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ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES OF INVESTIGATION 73

4. Should a researcher always obtain information on the structural aspects and job char-
acteristics from those interviewed? Give reasons for your answer with examples.
5. How would you go about doing a literature survey in the area of business ethics?
6. What is the purpose of a literature survey?
7. Why is appropriate citation important? What are the consequences of not giving credit
to the source from which materials are extracted?
8. “The problem definition stage is perhaps more critical in the research process than
the problem solution stage.” Discuss this statement.
9. Why should one get hung up on problem definition if one already knows the broad
problem area to be studied?
10. Offer a clearly focused problem statement in the broad area of corporate culture.
11. After studying and extracting information from all the relevant work done previously,
how does the researcher know which particular references, articles, and information
should be given prominence in the literature survey?
12. Below is the gist of an article from Business Week. After reading it, (a) identify the
broad problem area, (b) define the problem, and (c) explain how you would proceed
further.

While Chrysler’s minivans, pickups, and sport utility vehicles take a big share of the
truck market, its cars trail behind those of GM, Ford, Honda, and Toyota. Quality
problems include, among other things, water leaks and defective parts.

13. Comment on the following research:
From 1932 to 1972, a research study was conducted in Tuskegee, Alabama, to chart
the effects of withholding treatment to African American men with syphilis.
14. What is the problem statement in the following situation?

Employee Loyalty
Companies benefit through employee loyalty. Crude downsizing in organizations
during the recession crushed the loyalty of millions. The economic benefits of loy-
alty embrace lower recruitment and training costs, higher productivity of workers,
customer satisfaction, and the boost to morale of fresh recruits. In order that these
benefits are not lost, some companies while downsizing try various gimmicks. Flex
leave, for instance, is one. This helps employees receive 20% of their salary, plus
employer provided benefits, while they take a 6 to 12 month sabbatical, with a call
option on their services. Others try alternatives like more communication, hand
holding, and the like.

15. How would you define the problem in the following case?