Mindful Authoring through Invocation: Leaders' Constitution of a Spiritual Organization

Boris H J M Brummans, Jennie M. Hwang, Pauline Cheong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article examines how those who hold leadership positions in an internationally renowned Taiwanese Buddhist humanitarian organization establish themselves as legitimate authors of their organization by invoking a spiritual leader in their daily interactions and use this invocation to author their organization with a shared sense of compassion and wisdom. In so doing, this article extends the literature on mindful organizing and offers practical insights into the cultivation of mindfulness in an organizational setting. In particular, this study underscores the importance of understanding how a spiritual organization is communicatively constituted by voicing a revered figure into everyday situations, illustrating the profound connections between voice, invocation, and vocation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)346-372
Number of pages27
JournalManagement Communication Quarterly
Volume27
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2013

Keywords

  • Buddhism
  • Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation
  • authority
  • communicative constitution of organizations
  • invocation
  • leadership
  • mindful organizing
  • mindfulness
  • nonprofit organization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication
  • Strategy and Management

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Mindful Authoring through Invocation: Leaders' Constitution of a Spiritual Organization'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this