Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Philosophical Analysis of the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla) in Theravāda Buddhism

Corporate social responsibility raises a philosophical question about the relationship between a leader's moral commitments and an organization’s treatment of people affected by its activities. This article examines how the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla) in Theravāda Buddhism can inform ethical leadership without treating personal religious observance as evidence of corporate responsibility. It uses close readings of selected Pāli discourses, particularly Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.39 on the precepts as gifts of security, Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.63 on intention, Dīgha Nikāya 31 on employment relationships, and Majjhima Nikāya 61 on reflection and correction. These readings are compared with scholarship on ethical leadership, stakeholder theory, Buddhist economics, and corporate social responsibility. This analysis finds correlations between abstinence from killing and worry about predictable harm, respect for the property of others and care for the resources under one’s management, sexual moderation and protection from abuse of authority, honest speech and responsible reporting, and abstention from intoxicants and maintenance of one’s judgment. It separates the literary meaning of each precept from contemporary organizational applications like protection of the workplace and environmental responsibility. The main thesis is that moral convictions are relevant to corporate responsibility in so far as they influence ordinary decisions, institutional incentives and responses to affected stakeholders. Charitable contributions cannot provide a sufficient justification for continuing harmful or deceptive practices. The article proposes criteria for examining consistency between leadership conduct and organizational arrangements, while recognizing that the precepts alone cannot resolve every conflict concerning distribution, corporate agency, or public regulation. Its contribution is a qualified account of Buddhist moral discipline as a resource for evaluating responsible leadership, rather than a claim that Buddhist identity guarantees trust, profitability, or measurable social benefits.

Ethical leadership, Corporate social responsibility, Five Precepts, Theravāda Buddhism, Stakeholder accountability

1. Bodhi, Bhikkhu. (1981). Going for refuge and taking the precepts (The Wheel Publication No. 282/284). Buddhist Publication Society. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/wheel282.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Brown, M. E., Treviño, L. K., & Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117-134 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.03.002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Carroll, A. B. (2016). Carroll's pyramid of CSR: Taking another look. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 1, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-016-0004-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Donaldson, T., & Preston, L. E. (1995). The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence, and implications. Academy of Management Review, 20(1), 65-91 https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9503271992 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Harvey, P. (2000). An introduction to Buddhist ethics: Foundations, values and issues. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800801 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Keown, D. (1992). The nature of Buddhist ethics. Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-22092-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Kelly, J., Sawyer, S., & Yareham, V. (Trans.). (2005). Sigalovada Sutta: The Buddha's advice to Sigalaka (DN 31). Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.ksw0.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2011). Guiding principles on business and human rights: Implementing the United Nations "Protect, Respect and Remedy" framework (HR/PUB/11/04). United Nations. https://doi.org/10.18356/9ceabfd3-en [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Payutto, P. A. (2016). Buddhist economics (J. B. Dhammavijaya, Trans.; R. Moore, appendix Trans.; revised original English ed.). Wat Nyanavesakavan. https://www.papayutto.org/uploads/File/books/pdf/buddhist_economics.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Suriyankietkaew, S., & Kantamara, P. (2019). Business ethics and spirituality for corporate sustainability: A Buddhism perspective. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 16(3), 264-289. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766086.2019.1574598 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Trans.). (1997a). Abhaya Sutta: To Prince Abhaya (MN 58). Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.058.than.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Trans.). (1997b). Abhisanda Sutta: Rewards (AN 8.39). Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.039.than.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Trans.). (1997c). Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta: To Cunda the silversmith (AN 10.176). Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an10/an10.176.than.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Trans.). (1997d). Nibbedhika Sutta: Penetrative (AN 6.63). Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.063.than.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Trans.). (2006). Ambalatthika-rahulovada Sutta: Instructions to Rahula at Mango Stone (MN 61). Access to Insight. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.061.than.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Trans.). (n.d.). Business (Wrong Livelihood): Vaṇijjā Sutta (AN 5.177). Dhammatalks.org. Retrieved October 11 2026 from https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN5_177.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]