Businesses are embedded with ethical obligations and so are the business functions such as ‘marketing’. Every market researcher is required to follow ethical guidelines, which he/she is required to follow while conducting research activity. However, in the era of growing demand for real-time data and other innumerable factors, marketing researchers are unfortunately driving towards unethical means of conducting market research.
The issue of unethical traits in the market research activity is also well-captured by the academic fraternity, and majority of the researchers found that it was the organizational factors such as extent of ethical problems, top management actions on ethics and role in the organizational role that motivated the researcher to opt for malfeasant and unethical means of conducting research. In addition to the organizational factors,’ ethical conflict’ is yet another factor that drives unethical behavior in a marketing researcher. Important to note, Ethical conflict occurs when an individual perceives that his/her duties and responsibilities towards one group are inconsistent with his/her duties and responsibilities towards another group. For instance, if the researcher is confronted with the need of data from a scattered population in a short time, a researcher might deceive the client by sacrificing their interests and gathering less reliable data, owing to time constraints.
References
Malhotra, N. (2010). Data Collection, Preparation, Analysis and Reporting . In N. Malhotra, Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation (pp. 44-49). Pearson.
Shelby D. Hunt, L. B. (1984). Ethical Problems of Market Research. Journal of Marketing Research,, 309-324.
Reply#1:
Dear Jamie,
I agree with you that money and self-preservation are one of the root causes that drives a researcher towards unethical behavior in the context of market research. As you may also read from my discussion, I have also proposed my ideas in the same scope, but under the terminology of ‘Ethical Conflict’’, and your example of how the market researcher reveals the confidential information of the respondents in lieu of personal agendas, is also a perfect instance of ethical conflict guiding unethical behavior in the market researcher as in order to satisfy his obligations and safeguard the client’s interest, he deceives the respondents.
While a different individual may behave differently when confronted with such situations, but for now, we may postulate that it is the ethical conflict in some form that guides the market researcher to opt for unethical behavior.
Good Job!
Regards,
Jay
References
Malhotra, N. (2010). Data Collection, Preparation, Analysis and Reporting . In N. Malhotra, Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation (pp. 44-49). Pearson.
Shelby D. Hunt, L. B. (1984). Ethical Problems of Market Research. Journal of Marketing Research,, 309-324.
Reply#2:
Dear Richard,
After reading your post, I believe that the majority of our class is gathering a consensus that profit motives is the most influential factor that drives unethical behavior in the researcher. However, while I do agree that profit is one factor, but over the top of all, it is the ethical conflict which the researchers face either in the form of greed for profit, client retention, et cetera that introduce biasness and unethical behavior in the market researcher because of which, he ends up favoring the client and disregards respondent’s interests.
Regards,
Jay
References
Malhotra, N. (2010). Data Collection, Preparation, Analysis and Reporting . In N. Malhotra, Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation (pp. 44-49). Pearson.
Shelby D. Hunt, L. B. (1984). Ethical Problems of Market Research. Journal of Marketing Research,, 309-324.
