Compartmentalization and the role of polyphony in moral dialogue

Existing research on identity compartmentalization highlights concerns about moral (ir)responsibility arising from the incomplete integration of multiple role identities necessary for exercising full moral agency. Our study examines the (non)recognition of otherness by managers in morally ambiguous...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Turunen, Taija (Author) ; Lundgren-Henriksson, Eva-Lena (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Journal of business ethics
Year: 2025, Volume: 201, Issue: 3, Pages: 563-586
Further subjects:B Compartmentalization
B Dialogue
B Aufsatz in Zeitschrift
B Bakhtin
B Polyphony
B Ricoeur
B Dialectic
B Morals
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Summary:Existing research on identity compartmentalization highlights concerns about moral (ir)responsibility arising from the incomplete integration of multiple role identities necessary for exercising full moral agency. Our study examines the (non)recognition of otherness by managers in morally ambiguous situations during industry-level changes. We adopt a dialogue-based approach, inspired by Bakhtin, and Ricoeur, to analyze compartmentalization from the perspective of polyphonic dialogue. Through an analysis of 61 interviews across four distinct change contexts, we identify five dialogue dynamics that either hinder or facilitate the recognition of alternative moral perspectives, shaping the formation of moral polyphony. We contribute to current understandings of compartmentalization by emphasizing its dialogical and fluid nature, the generative potential of division, and the role of conflicting moral convictions in change situations, as an ideal context for fostering moral polyphony.
ISSN:1573-0697
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of business ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10551-025-05928-8