Table 1
An example of coding the empirical data (Study 1) based on the moral identity statuses.
| Identified dilemma | Citation (text unit) | Interpretation | Moral identity status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 2 | Salary negotiations between the manager and the employee | |||
| Female 1 | Am I being objective enough, so that my evaluation [of the employee] is fair in every way? | Uncertainty about the right way of acting to achieve impartiality between employees. | Moratorium | |
| Male 2 | I do not see what is ethical about it. Somebody is obligated to evaluate it [the personal salary level]. | Does not see that the work-related decision involves any ethical dimensions. | Diffusion | |
| Female 2 | I feel that there is a lot of ethical responsibility. If the supervisor can affect 35% of one’s salary but doesn’t follow the guidelines for this evaluation, and makes the decision based on how much (s)he likes the person, they’re closing their eyes to the ethics of what they’re doing. For me, it’s extremely important to make my decisions on the basis of my ethical responsibilities. | Emphasizes personal ethical evaluation in the situation and sees morality as a central part of one’s work-related decisions. | Achieved | |
| Group 3 | Deciding about lay-offs among the staff | |||
| Male 3 | Previously I used to say really quickly to a person whose work didn’t go as it should: ‘Goodbye, you can leave’, but now I consider these decisions for ages. | Decision-making has stopped being quick and simple and become more considered, with also increased feelings of uncertainty. | Moratorium | |
| Male 2 | You have to have good reasons for laying someone off: justifications, facts, and evidence. Then you’re going by the book and not stepping into any gray zone. | Decision-making is based on formal guidelines, which are adhered to without personal judgment or questioning. | Foreclosure |
Table 2
Distribution of ethical principles (coded from the managers’ phrases in Study 1) as they co-occurred with the moral identity statuses.
| Duty | Virtue | Utilitarianism | Care | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diffusion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Foreclosure | 11 | 2 | 12 | 2 |
| Moratorium | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Achieved | 8 | 10 | 3 | 4 |
Table 3
Coding of moral identity statuses based on the managers’ descriptions of their moral decision-making (Study 2, N = 180).
| Moral identity status | % (n) | Examples from the data |
|---|---|---|
| Diffusion | 23 (42) | ‘I base my decisions on facts.’; ‘I talk to my supervisor and move the responsibility there.’; ‘I use common sense.’; ‘Ethically challenging situations are rare. I base my decisions on the best available knowledge.’ |
| Foreclosure | 30 (54) | ‘According to the norms of the employer.’; ‘Thus far I’ve complied with the organization’s policy, not my own point of view.’; ‘I make decisions based on what I think the management expects.’; ‘If the decision serves the best of the company’s customer, the decision is justified.’ |
| Moratorium | 13 (24) | ‘I ask different specialists for help. Previously I made quick decisions on my own, but now I consider my choices longer.’; ‘I make a preliminary decision right away, but usually I think about it later and think whether it was the right choice.’; ‘By processing the situation from multiple angles. First, I need to be convinced of each decision by myself before I can justify them to others.’ |
| Achieved | 34 (60) | ‘Based on my personal values. I strive towards doing the right thing.’; ‘Based on my conscience. I have a strong sense of justice.’; ‘I always strive to treat everyone fairly.’; ‘I try to make decisions that are always as morally right as possible, even if it would cause financial loss.’ |