Between March and September 2025, YADEMA, in collaboration with academics from the Faculty of Theology at Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (UKDW), conducted the Right vs Right study as a strategic effort to build a more contextual understanding of ethical dilemmas in Indonesia. This collaboration strengthened the research by combining professional ethics analysis with deeper reflection on moral reasoning and lived values.
The study was designed not merely to identify ethical problems, but to establish a solid baseline for future program development and ethics interventions. YADEMA recognized that many ethical frameworks used in professional settings are adapted from global models without fully considering Indonesia’s relational culture, hierarchical structures, and distinctive decision-making patterns. A systematic mapping was therefore necessary to understand how value conflicts actually unfold in everyday professional life.
The central focus of the study was “right versus right” situations, where two legitimate values collide. In such contexts, dilemmas cannot be resolved through simplistic normative reasoning alone. They require analytical tools capable of examining power relations, institutional loyalty, and the importance of social harmony, all of which often shape professional decisions in Indonesia.
Through cross-sector surveys and structured focus group discussions, the study aimed to identify recurring patterns in how professionals interpret ethics and navigate competing values. The broader objective was to ensure that the Responsible Leadership curriculum, the WISE+ framework, and other ethics initiatives developed by YADEMA are firmly grounded in Indonesia’s social realities.
