Moral Injury and the Professional Managerial Class: Work and the Moral Distress of Management

This paper expands the concept of moral injury beyond its traditional application to military contexts by examining its relevance within corporate middle management. Through a case study, this essay highlights how morally injurious events in the workplace arise from systemic power imbalances. Drawing on key literature, this paper argues that corporate environments, particularly for members of the professional managerial class, create conditions of moral distress that mirror the pressures identified in moral injury discourse. The analysis illustrates how moral injury manifests in behaviors such as substance abuse, social isolation, and a breakdown of moral identity. The paper advocates a shift in organizational structures as a necessary intervention to prevent moral injury within corporate systems. This study contributes to emerging conversations at the intersection of pastoral theology, workplace ethics, and social justice, offering a materialist critique that challenges individualistic approaches to moral injury by emphasizing collective action and structural change.