Ethics in project management: some Aristotelian insights

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce, in the project management field, an Aristotelian ethics lens moving beyond the classical deontological and consequentialism approaches underlying the current ethical practices and codes of ethics and professional conducts. In doing so, the author wishes to pose the premises of a debate on the implications of a conscious ethical perspective for the structure and agency relationship within the project management field. Design/methodology/approach – Project management is a knowledge field on its own right. However, the current perspectives applied to make sense and develop the field (modernism vs postmodernism) leads to dichotomous thinking rather than recognizing the merits and contextual validity of both sides. The author calls for Aristotelian ethics as a way of moving beyond this dichotomous thinking. The author introduces briefly Aristotelian ethics and its consequences in term of relation theory – practice, means and ends, facts and values and finally politics (i.e. being part of a community of practitioners). Then the author illustrates some consequences for the field taking PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and APM Code of Professional Conduct as supports for discussion. Findings – The author suggests a need for revisiting and/or redesigning the codes of ethics and professional conducts for project management according to an Aristotelian perspective, in order to move beyond the normative limitations of classical deontological (conflict between competing duties, exemplified by PMI Code) or consequentialism (focusing on the “right” outcome to the detriment of duties, exemplified by APM Code) approaches (both, in fact, leading to a disconnection means and ends, and facts and values). This implicates shifting the view from the question “what is my duty”? to the questions “why should I undertake my duty”? and “how ought I act in this situation”? Practical implications – Raising professional bodies, industry and education institutions awareness and consciousness and leading them to rethink about codes of ethics and the implications for the way they conceive practice and research, bodies of knowledge, credentialing, education, etc. Originality/value – To the best of the author's knowledge, this kind of discussion has not yet been conducted within the project management field, and considering the implication of project management in the life and for the well-being of the society, an ethical debate may present some value(s).