Finding purpose in planning

This article presents a novel interpretive approach to advancing knowledge of how practitioners locate purpose in their practice and how this in turn influences their practice. The approach is formulated by drawing upon and integrating the moral philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre with the hermeneutical philosophy of Paul Ricouer. The article argues that this approach offers insight into the important role of narrative in producing self-understanding, rationalizing judgment, and justifying action. Original empirical material regarding a practitioner’s account of promoting a new planning concept is used to illustrate the elucidatory potential of the approach.