CHAPTER 2

Ethics in Business
Research

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
TYPES OF ETHICAL VIOLATIONS

Misrepresenting
results

Violating
Deceiving
disclosure
participants
agreements

Breaking Avoiding
confidentiality legal liability 2-2
PROCTER & GAMBLE

Admits to competitive
intelligence gathering
Contracted BI firm
took documents from
Unilever trash
receptacles
Out-of-court
settlement rumored
(and reported) at $10m

2-3
ETHICAL APPROACHES

Ethical
Ethical
Deontology
standards Relativism

2-4
ETHICAL APPROACHES

How would you assess the P&G case using

the two ethical approaches?

Ethical
Deontology
Relativism

2-5
ETHICAL TREATMENT OF PARTICIPANTS

Explain study benefits

Explain participant
rights and protections

Obtain informed
consent
2-6
COMPONENTS OF
INFORMED CONSENT

•Identify researchers •Give “good-faith” estimate

•Describe survey topic of required time
commitment
•Describe target sample
•State participation is
•Identify sponsor
voluntary
•Describe purpose of
•State item-non response is
research
acceptable
•Promise anonymity and
•Ask for permission
confidentiality

2-7
CHARACTERISTICS OF
INFORMED CONSENT

Competence

Knowledge Elements Voluntary

Informed
2-8
ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Special guidelines
apply to children!
Informed consent
means parental
approval.

2-9
DECEPTION

Disguising
non-research
activities

Camouflaging
true research
objectives
2-10
DEBRIEFING

Explain any deception

Describe purpose

Share results

Provide follow-up

2-11
PARTICIPANT
CONFIDENTIALITY

Obtain signed
nondisclosure

Non-
Restrict
disclosure of
access to ID
data subsets

Minimize Reveal only

instruments with written
requiring ID consent
2-12
RIGHT TO PRIVACY

Right to refuse

Prior permission to
interview

Limit time required

2-13
CONFIDENTIALITY

Sponsor Nondisclosure

Purpose Nondisclosure

Findings Nondisclosure
2-14
WHAT TO DO IF COERCED?

Educate Explain
on problems
purpose

Emphasize Terminate
fact-finding relationship
role
2-15
EFFECTIVE CODES OF ETHICS

Enforceable Regulate

Specify
Protect
Behavior
2-16