Exploring the relationship between humility and the virtues: toward improving the effectiveness of ethics education Surendra Arjoon 1 & Meena Rambocas 2 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 Abstract We define humility as the ability to realistically assess one’ s limitations and strengths. Unlike other moral virtues, humility has been found distinctively difficult to acquire. Our paper makes two significant contributions. Although the role and importance of humility have been clearly established in the literature, our paper is the first to empirically test a theoretically-posited inter-relationship between humility and the moral virtues. Our paper empirically tests this relationship, specifically between hu- mility and the social virtues with the personal virtues acting as a mediator. The second contribution of our paper is to present the design and delivery of a humility-embedded pedagogical teaching and learning approach using a professional ethics course. Essentially, we are suggesting a methodology that make ethics education more effec- tive. We follow Sims and Felton (Journal of Business Ethics 63 (3): 297–312, 2006) analytical framework that incorporates targeted learning outcomes, environment, pro- cesses, and experience facilitated through a student-led pedagogical approach. We utilize the concept of “critical consciousness”, developed by Jagger and Volkman (The International Journal of Management Education 12 (2): 177–185, 2013), which is captured through the mechanisms of a Student Learning Portfolio and a Process- Oriented-Guided-Enquiry approach. Both these mechanisms incorporate critical self- reflection and the application of knowledge derived from experience. Our findings have significant implications for the effective teaching of ethics, and more generally for business and management education. Keywords Teaching ethics . Personal virtues . Social virtues . Humility . Critical consciousness . Student learning portfolio International Journal of Ethics Education https://doi.org/10.1007/s40889-019-00070-2 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40889-019- 00070-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Meena Rambocas Meena.Rambocas@sta.uwi.edu Extended author information available on the last page of the article