1. ETHICS IN BUSINESS RESEARCH
BUS-141- Dr Tamas Lestar

2. Ethical issues arise at a variety of stages in business and management research.
Especially 4 areas:
Does harm come to participants?
Informed consent
Invasion of privacy
Deception

3. Ethical issues revolve around such concerns as
the following:
• How should we treat the people on whom we conduct research?
• Are there activities in which we should or should not engage in our relations with them?
There are statements on code of conduct for example by American Academy of Management (AoM)
and the Market Research Society (MRS)

4. Notably: disguised observation and the use of deception in experiments are two major methods where ethics is most widely discussed. But ethical issues can occur in any approach.

5. Different stances on the issue:
1. Universalism. A universalist stance takes the view that ethical precepts should never be broken. Infractions of
ethical principles are wrong in a moral sense and are damaging to social research.
2. Situation ethics. Goode (1996) has argued for deception to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
3. Ethical transgression is pervasive. It is often observed that virtually all research involves elements that are at
least ethically questionable. This occurs whenever participants are not given absolutely all the details on a
piece of research, or when there is variation in the amount of knowledge about research.

6. Different stances on the issue:
4. Anything goes (more or less). The writers associated with arguments relating to situation ethics and a
recognition of the pervasiveness of ethical transgressions are not arguing for an ‘anything-goes’ mentality, but for a certain amount of flexibility in ethical decision-making. However, Douglas (1976) has argued that the kinds of deception in which social researchers engage are trivial compared to those perpetrated by powerful institutions in modern society (such as the mass media, the police, and industry). His book is an inventory of tactics for deceiving people so that their trust is gained and they reveal themselves to the researcher. Very few researchers subscribe to this stance.

7. Class discussion:
Page 125. Read the first study (Milgram, 1963) and discuss the following question:
Why do you think this study was ethically wrong?

8. Ethic committies
What is their role?

9. Examples of ethical forms
Ethical approval
Interview consent form

10. Confidentiality agreements
As part of the process of negotiating access, it is becoming increasingly common for companies to ask their legal departments to prepare a Confidentiality agreement, which you may be asked to sign on your own behalf, or someone from your university may be asked to sign on behalf of the institution. The main purpose of this is to define what type of information you can have access to and to establish what information you are and are not able to disclose about the company. This usually involves agreeing that you will not pass on information to a third party, particularly that which pertains to commercially sensitive or valuable issues, such as new product development. In addition, there may be a clause that specifies that the company must have sight of the research once it has been written up, so that it can comment on the findings, particularly if they are going to be published.

11. Identifying employees - problems
Sample sizes in specialised areas may be very small to the point where employees themselves could be identified. If there is a reasonable risk of an employee being identified, due to the sample size of the population or sub-population being covered, the employee must be informed
of this risk at the beginning of the interview and given the opportunity to withdraw.
The guidelines (MRS) therefore recommend that researchers examine the results of subgroups only in situations where there are ten or more respondents involved.

12. A funding controversy in a university business school
In December 2000, Nottingham University accepted £3.8 million from British American Tobacco to set up the International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility within Nottingham University Business School. This prompted the professor leading one of Nottingham’s top research teams working in the fi eld of cancer research to leave, taking fifteen of his staff with him. Cancer Research UK, which was funding medical research at the university, subsequently withdrew its £1.5 million grant and launched a new code of conduct that recommended research support not be provided to any university faculty that is in receipt of tobacco industry funding. However, Nottingham University insisted that it had been following these guidelines, because the money that funded the International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility was kept completely separate from any area of research funded by Cancer Research UK.

13. A funding controversy in a university business school
The case prompted a heated exchange among academics, one letter angrily commenting that it must only be a matter of time before someone founded a Pinochet Centre for the study of human rights. Because the tobacco industry has a history of subverting scientific research that does not support its commercial interests, as portrayed in the feature film The Insider, it was seen as unacceptable by some that Nottingham University should accept financial support from this source.
(C. Clark, ‘Letter: Stub out BAT Cash’, 8 Dec. 2000; T. Tysome, ‘Tobacco Link Causes Cancer Team to Leave’, 23 March 2001,
Times Higher Education Supplement.)

14. CHECKLIST to CONSIDER Page 144

15. STEP 1 DEFINE RESEARCH PROBLEM
1. In Business Research often company managers identify a problem and hire researchers to research, analyse and give recommendations (generally quantitative research).
2. But this is not always the case: researchers themselves can identify problems and questions, the nature of which is often qualitative.
!!! <After you define the problem (during the first few steps of the process), you also prepare a RESEARCH PROPOSAL (AIMS, QUESTIONS, METHODS) either for approval or for raising funds for the initiative. (We will talk about research proposal in more detail later)>
STEP 1 DEFINE RESEARCH PROBLEM

16. STEP 2 REVIEW LITERATURE
Reviewing the literature helps you to revisit and modify your questions and aims.
You also identify missing themes or inadequate approaches. Hire lies your contribution. You position your own research in relation to previous works.
In your final write-up one chapter is called the Literature Review.
!!! <After you define the problem (during the first few steps of the process), you also prepare a RESEARCH PROPOSAL (AIMS, QUESTIONS, METHODS) either for approval or for raising funds for the initiative. (We will talk about research proposal in another class!)>
STEP 2 REVIEW LITERATURE

17. STEP 3 formulate hypotheses
In Business Research a Hypothesis (singular) is a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
For example: I hypothetise (suppose, propose) that the reason why so few students are visiting the English tutorial is their lack of understanding of the language (I may be right or wrong, and research could only tell.)
STEP 3 formulate hypotheses

18. STEP 4 PREPARE THE RESEARCH DESIGN
A research design is the set of methods and procedures used in collecting and analyzing measures of the variables specified in the research problem research.
The design of a study defines the study type (descriptive, correlation, semi-experimental, experimental, review) and sub-type (e.g., descriptive-longitudinal case study), research problem, hypotheses, independent and dependent variables, experimental design, and, if applicable, data collection methods and a statistical analysis plan. A research design is a framework that has been created to find answers to research questions.
STEP 4 PREPARE THE RESEARCH DESIGN

19. STEP 5 DATA COLLECTION
Data collection is a process of collecting information from all the relevant sources to find answers to the research problem, test the hypothesis and evaluate the outcomes. Data collection methods can be divided into two categories: secondary methods of data collection and primary methods of data collection.

20. STEP 6 DATA ANALYSIS In Business Research MISSING
!!! <After you define the problem (during the first few steps of the process), you also prepare a RESEARCH PROPOSAL (AIMS, QUESTIONS, METHODS) either for approval or for raising funds for the initiative. (We will talk about research proposal in another class!)>
STEP 6 DATA ANALYSIS

21. STEP 7 INTERPRETATION AND REPORT WRITING
In Business Research
MISSING
!!! <After you define the problem (during the first few steps of the process), you also prepare a RESEARCH PROPOSAL (AIMS, QUESTIONS, METHODS) either for approval or for raising funds for the initiative. (We will talk about research proposal in another class!)>
STEP 7 INTERPRETATION AND REPORT WRITING

22. Two types of Business Research
1. Action research Responds to problems and seeks solutions. Immediate. For example: A specific company loses its managerial workers. Why?
2. Pure research (Basic research) No direct relevance to immediate practical problems, performance or solutions. To obtain new knowledge. For example: The emotional aspects of company mergers and acquisitions.

23. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

24. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
In organisations the most substantial form
Goal: inform or persuade
May be asked to write a report. (Opportunity to impress!)
All previous skills in writing and creativity and search are important!
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

25. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
In organisations the most substantial form
Goal: inform or persuade
May be asked to write a report. (Opportunity to impress!)
All previous skills in writing and creativity and search are important!
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

26. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
REPORTS SHOULD NORMALLY HAVE:
A clear descriptive title
Author and recipient(s) listed
A summary
A content list
Clear subheadings
References
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

27. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Clear title
To and From
Date
Subheadings!

28. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
Managers are busy people (just as many others)
Report needs to be quickly graspable
Title page, contents and summary should give the skeleton of the report (cover pages can be downloaded from internet, Microsoft Word, etc.)
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

29. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Normally at the beginning
For thesis and dissertation it is a MUST
You write it at last not first, and place it at the beg
Include a statement of the original problem, your arguments and conclusions.
It should be understood as a separate piece as it is sometimes circulated more widely
In case of a Business Plan, we talk about Executive Summary (what is that?)
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

30. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
TITLE PAGE
Very important(readers may select by reading it)
Needs to be as descriptive as possible
Should include author(s), their role or title (if significant)
Name of recipients may be useful
Date
Presentation is important for a good, creative cover page
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

31. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
CONTENT LIST
Major and minor headings (numbering system)
Makes it easy to discuss the report
Helps readability but also writing
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

32. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Why is the topic important? (background information, if not in a separate section)
What was the remit of the report writer?
What method was used (for research)
What is the main argument/finding/conclusion?
On what evidence is this based?
What are the implications/recommendations?
If the intro can outline these, the reader will read the report with greater interest and ease.
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

33. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
LITERATURE SEARCH
In case of research reports, an extensive review of the literature is needed.
Only the relevant literature influencing your work!!!
What are the implications/recommendations?
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

34. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
METHOD
For research projects the reader will be interested to know how you collected the data and why.
You justify your approach.
Perhaps mention other alternatives and explain why yours is the most suitable.
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

35. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
MAIN SECTIONS
The main substance. Like with essay.
Writing method will depend on the type of the report.
You need to name the sections and you cannot call the main heading as ‘Main Section’
Graphics may supply evidence as well as help readability. (either in the main body or Appendix, depending on necessity and how detailed they are)
Naturally, all the rules of writing, such as grammar, paragraphs, etc., need to be followed.
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

36. USE GRAPHICAL AIDS IN THE MAIN SECTION(S) !!!

37. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
CONCLUSIONS
They follow naturally from the arguments.
No new materials at this stage!!!
No Surprising materials, either!
Can contain recommendations but the latter can have a separate subsection
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

38. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS (or IMPLICATIONS) should
Follow naturally from analysis
Be clear proposals for action
Be sensible and realistic
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

39. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
APPENDICES
Details supporting background information.
Methodology
Approvals, e.g. ethical approval
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

40. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
REFERENCES
As studied before.
Plagiarism!
Quotes should be marked by Page number, etc.
Date when referencing electronic sources!!! ….
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

41. WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
be approximately 5-10% of the length of the main report
be written in language appropriate for the target audience
consist of short, concise paragraphs
begin with a summary
be written in the same order as the main report
only include material present in the main report
make recommendations
provide a justification
have a conclusion
be readable separately from the main report
sometimes summarize more than one document
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE