The document discusses ethics in business research. It outlines ethical considerations regarding protecting participants, issues of informed consent and confidentiality. It also discusses ethical issues related to clients, sponsors, and researchers/team members such as non-disclosure, quality of research, and safety. Researchers must ensure research does not harm participants and their rights are protected.

1. Part One
INTRODUCTION TO
BUSINESS RESEARCH
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2. Chapter Five
ETHICS IN
BUSINESS RESEARCH
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3. What are Research Ethics?
• Ethics are norms or standards of behavior
that guide moral choices about our behavior
and our relationships with others
• The goal is to ensure that no one is harmed
or suffers adverse consequences from
research activities
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4. Ethical Treatment of Participants
• Begin data collection by explaining to the
participant the benefits expected from the
research
• Explain to the participants that their rights
and well-being will be adequately protected,
and say how this will be done
• Be certain that interviewers obtain the
informed consent of the participant
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5. Deception
• The participant is told only part of the truth
or when the truth is fully compromised
• To prevent biasing the participants before
the survey or experiment
• To protect the confidentiality of a third party
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6. Issues Related to Protecting Participants
• Informed consent
• Debriefing
• Right to Privacy/Confidentiality
• Data Collection in Cyberspace
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7. Ethical Issues related to the Client
• Sponsor non-disclosure
• Purpose non-disclosure
• Findings non-disclosure
• Right to quality research
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8. Ethics Related to Sponsor
• Sometimes researchers will be asked by
sponsors to participate in unethical behavior.
• To avoid coercion by sponsor the researcher
should:
– Educate sponsor to the purpose of research
– Explain researcher’s role
– Explain how distortion of the truth leads to
future problems
– If necessary, terminate relationship with
sponsor
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9. Ethical Issues related to
Researchers and Team Members
• Safety
• Ethical behavior of assistants
• Protection of anonymity
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