Implications for Individuals

The aim of this chapter is to consider the implications of the virtue ethics approach for individuals both in their lives in general and more specifically when they are at work in organizations. It introduces the idea of ends or purposes of an individual life, and the concept of a narrative quest in pursuing it, and links this to concepts already covered in previous chapters—goods, practices, and virtues. It introduces the idea of the unity of an individual life, and shows how this is linked to the idea of practices. It then considers virtue at work in organizations, and introduces the idea of meaningful work including how we may properly order our desires both in general and at work. It ends by considering whether managers, organizations, and governments have a responsibility to provide meaningful work.