscow, Vienna, Beijing, Paris, Auckland, Buenos Aires, Tokyo and New York. Arlecchino is, in fact, the Italian theater show most seen in the world (http://www.piccoloteatro.org/pages/la-storia-del-piccolo-teatro-di-milano/giorgio-strehler) and is currently staged again in Milan for the 2015–2016 season. After having many informal discussions around our common interests for theater and business ethics over the years, we first conceived the first draft of this article after a weekend of brainstorming in Verona in October 2014. Leonardo is also the brother of Simone de Colle, who along with Bidhan Parmar had the experience of being a student in the Darden theater course. Both now use variations of these exercises and techniques in their own teaching at graduate business schools. Parmar has created a set of theater-relevant techniques and exercises aimed at the promotion of human dignity in the course described here as one on collaboration. In addition, we have examined the self-reports of well over 600 students with significant managerial experience from the Darden courses on what they have learned in the course. Over the ensuing years after the students have finished the course, we have had extensive conversations with many of these former students about the applicability of these ideas to their current organizations.

References

  • Auster, E. R., & Freeman, R. E. (2013). Values and poetic organizations: Beyond value fit toward values through conversation. Journal of Business Ethics, 113, 39–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barret, F. (1998). Coda-Creativity and improvisation in jazz and organization: Implication for organizational learning. Organization Science, 9(5), 605–622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, D. (1996). Artful inquiry: A symbolic constructivist approach to social science research. Qualitative Inquiry, 2(4), 411–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, D., & Meisiek, S. (2010). Seeing more and seeing differently: Sense making, mindfulness, and the workarts. Organization Studies, 31, 1–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernardi, P. (1992). Improvisation starters: A collection of 900 improvisation situations for the theater. Cincinnati: Betterway Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertland, A. (2009). Virtue ethics in business and the capabilities approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 84, 25–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denning, S. (2006). Effective storytelling: Strategic business narrative techniques. Strategy & Leadership, 34, 42–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunham, L., & Freeman, R. E. (2000). There is business like show business. Organizational Dynamics, 29(2), 108–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, R. E., Dunham, L., Fairchild, G., & Parmar, B. (2014). Leveraging the creative arts in business ethics teaching. Journal of Business Ethics Online First,. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2479-y.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garaventa, E. (1998). Drama: A tool for teaching business ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly, 8(3), 535–545.

  • Greenwood, M. (2013). Ethical analysis of HRM: A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Ethics, 114, 355–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, M., & Freeman, R. E. (2011). Ethics and HRM: The contribution of stakeholder theory. Business and Professional Ethics, 30, 269–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, D. (2011). Dignity: The essential role it plays in resolving conflict. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lesavre, L. (2012). Are theatre and business links relevant? A conceptual paper and a cae study. Journal of Management Development, 31(3), 243–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levy, G. (2010). 275 Acting games: A comprehensive workbook of theatre games for developing acting skills. USA: Meriwether Publishing Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, C., Baruch, Y., & Shih, W. (2012). Corporate social responsibility and team performance: The mediating role of team efficacy and team self-esteem. Journal of Business Ethics, 108, 167–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lubar, K., & Halpern, B. (2004). Leadership presence. New York: Gotham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackey, J., & Sisodia, R. (2013). Conscious capitalism. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maclean, M. (2012). Sensemaking, storytelling and the legitimization of elite business careers. Human Relations, 65, 17–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meisiek, S., & Barry, D. (2007). Through the looking glass of organizational theatre: Analogically mediated inquiry in organizations. Organization Studies, 28(12), 1805–1827.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melé, D. (2009). Integrating personalism into virtue-based business ethics: The personalist and the common good principles. Journal of Business Ethics, 88(1), 227–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. (2006). Frontiers of justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, M. (2011). Creating capabilities. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Phipps, S. T. A., & Prieto, L. C. (2014). A discovery of early labor organizations and the women who advocated work–life balance: An ethical perspective. Journal of Business Ethics online first, 1–13.

  • Pless, N. M. (2007). Understanding responsible leadership: Roles identity and motivational drivers. Journal of Business Ethics, 74(4), 437–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pless, N. M., & Maak, T. (2004). Building an inclusive diversity culture: Principles, processes and practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 54(2), 129–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pless, N. M., & Maak, T. (2009). Responsible leaders as agents of world benefit: Learnings from “Project Ulysses”. Journal of Business Ethics, 1(85), 59–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pless, N. M., Maak, T., & Stahl, G. K. (2011). Developing responsible global leaders through international service learning programs: The Ulysses experience at price water house Coopers. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 10(2), 237–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. (2008). Lectures on the history of political philosophy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, M. (2012). Dignity: Its history and meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rudlin, J. (2002). Commedia Dell’Arte: An actor’s handbook. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salgado, M. (2008). Le theatre, un outil de formation au management. Revue Française de Gestion, 181(34), 77–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shuffler, M., DiazGranados, D., & Salas, E. (2011). There’s a science for that: Team development interventions ini organizations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20, 365–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sisodia, R., Wolfe, D., & Sheth, J. (2014). Firms of endearment. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson FT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spolin, V. (1983). Improvisation for the theater: A handbook of teaching of directing techniques. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanislavski, C. (1938). An Actor’s Work: A Student’s Diary. Trans. and ed. Jean Benedetti. London: Routledge, 2008.

  • Taviani, F. (1992). Il Segreto della Commedia dell’Arte (The secret of the Commedia dell’Arte) (2nd ed.). Florence: La casa Usher.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vera, D., & Crossan, M. (2004). Theatrical improvisation: Lessons for organizations. Organization Studies, 25(5), 727–749.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weick, K. E. (1998). Introductory essay: Improvisation as a mindset for organizational analysis. Organization Science, 9(5), 543–555.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simone de Colle.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

de Colle, S., Freeman, R.E., Parmar, B. et al. Practicing Human Dignity: Ethical Lessons from Commedia dell’Arte and Theater. J Bus Ethics 144, 251–262 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2898-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2898-4

Keywords

Navigation