The role of moral courage and moral intensity in influencing ethical intention to decision making

Purpose This study tried to expand the understanding of ethical behavior. Precisely, the research objective is to examine the effect of Moral courage (MC) and the situation’s moral intensity, on Egyptian nurses’ Ethical intention (EI) to decision-making. Design/methodology/approach The research relied on quantitative and qualitative data obtained using scenario-based surveys to collect data from a sample of nurses ( n = 412), in Alexandria University hospitals, Egypt. The quantitative technique used Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) and t -test to analyze the hypotheses provided, while the qualitative technique was employed using thematic analysis and was used to aid in understanding nurses’ EI. Findings The quantitative results indicated that higher EI was recorded in highly intense situations, yet with no MC effect; while low EI was linked to low intense situations with a significant MC effect. Qualitative results have mostly supported the findings in the quantitative technique and had an important role in understanding EI. The findings confirmed that although there is an interplay between courage as an individual factor and intensity as a situational factor in affecting ethical behavior, in intense situations the ethical response is mainly directed by the situation intensity, making courage the individual factor of little use. Hence, not always ethical decisions are rational and sometimes intense situations they are more rapid and automatically energized. Originality/value This study used both quantitative and qualitative data to examine the role of MC and moral intensity on EI. The findings of this study could be used as an evidence-based to contribute to the dual-process theory (Evans, 2008). Also, the study drew attention to the importance of considering the parties involved in the situation in shaping EI. Specifically, the study offers practical implications to be executed in Egyptian healthcare institutions to better cultivate individual ethical capacities and facilitate nurses’ ethical actions, suggesting the need for safe routines, ethical reporting offices and whistleblowing processes. Additionally, offering training to help address societal consensus and enhance MC.