Decision making at the frontline: Exploring coping with moral conflicts during public service delivery

Abstract

Moral conflicts, where a person is confronted with two or more clashing values, norms or responsibilities, are common in public service delivery. Choosing one is realized at the cost of the other(s). Frontline professionals, such as physicians and police officers, often experience clashes over the right thing to do as new policies, organisational rules, professional obligations and clients’ demands come together. Stress may be a consequence. This chapter aims to increase our understanding of moral conflicts and coping with stress in regard to public service delivery and explore how morality and coping strategies are interconnected in the policy context.