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Perfectionism and the Place of the Interior Life in Business: Toward an Ethics of Personal Growth

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  • Nunziato, Joshua S.
  • Hill, Ronald Paul

Abstract

Stanley Cavell’s moral perfectionism places the task of cultivating richer self-understanding and self-expression at the center of corporate life. We show how his approach reframes business as an opportunity for moral soul-craft, achieved through the articulation of increasingly reflective inner life in organizational culture. Instead of norming constraints on business activity, perfectionism opens new possibilities for conducting commercial exchange as a form of conversation, leading to personal growth. This approach guides executives in designing businesses that foster genius and channel creativity, while giving all stakeholders a meaningful voice within a culture of trust. We first give an account of Cavellian perfectionism. Then, we explain how this underrepresented strand of moral reflection challenges and enriches, but does not supplant, prevailing ethical theories—including other versions of perfectionism. We then demonstrate the salience of Cavellian perfectionism to business ethics through examples from marketing, human resources, and executive organizational design and development.

Suggested Citation

  • Nunziato, Joshua S. & Hill, Ronald Paul, 2019. "Perfectionism and the Place of the Interior Life in Business: Toward an Ethics of Personal Growth," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(2), pages 241-268, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:29:y:2019:i:02:p:241-268_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Elisabeth Nöhammer, 2022. "Meaning, Needs, and Workplace Spirituality," Merits, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Patricia Larres & Martin Kelly, 2023. "A Framework for Authentic Ethical Decision Making in the Face of Grand Challenges: A Lonerganian Gradation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 521-533, January.
    3. Gautham Vadakkepatt & Andrew Bryant & Ronald Paul Hill & Joshua Nunziato, 2022. "Can advertising benefit women’s development? Preliminary insights from a multi-method investigation," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 503-520, May.

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