Developing wisdom and moral duty in management

Purpose – The primary purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the writings of Aristotle and Cicero can be used to as a conceptual tool to promote an understanding of wisdom, moral duty, and related subjects in respect to contemporary business management practice. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology comprised a critical reading and analysis of Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics and Cicero's De Officiis ( On Duties ). The approach combines both historical and philosophical research. An earlier version of the paper was presented to a group of early/middle managers, and then to a group of more senior/experienced managers. Findings – Both groups supported the idea that the article was appropriate for highlighting moral issues in contemporary business management practice. Research limitations/implications – A limitation was dealing with the amount of material that Aristotle and Cicero produced. A secondary limitation was translating the original Greek and Latin (notwithstanding the Loeb Classical Library) into understandable everyday English. Practical implications – Developing understanding of concepts, such as wisdom, moral duty, and related subjects should be included in MBA programs. Originality/value – The paper has value because: it relates concepts and ideas conceived in Aristotle's and Cicero's time to contemporary management practice, and it illustrates that these ideas are still relevant and applicable in the modern business environment.