Happiness and Virtue Ethics in Business: The Ultimate Value Proposition

320 Pages·2014·1.12 MB·English

by  Alejo José G. Sison

Happiness and Virtue Ethics in Business
Researchonhappinesshassteadilyincreasedoverthelastdecade,
withdifferentstreamsofinquiryconvergingintowhathascometo
beknownas“ModernHappinessStudies”(MHS).Inthisbook,Alejo
Jose´ G.Sisondrawsonthelatestresearchineconomicsand
psychologyaswellasAristotelianvirtueethicstoshowwhy
happinessistheultimatevaluepropositionforbusiness.Using
non-technicallanguageandanumberofillustrativevignettes,he
proposeswaysforbusinessestocultivatethevirtues,providing
adviceonproductionandserviceenhancement,customer
satisfaction,employeewell-beingandoverallorganizational
wellness.Thisbookwillappealtoawidereadership,including
graduatestudentsandresearchersinbusinessethics,moral
philosophy,andpositivepsychology.
alejo jose´ g. sison isProfessorinthePhilosophyDepartment,
UniversityofNavarre,wherehisresearchdealswithissuesatthe
junctureofethics,economics,andpolitics.HewasPresidentofthe
EuropeanBusinessEthicsNetwork(EBEN)from2009to2012.

Happiness and Virtue Ethics
in Business
The Ultimate Value Proposition
alejo jose´ g. sison
UniversityPrintingHouse,CambridgeCB28BS,UnitedKingdom
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(cid:2)C AlejoJose´ G.Sison2015
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Firstpublished2015
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ISBN978-1-107-04463-0Hardback
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Contents
Listoffigure pageix
Foreword xi
Preface xv
Introduction:theultimatevalueproposition 1
1 Modernhappinessstudiesand“individualsubjective
wellbeing”:youonlygetwhatyoumeasure 10
Measuringhappiness 15
Issuesofmeasurement 24
Theneedforanarrative 32
2 Happinessandincome:howmuchhappinesscan
moneybuy? 39
Inagivencountry,aretherichhappierthanthepoor? 42
Arerichercountrieshappierthanpoorercountries? 53
Docountriesbecomehappierastheygrowricher? 61
Howmuchhappinesscanmoneybuy? 71
3 Choice,desire,andpleasure:ishappinessgettingwhat
youwantorwantingwhatyouget? 78
Howtospendit 78
Spoiledforchoice 83
Comforts,pleasures,andtheeducationofdesire 96
4 Thebiotechnologyofhappiness:notjusta“quickfix” 111
It’sallinthemind 112
Beyondpleasureandsatisfaction 115
Whenallelsefails 137
vii
viii contents
5 Workingonhappiness 151
Happinessandemployment 152
Theunhappinessoftheunemployed 155
Thehappinessoftheemployed 161
Happinessandleisure 174
Happinessandinflation:havingmoremoney,yet
feelingworse 177
6 Happiness,politics,andreligion:nowandatthehour
ofourdeath 184
Theroleofinstitutions 184
Thedemographicsofhappiness 186
Democracyandhappiness 195
Democracyandeconomicgrowth 202
Democracy,rights,andfreedoms 204
Religion:beliefandpractice 212
Religionandhappiness 214
Voluntaryparticipationandinstitutions 222
7 Aristotelianvirtueethics:theforgottenphilosophical
traditiononhappiness 229
Politics,economy,andethics 232
Theanalogyofthevirtues 241
Virtuesinactions 242
Virtuesinhabits 243
Virtuesincharacter 244
Virtuesinlifestyles 246
Yesterday’sanswerstotoday’squestions 249
Having,doing,becoming 269
Conclusion:learningtobehappy 275
Index 288