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. 2021;169(2):293-308.
doi: 10.1007/s10551-019-04269-7. Epub 2019 Sep 5.

The Value of Character-Based Judgement in the Professional Domain

James Arthur  1 , Stephen R Earl  1 , Aidan P Thompson  1 , Joseph W Ward  1
Affiliations

The Value of Character-Based Judgement in the Professional Domain

James Arthur et al. J Bus Ethics. 2021.

Abstract

Dimensions of character are often overlooked in professional practice at the expense of the development of technical competence and operational efficiency. Drawing on philosophical accounts of virtue ethics and positive psychology, the present work attempts to elevate the role of 'good' character in the professional domain. A 'good' professional is ideally one that exemplifies dimensions of character informed by sound judgement. A total of 2340 professionals, from five discrete professions, were profiled based on their valuation of qualities pertaining to character and judgement. Profile differences were subsequently examined in the self-reported experience of professional purpose towards a wider societal 'good'. Analysis of covariance, controlling for stage of career, revealed that professionals valuing character reported higher professional purpose than those overweighting the importance of judgement or valuing neither character nor judgement, F(3, 2054) = 7.92, p < .001. No differences were found between the two groups valuing character, irrespective of whether judgement was valued simultaneously. This profiling analysis of entry-level and in-service professionals, based on their holistic character composition, paves the way for fresh philosophical discussion regarding what constitutes a 'good' professional and the interplay between character and judgement. The empirical findings may be of substantive value in helping to recognise how the dimensions of character and judgement may impact upon practitioners' professional purpose.

Keywords: Character profiles; Character-judgement; Professional purpose.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestAll the authors declare they have no conflict of interest, financial or personal

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Graphical depiction of the four professional profiles based on standardised mean scores for professionals’ character and professional judgement. The error bars represent the standard errors from the mean for each profile
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Standardised mean differences in professional purpose across the four professional profiles. The error bars represent the standard errors from the mean for each profile
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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