Paper short abstract:

The paper proposes a case study of the religious dimension of management practices and discourses that encourage employees’ personal development and wellbeing in Slovakia. It will study how these trends may also represent a new form of religion in the capitalist and consumerist society.

Paper long abstract:

The paper proposes a case study of the religious dimension in business in Slovakia to question the concept of re-enchantment. It is based on ongoing ethnographic research into management practices and discourses that encourage employees’ personal development and wellbeing. According to Nicolas Marquis (2014), personal development cannot be defined once for all but more through ‘family resemblance’ features. These features can be found in different places such as bookshops, therapies, psychology sessions, seminars and festivals. Personal development practices can involve the practices of astrology, tarot, relaxation, yoga. Personal development has also penetrated management practices and discourses (Brunel, 2008). These practices and discourses transmit the ‘spirit of capitalism’ (Boltanski & Chiappelo, 1999). Recently they have refocused on employees’ happiness and wellbeing. They encourage individuals to adopt a specific subjectivity and get involved in organisational goals. The paper will study how these new trends in management may also represent a new form of religion in the capitalist and consumerist society. At the same time, it will question the notion of re-enchantment beyond its propensity to attract our attention to the emergence of new religious forms.