Aquinas on management and its development

Purpose – This paper aims to present Aquinas' psychological theory of action as a useful guide for understanding decision making in management. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual reconstruction of Aquinas' views on the structure of the moral act is shown to apply to the process of decision making in management. Findings – Grounded in a rich rational psychology, Aquinas' theory of action allows for prescription that harmonizes instrumental rationality, the will, and personal morality. It captures contemporary approaches well and provides better explanations of management success and failure than do models of rational choice. Since the exercise of practical reason can be learned, the model is optimistic about the possibility of management development. Research limitations/implications – The paper stops at the conceptual level. The interplay between reason and will, or between deliberative and prescriptive stages in decision making, opens up a field of empirical research in management. Originality/value – Aquinas' virtue ethics has been applied to management, but this is the first suggestion to draw on his theory of action. If fully developed, it promises a radical alternative to models based on functional reasoning and utilitarian values.