Addressing Ethical Lapses in Research

The paper discusses models of linguistic manipulation of the audience in polycode texts advertising medical goods and services. The author’s own methodology is used for a comprehensive (linguosemiotic, communicative-pragmatic, and cognitive-discursive) analysis of polycode texts. The research material consists of an array of polycode texts from Russian commercials of medical goods and services, compiled by the author through his own online monitoring. The scope of the researched material comprises 78 text units. The paper considers varieties of polycode texts that rely on models of linguistic manipulation through the use of mechanisms of linguistic abnormality at different levels of the language system. It has been shown that in their pursuit of excessive linguistic creativity, copywriters of advertising content often err on the side of unjustified and inappropriate “linguistic frills,” ethical lapses, and an unacceptably playful and frivolous tone when discussing serious issues related to the health of the nation. The conclusion is that advertising in healthcare needs to strike a balance between the natural need for self-expression on the part of authors and their desire to present information in an original and nontrivial way, on the one hand, and adherence to the norms and principles of optimum and appropriate verbal interaction with the audience, on the other.

Progressive delivery, a technique that has been in use for a long time in software engineering, gradually gets essential applications in ML and AI model deployment scenarios, where the risks of performance drift, ethical lapses, or bias amplification require cautious and measurable release strategies. This article discusses the use of gradual delivery concepts in ML models, which are mainly controlled, incremental rollouts regulated by well-defined Quality Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Progressive delivery allows for staged exposure thus, a model is not immediately deployed to full production, but it is exposed only to limited user segments or traffic percentages from the very beginning and the real-time validation metrics such as precision, latency, fairness, and stability are used to make the decisions on promotion or rollback. Before they may get a chance to interact with the model, progressive delivery principles ensure that ML-based changes are tested, verified, and monitored for quality on a smaller scale and with the possibility of rapid rollback. Accordingly, the paper offers a well-thought-out approach that mixes CI/CD principles with ML observability frameworks to build a smart, feedback-driven delivery pipeline. The paper presents a case study that shows how companies can put this framework into practice, managing the trade-off between innovation speed and performance assurance. The experimental evidence conveys that the suggested model deployment pipeline not only encourages implementation trust but also leads to the performance anomalies' early and quick recovery, eventually raising model robustness and business impact to higher levels. Ultimately, the paper conceptualizes progressive delivery as a core capability for the deployment of responsible AI through this synthesis of engineering rigor and statistical governance, thus enabling a smooth transition from experimentation to production at scale.

In 2017, KPMG discovered that several high-ranking partners in its Department of Professional Practice (DPP) had surreptitiously obtained highly confidential information on upcoming PCAOB inspections. In obtaining this information, these KPMG partners were able to anticipate and prepare for PCAOB inspections, causing the firm's inspection deficiency rate to plummet and its executives to tout the success of their efforts to improve audit quality. Once the firm discovered the scandal, the individuals involved were terminated, and six of them were ultimately convicted of felonies. This case study introduces students to relevant auditing standards, audit quality concepts, and facilitates discussion of a number of ethical issues. Learning objectives for this case include obtaining an understanding of the PCAOB and its inspection program, understanding audit documentation standards, demonstrating the ability to evaluate ethical issues, applying the fraud triangle in a unique setting, and assessing responsibility for the various parties involved.

This paper focuses on the infamous case of Hwang Woo Suk, the South-Korean national hero and once celebrated pioneer of stem cell research. After briefly discussing the evolution of his publication and research scandal in Science, I will attempt to outline the main reactions that emerged within scientific and bioethical discourses on the problem of research misconduct in contemporary biosciences. What were the ethical lapses in his research? What kind of research misconduct has been identified? How this kind of misconduct affects scientific integrity? How to avoid it? Focusing on these questions, the paper interprets the Hwang's case as a case study that might shed light on the worst aspects of highstakes global science. This case presents a group of problems that might endanger scientific integrity and public trust. Regulatory oversight, ethical requirements and institutional safeguards are often viewed by the scientific community as merely decelerating scientific progress and causing delays in the application of treatments. The Hwang's case represents how unimpeded progress works in contemporary science. Thus, the case might shed light on the often neglected benefits of "the social control of science".

ABSTRACTAn enquiry of several mid‐ or late‐career much‐published engineers and scientists about their experiences having their papers and books published will usually produce a surprising number of ‘horror stories’. If one discounts the tendency of many people to prefer transmitting, and possibly embellishing, bad news rather than good, one is still left with the strong impression that serious ethical lapses can take place in the reviewing and editing processes. The most serious problems are very long delays – periods of two years are often experienced – before acceptances or rejections of manuscripts are made known. All too often, such a delay is coupled with the appearance of a publication on the same topic by a (suspected) later‐starting rival. In several cases, authors have claimed proof that these rivals were reviewers of their papers. In some cases, the reviewer has even ‘lifted’ material from the submitted manuscript. This is a very difficult area for editors and publishers to police. A group of aggrieved authors in the US drew up a ‘bill of rights’ and negotiated, with some success, with the then‐editor of Science for its acceptance.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of prolonged work hours and high stress levels on ethical behavior within health-care settings. It evaluates how these factors compromise professional and personal boundaries and examines the efficacy of targeted ethical training programs designed to mitigate these challenges. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an integrated conceptual framework combining the interactionist model of ethical decision-making, organizational justice theory and virtue ethics. It uses data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and analyzes trends and insights from existing literature. The study explores theoretical underpinnings and empirical evidence to understand the complex interplay between workplace stress, long hours and ethical behavior in health-care environments, ensuring the validity and reliability of the findings. Findings The findings highlight a significant correlation between excessive work hours, increased stress levels and ethical lapses in health-care settings. These lapses, including breaches of confidentiality and inappropriate workplace relationships, can have profound implications for patient care and professional satisfaction. The efficacy of ethical training programs in enhancing moral reasoning and ethical judgment among health-care professionals is demonstrated, particularly those programs that mirror real-world complexities. Such training equips health-care workers with the necessary tools to navigate ethical dilemmas effectively, fostering a culture of ethical awareness and integrity. Originality/value This paper uniquely contributes to the literature by comprehensively analyzing how stress and work hours influence ethical behavior, specifically in health-care settings. Supported by a robust theoretical framework, it extends previous research by demonstrating the effectiveness of ethical training in improving ethical behavior. The paper provides practical recommendations for health-care organizations to cultivate a culture of ethical awareness and integrity, highlighting the potential for such programs to improve patient care and professional satisfaction significantly.

Ethical lapses are almost never a case of bad people, doing bad things, for no good reason. More often they are good people, doing bad things, for good reasons. (Marcia Angell, previous Editor-in-Chief (1988 - 2000), New England Journal of Medicine.) Critical illness carries high morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a disproportionate burden of critical illness in low- and middle-income countries, where access to intensive care is particularly limited. Without research in the intensive care unit (ICU) population, we are unlikely to improve our understanding of how to safely and effectively manage a wide range of diseases and injuries, minimise discomfort, reduce organ dysfunction, improve survival, improve quality of life in survivors of critical illness, and ensure rational and equitable use of scarce resources. Clinical research in the critical care environment is therefore essential to inform best practice ('evidence-based care').

Advancing technology, global connectivity, and ethical lapses have resulted in an escalation in the frequency and intensity of organizational crises over the past two decades. Commensurate with the increase in crisis events, academic research in crisis communication has expanded, focusing predominantly on the role of communication in predicting, managing, and resolving crisis events (→ Disasters and Communication).

This Practice Paper describes an approach for integrating ethics experiential learning into an Engineering Leadership (EL) program. We discuss motivations for EL programs' continued efforts at incorporating and enhancing ethics learning; for instance, to strengthen students' sense of connection between ethics and day-to-day engineering work, to grow their abilities to recognize decisions with ethical implications, and to build their awareness of how ethical lapses can transpire in team settings. We review experiential learning as a means of facilitating development in these areas through activities that immerse student teams into unfamiliar dilemmas requiring ethical reasoning. Further, we describe key challenges of operationalizing experiential learning in ethics, such as incorporating realism and unpredictability, prompting the critical thinking necessary for recognition of ethical dilemmas, and creating a learning context that does not feel contrived or exaggerated. We then present designs of a class session and an associated team-based experiential "engineering leadership lab" (ELL) recently developed at the Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program (GEL). Focusing on the ELL, we discuss how this activity was structured to address aims and challenges; for instance, by embedding an ethical dilemma into a product development scenario requiring decision making under schedule and financial pressures in a realistic organizational environment. We share team-level performance observations from a recent instance of the activity; here, all 23 teams composing the program's first-year cohort participated. We observed that team performance varied across a range of outcome categories: those that submitted the activity's deliverables while failing to navigate its ethical dimensions, those that contributed deliverables reflecting a partial recognition or incomplete handling of ethical dimensions, and those that submitted deliverables reflecting thorough navigation of ethical dimensions. These performance observations were possible because the activity involved making resource choices linked to ethical implications, resulting in certain materials' use (or absence) evident in teams' physical deliverables. Students' post-activity reflections, submitted after they participated in an activity debrief, included indications of intended learning in a majority of cases (83% of submittals) based upon a rubric. Drawing from activity observations and reflections, we discuss how teams' ethical decision making appears to have been strained by various intended pressures intrinsic to the activity (e.g., time and resource constraints, a competitive context, and costs), yet, that many students' reflections contained ideas for mitigating such pressures through enhanced critical thinking and team collaboration. Though program-level evaluation of ethics learning is ongoing, we conclude by sharing lessons-learned from this module's development, identifying implementation considerations for other programs wishing to explore similar forms of ethics experiential learning.

The insurance industry operates at the intersection of trust, regulation, and financial advisory, making the embedding of ethical conduct, fiduciary responsibility, and a robust compliance culture imperative for sustainable growth and consumer protection. This paper examines the systemic integration of ethical frameworks, fiduciary principles, and regulatory compliance mechanisms within insurance sales and brokerage operations. With rising regulatory scrutiny and public expectations, insurers and brokers are increasingly required to align their business practices with standards that prioritize client interests, transparency, and accountability. The research analyzes how ethical lapses and conflicts of interest can compromise customer outcomes, damage reputations, and lead to regulatory penalties. It explores fiduciary responsibility as a foundational principle in sales conduct, emphasizing the obligation to act in the best interest of clients, especially in product recommendations and policy disclosures. The study highlights the role of compliance culture not just as a regulatory obligation but as a strategic asset that fosters trust, reduces misconduct risk, and improves operational resilience. Drawing on case studies, regulatory frameworks (such as NAIC, FINRA, and SEC guidelines), and empirical data, the paper proposes a multidimensional framework for embedding these principles into sales and brokerage functions. Key elements include ethical leadership, continuous professional development, incentives aligned with customer outcomes, real-time surveillance of sales practices, and whistleblower protections. The importance of integrating compliance into digital tools and customer relationship management platforms is also discussed, particularly in the context of emerging technologies and remote advisory models. Findings reveal that organizations that successfully embed ethics, fiduciary responsibility, and compliance culture experience improved client retention, lower litigation risk, and enhanced brand credibility. The study concludes by offering actionable recommendations for regulators, industry leaders, and educators on strengthening ethical infrastructure and aligning insurance sales practices with the broader goals of consumer protection and market integrity.

A panel study of 400 U.S. journalists assessed changes in indicators of professionalism between 2002 and 2007, a period of significant economic and technological turmoil for news organizations. Findings show that professional organization membership declined among journalists, and staff cutbacks and higher workloads posed threats to the autonomy of some news workers. Beliefs about professional roles shifted slightly, with more emphasis on analyzing problems and being adversaries of public officials. Finally, journalists became more ethically cautious during the five-year span of the study, a period in which ethical lapses were disclosed by several high-profile news organizations.

Research methodology Public data such as news reports, interviews and memos were used to craft the case. In addition, the technical reports released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with secondary data in the form of expert accounts and congressional hearings were used to round out the synopsis of the case study. Case overview/synopsis This case explores the Boeing–McDonnell Douglas merger and its impact on Boeing’s corporate culture, ethics and strategic decision-making. After the merger, Boeing shifted from a culture focused on engineering excellence to one emphasizing cost-cutting and shareholder value. This cultural shift contributed to the development failures and ethical lapses that resulted in the 737 MAX crisis, which involved two fatal crashes. The case is designed for courses in Strategic Management or Organizational Behavior. Complexity academic level Strategic Management or Organizational Behavior

Creators of software must understand that their work impacts the lives of those who use it. Most of the time, the influence a particular program has on human life is minimal, but many programs impact life in profound ways. Software engineers spend their days writing new programs and fixing problems found in existing work. Often software engineers never meet any of the people who use their creations. This custom is problematic because measuring success or failure is not merely an equation of development and maintenance costs. The human factor needs to be considered. Developers should imagine the worst possible impact of their work before completing requirements and analysis, thereby setting up a greater emphasis on delivering a proper system in the first place. This paper discusses tragic failures in several projects and describes ethical lapses during development and post-delivery support. This paper's results show the important role ethics plays in software development.

Trust and transparency are pivotal factors for the successful functioning of the construction industry, and their absence can lead to many challenges. This study delves into the context of the Nigerian construction industry to explore the impediments to trust and transparency and develop strategies for improvements. The study adopts a mixed-methods research to comprehensively examine the factors affecting trust and transparency using semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires. These factors were categorised into four clusters: "Communication and Information Sharing", "Ethical and Integrity Issues", "Technological and Operational Challenges", and "Project-specific and Security Concerns" and validated by experts before administration of the surveys. The interview data was thematically analysed, while the questionnaire was analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. The findings underscore the detrimental effects of inadequate communication protocols, ethical lapses, technological advancement resistance, and project data security vulnerabilities. Consequently, the study proposes comprehensive strategies, including establishing clear communication protocols, reinforcing ethical frameworks, embracing technological innovations, and implementing robust security measures. These strategies aim to enhance information sharing, foster ethical compliance, improve operational efficiency, and safeguard critical project data, fostering a culture of trust and transparency within the Nigerian construction industry.

Better than ever? Employee reactions to ethical failures in organizations, and the ethical recovery paradox