Business Ethics Assignment

BBA 4e

NAME: Muhammad Osama Minhas (01-111182-067) & Shehroz Ahmed Abbasi (01-111182-216)

Falsification of Data
Topic: Marketing Research (via research supplier company)

Characters: Greg, Marketing research analyst Elizabeth,

Project/Work coordinator Ms. Jordon and Mr. Collins,

Co-owners and active managers

Greg is in his second month of employment with XYZ Marketing Research. The firm is a large,
well-known, highly respected, very successful supplier of marketing research. Its clients include
major companies in many different industries throughout the world.

Routine procedure is for Ms. Jordon and Mr. Collins to secure business in the form of research
projects. Each project ends with an analyst preparing a written report with marketing strategy
recommendations based on his/her interpretation of the data. This report is given to Elizabeth
who gives it to Ms. Jordon and Mr. Collins who then deliver the written report, complete with a
verbal presentation, to the client.

Projects are assigned to one of the 16 research analysts by Elizabeth, depending on the work
loads of the different analysts. Given the volume of projects and the similarity of most projects,
different analysts usually work on different parts of a project. For example, different analysts
are used to plan the sample, construct the questionnaire, and interpret the data. Data
collection and computer processing of data are conducted by separate companies contracted
with the XYZ Marketing Research company.

Greg’s responsibilities are to interpret the data and write a report with marketing strategy
recommendations. He has completed about 20 such projects, for which the co-owners have
praised his work. On Wednesday afternoon he completed this project. Following regular
procedures, he gave the completed report to Elizabeth to give to Ms. Jordon and Mr. Collins.
Thursday morning when Greg arrived at work, he found the original computer data printouts by
his door with numerous numbers in the tables changed with red ink There was also a note to
see Elizabeth.

Elizabeth explained that Mr. Collins thought the findings would have been different and that
the client would probably not agree with the actual findings and related recommendations. He
Business Ethics Assignment
BBA 4e

has therefore taken “research license” and changed a few numbers in the computer data
printouts. Now he wants you (Greg) to rewrite your report accordingly. Elizabeth explained that
since clients are provided with a copy of these summary printout sheets, she has called the
outside computer firm to send new printouts with the revised numbers.

1. What Are the Ethical Issues?

Answer: 1. Deception and lie about data would cause adverse effects on marketing
research analysts (Greg) in the long run and same would follow to the third party companies
hired for data collection.
2. Company clients would get affected with poor sales in the long run as the strategies
recommended would be given based on falsified data which can affect the job security of
the employees of the cliental firms.
3. Due to falsified data analyst can recommend marketing strategies where deceptive
marketing is to be used to promote hazardous products which would affect consumers who
would use goods/services offered by the client firms.

2. Knowing that data have been falsified, what is Greg’s responsibility to himself, to the
company he works for, to his company’s clients, and to the marketing research profession?
Answer: Greg is responsible for the completion of his work with his sincere efforts and to
complete the given task given to him by his organization on time and according to the set
standards. His responsibility towards the clients is to devise the strategies and
recommendations to his best of knowledge with the authentic information given so the
clients can benefit from the research to the maximum. Lastly he is responsible for being
honest to his profession as his work affects a lot of entities and people directly and
indirectly.

3. What Are the Possible Alternatives?

Answer:
1) Greg is new and may not know the norm or the clients demand so he can follow the order and
do as he’s told
2) As he’s new and has coworkers appreciate his work, he can ask them to see how to act in this
situation. Employees with experience can guide him
3) If he is not satisfied with the request put forward and feels it’s wrong and unethical he can
resign
4) Another tough and gutsy move would be to write an anonymous email to the client regarding
the juggling of data

4. Which alternative provides the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people/entities?
Answer: Informing the client would be in the best in the best interest of greatest people as
client can demand the authentic data to be used which would put pressure on leadership of
XYZ to let original work of Greg to be shared.
Business Ethics Assignment
BBA 4e

This would help save Greg his passion and grace for his profession and with clients true data
real and useful recommendations can be shared to be implemented which would help client
firm improve profits leaving employees’ job secure and their customers aware about their
products.

5. Do the benefits of being ethical in this one instance outweigh the financial cost to the
marketing research company of upsetting a client who can then go to a competitor research
firm?
Answer: Probably yes as the firm is large successful and well reputed, one client won’t put a
negative dent on a company’s finance however in the short run a client may withdraw his
business to get the desired market research data but if its distorted the recommendation
given by any marketing research company would not bring any positive result in the long run
so a client can be retained with this approach.
6. What does each stakeholder have the right to expect?
Answer: Mr. Collins and Ms. Jordon have right to expect that employees are working as they
say and are Greg has a right to expect that if Mr. Collins changed a few numbers he would
have discussed with him
7. What rights does the co-owner, Mr. Collins, have in running the company?
Answer: As a co-owner, Mr. Collins has the right to run his company in any manner he sees
fit, as long as he is not in any violation of any applicable state or federal laws. The only
factors that limit the success of your company is to expect nothing but the best. Mr. Collins
never has to settle for mediocre performance from employees. As long as he has
documented his expectations and made this clear, he can hold employees accountable who
do not fulfill his expectations and terminate a relationship at will. Mr. Collins also has the
right to make changes. Some changes will be embraced by employees and customers while
others may be with met resistance. It’s always a good idea to discuss big changes with your
staff beforehand.
8. Is it fair to deceive clients even if it is in their own best interests?
Answer: My opinion would be not to deceive the client for our own best interests because it
is always a breach of trust, which in particular is a personal relationship between two
people. It would also degrade the company’s position in the market. Out of this fear no
manager or CEO would go for such steps because their image in the market would be greatly
damaged and he/she might get the company degraded.

9. What alternative would you choose if you were in his position? Why would you make that
choice?
Answer: If I were to opt for an alternative, I would quit the job or quietly send a letter of
explanation to the client company. Because it would be immoral to yourself in the first place
than to the company or if the truth is revealed that, certain employee would be blamed
rather than the CEO. If I quietly send a letter of explanation to the client company.
Business Ethics Assignment
BBA 4e

10. Which ethical theories (utilitarian, rights, justice) make the most sense to you as they relate
to this situation?
Answer: Utilitarianism is the theory that best fits this situation as we can see Mr. Collin is
looking at the company’s profit by not losing the client hence it states that collective benefit
is focused here for the name of company and the employees