Domènec Melé
professor
Business Ethics
IESE Business School Universidad de Navarra
Spain
Biography
Domènec Melé is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Business Ethics at IESE and the holder of the Chair of Business Ethics at IESE. He earned his doctorate in Industrial Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and his Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Navarra. In addition, he holds a degree in chemistry from the Universitat de Barcelona. He was ordained a Catholic priest (Opus Dei) in 1983. Before joining IESE in 1986 he was professor of Chemical Technology at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Over the last 20 years, Prof. Melé has resrached and written extensively on the areas of business ethics, business in society and Catholic Social Thought. His areas of specialization include economic and business ethics, corporate social responsibility, Christian ethics and spirituality in management, philosophy of management and corporate ethics. He has published over 50 scientific chapters and articles in referred journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics, Business Ethics Quarterly, Business Ethics: A European Review, Business and Society Review, and Philosophy of Management. Furthermore, he has authored about 20 case studies (IESE Publishing). He chairs the biennial International Symposium on Ethics, Business and Society led by IESE since 1991. He is the co-founder of IESE's Center for Business in Society, and the director of the quarterly review Temes d'Avui (in Catalan). He is also the author of five books: Business Ethics in Action. Seeking Human Excellence in Organizations (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009); Cristianos en la sociedad (Christians in Society), (5th ed. Rialp, Madrid, 2009), Ética en la empresa familiar (Ethics in Family Business),with M. A. Gallo (2nd ed. IESE Publishing, Barcelona, 2003); Ética en dirección de empresas (Ethics in Management) (Folio, Barcelona, 1997); and Economía y empresa al servicio del hombre (Economics and Business for Serving People), 1992; Moreover, he has edited several research books on business ethics. Recent examples include: Ética en la actividad financiera (Ethics in Financial Activity), 1998; Ética en dirección comercial y publicidad (Ethics in Marketing and Advertising), 1998; Consideraciones éticas sobre la iniciativa emprendedora y la empresa familiar (Ethical Considerations on Entrepreneurship and Family Business), 1999; and Ética en el liderazgo: retos ante el siglo XXI (Ethics in Leadership: Challenges of the 21st Century), 2000. Prof. Melé serves as section editor (International Management) of the Journal of Business Ethics. He is also a member of the editorial boards of Philosophy of Management (UK), Corporate Governance (UK) and Ethos. International Journal of Applied Ethics (Spain). He has also been co-guest editor of four special issues of the Journal of Business Ethics. In 2003 he received the award for excellence in research from the IESE Alumni Association. Prof. Melé regularly delivers talks at international seminars and participates in conferences organized by the European Business Ethics Network (EBEN); Society for Business Ethics (SBE); Academy of Management (AOM, Social Issues Management and Management Religion and Spirituality); International Society of Business, Economics and Ethics (ISBEE); and the International Symposia on Catholic Social Thought and Management Education.
Research Interest
Areas of Interest * Business in Society * Ethical Issues in Business * Philosophy of Management * Humanism in Organizational Cultures * Christian Ethics and Spirituality in Management
Publications
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Humanistic management is a people-oriented management that seeks profits for human ends. It contrasts with other types of anagement that are essentially oriented toward profits, with people seen as mere resources to serve this goal. This article reviews the historical development of humanistic management and the ever-increasing body of literature on the concept as well as the different meanings that scholars attribute to it. It then explores what form a genuine humanism might have by presenting seven ropositions labeled as: 1) wholeness, 2) comprehensive knowledge, 3) human dignity, 4) development, 5) common good, 6) transcendence, and 7) stewardship-sustainability. Next, it looks at four characteristics of a humanistic ethos for managing business: the view of the individual and human work, the role of the individual in the society and in interacting with nature, the business firm, and the purpose of business in society. Finally, it presents some insights for the practice of humanistic management.
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In light of the recent crisis and its aftershocks, it becomes crucial to reflect on the relationship between finance and accounting and on how to integrate ethics and efficiency, as well as on how to motivate and empower practitioners in the world of finance to commit to justice, fairness and enhanced understanding, and to improving their personal integrity. This article, written as an editorial introduction to a special issue includes works related to control measurement and ethical behavior, misbehaviors in finances and accounting, professionalism in accounting, ethical investing and corporate reporting. We conclude by suggesting further research for a better integration of technical aspects of accounting and finances into business activity-human activity actually-and an for understanding of ethics not limited to rules, but as a mutual and interdependent system of values (human goods), virtues, and principles.
