The Water-like Daoist
Big-Five Theory for business and management has been developed based on the
ancient Chinese Dao De Jing (or Tao Te Ching or The Power of
Dao) by Laozi/Lao Tzu in about 550 BC (also sometimes referred to as The
Book of Laozi). The main ideas of Daoism focus on harmony with nature
(i.e., Dao or Tao) and harmony with human beings (i.e, De
or Te). Lee and team (Lee, 2003, Lee et al, 2008; Lee et al., 2013; Lee
& Holt, 2019) developed the Water-like Daoist Big-Five Theory, which
includes altruism, modesty/humility, flexibility/resilience,
honesty/transparency, and gentleness and perseverance, as an alternative to the
mainstream Big-Five theory. The current
paper examines quantitative data, generating the 20-item Daoist Big-Five scale
(Lee et al., 2013), and qualitative evidence in support of the Water-like
Daoist Big-Five Theory of Personality. Findings highlight, for example, the
utility of this theory for facilitating effective leadership, navigating group
dynamics and fostering collaborative efforts, promoting conflict resolution,
and encouraging greater harmony with the natural world, including plants,
animals, landscapes, and other humans. While this theory is very promising,
further validation of this model and more research into its’ applications are
warranted.
