Virtue Ethics and Social Purpose

Abstract This chapter proposes that virtue ethics offers important insights for organizations which seek to sustain social purpose in a way that overcomes the challenge of time. The question of how organizations can sustain commitments over time is critical for the study of social purpose. Committing to social purpose in a meaningful way is inherently complex because of the comprehensive and long-term commitments required, which often transcend the leadership offered by particular individuals, governance bodies, and the decision-making cadence of the typical twenty-first century business. This chapter draws on the thinking of Alasdair MacIntyre and Daniel Daly to propose seven critical insights for such organizations. It illustrates these insights with the case study of St Vincent’s, Australia’s largest not-for-profit health and aged care system, which has been successful in sustaining its purpose for over 165 years.