Kim, Tae WanStrudler, Alan2023-05-222023-05-222012-07-012018-06-20https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/38336We argue that Confucianism makes a fundamental contribution to understanding why civility is necessary for a morally decent workplace. We begin by reviewing some limits that traditional moral theories face in analyzing issues of civility. We then seek to establish a Confucian alternative. We develop the Confucian idea that even in business, humans may be sacred when they observe rituals culturally determined to express particular ceremonial significance. We conclude that managers and workers should understand that there is a broad range of morally important rituals in organizational life and that managers should preserve and develop the intelligibility and integrity of many of these rituals.This article has been published in a revised form in Business Ethics Quarterly at http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/beq201222334. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Cambridge University Press.civilityConfucianismsacredritualmanagement ethicsApplied EthicsBusiness Administration, Management, and OperationsBusiness Law, Public Responsibility, and EthicsComparative PhilosophyHuman Resources ManagementLawManagement Information SystemsArticle