5-1

Chapter 5

Ethics in
Business
Research
 5-2

Learning Objectives

Understand
• what issues are covered in research ethics
• the goal of “no harm” for all research
activities and what constitutes no harm for
participant, researcher, and research
sponsor
 5-3

Learning Objectives

• differing ethical dilemmas and

responsibilities of researchers, sponsors,
and research assistants
• role of ethical codes of conduct in
professional associations
 5-4

Summary
• Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral
choices about our behavior and our relationship with
others. Ethics differ from legal constraints, in which
generally accepted standards have defined penalties that
are universally accepted. The goal of ethics in research is
to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse
consequences from research activities. As research is
designed, several ethical considerations are balanced:
• Protect the rights of the participant or subject.
• Ensure the sponsor receives ethically conducted and reported
research.
• Follow ethical standards when designing the research.
• Protect the safety of the researcher and the team.
• Ensure the research team follows the design.
 5-5

Summary(Contd.)

• In general, research must be designed so that a respondent

does not suffer physical harm, discomfort, embarrassment,
pain or loss of privacy. Begin data collection by explaining
to the respondents the benefits expected from research.
Explain that their rights and well-being will be adequately
protected and say how that will be done. Be certain that
interviewers obtain the informed consent of the
respondent. The use of deception is questionable. When it
is used, debrief any respondent who has been deceived.
• Many sponsors wish to undertake research without
revealing themselves. Sponsors have the right to demand
and receive confidentiality between themselves and the
researchers. Ethical researchers provide sponsors with the
 5-6

Summary(Contd.)
design needed to solve managerial question. The ethical
researcher shows the data objectively, despite the
sponsored preferred outcomes.
• The research team’s safety is the responsibility of the
researcher . Researchers should require ethical
compliance from team members in following research
design, just a sponsors expect ethical behavior from the
researcher.
• Many corporations and research firms have adopted a
code of ethics. Several professional associations such as
American Association of Public Opinion Research, the
American Marketing Association, the American
Psychological Association and American Political
Association.
 5-7

Types of Ethical
Violations

Violating
Violating Misrepresenting
Misrepresenting
disclosure
disclosure results
results
agreements
agreements

Breaking
Breaking Deceiving
Deceiving
confidentiality
confidentiality participants
participants

Padded
Padded Avoiding
Avoiding
invoices
invoices legal
legal liability
liability
 5-8

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
 5-9

Ethical Approaches

Ethical
Ethical
Deontology Ethical
standards Relativism
standards
 5-10

Ethical Approaches
How would you assess the P&G case using the
two ethical approaches?

Ethical
Deontology
Relativism
 5-11

Ethical
Codes of Conduct
 5-12

Exhibit 5-1 Ethical issues at all

stages of the research process
 5-13

Ethical Treatment of
Participants

Explain
Explain study
study benefits
benefits

Explain
Explain participant
participant
rights
rights and
and protections
protections

Obtain
Obtain informed
informed
consent
consent
 5-14

Components of
Informed Consent
• Identify researchers • Give “good-faith”
• Describe survey topic estimate of required
• Describe target time commitment
sample • State participation is
• Identify sponsor voluntary
• Describe purpose of • State item-non
research response is
acceptable
• Promise anonymity
• Ask for permission
and confidentiality
 5-15

Characteristics of
Informed Consent

Competence

Knowledge Elements Voluntary

Informed
 5-16

Ethical Responsibilities

• Special guidelines
apply to children!
– Informed
consent means
parental
approval
 5-17

Deception

Disguising
non-research
activities

Camouflaging
true research
objectives
 5-18

Debriefing

Explain
Explain any
any deception
deception

Describe
Describe purpose
purpose

Share
Share results
results

Provide
Provide follow-up
follow-up
 5-19

Participant Confidentiality

Obtain signed
nondisclosure

Non-
Non- Restrict
Restrict
disclosure
disclosure of
of access
access to
to ID
ID
data
data subsets
subsets

Minimize
Minimize Reveal only
instruments
instruments with written
requiring
requiring ID
ID consent
 5-20

Right to Privacy

Right
Right to
to refuse
refuse

Prior
Prior permission
permission to
to
interview
interview

Limit
Limit time
time required
required
 5-21

Data Collection in
Cyberspace

Data European
Mining Union
 5-22

The U.S. Safe Harbor

Agreement

Notice
Notice Choice
Choice Access
Access

Onward
Onward
Security
Security Transfer Data
Data Integrity
Integrity
Transfer

Enforcement
Enforcement
 5-23

Confidentiality

Sponsor
Sponsor Nondisclosure
Nondisclosure

Purpose
Purpose Nondisclosure
Nondisclosure

Findings
Findings Nondisclosure
Nondisclosure
 5-24

What to do if coerced?

Educate Explain
on problems
purpose

Emphasize Terminate
fact-finding relationship
role
 5-25

Effective Codes of Ethics

Enforceable
Enforceable Regulate
Regulate

Specify
Protect
Protect
Behavior
 5-26

Key Terms

• Code of ethics • Nondisclosure

• Confidentiality – Findings
• Debriefing – Purpose
• Deception – Sponsor
• Ethics • Right to privacy
• Informed consent • Right to quality
• Right to safety