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Neo-Stoicism and Complex Social-ecological Systems: Ethical Practices in Contemporary Workplaces

Chrystie Watson et al.

Philosophy of Management2026https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-025-00357-zarticle
AJG 1ABDC B
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

Abstract This paper presents an empirical study examining how professionals in contemporary workplaces interpret and apply Stoic philosophy to shape their ethical conduct. Conceptualised as ‘Neo-Stoic’ philosophy, the study contributes to scholarly understanding of how an ancient ethical tradition informs contemporary social-ecological systems (SES) thinking and practice. The exploratory study included a mixed qualitative/quantitative survey of professionals practicing Stoicism in their work setting, with more detailed follow-up interviews with participants recruited through the survey. Drawing on these data, the paper presents instances representative of the intention, contribution and ethical guidance of Stoic philosophy in professional practice through the reported experiences of practitioners navigating workplace challenges. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: ‘being Stoic’ in a contemporary workplace; contribution to a ‘common good’; and providing guidance to others. The findings reveal how the ancient philosophy of Stoicism has been adapted to contemporary workplaces, particularly through the attention paid to the broader SES implications of (Neo-) Stoic practitioners’ pursuit of the common good. Neo-Stoic practices are seen to promote a ‘beyond compliance’ ethics-as-practice and aspire to address SES sustainability issues, particularly in circumstances of unrest and crisis, such as experienced through the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper demonstrates how Neo-Stoic practices can inform professional workplace responses to SES sustainability imperatives.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-025-00357-z

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@article{chrystie2026,
  title        = {{Neo-Stoicism and Complex Social-ecological Systems: Ethical Practices in Contemporary Workplaces}},
  author       = {Chrystie Watson et al.},
  journal      = {Philosophy of Management},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s40926-025-00357-z},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.