Business Research Methods

William G. Zikmund

Chapter 5: Ethical Issues in Business Research

Ethical Issues
Ethical questions are philosophical questions; There is no general agreement among philosophers about the answers to such questions; The rights and obligations of individuals are generally dictated by the norms of society; Social norms are codes of behavior adopted by group.

Ethical Issues, Contd.,

Philosophical questions Societal norms Codes of behavior

Ethical Issues, Contd.,

Code of Ethics
A statement of principles and operating procedures for ethical practice.

Rights and Obligations of the Respondent

The obligation to be truthful; Privacy (e.g., collecting and giving out of personal information without their (US citizens) knowledge is a serious violation of their privacy); Deception (i.e.,creating a false impression by disguising the purpose of the research); The right to be informed.

Rights and Obligations of the Researcher

The purpose of research is research Objectivity (ensuring accuracy) Misrepresenting research (clients should not misrepresent the statistical accuracy of their data) Protect the right to confidentiality of both subjects and clients Dissemination (eliminate) of faulty conclusions

Rights and Obligations of the Client Sponsor (User)

Ethics between buyer and seller An open relationship with research suppliers An open relationship with interested parties Privacy Commitment to research Pseudo-pilot studies (suggested by the clients) Advocacy research (Research undertaken to support a specific claim in a legal action)

Advocacy Research
Research to support a specific legal claim

Pseudo-Pilot Studies
The researcher is told by the clients that the study is the first of many in a more comprehensive study.
It is important for clients to be open about the business problem to be investigated.