Imagining the Land of Compassion

Abstract

Western society has increasingly turned to different kinds of spirituality in dealing with
an accelerated tempo and demands in everyday post-modern life. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness
and other forms of modalities, often connected to ancient eastern thinking, are taught and
implemented in management and leadership practises (Cederström & Spicer, 2015). Although
organizational theorizing has previously excluded issues of spirituality, an increasing interest in
this discourse has awakened (cf. Fry, Latham, Clinebell & Krahnke, 2016). For instance, an
important sub-field of organizational theory where non-rational views of organizations actually
already have evolved is the field of leadership, that commonly addresses non-rationalistic ideals
in organizations such as emotions, visions and transformative change (cf. Bass, 1990). In line
with a growing interest in alternative ways of organising our lives as both consumers and
producers (as taking part of building our societies through business or non-profit operations) to
take care of each other and the world, compassion is a concept to be explored. This is
particularly the case when it comes to creating places of leisure and relaxation. The challenge is
to create and implement compassionate and sustainable leisure places of community that allows
people to catch their breath. These environments need to be conscious, supportive and
compassionate to function as intended: to be like a shelter in a contemporary society that stresses
other goals and priorities (as efficiency, rationality, environmentally unsustainable economic
growth and so on). In this paper we present a case study, an attempt by lifestyle and leisure
entrepreneurs to build a leisure community in Northern Cyprus, through the invocation of
entrepreneurial and organizational leadership strategies of compassion, care, mindfulness and
consciousness. We approach this case study through the following research questions: How can
we understand compassionate organising? How is compassionate leadership practised? The aim
is to explore compassionate leadership and, through a combination of sociological theories of
space and insights in quantum theory, offer an empowering understanding of compassionate
organisational spaces. In order to understand compassionate organisational spaces we need to
turn to socio-spatial theoretical outlines of the nature and constitution of environments (Massey,
2005). Our understanding of that builds on an inherently relational notion of space. Here,
physical distance is not the sole or primary factor or variable. Rather, space is unfolded by social
relations (of caring and compassion) that transgress physical distances and institutional barriers
(Deleuze, 1993; Doel, 1999; Shields, 2013). This approach harmonizes (and is here combined)
with the world-view expressed in quantum theory (non-locality and entanglement: that cause and
effect works regardless of how far apart they are and that reality is created by consciousness)
(Abrahamsson, 2012; Pernecky, 2016). To distill the reasoning somewhat: compassion and
consciousness are in themselves unfolded spatialities that can be nurtured into sustainable
environments (as things can be observed into existence due to the mind-interdependence of
quantum reality).

Abstract (Swedish)

Western society has increasingly turned to different kinds of spirituality in dealing with an accelerated tempo and demands in everyday post-modern life. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness and other forms of modalities, often connected to ancient eastern thinking, are taught and implemented in management and leadership practises (Cederström & Spicer, 2015). Although organizational theorizing has previously excluded issues of spirituality, an increasing interest in this discourse has awaken (cf. Fry, Latham, Clinebell & Krahnke, 2016). For instance, an important sub-field of organizational theory where non-rational views of organizations actually already have evolved is the field of leadership, that commonly addresses non-rationalistic ideals in organizations such as emotions, visions and transformative change (cf. Bass, 1990).

In line with a growing interest in alternative ways of organising our lives as both consumers and producers (as taking part of building our societies through business or non-profit operations) to take care of each other and the world, compassion is a concept to be explored. This is particularly the case when it comes to creating places of leisure and relaxation. The challenge is to create and implement compassionate and sustainable leisure places of community that allows people to catch their breath. These environments need to be conscious, supportive and compassionate to function as intended: to be like a shelter in a contemporary society that stresses other goals and priorities (as efficiency, rationality, environmentally unsustainable economic growth and so on).

In this paper we present a case study, an attempt by life-style and leisure entrepreneurs to build a leisure community in Northern Cyprus, through the invocation of entrepreneurial and organizational leadership strategies of compassion, care, mindfulness and consciousness. We approach this case study through the following research questions: How can we understand compassionate organising? How is compassionate leadership practised? The aim is to explore compassionate leadership and through a combination of sociological theories of space and insights in quantum theory, offer an empowering understanding of compassionate organisational spaces.

In order to understand compassionate organisational spaces we need to turn to socio-spatial theoretical outlines of the nature and constitution of environments (Massey, 2005). Our understanding of that builds on an inherently relational notion of space. Here, physical distance is not the sole or primary factor or variable. Rather, space is unfolded by social relations (of caring and compassion) that transgresses physical distances and institutional barriers (Deleuze, 1993; Doel, 1999; Shields 2013). This approach harmonizes (and is here combined) with the world-view expressed in quantum theory (non-locality and entanglement: that cause and effect works regardless of how far apart they are and that reality is created by consciousness) (Abrahamsson, 2012; Pernecky, 2016). To distill the reasoning somewhat: compassion and consciousness are in themselves unfolded spatialities that can be nurtured into sustainable environments (as things can be observed into existence due to the mind-interdependence of quantum reality).

Keywords: compassion, leadership, organisational spaces, quantum theory, leisure communities

• author: Larson, Mia and Ek, Richard
• organization: Department of Service Studies
• publishing date: 2019-06-23
• type: Contribution to conference
• publication status: published
• subject: Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
• conference name: Critical Tourism Studies VIII Conference
• conference location: Ibiza, Spain
• conference dates: 2019-06-24 - 2019-06-28
• language: English
• LU publication?: yes
• id: 88bea278-864c-4eb5-9e96-cb9b395e6568
• alternative location: https://www.criticaltourismstudies.info/proceedings
• date added to LUP: 2019-10-21 17:37:00
• date last changed: 2019-10-22 09:35:42