Ethical Issues in Marketing Research

Ethical Issues in Marketing Research [First Name, Last Name] [Institutional Affiliation] [Date] Ethical Issues in Marketing Research Inherently, marketing research involves making direct contact with various stakeholders inside and outside the research process, including respondents, clients, experimental subjects, and society as a whole. These interactions build relationships between the researcher and these parties. Such connections are the primary cause of ethical issues (Malhotra, 2015). Babin & Zikmund (2015) posit that techniques and other practices used in marketing research are additional sources of potential ethical problems. Sometimes, the root of these ethical problems lies deeper. Often, participants are unable to differentiate between proper marketing research and unethical direct marketing. Thus, professional bodies such as CASRO provide codes of conduct that offer a clear distinction between the two (Malhotra, Nunan & Birks, 2017). Basing on CASRO’s code of ethics, this paper reports on the major ethical issues in marketing research. Also, it details recommendations for reducing these ethical problems. Changes in Marketing Research To understand the ethical issues in marketing research, one must fully comprehend the changes and the changing role of marketing research. Research organizations need to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Fundamental changes over the past decade and a half have been technological (Malhotra, Nunan & Birks, 2017). Social networking, social media, and other digital data collection methods have entirely transformed how marketing research is conducted in the present day. With these advances, came ethical issues and dilemmas. Although they have their merits, social platforms have been linked with an increase in privacy concerns among respondents of all population groups (Kotler et al., 2015). The CASRO Code of ethics has been quick to update provisions that govern the areas of technology but still, marketing research continues to face several ethical issues (CASRO, 2011). The challenges that come with these changes demand creativity in research. Creativity will not only encourage profitable innovations but also improve the performance of teams and their skills (Burns, Bush & Veeck, 2017). Key Ethical Issues Confidentiality and Informed Consent Confidentiality is a sensitive topic to research participants. It primarily means that one does not reveal the identity of a respondent even though they have this knowledge. Maintaining confidentiality has become more challenging since researchers today are collecting more confidential information (Malhotra, Nunan & Birks, 2017). This ethical issue closely ties with the third ethical issue discussed in this report. Assuring a subject or participant about maintaining confidentiality helps build trust with them, build long-term relationships and gain valuable information. Researcher use informed consent to assure their respondents about confidentiality; thus these two concepts are closely related. The dilemma surrounding this issue in marketing research lies in dealing with consent when gathering information online. Recent studies confirm that there has been an increase in the use of social networks when collecting data for marketing research. Experts in the field have demonstrated concerns as to whether the researchers get consent from individual consumers before they use the data. Debates also question whether social network platforms engage in seeking uninformed consent from users, specifically when they agree to privacy policies. Experts term it as “uninformed consent” because although they protect the individual legally, they do not inform them of the full range of possible uses of their data. Malhotra, Nunan & Birks (2017) further argue that such policies have their own merits and demerits in terms of information sharing. Section E of CASRO’s code details considerations for mobile and online research. No Harm (through Privacy and Anonymity) CASRO’s principles in its code of standards stress the significance of ensuring that no harm comes to a subject because they participated in marketing research (CASRO, 2011). Thus, anonymity is embedded in the defining principles of any ethical research. If private information falls on the wrong hands during an investigation, and it is made public, it harms the study participant. Occasionally, harm to the respondent is done indirectly because the researcher may not have malicious intent (Burns, Bush & Veeck, 2017). For example, a researcher can combine multiple data sets and end up reidentifying the participant, yet this outcome was not their original intention. While researchers continue to make progress in ensuring anonymization, rapid changes in the technological environment is a growing concern (Babin & Zikmund, 2015). Some studies argue that anonymity is not compatible with the techniques used for data collection in the contemporary world while other recent research suggests that combining technical solutions to regulatory ones has a higher potential of protecting research participants and the public from possible reidentification of private data (Malhotra, Nunan & Birk, 2017). Like other business aspects, invasion of privacy is one of the principal ethical issues in marketing research. Advances in technology have risen more ethical concerns. Despite the promise that the IoT (Internet of Things) gives of automating everything in marketing research, chief privacy concerns emerge. IoT primarily includes physical objects embedded with software to gather and distribute data (Burns, Bush & Veeck, 2017). Though there is extensive research on privacy issues and its associated policies, evidence points out difficulties in identifying when an individual’s privacy is invaded. An excellent example is determining whether it is ethical for a researcher to observe the shopping behavior of a customer in a superstore or question an individual about their purchasing and consuming patterns. Malhotra (2015) argues that mere observation of a participant and obtaining information from a willing participant with their permission is not a qualification of privacy invasion. Maintaining Respondent Trust The CASRO Code of Ethics affirms that research organizations must disclose their responsibilities (both legal and ethical) to form a “chain of trust” with their participants (CASRO, 2011). Trust is widely associated with the various relationships that are essential for market research. For long, marketing research has faced the challenge of reflecting on the importance of ethics. Evidence suggests that many professional researchers cite the need to abide by the policies of their organization and the penalties of failing to do the same as the key reasons why they find ethics necessary. More severe to this weakness in research ethics is loss of trust in research, more so when faced by ethical breaches (Babin & Zikmund, 2015). A 2014 survey of US consumers revealed that a whopping 41...