Business Ethics Module

Ghost authorship refers to the “practice of using a non-named (merited, but not listed) author to write or prepare a text for publication”.

Gift or guest authorship (sometimes referred to as “honorary authorship”) is “the practice of naming an individual who made little or no contribution to a publication as an author”.

• Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
• Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
• Final approval of the version to be published; AND
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Collaborative research often involves a range of different types of collaborators (e.g., mentors, interns, educators, co-supervisors, research administrators, and/or co-researchers).

From the perspective of research integrity, including a contributor statement is important for reasons of transparency, accountability, and proper crediting.

Falsification is understood as the manipulation of research data.

Falsification in practice can take many forms, such as “manipulation of images, removal of outliers, alteration of data, addition or deletion of data points among other unethical practices,” adjustment of measurement results, change of mean values, incorrect rounding of p-values, etc.* (Schuyt, 2019b).

To prevent falsification, students should be aware of falsification and of the harm it causes and should assume responsibility to act in good faith.

Researchers and supervisors should act as good role models for internship students or co-researchers.

HEIs are responsible for drafting effective academic and research integrity policies and for working in partnership with students, their supervisors, and their internship institutions. Research institutions have the duty to empower students and “researchers to act according to the standards of good”.

GAME ACTIVITY: You have now an opportunity to test a game on falsification.

Fabrication means making up data, experiments, or other significant information in proposing, conducting, or reporting research.

The associated reasons for engaging in the process of fabrication include low funds and remuneration to the fieldworkers, lack of institutional moral support, or … social and political conditions within the research area limiting the fieldworkers from obtaining data. Fabrication, if not detected, can be repeated and multiplied.

To avoid fabrication, all stakeholders should implement institutional policies that foster ethical collaboration.

These should cover financial and other support to the staff performing activities related to RBC in addition to their daily work.

For example, incentives might be embedded in the performance management system.

All stakeholders, prior to collaboration, should consider requesting a written agreement from all participants, stating their commitment to provide truthful, impartial, and reliable data.

This agreement should also include fabrication as a potential violation.

GAME ACTIVITY: You have now an opportunity to test a game on fabrication.

Plagiarism occurs when someone presents work or idea(s) taken from another source and fails to acknowledge it properly.*

Plagiarism occurs when someone:

1. Uses words, ideas, or work products
2. Attributable to another identifiable person or source
3. Without attributing the work to the source from which it was obtained
4. In a situation in which there is a legitimate expectation of original authorship
5. In order to obtain some benefit, credit, or gain which need not be monetary**.

To avoid plagiarism, all actors involved in co-creation activities (e.g., students, supervisors, and researchers from research institutions and mentors, researchers, and staff from the business side) should be aware of the risk of plagiarism, and know how to recognise, avoid, and prevent it.

Writing in higher education/business collaboration should meet the same requirements as in other forms of academic writing regarding referencing.

Therefore, those involved should be sure to properly cite and list the sources of all used material, such as texts, figures, illustrations, charts, and tables.

Both university and industry researchers should have equivalent knowledge and skills of ethical research conduct, including awareness of plagiarism, ethical writing, and publishing.

Co-research team leaders should assess whether there are any risks of plagiarism, discuss them with the team, and ensure appropriate training if needed.

Academic staff, student mentors, and co-supervisors in business should also be trained in guiding students and monitoring their progress in collaborative activities.

GAME ACTIVITY: You have now an opportunity to test a game on plagiarism.

GAME ACTIVITY: You have now an opportunity to test a game on fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism.

Conflict of interest (used interchangeably as competing interest) represents “the potential for judgment or objectivity to be compromised by financial or personal commitments or other considerations.“

Financial relationships are the most prevalent source of competing interests*. As entrenched in editorial policies, it includes any of the following (Springer, n.d.): funding (e.g. research grants and research support “including salaries, equipment, supplies, reimbursement for attending symposia, and other expenses”), employment, and financial interests (e.g. “stocks and shares in companies”, “consultation fees”, “patents or patent applications”).

Non-financial competing interests (“private interests”) reflect the researcher’s “personal, political, academic, ideological, or religious” ties.

Financial relationships are the most prevalent source of competing interests*. As entrenched in editorial policies, it includes any of the following (Springer, n.d.): funding (e.g. research grants and research support “including salaries, equipment, supplies, reimbursement for attending symposia, and other expenses”), employment, and financial interests (e.g. “stocks and shares in companies”, “consultation fees”, “patents or patent applications”).

Non-financial competing interests (“private interests”) reflect the researcher’s “personal, political, academic, ideological, or religious” ties.

The handling of conflicts of interest includes, but is not limited to, the disclosure of any conflicts and withdrawal from writing or reviewing. It is the common practice of journals to require the declaration of competing interests during the submission or review process.

It is advisable to disclose all relationships and activities that represent actual conflict of interest or may be perceived as such, as this “demonstrates a commitment to transparency and helps to maintain trust in the scientific process”.

Since the relationship between the source of funding and its final beneficiaries is complex, clearly distinguishing the contribution of research toward an innovation is essential, for example, to protect researchers’ intellectual property rights.

It is also advisable that co-supervisors should inform students if there are any limitations or restrictions related to collaborative outputs or other confidential information that the student may access during his/her internship/thesis research and discuss how to treat them.

GAME ACTIVITY: You have now an opportunity to test a game on conflict of interest.

VIGNETTE ACTIVITY: Try to work in a small group and test a vignette on conflict of interest.

GAME ACTIVITY: Now consolidate your knowledge and try business ethics crossword game.

MEMORY GAME ACTIVITY: Finally, you can play the business ethics memory game.

GAME ACTIVITY: Finally, let us play the Building and Empire game in two small groups. The board is available here and the scenarios here.