Doing Virtuous Business: The Remarkable Success of Spiritual Enterprise [Hardcover]

Theodore Roosevelt Malloch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2011

Can the concept of "Spiritual Capital" actually ensure a company's success?

Critics of capitalism view big businesses as insatiable masters of the universe with little regard for the public. They label those who create wealth as greedy, malicious, and unscrupulous. Doing Virtuous Business answers these charges head-on. In this insightful and original book, Theodore Roosevelt Malloch presents the bold idea that the creation of wealth by virtuous means is the most important thing that can be done for society.

Doing Virtuous Business explains the true purpose of business and illuminates the connection between a free economy and religious liberty.  Drawing from the notion of "social capital," which has been developed by generations of scholars, Malloch adds the concept of "spiritual capital" as a foundation for social progress and also a necessity for responsible and successful enterprise. He details the virtues that sustain a business and a free market—virtues that build up a network of trust, which is critical to the global economy.

Malloch reveals that a company's soul determines its "spiritual capital," an equally imperative foundation to success.  From Wal-Mart to IBM, Malloch demonstrates how companies that operate on ethical models informed by spiritual traditions have outperformed their competitors.  This book is a welcome moral defense of free enterprise and a sensible guide for achieving the ideal of virtuous business.

 Besides making the world a better place, Malloch argues, virtuous enterprise makes companies far more successful and profitable than they otherwise would be. He presents case studies of virtuous business in the Judeo-Christian tradition as well as statistical analysis demonstrating how companies that operate on ethical models have outperformed their competitors over the long run.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Every CEO should [listen to] this book and regain the moral energy to lead both their firms and the global economy." ---Lawrence Kudlow, Host CNBC's Kudlow & Company

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

Theodore Malloch is chairman and CEO of the Roosevelt Group, a strategy firm, and research professor at Yale University, where he heads the Spiritual Capital Initiative. He was Vice President for all national programs for the Aspen Institute and served on the Executive Board of the World Economic Forum. He has held an ambassadorial-level position at the United Nations and senior policy positions at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the U.S. Department of State.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 29, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849947170
• ISBN-13: 978-0849947179
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,095,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Very Dry Look at the Effect of Spirituality on Business November 9, 2011

By Ryan Young

Format:Hardcover

With a Ivy League passion for case studies, Theodore Roosevelt Malloch presents his thesis on "spiritual capital" in Doing Virtuous Business: The Remarkable Success of Spiritual Enterprise". The author is not shy about his Christianity, but makes a sincere effort to examine the affects of spirituality on a business from a non-partisan perspective. Citing numerous examples, Malloch weaves for the reader a tapestry of the great effect of spiritual enterprise, but leaves them with an uncertain proposition. While clearly stating that faith is the natural underpinning for the virtues necessary to thrive in a free economy, the author's assertions are somewhat one-dimensional.

After closing the book for the final time I had to wonder if it may have been better expressed in a scholarly journal given as a lecture for a leadership summit. The premise and idea of spiritual enterprise is absolutely worth investigating and Malloch does an excellent job doing so. The issue that arises is in the longevity of the discussion. At 144 pages this topic seemed stretched to its extreme. In a discussion-based format it would certainly provoke some interesting arguments, but I feel like the endless examples left me with more questions than answers at times.

I tend to agree with Malloch's proposals, but I did not find them revolutionary. He addresses the historical basis of spiritual enterprise lightly, and the more interesting parts of the book are where he delves into the religious ideals that have given rise to spiritual enterprise. With a less than novel topic to address, I think the book becomes a bit repetitive in stressing the main idea through case studies.

And yet after putting the book down, I still find that the concept is intriguing to study. For me it raises questions about companies that were started with rich spiritual inheritance and yet fail for other reasons. It also raises questions about some of the world's most successful companies that succeed without an ounce of spiritual capital. Malloch doesn't claim that this philosophy is a guaranteed method for success, nor does he claim that it is always present in success stories; he simply communicates his belief that spiritual capital is an incredible guiding force that allows people and companies to go far beyond themselves and achieve great things.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Doing Virtuous Business September 30, 2011

By Meghans BookReview

Format:Hardcover

I was given a copy of "Doing Virtuous Business" by Theodore Roosevelt Mallock and published by Thomas Nelson to read and review. I don't usually read books about economics but found this one interesting because my husband and I are small business owners and Christians. We have found in the last few years that many of the "motivational" business speakers have an "all about me" attitude. They talk about "getting everything you want right now." I haven't once heard a speaker stress the importance of ethics in business. Since it's our personal goal to honor Christ first and foremost in our lives and work, it's important to us that we operate ethically in all regards and then have a successful business.

Mallock's book is a refreshing approach to the concept that spiritual capital as a product of virtue in the context of western capitalism, Judeo-Christian culture and faith. It illustrates case studies where companies operate with virtue, leadership, courage, patience, perseverance, discipline, justice, forgiveness, compassion, humility, and gratitude form the foundation of spiritual capital and in turn, the very foundation of profitable capitalism.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be in business. As a Christian, it's a motivational and practical look at what needs to be the most important things in the company. Additionally, it offers the encouragement that honoring what is most important in faith; you will not only have a profitable business but a clean conscience as well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You simply must read this. September 28, 2011

By David E. McClendon

Format:Hardcover

This book takes the reader through a series of different stories of businesses that have done business the virtuous way and have prospered because of it or in spite of it depending on your view. The book tells us stories of Tyson Chicken, Chik Filet, Wal-Mart and a few others and how they fared because of this. In some cases, the original fallout was intense and caused the company undue hardship. In the end, the companies emerged stronger and better than they had been before the problem occurred.

In some instances, like ServiceMaster, there was no moment of truth where a decision to do the right thing had to be made. In these circumstances, the company simply had a policy of do the right thing always. The company's history will show, in each case, how the company was able to weather bad economies and come out on top because of the "Spiritual Capital" the company had built up along the way.
This book is very entertaining to read. The author has a style that keeps the reader interested throughout the book. The stories are interesting and the information is presented in such a way that it isn't jargon intense. The reader is drawn into the stories and is left wanting more.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255