Ethics Questions and Answers

Assessment 2 Case Study STUDENT ID STUDENT NAME SUBJECT NAME: Stakeholers Values and Ethics SUBJECT CODE: BAP61 Total Marks: 30 Weight: 30% Due Date: Week 9 Ethics in Business: A Case Study on Whistleblowing and Corporate Responsibility Word Length: 2,000 words (+/- 10%) Case Study: Imagine you are an employee at a prominent IT company, MyIT Corp. The company has been working on a groundbreaking technology that has the potential to save countless lives. However, during the technology development, you come across evidence indicating that certain safety tests were manipulated to accelerate the technology approval process. You believe that this unethical conduct poses serious risks to to the public. You face a moral dilemma: whether to blow the whistle on the company's actions, potentially jeopardizing your job and facing backlash, or to remain silent and allow the unethical practices to continue. Assessment Questions: 1) Ethical Dilemma Analysis: (6 marks) a. Explain the ethical challenge encountered by the employee in the scenario. b. Outline the opposing interests and values involved, and discuss how choosing to report the issue or stay silent could affect the different stakeholders you identify. 2) Whistleblowing and Corporate Responsibility: (6 marks) a. a. Assess the ethical obligation of the employee to report MyIT Corp.'s misconduct. b. b. Examine the possible advantages and disadvantages of whistleblowing for both the individual and society, taking into account the employee’s responsibility to support ethical conduct and corporate accountability. 3) Utilitarian vs. Deontological Ethics: (6 marks) a. a. Use both utilitarian and deontological ethics to examine how the employee made their decision. b. b. Explain how each ethical framework would interpret the choice to report the wrongdoing, focusing on the outcomes, moral principles, and obligations considered in each approach. 4) Corporate Culture and Ethical Climate: (6 marks) a. a. Examine the role that MyIT Corp.'s corporate culture and ethical environment may have played in enabling unethical behavior. b. b. Highlight the significance of promoting an ethical workplace culture and explore how organizations can build a supportive atmosphere where employees feel confident to speak up about misconduct. 5) Legal Protections and Moral Courage: (6 marks) a. Investigate the legal rights and protections provided to whistleblowers in this context. b. Explore the idea of moral courage and why it is important when facing tough ethical choices. c. Consider how moral courage could influence the employee’s decision to report the wrongdoing. Rubric Criteria Fail (0-49) Pass (50-64) Credit (65-74) Distinction (75-84) High Distinction (85-100) Identify and define a problem or issue. Critically analyse using relevant theory and research. Draw conclusions and justify. Weighting 50% Poor identification of the problem or issue. Little research or application of relevant theory. Unsound conclusions. Basic effort in identification of the problem or issue. Some research and application of relevant theory. Conclusions not strong. Good identification of the problem or issue. Good research and application of relevant theory. Sound conclusions. Very good identification of the problem or issue. Very good research and application of relevant theory. Sound recommendations. Excellent and Insightful identification, analysis and conclusions of the situation. Clear and concise communication (understanding) Weighting 20% Poor level of reflected understanding. Inaccurate expression making meaning unclear. Poor spelling and grammar. Basic effort in reflecting understanding. Inaccurate expressions make meaning sometimes unclear. Some spelling and grammatical errors. Some insightful reflection. Expression generally accurate. Correct spelling and grammar. Insightful reflection. Consistent expression makes meaning concise and clear. Correct spelling and grammar. Exceptionally insightful (reflected understanding). Fluent expressions make it very easy to read and comprehend. Correct spelling and grammar. Coherent and logically structured Weighting 20% No clear logic and flow to the answers provided. Incorrect paragraph structure. Some structure and flow to the report. Inconsistent application of paragraph structure. Good structure and flow to report. Reasonable paragraph structure. Well-structured and easy flow to report. Very good paragraph structure. Very well- structured reflecting excellent insights. Quality flow to report, with excellent paragraph structure. Professionally presented with correct referencing Weighting 10% Poorly presented. No appropriate of in text or reference list. Presentation adequate (some mistakes). Met requirements. Some errors in referencing.. Presentation clear (few mistakes). Met requirements. Correct in text and reference list. Professional (no mistakes). Correct in text and reference list. Very professional. Correct in text and reference list. Page | 2

1. Share a current news example of something you think is an ethical issue. What makes you think it is an ethical issue? Provide some examples in your post. 2. How do you think this issue relates to global ethics or professional ethics? Provide examples to support your claim.

Which of the following studies would need IRB approval? Studies collecting identifiable information about living individuals. Studies that use data collected for internal department use only and the aim of the study is quality improvement for the department only. Studies that involve cadavers. Studies that use publicly available census data from the years 1890-1910.

What ethical issues arise from fabricating data? Is anyone harmed when data is fabricated? Take this scenario out of the science classroom and into a nursing setting. Would your opinion on the ethics of the situation change if the scenario shifted to a nurse fabricating information on a patient's chart? What does the Christian worldview say about the falsification of information?

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the requirement for the documentation of minors' assent to participate in research? To protect minors documentation is always required. Federal regulations do not require the documentation of minors' assent. Documentation is required unless waived by an IRB. Parents must approve written documentation.

Question 1 Which of the following is true regarding research misconduct? Funding agencies normally perform their own misconduct inquiry before the institution becomes involved. Federal funding agencies typically rely on an institution to make the initial response to an allegation of research misconduct. A central federal agency handles all cases of research misconduct. The U.S. government is required to reveal publicly the identity of any person who commits misconduct. Question 2 The typical first main phase in response to a research misconduct allegation is called: Remediation The adjudication The inquiry The audit Question 3 Which of the following is true regarding the U.S. Federal Research Misconduct Policy? The Policy covers conflicts of interest and the misuse of grant funding. Misconduct must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. To have a misconduct finding, the action must have been committed intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly. The standard of innocent until proven guilty does not apply in misconduct cases. Question 4 Which of the following is the most effective strategy for preventing research misconduct? Creating hypercompetitive research environments Good mentoring Limiting data sharing Working unsupervised

Which term describes an ethical issue?

Question 1 A research collaboration can be enhanced by: Discussing intellectual property issues while the collaboration is forming. Waiting to discuss authorship issues until after data collection. Avoiding the issue of which journal to target since research team members might disagree. Limiting the communication between researchers and industry partners. Question 2 What is the main function of a Technology Transfer Office with respect to collaborative research? It arranges movers to pack and ship equipment to a researcher's new facilities. It helps collaborative researchers to commercialize their work. It arranges the purchase and delivery of new computer hardware for research teams. It sets up new e-mail accounts. Question 3 Which of the following is true regarding academic-industry collaborations? The industry sponsor typically owns the data from research that it funds. Federal law does not permit an academic institution to own anything that is produced from the collaboration. Conflicts of interest are not common in these collaborations. They cannot happen because of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980. Question 4 What is the most appropriate process for research collaborators to use in determining which journal they should submit their work to? Obtain advice from the Technology Transfer Office. It is appropriate to submit the work to any peer reviewed journal. Submit the work to several journals that represent the interests of all the authors. The research team should discuss the issue early on and while the project is ongoing.

"Which of the following constitutes both a breach of confidentiality (the research data have been disclosed, counter to the agreement between researcher and subjects) and a violation of subjects’ privacy (the right of the individuals to be protected against intrusion into their personal lives or affairs)? A researcher asks cocaine users to provide names and contact information of other cocaine users who might qualify for a study. In order to eliminate the effect of observation on behavior, a researcher attends a support group and records interactions without informing the attendees. A faculty member makes identifiable data about sexual behavior available to graduate students, although the subjects were assured that the data would be de-identified. A researcher, who is a guest, audio-records conversations at a series of private dinner parties to assess gender roles, without informing participants."

"The COI management plan aims to: Eliminate all COIs in research when a COI is disclosed Address disclosure of COIs in multi-center research when a COI is disclosed Reduce IRB review burden when a COI is disclosed Provide procedures or extras steps to be taken to minimize the risk of bias when a COI is disclosed"

Which of the following activities constitutes engagement in research? Providing potential subjects with written information about a study. Obtaining informed consent and conducting research interviews. Obtaining subjects' permission for researchers to contact them. Informing prospective subjects about the availability of research.

"Which of the following statements about prison research is true? Researchers may study the effects of privilege upgrades awarded by the prison. Participation in research can be considered during parole hearings. It is permissible for risks to be higher than those that would be accepted by non-prisoners. The regulations prohibit compensating prisoners."

Question 1 The main focus of NIH’s conflict of interest policy is: Personal conflicts of interest Conflicts of conscience Academic conflicts of interest Financial conflicts of interest Question 2 The entity that normally is supposed to determine whether an academic researcher’s conflict of interest can be managed is: A conflict of interest committee The university president The researcher The faculty senate Question 3 Which of the following most accurately describes a conflict of commitment? It occurs when an individual allows personal beliefs to interfere with objectivity. It occurs when a researcher is not sure whether to renew a contract with an employer. It occurs when outside activities interfere with obligations to one’s primary employer. It occurs when researchers have a financial interest related to their research. Question 4 Which of the following most accurately describes an institutional conflict of interest? It occurs when an institution's financial or non-financial interests could interfere with its research activities. It occurs when two or more researchers within a department are competing for the same research funding. It occurs when two or more institutions are competing for the same research funding. It occurs when two or more departments within a college are competing for the same research funding.

"Christa was given the highest award from her university for conducting and publishing novel research that would be highly beneficial to the general population. However, the university later found out that her data were incorrect and could not be replicated by other laboratories. The form of scientific misconduct that Christa committed is collaborationism fabrication plagiarism falsification"

The Belmont principle of beneficence requires that: A. Subjects derive individual benefit from study participation. B. Risks are managed to no more than minimal. C. The use of procedures that increase benefits and decrease harms whenever consistent with sound research design. D. The study makes a significant contribution to generalizable knowledge.

"Reviewers have a responsibility to promote ethical peer review by: Providing fair and unbiased assessments. Maintaining confidentiality of the reviewed material. Declaring any conflicts of interest. Offering constructive feedback. Respecting the intellectual property of the authors."

"The ICH E6 GCP describes standards that apply to: A. Investigators, sponsors, and IRBs B. Research sponsors only C. Investigators only D. IRBs only"

Your informed consent form must describe _______. A. The total budget for the research project. B. All foreseeable risks and discomforts. C. The principal investigator's past research. D. The names of all IRB members who reviewed the study.

The investigator must report adverse events to the: A. Subject B. Sponsor C. FDA D. IRB only

Which of the following is part of the integrated ethics model? A. How the organization supports ethical behavior in everyday interactions in the workplace B. How the organization promotes siloed decision-making between clinicians and patients C. How the organization punishes inappropriate professional behavior D. How the organization publicly advertises its commitment to ethics

An example of an individual financial COI is: A. A researcher's wife works at the same university as the researcher. B. A researcher's 10-year-old son wins a local science competition, the prize for which is a $5,000 scholarship to a workshop sponsored by a local company that sponsors one of the researcher's ongoing projects. C. A researcher's wife holds equity in a publicly traded pharmaceutical company that is also the sponsor of the researcher's study. D. A researcher is considering buying stock in a publicly traded company that specializes in making and delivering hand-tossed pizza. The COI management plan aims to: A. Provide procedures or extra steps to be taken to minimize the risk of bias when a COI is disclosed. B. Eliminate all COIs in research when a COI is disclosed. C. Address disclosure of COIs in multi-center research when a COI is disclosed. D. Reduce IRB review burden when a COI is disclosed. During an Institutional Review Board (IRB) meeting, any IRB member who may have a potential COI with a study under review should: A. Leave the meeting immediately. B. Disclose their potential COI and not participate in any action. C. Disclose their potential COI and may answer questions, but recuse themselves from voting. D. Disclose their potential COI, but not answer any questions about the study.

Which of the following best exemplifies an ethical dilemma?

What is the primary purpose of a Certificate of Confidentiality? A. Protect identifiable research information from compelled disclosure. B. Prevent subjects from knowing the purpose of a study.

An example of an institutional COI is: The organizations president is a member of the board of trustees for a local non-profit organization that does not sponsor research at the organization One of the organizations deans is the vice chair of the organizations IRB The organization gives scholarships to some post doctoral researchers An industry sponsor pays for the construction of a new research laboratory at the organization