RT Article
T1 How Virtue Fits Within Business Ethics
JF Journal of business ethics
VO 33
IS 2
SP 101
OP 114
A1 Whetstone, J. Thomas
LA English
YR 2001
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1785616366
AB This paper proposes that managers add an attention to virtues and vices of human character as a full complement to moral reasoning according to a deontological focus on obligations to act and a teleological focus on consequences (a balanced tripartite approach). Even if the criticisms of virtue ethics cloud its use as a mononomic normative theory of justification, they do not refute the substantial benefits of applying a human character perspective – when done so in conjunction with also-imperfect act-oriented perspectives. An interactive tripartite approach is superior for meeting the complex requirements of an applied ethic. To illustrate how deficiencies of a "strong" virtue ethics formulation can be overcome by a balanced tripartite approach, this paper compares normative leadership paradigms (each based on a combination of virtue, deontology, or consequentialist perspectives) and the dangers inherent in each. The preferred paradigm is servant leadership, grounded in a tripartite ethic. Effective application of such an ethics approach in contemporary organizations requires further empirical research to develop a greater understanding of the moral language actually used. Meeting this challenge will allow academics better to assist practicing managers lead moral development and moral reasoning efforts.
K1 Ethics
K1 Virtue
K1 Vice
K1 tripartite ethics
K1 Servant Leadership
K1 Moral Language
K1 Leadership
K1 ethical manager
K1 Character
K1 act-oriented theories
DO 10.1023/A:1017554318867