Organizational Existentialism

Conceptual Overview

OE is not grounded only in the views of Jean-Paul Sartre, which is a common misconception. Existentialism, as a way to view life and human action or as general mood as opposed to a philosophy, has very ancient and diverse roots. They include Heraclitus of Ephesus in the West and Zarathustra in the East. Table I shows some of the authors who have made a significant contribution to the existential tradition.

But speaking of an existential tradition can be misleading. The existential movement can be described as a revolt against confined schools of thoughts and [Page 1071]societal norms. Albert Camus, for example, refused to be labeled an existentialist when he realized that the existential movement was itself becoming a school. Thus, while existentialists recognize that the four issues mentioned above are fundamental, they also insist that this definition is not comprehensive. For them, the search for a comprehensive definition of the human condition is ludicrous as it denies the variety of the human soul.

The first realization of existential issues by a human being is often the subject of death. This realization can be induced by various experiences, including major accidents or illnesses, the death of a loved one, or the sudden awareness that one is “next in line” after the passing of one's parents. For existentialists, this realization is not morbid; it springs from the dialectical nature of existence, life being linked to death, growth to decay, the existence of every entity to its fragility and preciousness. This increased realization of the inevitability of death can lead a person to live a more authentic life in accordance with his or her values or sense of destiny. Studies conducted of cancer or AIDS patients suggest, for example, that about one third of them readjust their priorities, adopting death as an “adviser.” In the organizational world, the issue of death, such as the disappearance of organizations, seems more recognized than before: More than half the Fortune 500 companies created 50 years ago do not exist anymore, and corporate giants such as Enron, Polaroid, and WorldCom have crumbled. This heightened awareness of the fragility of organizations has been recently addressed in bestsellers such as James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras's Built to Last or Danny Miller and Isabelle Le Breton-Miller's Managing for the Long Run.

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