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Character Is Not "Dead" in Management Research: A Review of Individual Character and Organizational-Level Virtue

Department of Management, 215 Calvin Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, thomaswr{at}ksu.edu

Jerry Goodstein

Department of Management & Operations, Washington State University, Vancouver, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., Vancouver, WA 98686-9600

We propose that strength of character is a potentially important organizational research topic, one that has been largely untapped in applied research. Character (ethos) refers to those inter-penetrable habitual qualities within individuals and applicable to organizations that constrain and lead them to desire and pursue personal and societal good. In our review, we first provide an initial conceptualization of character, partly by distinguishing it from virtue and values. Second, starting with the Old Testament, we examine how character has traditionally been considered across time and culture. Next, we discuss the extant research on strength of character and organizational virtue. We conclude with promising research directions involving individual character strength and organizational virtue.

Key Words: character • character strengths • virtues • values

Journal of Management, Vol. 33, No. 6, 928-958 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0149206307307644


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