Question

ABC Corporation is considering making organizational changes. They have decided to take an action research approach. Management intends on requiring employees to participate in the research, instead of leaving it open to volunteers. What is the ethical concern with this activity

Answer 1

The ethical concern with requiring employee participation in research is the potential violation of informed consent and the associated risks of coercion. Adhering to ethical standards and obtaining voluntary, informed consent are essential, and involvement of an IRB or equivalent body can help ensure ethical research practices.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary ethical concern with requiring employees to participate in organizational research, rather than volunteering, is the potential violation of informed consent. Informed consent is a fundamental principle in conducting ethical research and ensures that participants are fully aware of the research, its purpose, potential risks, and benefits, and consent to participate willingly. Without informed consent, there is a risk of coercion, which may lead to ethical violations similar to those observed in historically unethical studies such as the Milgram Experiment, which involved deception and psychological harm to participants.

Furthermore, professional researchers are bound by ethical and legal guidelines that include respect for the dignity, privacy, and autonomy of participants. The use of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is crucial in safeguarding these ethical standards by reviewing and approving research proposals involving human subjects. An action research approach like Participatory Action Research (PAR) is also grounded on collaborative principles, and enforced participation can undermine the cooperation and trust integral to PAR's success.

To mitigate this ethical concern, ABC Corporation should prioritize obtaining voluntary, informed consent from their employees and consider the assistance of an IRB or equivalent ethical review committee to ensure compliance with ethical standards in their organizational research.

Answer 2

The ethical concern is if the are free to answer or if they would feel pressed to decide.

Step-by-step explanation:

Any organizational change involves changing the work environment or even the people that is working.

Asking the employees won't give an honest answer because the fear of loosing their work and so the research won't reflect the reality of the environment and the changes that would result from this research won't have the results that the corporation wants.