Our perspective on character is anchored in an Aristotelian view of ethics and virtue. In The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle (1998) gives us the core aspects of the person of virtue or character. He describes how a person must be willing to consistently evaluate his or her situation in order to behave in the appropriate way based on the context in which the behavior is taking place. The actor must react to the situation with the appropriate levels of the appropriate virtues.

For us, the core dimensions of character are values, moral development, and intellectual ability (Gavin, 2002).
The operational measures of these three dimensions are Self-Transcendent Values (Schwartz, 1992, 1994), Moral Approbation (Ryan & Riordan, 2000) and Emotional Intelligence, or competence (Salovey, Mayer, Goldman, Turvey & Palfai, 1997). We believe that character and personal integrity give the autonomous, self-reliant individual the positive core strength (psychological backbone) to act rightly in the face of wrong. So, when an employee gives a negative response to organizational pathology (e.g., refuses to comply with an unethical request), that negative response is in fact a “positive” or healthy response to be affirmed.

Joanne H. Gavin
Marist College
School of Management
3399 North Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone: (845) 575-3000 Ext. 2908
FAX: (845) 575-3640