Ethical Dilemma in Research Study: Case Study 3

ETHICAL DILEMMA IN RESEARCH STUDY: CASE STUDY 3
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Ethical Dilemma in Research Study: Case Study 3
James is exposed to the moral dilemma as he should not disclose personal information
to the third party. During the collection of the data, he assured the interviewees that the
gathered data would remain private and confidential. The act of the senior vice president of
the company seeking to know who performed well in the study brings the ethical dilemma.
This is because the vice president of the Company is James contractor and at the same time
he has assured the respondent's information confidentiality. In resolving the ethical dilemma,
James should analyze the situation concerning Thomas White’s argument while outlining the
possible consequences (2008). To avoid conflict, James should not disclose the identity of the
best-performing employee as enquired by the senior vice president of the Company. The
general focus should be on the legal issues of what must be done against what must not be
done (White, 2008). Disclosure of the employee’s identity is unethical and would negatively
interfere with trustworthiness, respect, and fairness which are fundamental values in any
organization.
To handle the ethical dilemma, James should disclose the best performing employee
to the senior vice president of the company without mentioning their details (names) (Ferrell,
2015). This is because the primary objective of the study is to inform the company about the
training courses which they need to implement but not individual performances. Disclosure
of the employee performances without mentioning their details would significantly achieve
the objectives of the study and facilitate identification of the areas of weaknesses as opposed
to individual shortcomings. Although the senior vice president of the Company is the boss,
James should stand firm and explain to him the consequences associated with disclosure of
personal information in a research study. Apart from the act being unethical, it is also illegal
as one can get sued in a court of law. The ACS code of ethics related to the James’ ethical
dilemma include the primary of the public interest, enhancement of quality of life, honesty,