1 An Ethical Problem in Troubled Times: Ethical Decision Making by Local Managers Employing Immigrant Workforce in Gaziantep, Turkey DR. MAHMUT ARSLAN Professor at Ibn Haldun University-Istanbul Visiting Scholar at Rutgers Business School-Newark Dr. MUSTAFA K. YILMAZ Professor at Ibn Haldun University-Istanbul ABSTRACT This paper aims to understand the ethical decision-making process of local managers of medium- sized 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. INTRODUCTION The aim of paper: The aim of this paper is to reveal the understanding of managers on ethical decision making of hiring Syrian immigrant workers in Gaziantep province of Turkey. Syrian civil war was a big crisis that created huge refugee waves and related humanitarian problem in the region. As a neighboring country, Turkey faced millions of war refugees. In this troubled time, Turkish managers had new challenges in making ethical decisions. Gaziantep province is the most troubled province in the South East of Turkey. Importance of the research field: Gaziantep is a highly industrialized metropolis in Syrian border with over 2.000.000 population. After the Syrian civil war, the city has accommodated most of the Syrian refugees. It is estimated that about 4 million refugees from Syria live in Turkey by 2017 and Gaziantep hosts approximately 400.000 refugees being the second biggest industrial city with Syrian refugees after Istanbul. Although an estimated 600.000 Syrians live in Istanbul, their percentage is only 4% of the population, whereas this number is almost 20% in Gaziantep.