The ethics of HRD practice

Abstract

ABSTRACTProfessional fields are guided by the search for reasoned answers to the question of what to do, and this both in the exercise of daily practice and in the education and training of future practitioners. In educational theory and in management, the framework of virtue ethics has received much attention as an alternative to duty-based and result-oriented approaches of considering what to do in professional practice. Virtue ethics dates back to Greek philosophy and is concerned with practical wisdom, defined as acting virtuously in pursuit of a good and worthwhile form of living. This article outlines the major tenets of virtue ethics in the context of working and work organization and posits that the focus on practical wisdom should be seen as a central concern of HRD practice and HRD education.