I recently read a summarization of Aristotle’s points of virtue. As someone who studied both business and philosophy in college, I find it interesting that the concept of virtue is a best an individual concern. Aristotle defines virtues in reference to their excess. As IT professional I can relate to that analytical approach. Often times, business users have a very difficult time defining when a business system/process is working well or what it means to “work well”, but they have a better time understanding when it is not working well.

In my business readings over the years, I have noticed much talk about of “corporate culture” and “socially responsible” within business texts, but a basic virtue assessment is missing from popular business literature. Even the great business ethics cases studies are driven with an evaluation of the values of market economy, competitiveness, and policies related to information sharing – not the virtues of man or of the business concern (a collection of men). Is the modern business enterprise beyond virtue? Does participating in the global economy (an organization made by man, of man, and for man) presume a disconnect between the virtues most natural to man?

I think not. Below is a virtue map that I will use in future management endeavors to understand and make better project and program decisions beyond analytic constraints of dollars and cents.

Can Aristotle\'s virtue map be applied to the modern business, a collection of men organized to serve men, or is there another value system more applicable to these \"wisdom of crowds\"?