Numerological and Related Superstitions

Numbers and various numerical systems have a long history over millennia and across cultures. Their influence in almost all aspects of human life, including the religiousReligion/religious/religiosity, spiritual and supernaturalSupernatural, cannot be underestimated in terms of establishing meaning and decision makingDecision making. This chapter focuses upon the significance of numbers beyond their numeric value to encompass the mystical elements of numerologyNumerology that can nevertheless be applied to inform, for better or worse, some contemporary organisational contexts. Some attention is given to the rich numerologicalNumerology superstitions evident in Chinese cultures that date back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In the final section of this chapter, the significance of certain numbers and their ascribed superstitious, religiousReligion/religious/religiosity and spiritual connotations are described. Some implications for organisations and management decision makingDecision making are also discussed.