Business Research Methods (BUS 390)

Ethics is the moral distinction between right and wrong tenets of ethical behavior. Ethics can be different, according its subject. As business ethics can be moral, but not always legal. Webster describes ethics as conformance to the standards of conduct of given professions. I consider it as best definition. Research ethics is simply a code of conduct. It describes how should be done research itself. I was pleased with the way how authors give definition and examples. Everything was fully described in three articles given for understanding of ethics. All readings were almost the same. The questions raised in chapter 16 emphasize different subjects. First aspect is about Voluntary participation and harmlessness. In voluntary research non-participation shouldnt fear participant. People should not think that participation or non-participation will heart them. They shouldnt fell themselves inconvenient or stressed, or nervous. Voluntary participation in research cannot force someone to do something in interest of researcher. I totally agree. It should be harmlessness. The example with Stanford prison experiment, where students suffered psychologically was clear to stop because of understanding of ethical issue. Violation of voluntary participation leads legal problems. Nowadays you cannot force someone. I wish it was true in every country. Now all participants can choose and sign informed consent form, knowing their rights. To be fairer to participants, anonymity and confidentiality should be considered in every study. My understanding of confidentiality and anonymity was ending with oral agreement between participants. In order not to be dismissed from union or committee you should be always aware of confidentiality and anonymity. Even greatest researches, missing anonymity and confidentiality may stand in front of grand jury. Information can be important and even disclosed for better results. Researches must know what exactly they research. I think analyze of problem can be more productive in honest way. As recommended negative data analyzed and reported, should be disclosed. I totally agree that role

of data is to test, not to build one more hypothesis. Besides in U.S research ethics, I can even say controlled by IRB (Institutional Review Board) Other aspect that I didnt find in chapter 16 is funding and commercialization in Marketing Research and Social responsibility: Ethical obligations toward society article. Funding is great opportunity for researcher t o find a new partner and to get noticed by publicity. Of course, how was in article, I state that the funding source should be correct, true for topic, or purpose of your research. You cannot study cancer of lungs and take money from Tobacco producer. It is totally unethical. Thats why data should be reasonable. In order to protect your information it should be verifies, checked several times. Of course there are a lot of plagiarism and steeling of idea. To protect and forecast obstacles research ethics should be not only code of conduct but international worldwide legal issue. I was so surprised with how much information can get a company in order to accomplish own goals. In The New York Times article, named How Companies Learn Your Secrets everything that I understood is steeling the mind of customer. I see it is generous idea, but risky one. Andrew Pole is greatest researcher. It was so fascinating to see how habit can be changed. The example with rats was clear, but when Target decided to catch all customers it used unique and very full information, that can ever be collected. You start to think, what if everyone is spying on you. I consider it not fair, not ethical. I now can easily change different habit loops by changing or directing to other goals my cues. I liked Charles Duhiggs example with cookie. The mechanism used in Target can also bring personal winning. Even though, the brilliant idea too brilliant. I wouldnt consider such data collection and observation of my habit so good. If I would be on the place of pregnant lady and knew about such research, minimum I would be angry. All three reading opened my eyes how good research could be done. I wish only better controlling agencies, especially in Kyrgyzstan. I liked the statements that were given in

readings. Ethical issues in commercialized research or in just research for improving the world should be urgent and very considerable with public. Ethical integrity and social responsibility of researchers should be in every society. Society with understanding what does the ethics means would be more economically developed and socially democratic.