Practically wise ethical decision‐making: An ethnographic application to the UNE‐Millicom merger

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12226
• Published date: 01 October 2019
• Author: David Andrés Díez Gómez,María del Pilar Rodríguez Córdoba
• Date: 01 October 2019

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  wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/beer Business Ethics: A Eur Rev. 2019;28:494–505.

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Ethical decision‐making (EDM) and managerial decisions have long

been conceptualized as rationalist processes under a value‐free

empirical perspective (Bachmann, Habisch, & Dierksmeier, 2017;

Bachmann, Sasse, & Habisch, 2018; Melé, 2010; Moore, 2008;

Rogerson, Gottlieb, Handelsman, Knapp, & Younggren, 2011;

Schwartz, 2016; Schwartz & Sharpe, 2006, 2010). However, within

the EDM literature, an integrated approach (Schwartz, 2016) has

recently complemented the rationalist perspective by including

non‐conscious, emotional, and intuitive aspects of the EDM pro‐

cess. Nevertheless, the theoretical contribution of the integrated

approach to EDM remains limited by its claim to be descriptive,

although EDM is grounded in a normative approach (Tenbrunsel &

Smith‐Crowe, 2008). In other words, EDM research cannot be only a

matter of how people currently make ethical decisions. It also needs

to establish how people should make those decisions because the

normative basis of EDM research relies on philosophical assumptions

on what moral good is supposed to be and how can it be established

(Miner & Petocz, 2003).

The need for nor mative and philosophical g roundings of EDM is

acknowledged i n Bachmann et al.’s (2017, 2018) practic al decision‐

making theore tical propos al. They conside r that decision make rs

should guide th eir decisions by aiming “to ac hieve a good life in gen‐

eral, both for on eself and for the communi ty” (p. 133). In addition, i n

a recent review of EDM qu alitative studies ( Lehnert’s, Craf t, Singh, &

Park, 2016), there is no r eference to the concept of prac tically wise

decision‐maki ng even though, to un derstand t his concept in pra c‐

tice, those qual itative studies are nee ded.

This paper off ers a practically wise ED M framework to approach

a real EDM process (U NE‐Millicom merge r) through a qualit ative

perspective. Such an empirical scene is relevant because of the

Received: 9 Oc tober 2017 

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  Revised: 11 Decembe r 2018 

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  Accepted: 16 Decemb er 2018

DOI: 10 .1111/bee r.12226

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Practically wise ethical decision‐making: An ethnographic



 |

Industrial Engineering Department, National

University of Colombia, Manizales, Colombia



David Andrés D íez Gómez, Indus trial

Engineering Department, National

Universit y of Colombia, Kilóm etro 7 Vía al

Aeropuer to, Campus La Nubia , Manizales,

Colombia.

Email: dadiezgo@unal.edu.co



Crédito Educativo Condonable para

Doctorado en Colombia 2012



Integrated approac hes in the ethical decision‐making (EDM) an d practically wise de‐

cision‐making literature are emerging as alternative perspectives to management

theories that conce ptualize decision‐makin g in a rationalist and va lue‐free manner.

However, more dialogue betwee n both perspec tives and qualitati ve research that

applies them is requ ired. In addition, there is a nee d for empirical analysis on busi ness

engagement in the fa ce of grand challenges in developing countrie s. This paper pro‐

poses an integrated pr actically wise EDM framework to s tudy how Colombian coun‐

cilors who, in 2013, voted for or ag ainst the merger bet ween the Colomb ian

state‐owned compa ny UNE and the Swedish multin ational Millicom interp ret this

decision and its public impact. Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were con‐

ducted with a volunt ary sample of 18 of 21 council ors. Support ers of the UNE‐

Millicom merger expre ssed open‐mindedn ess, seeing the me rger as a means to

achieve justice. On the co ntrary, the merger’s opponents exp ressed circumspection,

doubting that Millicom’s intenti ons really leaned towa rd justice. We conclude that

practical wisdom—embodied by both supporters and detractors—fosters an under‐

standing of EDM beyond w hat leaders shoul d not do. It also includes a de mocratic

and balanced delibe ration on what leaders think th ey should do to promote the com‐

mon good.