arm lecture four

7/31/2019 ARM Lecture Four

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Ethics in Business Research

Topic FourClass Four


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Todays Agenda

Review of Assignment RFP

What is ethics?

Stakeholders in Research

I had taken a course

in Ethics. I read a

thick textbook,

heard the class

discussions andcame out of it

saying I hadn't

learned a thing I

didn't know before

about morals and

what is right or

wrong in human

conduct.

Carl Sandburg


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What is Ethics?Some years ago, sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business people:

What does ethics mean to you?

Among their replies were the following:

Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong

Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs

Being ethical is doing what the law requires

Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our society accepts

I don't know what the word means

Ethics is the study of morality's effect on conduct: the study of moral

standards and how they affect conduct


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Importance of Ethics in Research

Research depends upon the willing co-operation of the publicand business community

Based upon confidence that research is carried out honestly,objectively and in a manner that protects participants rights toprivacy


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Stakeholders in Research

Research

Researcher

Sponsor

SubjectGoal of

no harm for all

the stakeholders


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Types of Ethical Violations

Violating

disclosure

agreements

Breaking

confidentiality

Misrepresenting

results

Deceiving

participants

Padded

invoices

Avoiding

legal liability


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EthicsConceptual Approaches

Ethical

standardsEthical

RelativismDeontology


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Business Research Ethics -Our Routes to Understanding

Research Process Based

Stakeholder Based

Issue Based


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Ethical ApproachesRecap of Research Process

Research Process

Pre-ResearchDesigning &

PlanningPhase

InformationGathering

Data

CollectionPhase

Analysis,Interpretationand Reporting

Phase


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Ethical ApproachesResearch Designing & Planning Phase

Sponsor nondisclosure

Sponsors right to quality research

Sponsors right of purpose nondisclosure

Researchers right to absence of sponsor

coercion

Subject deception


Subjects right to informed consent

Subjects right to privacy (refusal)


Researchers right of absence of sponsorscoercion

Management &Research Questions

Research Proposal

Design Strategy

Sampling


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Ethical Approaches Data Collection

Subjects right to privacy

Subject deception

Sponsors right of sponsor nondisclosure

Researchers right to safety

Data Collection


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Ethical Approaches

Data Analysis, Interpretation & Research Reporting

Sponsors right to findings nondisclosure

Subjects right of confidentiality


Researchers right of absence of sponsorcoercion

Data Analysis andReporting


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Ethical Issues and Stakeholders

Sponsor

SubjectResearcher


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Ethical IssuesSponsor Related Obligations

1. Come to a consensus on the research objectives, i.e., the reason for the

research.

2. Set reasonable time and money budgets.

3. Develop an understanding of the researcher and research project

4. Give genuine consideration to the research results and be willing to use them

to improve decision making

5. Pay the researcher fully and on time upon successful completion, regardless of

whether or not the results are desirable


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Ethical IssuesResearcher Related Obligations

1. Develop a working knowledge of the situation. To do so, interview key decision makers

2. Communicate exactly what the research can do.

Project deliverables

3. Avoid conflicts of interest.

Sometimes say no

4. To Decision Makers:Be knowledgeableInterpret results honestly and fullyPresent limitations of research

5. To Participants:Avoid coercing participantsAvoid physical or psychological harmProtect PrivacyInform subjects


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Ethical IssuesRespondent Related Obligations

1. Willful participation

2. Screening questions should determine whether participants

qualify

3. Faithful participation

4. Participants must follow instructions and pay attention

5. Honest responses

6. Privacy


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Ethical Treatment of Participants

Explain study benefits

Explain participant rights

and protections

Obtain informed

consent


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Components of Informed Consent

Identify researchers

Describe survey topic

Describe target sample

Identify sponsor

Describe purpose ofresearch

Promise anonymity andconfidentiality

Give good-faith estimateof required timecommitment

State participation is

voluntary State item-non response is

acceptable

Ask for permission


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Characteristics of Informed Consent

Elements

Competence

Informed

Knowledge Voluntary


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Debriefing

Explain any deception

Describe purpose

Share results

Provide follow-up


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Participants Confidentiality

Minimizeinstrumentsrequiring ID

Non-disclosure ofdata subsets

Restrictaccess to ID

Obtain signednondisclosure

Reveal onlywith writtenconsent

Participant


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Right to Privacy

Right to refuse

Prior permission to

interview

Limit time required


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Effective Codes of Ethics

Enforceable

Specify

Behavior

Regulate

Protect


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Ethical Codes of Conduct
http://www.marketingpower.com/http://www.casro.org/http://www.mra-net.org/


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Research Assignment on Ethics

1. Pretests show that the average time to complete a particulartelephone interview is 20 minutes. They also show a drop in theresponse rate if respondents are told in advance about the time.Telling them it will take 15 minutes does not reduce the responserate. The researcher:

a) Does not provide any information on the length of the interview

b) Tells the respondent it will take only few minutes

c) Tells the respondent it will take about 15 minutes

2. Researcher poses as graduate student working on a thesis in orderto gain information that competitors might not otherwise give

Instructions:

Develop a 10-point ethical-unethical scale of each of

the above two situations and interview 10 students

arm lecture four

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