Managers’ Moral Struggle : A Case Study on Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Decision-making in the Context of Immigration

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the types of ethical dilemmas that Finnish managers working in reception centres for asylum seekers have encountered and whether the moral intensity of the ethical issues was observable in the ethical decision-making. It concludes that the majority of the managers interviewed encountered ethical dilemmas relating to the termination of reception services. The ethical dilemmas were stratified into seven groups: ambiguous or complete absence of relevant instructions, lack of support, conflicting values, withholding information, pressure, discretionary stress, and unjust decisions on asylum applications. In addition, various dimensions of moral intensity were observed in the managers’ ethical decision-making, indicating that they recognised the ethical aspects of their moral dilemmas. Finally, theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and future propositions, are discussed.