Humanistic Marketing

Abstract

The Humanistic Management Network is an international, inter-disciplinary, and independent network that promotes the development of an economic system with respect for human dignity and well-being. The Humanistic Management Network defends human dignity in face of its vulnerability. The dignity of the human being lies in its capacity to define autonomously the purpose of its existence. Since human autonomy realizes itself through social cooperation, economic relations and business activities can either foster or obstruct human life and well-being. Against the widespread objectification of human subjects into human resources, against the common instrumentalization of human beings into human capital and a mere means for profit, we uphold humanity as the ultimate end and principle of all economic activity. In business as well as in society, respect for human dignity demands respect for human freedom. Collective decision-making, in corporations just as in govern-ments, should hence be based on free and equal deliberation, participation or representation of all affected parties. Concerns of legitimacy must, in economics like in politics, precede questions of expediency. We believe that market economies hold substantial potential for human develop-ment in general. To promote life-conducive market activities, we want to comple-ment the quantitative metrics which hitherto define managerial and economic success with qualitative evaluation criteria that focus on the human dignity of every woman and every man.