Methodologies of Business Ethics Research

Normative Research

Normative business ethics scholarship focuses on assessing or prescribing behavior related to individuals, organizations, or societies from an underlying set of normative or ethical values that determines what is right or wrong. Normative research emphasizes what is right or ought to be. Normative business ethics scholars frame their research questions as abstracts or standards that should be held by all individuals or organizations in general. The methodologies employed emphasize the pursuit of an ethical ideal. This type of research gives rise to analytical frameworks that question basic assumptions, as well as seek resolutions to ethical questions. For example, a classic normative approach to ethical analysis might involve an analysis of the thesis (a particular point of view), antithesis (the opposite or contrasting point of view), with a resulting synthesis (a compromise or new, integrative point of view). Scholars taking this perspective are often trained in philosophy, theology, and other liberal arts disciplines where theoretical foundations provide a [Page 1385]framework for interpreting information and framing the preferred outcome or prescribed behavior.

Descriptive Research

Descriptive business ethics scholarship concentrates on describing an individual or organization's actions to explain or even predict behavior. Applied social scientists often place greater emphasis on descriptive business ethics research. Their explorations are not theoretical but more often empirical in the collection of information about an individual or organization. These scholars tend to ground their research in social science theories that enable them to construct testable hypotheses, or questions, that will be answered by the results found in their study. The goal for descriptive research is to explain the behavior of individuals or organizations. Descriptive research might investigate business policies or practices and whether they are influential in organizational members' decisions or actions. Specific to business ethics research is the focus on decision making or behavior in the context of business organizations or business schools where future managers are being trained.

Descriptive research is more practical or pragmatic and less likely to frame the results derived from the data in terms of what ought to be done. Ethical is not understood as an “ought” or “should” but more in terms of an adjective describing the context of the behavior, that is, ethical behavior as opposed to marketing behavior. Descriptive business ethics research reports on what is done. For example, in an experimental research investigation, the question may be framed as a causal relationship question, whether X causes Y—that is, does having a code of conduct result in the organization's employees acting in a more compliant or ethical manner? Experiments can be conducted in a laboratory (controlled environment) or field setting. The two primary issues for evaluating experimental research are whether there is internal and external validity. If the experiment is internally valid, there is greater certainty that X caused Y. Internal validity may be higher in laboratory experiments since there can be greater control exerted over the exercise or study. However, there may be concern regarding the study's external validity. External validity has to do with the generalizability of the results, that is, will similar results leading to the same conclusions or proof be found if the study is conducted over and over again with different subjects or in a different setting? The artificiality of a laboratory experiment may reduce external validity, yet conducting the study in the real world, a field setting, might increase external validity.

...