Ethical Issues

The ethical issues which may arise are those relating to the possibility of conflict between the researcher and members of the host organisation. As indicated above, in order to obtain information, it is sometimes necessary to carry out covert observations and covert interviews and in some cases deviate from the truth. Frame (1987), identifies deception as a technique used by researchers to gain access to the research setting. Specifically he cites the work of Johnson (1975), who considers that deception plays an important role in facilitating access. Using a cover story, Johnson defocused his research topic, and only made clear his research intentions after gaining access. Johnson argues that had he revealed his methodological research focus initially, access would have been rejected.

In the long term deception may offend or adversely affect the subjects being researched and therefore careful consideration must be given to the techniques used to obtain data and how the data is to be presented. Ethically there should be mutual respect between the researcher and the subject in order that no risk is involved. Beck (1970, p l5 ) provides some useful guidelines:

"coming on straight is the best approach"

"make explicit the terms of the bargain you are making" "do not try to gain access without making a full disclosure"

"whatever advantages accrue from deception will come back to haunt you in later days"

It could be argued that a great deal of my research touched, and on occasions, went over the ethics boundary, simply because I was using my trusted role as a manager to obtain information.

In my research ethical issues arose when there was conflict between my role as manager and my role as researcher. For example, over a six month period I was involved in a project which entailed carrying out a review of Distribution manning levels in all depots in the Bass North and Midlands areas. Throughout the project I carried out interviews with the managers and obtained performance data; simultaneously methods reviews were carried out by Analysts from my department. Many of the Distribution Managers were convinced that I was using my fieldwork material, which I had obtained in confidence through lengthy interviews, to supplement my findings on manning levels in the Distribution Depots.

In terms of ethics and in relation to my particular role as both manager and researcher, a major question surrounds the issue 'should managers carry out research in their own work area' ?. A wider ethical issue of course is the question of organisations trying to change the beliefs and values of the workforce. My answer to the former is that managers should be aware of the culture in which they work and 'control', a greater understanding would lead to a better manager - subordinate relationship. From my own experience I now see the organisation's culture very differently and in many ways I have incorporated my views into my work role.

3.9 Conclusions

The advantages of a manager carrying detailed research in his own organisation far outweigh any disadvantages. In my particular role as a Management Services Manager, carrying out both regional and national projects, I was able to gain access into the main research area in the Distribution function and then compare and contrast my findings in the other regions, other functions and at the Bass Head quarters in Burton. The

management services role was ideal for linking with a qualitative research role. Using both the role as manager and researcher 'simultaneously' enabled me to explore many avenues and to develop a coherent theory from the data collected. Involvement in the Bass 'Management of Change' programme enabled me to gain a clearer understanding of the Bass Boards perception of change and managers and their subordinates response. This became valuable research data as I developed my theory and understanding of the Bass culture and the subcultures in the regions' Distribution Depots.

As a basic framework I found the systematic approach, generally used in the approach to problem solving, a useful guide. This was used flexibly as a closed loop in which I continuously validated my findings at all stages and in particular from my data analysis. Validation was carried out by continuously checking patterns and themes with depot managers, regional managers, operatives and the Distribution Director. However, the first validation point was usually with Management Services personnel who had spent many years working on projects in the research area.

Viewing an organisation's culture two-dimensionally and top down will produce the elusion that culture is a single homogeneous entity which can be easily understood and manipulated to satisfy business goals. An organisation's culture and its subcultures are rather part of a complex system which requires in-depth research in order to gain a clear understanding. In order to understand culture the researcher must get below the surface or the corporate view and view the research setting from a three-dimensional perspective

and 'bottom up'. The culture change programme for example, was introduced top down to middle manager levels only, my research by contrast was conducted bottom up from the shop floor. From this perspective the full width and depth of the culture can be explored. Taking manageable slices from the 'cultural cake' both horizontal and vertical, can then be researched in detail. Once an understanding of each section has been

achieved the data can then be compared and contrasted with other regions and with the corporate culture. Research from this multifarious perspective of culture clearly requires access to all parts of the organisation nationally in order to get the whole picture. To a great extent my role in management services, which involved working on projects in all regions, facilitated this.

Data analysis, theory generation and continuous validation are clearly key areas in research, and a system is required to handle the data generated from fieldwork, and to convert this to a coherent theory. Grounded theory is one such approach which was used in my research. The key to theory generation is being able to visibly see what you have gathered in order identify links, themes and patterns. This visibility, which can be a card system or white board or both can be used by the researcher and key informants for validation purposes.

At the start of the research I had only envisaged collecting data through the use of in depth interviews and overt observation techniques. As the research moved forward and more information was required to validate my findings and develop a theory on the Bass culture and subcultures, I used several different data collection techniques to fit the situation and research requirement. This included the full spectrum of overt and covert participant and spectator observations as indicated in Figure 3.7. On many occasions I was able to use my role as manager to obtain information, under the guise of a

management services project.

Playing two roles, that of a researcher and a manager simultaneously in an organisation can be problematic. The key issue is the question of keeping the two roles mutually exclusive, or using each role to enhance and compliment each other. Throughout the research, as a manager I was constantly seeing problems from a research view, and as a researcher I was constantly viewing problems as a manager. A danger in playing two different roles simultaneously is that the two merge into one which could cause problems for both roles. It is my view that managers as researchers gain a clearer understanding of both their own role in the organisation and in addition, a greater understanding of the research setting.

The role conflict in this type of research raises the issue of ethics and the possibility of conflict between the researcher and the organisation. Although I did not use any

confidential information from my research to solve problems in my management role, on many occasions I was perceived by my informants to be 'gaining their confidence' to satisfy business objectives. A manager in an organisation has power and influence which can be used to obtain information unrelated to satisfying the objectives of the business. Additionally, the outcome of the research may also be in direct conflict with the beliefs and values of the organisation. This puts the researcher/manager in a vulnerable position in trying to satisfy both roles.