Pat Sweeney, the Executive Director of the Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character, recently contributed to “The Routledge International Handbooks of Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Character Development,” Volumes I and II. The publications offer cutting-edge scholarship on character development across different life stages, the developmental and contextual bases of character, and identifies key societal sectors around the globe that foster character development in individuals, families, and communities.
Sweeney’s contributions include a chapter on character development within organizational and leadership studies in Volume I, where he addresses fundamental organizational questions related to developing a member’s character growth. Sweeney provides approaches for developing character by assuming responsibility and engaging in purposeful efforts.
A chapter in Volume II, co-authored with Michael D. Matthews, Andrew Farina, and Jarle Eid addresses conditions that set the occasion for character failure, and explores why otherwise virtuous people may behave in ways inconsistent with their values. The team describes three key risk factors that serve as major sources of threats to character and examines strategies to mitigate against them.
Both chapters aim to provide insight into the complexity of character development, emphasizing the importance of both individual and organizational roles in the process.