Comparing logics of organizing across Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli: tensions and implications for innovation management and responsible innovation

Examining the writings of foundational Western political philosophers has led to past insights on leadership implications for managers in general, but what can we learn from such writings and their logics of organizing under uncertainty that may inform innovation management and the pursuit of responsible innovation? This conceptual research paper examines select writings from Plato, Aristotle, and Machiavelli. Focusing on The Republic , Politics , and The Prince , it considers how they relate to governance and leadership in the context of uncertainty and innovation. It then compares how their logics of organizing differ in their emphasis. Two tensions are central to these organizing logics. The first tension concerns sources of authority (whether organizing is governance-centered or leadership-centered), and the second concerns modes of commitment under uncertainty (whether innovation emphasizes sustained focus or flexibility). I describe the implications of these tensions for the principles on which managers may draw when leading organizations under uncertainty as well as for the pursuit of responsible innovation.