Omaid Ansari- MEPGDN 0235 1

Business Research Method

Name: OMAID ANSARI

G.R#: MEPGDN-0235
COURSE TITLE: BUSINESS RESEARCH
METHOD
ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: ETHICAL ISSUES IN
BUSINESS RESEARCH
ASSIGNMENT# 1
DATED: 20/3/2011
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Business Research Method

Preface:

Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior and our

relationships with others. In most research situation three parties are involved: the researcher, the

sponsoring client (user), and the respondent (subject). Each party expects certain rights and feels and

certain obligations towards the other parties. A number of questions arise because the researchers

believe that they have the right to seek information, but subject believe that they have a certain right

privacy. The survey respondent has the right to expect confidentiality and anonymity, the data

provided by the respondent must be truthful, having privacy and deception. The rights to be informed

and the rights of safety. In case of the rights and obligation of the researcher is the objectivity, the

right to expect honest from clients and subjects, the obligation to insure the purpose of research is

research - not selling, the obligation to NOT misrepresent research. In case of rights and obligation of

the clients ethics between buyer and seller, the obligation to encourage research objectivity via an

open relationship with research suppliers, the obligation to be committed to research before soliciting

proposals, The obligation to respect the privacy of respondents.

What is Ethics?

Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior and our
relationships with others. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers
adverse consequences from research activities. This objective is usually achieved. However, unethical
activities are pervasive and include violating nondisclosure agreements, breaking respondent
confidentiality, misrepresenting results, deceiving people, invoicing irregularities, avoiding legal liability,
and more.
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Some of the ethical principles are as follows:

1. To maintain high standards of competence and integrity in research.

2. To maintain the highest level of business and professional conduct and to comply with
Federal, State and local laws, regulations and ordinances applicable to my business practices
and those of my company.
3. To exercise all reasonable care and to observe the best standards of objectivity and accuracy
in the development, collection, processing and reporting research information. To protect the
anonymity of respondents and hold all information concerning an individual respondent
privileged, such that this information is used only within the context of the particular study.
4. To thoroughly instruct and supervise all persons for whose work I am responsible in
accordance with study specifications and general research techniques.
5. To observe the rights of ownership of all materials received from and/or developed for
clients, and to keep in confidence all research techniques, data and other information
considered confidential by their owners.
6. To make available to clients such details on the research methods and techniques of an
assignment as may be reasonably required for proper interpretation of the data, providing this
reporting does not violate the confidence of respondents or clients.
7. To promote the trust of the public for marketing and survey research activities and to avoid
any procedure, which misrepresent the activities of a respondent, the rewards of cooperation
or the uses of the data.
8. To refrain from referring to membership in this organization as proof of competence, since
the organization does not so certify any person or organization.
9. To encourage the observance of principles of this code among all people engaged in research.

Codes of ethic applicable at each stage of the research Goal

To ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities

Unethical activities

 Violating nondisclosure agreements.

 Breaking respondent confidentiality.
 Misrepresenting results.
 Deceiving people.
 Invoicing irregularities.
 Avoiding legal liability.
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Business Research Method

Ethical Issues

 Remain to be issues.
 Local norms suggest what ought to be done under the given circumstances.
 Codes of ethics developed to guide researchers and sponsors.
 Review Boards and peer groups help sorting out ethical dilemmas.

Anticipate ethical dilemmas

 Adjust the design, procedures, and protocols accordingly.

 Research ethics require personal integrity of the researcher, the project manager, and research
sponsor.

Parties in Research

 Mostly three parties:

 The researcher
 The sponsoring client (user)
 The respondent (subject)
 Interaction requires ethical questions.
 Each party expects certain rights and feels certain obligations.

General Rights and Obligations of Parties Concerned

Rights and Obligations of Parties

Generally, in the research process, three parties are involved:

 The researcher;
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 The user (of the research results); and

 The respondent.

The interaction of each of these parties with one or both of the other two parties identifies a series of
ethical questions.

Rights and Obligations of the Respondent

 The obligation to be truthful

 The right to privacy - freedom to choose
 whether to participate in research
o Anonymity
o Confidentiality
 The right to be informed
o Informed Consent
 The right to safety
 Respondent rights protected by IRB (Institutional Review Board) 

Rights and Obligations of the Researcher 

 The right to expect honest from clients and subjects

 The obligation to insure the purpose of research is research - not selling (i.e., sugging)
 The obligation to be objective
 The obligation to NOT misrepresent research
 The obligation to protect the right to confidentiality of both subjects and clients
 The obligation to NOT disseminate faulty conclusions
 The obligation to avoid using the intellectual contributions of other researchers who bid on the
job 

Rights and Obligations of the Client Sponsor (User)

 Ethics between buyer and seller

 The obligation to encourage research objectivity via an open relationship with research suppliers
 The obligation to honestly represent the research findings
 The obligation to respect the privacy of respondents
 The obligation to be committed to research before soliciting proposals.
 The obligation to avoid "baiting" researcher with pseudo-pilot studies

In most research situation three parties are involved: the researcher, the sponsoring client (user),
and the respondent (subject). The interaction of each of these parties with one or both of the other two
identifies a series of ethical questions. Consciously or unconsciously, each party expects certain rights
and feels and certain obligations towards the other parties. Within any society there is a set of normatively
prescribed exceptions of the behavior (including rights and obligations) associated with the social role,
such as researcher, and another, reciprocal role, such as a respondent. Certain ethical behaviors may be
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Business Research Method

expected only in certain specific situations, while other exceptions may be more generalized. If there are
conflicting perspectives about behavioral exceptions, ethical problems may arise. For instance, several
ethical issues concern the researchers expected right versus those of the respondent/subject. A number of
questions arise because the researchers believe that they have the right to seek information, but subject
believe that they have a certain right privacy. A respondent who says “I do not care to answer your
question about your income” believes that he or she has the rights to refuse to participate. Yet some
researchers will persist in trying to get that information. In general, a field worker is not expected to
overstep the boundary society places to individuals’ privacy.

For each of the subject’s rights there is a corresponding obligation on the part the researcher. For
example, the individual’s right to privacy dictates that the researcher has an obligation to protect the
anonymity of the respondent. When a respondent discloses information about the personal matters, it is
assumed that such information will be guarded from all people other than the researcher.

Rights and Obligations of the Respondent

The ethical issues vary somewhat, depending on whether the participant has given willing and
informed consent. The notion of Informed consent means that an individual understands the reason for the
research and waives his or her right to privacy when he or she agrees to participate in the research study.
(The rights of a participant in an unobtrusive observation study differ from a survey respondent's rights
because he or she has not willingly consented to be a subject of the research.)

In return for being truthful, the survey respondent has the right to expect confidentiality and
anonymity. (Privacy refers to the issue of whether a respondent chooses to answer a researcher’s
questions; a person may choose to protect her privacy by not answering. Confidentiality refers to the
obligation on the part of the researcher not to reveal the identity of an individual research subject. A
person who waives her right to privacy by agreeing to answer a researcher's questions nonetheless has a
right to expect that her answers and her identity will remain confidential) Privacy and confidentiality are
profound ethical issues in business research.

1.The Obligation to Be Truthful:

When a subject willingly consents to participate, it is generally expected that he or she will
provide truthful answers. Honest cooperation is the main obligation of the respondent or subject.

2.Privacy:
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Americans relish their privacy. A major polling organization indicated that almost 80 percent of
Americans believe that collecting and giving out personal information without their knowledge is a
serious violation of their privacy. Hence, the right to privacy is an important question in business
research. This issue involves the subject's freedom to choose whether to comply with an investigator's
request. Traditionally, researchers have assumed that individuals make an informed choice. However,
critics have argued that the old, the poor, the poorly educated, and other underprivileged individuals may
not be aware of their right to choose. Further, they have argued that an interviewer may begin with some
vague explanation of a survey's purpose, initially ask questions that are relatively innocuous, and then
move to questions of a highly personal nature. It has been suggested that subjects be informed of their
right to be

Left alone, or to break off the interview at any given time. Researchers should not follow the tendency to
"hold on" to busy respondents. However, this view is definitely not universally accepted in the research
community.

Another aspect of the privacy issue is illustrated by the question "Is the telephone call that
interrupts someone's favorite television program an invasion of privacy?" The answer to this issue-and to
most privacy questions lies in the dilemma of determining where the rights of the individual end and the
needs of society for better scientific information on citizen preference take over. Generally, certain
standards of common courtesy have been set by interviewing firms-for example, not to interview late in
the evening and at other inconvenient times.

However, there are several critics who may never be appeased. The computerized interview
(“junk phone call") has stimulated increased debate over this aspect of the privacy issue. As a practical
matter, respondents may feel more relaxed about privacy issues if they know who is conducting a survey.
Thus, it is generally recommended that field interviewers indicate that they are legitimate researchers by
passing out business cards, wearing name tags, or in other ways identifying the name of their company. In
an observation study, the major ethical issues concern whether the observed behavior is public or private.
Generally it is believed that unobtrusive observation of public behavior in such places as stores, airports,
and museums is not a serious invasion of privacy. However, recording private behavior with hidden
cameras and the like does represent a violation of this right.

3. Deception:

In a number of situations the researcher creates a false impression by disguising the purpose of
the research. The researcher, at least at the outset of the research, is not open and honest. Bluntly stated,
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to avoid possible biased reactions, the subject is lied to. Deception or concealment may be used if a
researcher would otherwise be unable to observe or straightforwardly ask about the phenomena of interest
and still hold all other factors constant. Generally, researchers who use deception argue that it is justified
under two conditions:

(1) No physical danger or psychological harm will be caused by the deception, and

(2) The researcher takes personal responsibility for informing the respondent of the concealment or
deception after the research project ends.

The issue of deception is interrelated with the subject's right to be informed and with the means-
to-an-end philosophical issue.

3. The Right to Be Informed:

It has been argued that subjects have a right to be informed of all aspects of the research,
including information about its purpose and sponsorship. The argument for the researcher's obligation to
protect this right is based on the academic tradition of informing and enlightening the public. A pragmatic
argument for providing respondents with information about the nature of the study concerns the long-run
ability of researchers to gain cooperation from respondents.

If the public understands why surveyor experimental information has been collected and that the
researchers may be trusted with private information, it may be easier in the long run to conduct research.
Several research suppliers have suggested that public relations work is needed to sell the public on the
benefits of the research industry.

Rights and Obligations of the Researcher

General business ethics should be a standard for business research firms and business research
departments. Our concern is not with issues such as bribery or the welfare and safety of one's employees
but with ethical issues that are specifically germane to business research practices. More has been written
about the ethics of researchers than about those of the other two parties because this group's purpose is
clearly identifiable. A number of professional associations have developed standards and operating
procedures for ethical practice by researchers.
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1. The Purpose of Research is Research:

It is considered unacceptable to misrepresent a sales tactic as business research. The Federal

Trade Commission has indicated that it is illegal to use any plan, scheme, or use that misrepresents the
true status of the person making the call as a door-opener to gain admission to a prospect's home, office,
or other establishment. This sales ploy is considered to be unethical as well as illegal. No research firm
should engage in any practice other than scientific investigation.

2. Objectivity:

Ensuring accuracy via objectivity and scientific investigation is very important. Researchers
should maintain high standards to ensure that the data they collect are accurate. Further, they must not
intentionally try to prove a particular point for political purposes.

3. Misrepresentation of Research:

Research companies (and clients) should not misrepresent the statistical accuracy of their data,
nor should they overstate the Significance of the results by altering the findings. Basically, it is assumed
that the researcher has the obligation to both the client and the subjects to analyze the data honestly and to
report correctly the actual data collection methods.

For example: The failure to report a variation from the technically correct probability sampling
procedure is ethically questionable. Similarly, any major error that has occurred during the course of the
study should not be kept secret from management or the client sponsor. Hiding errors or allowing
variations from the proper procedures tends to distort or shade the results. A more blatant breach of the
researcher's responsibilities would be the outright distortion of data.

4. Protecting the Right to Confidentiality of Both Subjects and Clients:

A number of clients might be very desirous of a list of favorable, organizational prospects

generated from a research survey. It is the researcher’s responsibility to ensure that the privacy and
anonymity of the respondents are preserved. If the respondent's name and address are known, this
information should not be forwarded to the sponsoring organization under any circumstances. Information
that a research supplier obtains about a client's general business affairs should not be disseminated, to
other clients or third parties. The clients, (users of business research) have a number of rights and
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obligations. Their primary right is to expect objective and accurate data from supplier. They should also
expect that their instructions relating to confidentiality have been carried out.

5. Dissemination of Faulty Conclusions:

Another ethical issue concerns the dissemination of faulty conclusions. After conducting a
research project, the researcher or decision maker may disseminate conclusions from the research that are
inconsistent with or not warranted by the data. Most research professionals consider this to be improper.
A dramatic example of violation of this principle is an advertisement for cigarettes that cited a study of
smokers. The advertisement compared two brands and stated that "of those expressing a preference, over
65 percent Preferred" the advertised brand to a competitive brand. The misleading portion of this reported
result was that most of the respondents did not express a preference; they indicated that both brands tasted
about the same. Thus, only a very small percentage of those studied actually revealed a preference, and
the results were somewhat misleading. Such shading of the results falls short of the obligation to report
accurate findings.

6. Competing Research Proposals:

Consider a client who has solicited several bids for a business research project. The research
supplier that wins the bid is asked by the client to appropriate ideas from the proposal of a competing
research supplier and includes them in the research study to be done for the client. This is generally
regarded as unethical.

Rights and Obligations of the Sponsoring Client (User)

1. Ethics between Buyer and Seller:

The general business ethics expected to exist between a purchasing agent and a sales representative
should apply in the business research situation. For example, if die purchasing agent has already decided to
purchase a product (or research proposal) from a friend, it is generally considered unethical for him CD solicit
competitive bids that have no chance of being accepted just to fulfill a corporate purchasing policy stating that a
bid must be put out to three competitors.

2. An Open Relationship with Research Suppliers:

The sponsoring client has the obligation to encourage the research supplier to seek out the truth objectively; lb
encourage this objectivity, a full and open statement of the problem, explication of time and money constraints,
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and any other insights that may help the supplier anticipate costs and problems should be provided. -
In other words, the research sponsor should encourage efforts to reduce bias and to listen to the voice
of the public.

3. An Open Relationship with Interested Parties:

Conclusions should be based on the data. A user of research should not knowingly disseminate
conclusions from a given research project or service that are inconsistent with the data or are not warranted by
them. Violation of this principle is perhaps the greatest transgression that a client can commit. Justifying a self-
serving, political position that is not supported by the data poses serious ethical questions. Indicating that data show
something so that a sale can be made is also ethically questionable.

4. Privacy:
The privacy rights of subjects create a privacy obligation on the part of the client. Suppose a database
marketing company is offering a mailing list compiled by screening millions of households to obtain brand usage
information. The information would be extremely valuable to your firm, but you suspect those individuals who
filled out the information forms were misled into thinking they were participating in a survey. Would it be ethical
to purchase the mailing list? If respondents have been deceived about the purpose of a survey and their names
subsequently ace fold as part of a user mailing list, this practice is certainly unethical. The client at well as the
research supplier has the obligation to maintain respondents' privacy.

Example: Sales managers know that a survey of their business-to -business customers' buying intentions
includes a means to attach a customer name to each questionnaire. Tim confidential information could be of
benefit to a sales representative calling on a specific, customer. A client wishing to be ethical must resist the temptation
to identify those accounts (i.e., mote respondents) that are the hottest prospects.

5. Privacy on the Internet:

Privacy on the Internet is a Controversial issue. A number of groups question whether Web
site questionnaires, registration forms, and other means of collecting personal information in legitimate. Many
managers argue that their organizations don't need to know who the user is because the Individuals name is
not important for their purposes. However, they do want to know certain information (such as demographic
characteristics or product usage) associated with an anonymous profile. For instance, a Web advertiser could
reach a targeted audience without having access to identifying information. Of course, unethical companies
may, violate the anonymity guideline.

America On line’s privacy policy states that AOL .will not read customers' e-mail, collects any
information about Web site visits, or gives key data to other organizations without authorization. AOL will seek
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parents' written approval to get data from children at sites targeting kids, Research shows that people are more
willing to disclose sensitive information if they know a Web site’s privacy policy. For this reason, many high-
traffic Web sites such as Yahoo and Lycos have privacy statements, that visitors can easily access, Organizations
such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Online Privacy Alliance are involved in developing privacy
guidelines.

6. Commitment to Research:
Some potential clients have been known to request research proposals from a research supplier when
there is a low probability that the research will be conducted. A research consultant's opinion may be solicited
even though: agreement is not really planning research and funds have not been allocated for the project. For
example, obtaining an outsider's opinion of a company problem via a research proposal provides an inexpensive
consultation. If the information supports a given manager's position in an ongoing debate within the company, it
could be used politically rather than as a basis for research. Because the research supplier must spend considerable
effort planning a custom-designed study, most research practitioners believe that the client has the obligation to be
serious about considering a project before soliciting proposals.

7. Pseudo-Pilot Studies:
As noted, it is important for clients to be open about the business problems be investigated. However, there is a
special case of this problem that should be explained. Sometimes a client will suggest that a more comprehensive
study is in the planning stages and that the proposal the research supplier is bidding on is a pilot study. The client
might say something like “I don't want to promise anything, but you should know that this is the first in a very
ambitious series of studies we are planning to undertake, and if you sharpen your pencil in estimating cost. . . ."
The research consultant is told that if his or her company; does a good job during .the pilot study stages, there will
be an additional major contract down the line. Too often these pilot studies are "come-ons"— the comprehensive
study never materializes, and the consultant must absorb a loss