An ethical problem in troubled times: ethical decision making by local managers employing an immigrant workforce in Gaziantep, Turkey

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the ethical decision-making process of local managers of mediumsized companies in Gaziantep, a highly industrialized metropolis in Turkey, near the Syrian border, where there has been an influx of Syrian refugees. Intensive interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire allowing participants to state their views and tell their stories. The findings revealed that the managers of the companies had difficulty making ethical decisions about how to treat the Syrian immigrants, especially during the initial phase of the crisis, and they took wrong steps when they faced with both economic and social conflicts. Thus, they faced some serious ethical challenges.