Ethical Compromise Research Articles

Pressure, compromise and overwork: How Australian regional journalists gain job satisfaction through community service

In a time of enormous change in the Australian news media industry – with outlet closures, redesign of company business models, rationalization of staff and shifts in medium uptake – this article explores journalists’ exposure to and perceptions of work pressures in their jobs. It explores the relationship of these experiences with the journalists’ job satisfaction. The study reports that journalists find the industry difficult and demanding, with time pressures, ethical compromise and overwork being their main concerns. However, the study also found that journalists still derive satisfaction from a profession they perceive as meaningful through informing their communities about matters that affect their decision making and how they live. This passion for community service alongside the notion of holding authority to account result in a sense of overarching job satisfaction. This article presents part of a study that investigated the experience of journalists in remote and regional media organizations in Queensland and New South Wales through survey and interviews.

Anatomists' uses of human skeletons: Ethical issues associated with the India bone trade and anonymized archival collections.

Concerns have recently been expressed about the continuing availability of human bones from India, obtained originally for educational purposes but lacking the requisite informed consent that would be expected today. More generally, a broader claim is being made, namely, that the practice of using any unconsented bones in educational settings is unethical and should cease. These calls, in turn, raise broader issues regarding the availability of anonymous archival collections in anatomy museums. Although this debate centers on undergraduate anatomy teaching, much anthropological research utilizes human remains of past populations for which there can have been no consent. A suggested alternative for undergraduate teaching is the use of 3D images of human bones, rather than the bones themselves. In addressing these issues, the background to the India bone trade is assessed, and the year 1985 is pinpointed as having significant ethical weight. The cultural and ethical interests inherent in studying archival anonymous skeletal material are weighed against indiscriminate reburial. Although any use of unconsented material represents ethical compromise, account should be taken of changing ethical expectations with time. It is concluded that: there is no justification for repatriation or disposal of all bones for which specific informed consent has not been obtained; continued use of anonymous archival human bones in a professional setting is acceptable, even in the absence of informed consent, with the proviso that there are no culturally relevant groups seeking repatriation; the continued existence of bones in long-standing private collections cannot be justified since it amounts to long-term storage with no identified goals; the notion that 3D images are an ethically superior alternative to actual human bones is unsustainable, since there is an intimate connection between the bones and the 3D images.

To the Editor: The US Residency Match at 70.

I read with interest the article “The US Residency Match at 70: What Was, What Is, and What Could Be.”1 The authors present a cogent and complimentary review and analysis of The Match, and are to be congratulated on this brief review.However, one unsolved problem in the current National Resident Matching Program algorithm is that of subspecialty applications and dual applicants. For instance, those applying in the specialty of dermatology would be remiss not to apply in the broader field of internal medicine, just as those applying to integrated thoracic surgery should apply to general surgery programs as a backup. However, the rules of the Match allow for separate personal statements and letters of recommendation, creating an illusion of applying solely in one specialty when the applicant secretly wants to be in another. Every program director has experienced the jolt of discovering, too late, after the Match, that an interviewee matched into a different field! In the current arrangement, a student who declares a potential interest in a less competitive specialty, and has a compelling application that suggests an interest in a more competitive one, may be perversely rejected, for looking “too good.”In a profession built on trust, we are starting from a position of ethical compromise, but one which is the proper match strategy. Instead, perhaps we should employ an early match for specialists, in which those who do not attain the more selective position may be welcomed into general programs. The number of applications per general program would be reduced to legitimate applicants, and programs could focus on the fit of the applicant rather than attempt an armchair psychological analysis of which specialty the applicant actually desires.

What Not to Worry About in the Policy–Academy Gap Debate: A Contrarian Take

This assessment of the “policy-academy” gap is part of a special forum stimulated by Michael Desch’s book, Cult of the Irrelevant. Those who write about the academy–policy gap worry that the gap is too narrow, resulting in ethical compromise, or too wide, resulting in marginalization of key academic voices. I argue both concerns are overdrawn. In particular, I argue that there is a healthy exchange between academic specialists and the policy community, at least as healthy as any during a mythical golden era. Moreover, quantitative methods are not a bogeyman exacerbating the gap; high-quality quantitative scholarship can make important contributions. Finally, claims that academic realists face unfair disadvantages in contributing to policy are not well-supported by the evidence. In truth, there is a fairly healthy marketplace of ideas in the policy community, at least as healthy as what prevails in the academy.

“Fearful … and Fearless”: Edna O’Brien’s “The Little Red Chairs” and “Girl”

Edna O’Brien’s last published novels, "The Little Red Chairs" (2015) and "Girl" (2019), have been unanimously praised by criticism. "The Little Red Chairs" has been acclaimed as her masterpiece by Philip Roth in the book jacket cover, and as her most ambitious novel by Éilís Ní Dhuibhne at the moment of its publication (2015), which is a lot to say about an author who has been a referent in Irish literature since the 1960s. Girl has been also praised by influential figures such as Christina Patterson (2019) and Anne Enright (2019), among many other reviewers."The Little Red Chairs" has been inspired by the historical episode of the Balkans War and the siege of Sarajevo. Divided in three parts, the novel takes its readers from the west of Ireland to the Balkans through London and The Hague Tribunal in a series of movements that serve the author to deploy the wide canvas of migratory exchanges in our current society which involve political exiles, refugees, expatriates and economic emigrants. "Girl", has been described by O’Brien herself as “the hardest and the most painful” novel that she has ever written. On this occasion, the narrative is based on the kidnapping of more than two hundred schoolgirls by the Boko Haram Jihadist sect, after the author’s journey to Nigeria, where she interviewed many of the people involved in the tragic episode. My study of these two novels focuses on Edna O’Brien’s ethical compromise, giving voice to the most traumatic episodes and traumatizedvictims of our contemporary society, as well as on her brilliant use of the genre of the novel for recording the chaos, complexity, dislocation and fragmentation caused by radicalisms, political violence and terrorism.

Blitzscaling: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Today’s disruptive innovations are driving the creation of numerous billion-dollar startups. Venture capitalists focus on these potentially disruptive technology startups and fund them furiously, advancing their speed of growth. The idea is to scale fast and seek huge returns for investors. Terms that define this type of aggressive scaling have recently developed in Silicon Valley. Unicorn is defined as a venture with a value of $1 billion, while a decacorn describes startups with a value of $10 billion. Another recent term is blitzscaling: funding a venture for extremely fast growth and prioritizing speed over efficiency in an environment of uncertainty. While blitzscaling is being used heavily by investors in Silicon Valley, we look at exactly what comprises this new phenomenon and how it is used in practice. We examine the concept, its stages, and its prevalence before reviewing the different examples of how the strategy has been implemented for success (the good), cases of its failure in practice (the bad), and the extreme cases of ethical compromise by ventures (the ugly). From these cases, we draw specific lessons that, if understood and appropriately addressed, would help new ventures effectively implement the strategy.

Did the Trumpian Counterpublic Dissent against the Dominant Model of Campaign Finance?

Trumpism poses a difficult challenge for counterpublic scholarship: should forms of right-nationalism dissenting against dominant publicity be analysed using the same concepts as other types of dissent? This article argues that Trumpism demonstrated counterpublic dissent against dominant campaign finance publicity by criticising the influence of wealthy donors in both political parties. Trumpism also offered an alternative to the dominant logic of necessary ethical compromise shaping publicity about campaign finance in the wake of the 2010 Citizens United US Supreme Court decision. However, Trumpism failed to foster greater democracy because of the way it posed Trump himself as the only necessary solution to the problems of plutocracy. Counterpublic theory should revisit the way it balances its normative and empirical dimensions to account for the rise of radical-right nationalisms and their publicity outlets.

Between conflict and consensus: Searching for an ethical compromise in planning

To resolve conflicts and disagreements in planning, a compromise is often necessary. Where immediate consensus is unlikely and where antagonistic conflicts can lead to worse outcomes, a compromise is especially valued. Yet a compromise is also likely the least desired resolution, except for failure to reach a resolution. In this way, a compromise educes a mixed morality: A compromise has to presume some cooperative goodwill, yet forging a compromise often means violating important principles or abandoning some desired goods. If planners compromise, then this compromise ought to be an ethical one. But what is an ethical compromise in planning? In this article, we examine three cases of planning conflict: namely, the case of the Storm Surge Barriers in the Eastern Scheldt, the Netherlands; the case of the Cross Island Line in Singapore; and, finally, the case of the Calamity Polders, the Netherlands. Through these case studies, we draw out and illustrate three different ideal types of compromises important to planning and further describe the practical and ethical implications of a compromise.

Dark side of reciprocity norm: Ethical compromise in business exchanges

In this research, we investigated the impact of the reciprocity norm on ethical compromise likelihood in managerial decision-making. We developed the ‘reciprocity norm-ethical compromise thesis’, postulating that the norm of reciprocity is positively related to ethical compromises in business exchanges. Specifically, the norm of reciprocity, potentially through its moral and instrumental forces, compels a party in a reciprocal exchange relationship to advocate an ethically questionable or even unacceptable practice requested by the other party in the relationship. We also examined the role of environmental uncertainty and exchange partner's retaliatory power status as boundary conditions of the reciprocity norm-ethical compromise relationship, in addition to trust and perceived future gain opportunity in the relationships as potential mediating mechanisms of the reciprocity norm-ethical compromise relationship. The results of two experiments with business professionals have yielded support for the interaction effects of this norm and its boundary conditions on the likelihood of ethical compromise. In addition, the results yielded support for perceived future gain opportunity in exchange relationships as an instrumental mechanism linking the reciprocity norm to ethical compromises in business exchanges. Finally, the experimental results did not support the notion of trust as a moral mechanism that links the reciprocity norm to ethical compromises in business exchanges.

Pre-hospital phlebotomy and point of care testing: Relevance and implications for professional emergency care practice

The drawing or sampling of blood refers to the procedure whereby blood is obtained via arterial or venous cannulation from a patient for various diagnostic tests. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), Professional Board for Emergency Care (PBEC) scope of practice encompasses for what may be diagnostically possible for a person in an emergency situation. The HPCSA ethical rules stipulate that no professional act may be performed by emergency care personnel if it falls outside their scope of clinical practice. This implies an emergency context and the presence of criterion referenced guidelines (in the form of protocols) to support the safe implementation of scope. Phlebotomy may appear to be a simple and uncomplicated procedure for pre-hospital emergency care providers given that the intermediate and advanced categories can already perform intravenous therapy. However, any invasive procedure and human tissue sampling creates the potential for ethical compromise, particularly in vulnerable or high-risk patients. Therefore, various regulatory, clinical and system directives are needed in order for any invasive procedure to be effective, efficient, ethical and sustainable. This paper aims to provide a perspective on phlebotomy (applicable to all allied health professionals), with regard to regulation, clinical and system requirements against any claim of biomedical need. In the interest of accountable practice, a model of mitigation for the scope of clinical practice and a model for health technology regulation are presented. The emergency care context is presented as a case study. The relevance for the discipline of biomedical technology is that the determination of need, methodology and the bona fides (and experience) of the clinician has bearing on the admissibility, quality and ethics of phlebotomy. Phlebotomists are integral to the medical laboratory. The question this paper addresses is: what are the considerations for pre-hospital phlebotomy and point of care testing by emergency care providers should they undertake the role of the phlebotomist in emergency and non-emergency cases.

Nudging Without Ethical Fudging: Clarifying Physician Obligations to Avoid Ethical Compromise

In the article “Nudging and Informed Consent,” Cohen (2013) argues that the use of “nudging” by physicians in the clinical encounter may be ethically warranted because it results in an informed con...

O Perigo Vermelho no cinema brasileiro: as narrativas de exilados e ex-presos políticos da ditadura militar no documentário contemporâneo

Na primeira década de 2000, o cinema brasileiro demonstrou um crescente interesse por retratar nas telas episódios da ditadura militar no país, remexendo em feridas, em assuntos complexos, dolorosos de nosso passado. O que para alguns militares soou como um revanchismo dos comunistas ou da esquerda brasileira que teriam invadido a mídia brasileira. Sendo assim, a partir da análise dos filmes Vlado, 30 anos depois (2005), Hércules 56 (2006) e Caparaó (2006) procuramos apontar algumas reflexões iniciais de como o documentário brasileiro contemporâneo, ao atualizar o passado da ditadura militar a partir de um compromisso ético e político com a memória daqueles que participaram da luta armada no país, trava uma batalha estética contra o esquecimento e a denegação de um período sombrio da recente história brasileira.

Ethical Issues in Cardiovascular Research Involving Humans

This component of the series “Careers in Cardiovascular Research: A Primer for New Investigators” will address ethical conduct of research involving humans. The dramatic decline in cardiovascular mortality (Figure) provides testimony to the societal benefits of research leading to new therapies and systems of care.1 In concert with these rapid developments, changing expectations have resulted in the emergence of ethical issues with highly publicized examples of concern over conduct of research in humans.2–5 Whereas professional ethics should, and for most physicians do, “regulate” conduct of biomedical research, “self-regulation” does not always meet societal expectations. Dr Barry Coller6 has pointed out that science lacks intrinsic morality. Thus, the laudable goals of improving patient care, understanding mechanisms of disease, or protecting society from perceived external threats do not justify ignoring fundamental human rights that guide (and regulate) the conduct of research. Figure. Death rates for cardiovascular disease in the United States, 1900 to 2005 (not adjusted for age). At the same time it is important to reflect on the importance of physicians participating in research and providing the opportunity for their patients to do so. Although some have argued this compromises the basic physician responsibility to a patient,7 we believe the best interest of the patient can and must be protected in the research setting. Two brief examples demonstrate the fundamental changes in understanding that may arise from direct involvement of physicians in research. As late as the 1970s, the prevailing wisdom to explain the presence of intracoronary thrombus on postmortem examination of patients after myocardial infarction was simply wrong; pathologists studying hearts in this setting found evidence to “suggest that coronary thrombi are consequences rather than causes of acute myocardial infarction”8 and “consideration is given to the possibility that some thrombi may follow rather than precede …

The Iraq War and Global Governance

David Malone, International Struggle Over Iraq: Politics in UN Security Council 1980-2005, Oxford University Press, 2006. Ramesh Thakur and Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu (eds.), Iraq Crisis and World Order: Structural, Institutional, and Normative Challenges, United Nations University Press, 2006. Ramesh Thakur and Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu (eds.), Arms Control After Iraq: Normative and Operational Challenges, United Nations University Press, 2006. Richard Ashby Wilson (ed.), Human Rights in on Terror, Cambridge University Press, 2005. More books on Iraq? Is there really more we need to know about miscalculations, incompetence, deceptions, and abuses of executive power that have characterized this war of choice? We do want to know about how almost unimaginably costly experience is going to turn out in end for Iraqis who are still unreconciled to each other, but those books have yet to be written. answer is yes, there is a perspective on how this war has affected global governance that needs study and reflection. That essential perspective is presented by four books reviewed here: International Struggle Over Iraq: Politics in UN Security Council 1980-2005 by David Malone; Iraq Crisis and World Order and Arms Control After Iraq, both publications of United Nations University; and Human Rights in War on Terror, edited by Richard Ashby Wilson. outstanding books on how Bush administration got into Iraq War and mishandled occupation are mostly driven by central and compelling US political narrative. There has also been a recent surge of books about implications for US predominance in world as a result of Iraqi debacle (see What Happened to American Empire? by Alan Ryan in New York Review of Books, 23 October 2008, on recent books by Eric Hobsbawm, Amy Chua, Parag Khanna, Fareed Zakaria, and Robert Kagan). In addition, a few outstanding works look back at causal factors that drove events surrounding September 11, such as Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright. Others explain chronic failures of intelligence and intelligence agencies, including those leading up to this war of miscalculation, such as mammoth Legacy of Ashes: A History of CIA by Tim Weiner. Then, there is shockingly thorough reporting by Jane Mayer who, in The Dark Side--The Inside Story of How War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals, sets down facts of ethical compromise and corruption on part of Bush-Cheney chain of command, and deepens work provided by some of contributors to Wilsom collection under review. A Democratic Congress may seek legal accountability for abusive treatment of prisoners, though new US administration might decide in a spirit of reconciliation to turn page and move on. On this, though personal instinct of Barack Obama is to reconcile, much may depend on inside disclosures yet to come about role of the enablers, as Guantanamo human rights defender Major David Frakt has termed those who gave torture a green light from top of US administration (see Anthony Lewis, Official American Sadism, reviewed in New York Review of Books, 25 September 2008). Missing from Iraq library is authoritative book on British official deception and collusion in decision to invade Iraq (though not abusive treatment of prisoners), in part because Official Secrets Act has kept memoirs of former civil servants from readers' eyes. It may take inspired fiction to explain dynamics of personal ambition and school-prefect mentality of duty that kept London's lid on when Blair rode his moral horse to Washington and Crawford to align UK with US power come hell or high water, and to do at home whatever it took to pull it off; Robert Harris had a first go in his novel Ghost. …

Twenty-first Century ethics of medical research involving human subjects: achievements and challenges

The field of ethics in medical research has seen important developments in the last three decades, but it also faces great challenges in the new century. The purposes of this report are to examine the current status of ethics of medical research involving human subjects and the nature of the ethical challenges facing this research, to identify the weakness of the current system of safeguards for ethical research, and to stress the importance of the ethical character of the researcher, which is the safeguard that has the greatest potential for protecting the research subjects. Researchers appreciate the risks of human medical research that create ethical dilemmas and the need for an ethical compromise in order to proceed with the research. The main elements of the compromise, formulated primarily from experiences in the Second World War, include: (1) the dominant position of the ethical principle of autonomy; (2) the demand for a signed informed consent; (3) the likelihood of improving health with the research protocol, which must be approved by a duly appointed supervising committee; and (4) an acceptable risk/benefit ratio. The main weakness of this set of safeguards is the difficulty with obtaining a truly informed consent. The new challenges to ethical medical research stem from certain types of research, such as genetic and stem cell research, and from the increasing involvement of the industry in planning and funding the research studies. Developing medical researchers with an ethical character and knowledge about ethics in medicine may be the most effective safeguard in protecting participants of medical research experiments.

Inducements for medical and health research: issues for the profession of nursing

Inducements, incentives, reimbursements and payment to subjects for participation in research projects raise many practical, professional and philosophical issues for nurses. Nurses are enjoined, either formally as research co-participants or informally as patients' professional carers, in any research which involves their patients. This role inescapably brings significant ethical obligations, which include those of bioethical audit. A review of current international guidelines on reimbursement recommendations indicates that researchers select one of several paradigms which range from the 'commercial market model' of supply and demand to that of pure un-reimbursed altruism. In this latter, volunteers not only give their bodies and emotional commitment, but also sacrifice their time and convenience. Inducement is defined as the provision of resources or rewards which exceed the 'resource neutral' compensation for legitimate expense. If potential volunteers are truly free to make an informed choice to participate in research, no ethical compromise exists if inducements are offered; but by so doing both the research team and the volunteer patients have shifted the ethos of their research from caritas and altruism to one of a simple commercial relationship. Inducements are inappropriate when offered to those who are 'ethically captive' in the sense that autonomy of choice may be compromised. In contemporary nursing practice, research involvement is both frequent and desirable. A perspective of current debate about inducements for volunteering, including legal and ethical issues, empowers nurses to protect the patients or clients in their care.

Ambivalence in the Christian attitude to war and peace

In this paper it will be argued that the basic document of Christianity, the Bible, contains a unique potential for accepting the other and solving conflicts by non-violent means, but that this potential has never been available in pure form. The history of Christianity from the very beginnings in the New Testament period up to the present has been one of great ambiguity, an amalgam of attempts to live out the fundamental values as well as of compromise and open betrayal. This process will be outlined, illustrated and the factors will be pointed at, which in different situations bring to the fore the conflicting elements of Christian tradition. Examples of Christian pacifism, the ethical compromise of the just-war doctrine throughout the centuries will be commented on. The emphasis, however, is on developments in the twentieth century with the great regression of fascism. Finally, the focus is on more recent developments in reflection and action, when Christians begin to transcend the just-war doctrine and struggle to overcome the institution of war responding to the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. Concrete examples of decisions are discussed and the shadow of a powerful Christian fundamentalism is critically assessed. Nevertheless, it is argued that despite all the failures of historic and contemporary Christianity the basic values of Christian tradition could serve as a motivating force to meet the challenges of a historical situation when violence is dangerously increasing on a global scale. However, these values will only become effective if people relate personally and practically to the ambivalent historical process, critically and responsibly.

Social participation in health to Camaragibe city’s users

The present study was realized with the objective to evaluate, under the perception of the user, the importance of the social participation to control and improve the health services in the county of Camaragibe, state of Pernambuco. Thus, a questionnaire of open and closed ended questions was prepared. The survey involved 789 users that were inquired about the utilization of the local health services in the last six month that preceded the inquiry. It was verified that the mechanisms of participation, as well as the correlated legislation are not well known nor used by the users. Nevertheless, the percentages of those who utilize these mechanisms of social participation increase according to their educational level. It has been noted that educated individuals who are involved in community associations, have a tendency to use those services in a more effective manner. The users of private health services showed a higher percentage of satisfaction compared with those who depend on the public services. Nevertheless, the level of contentment of the public service users showed that it was significantly increased, not reflecting, however, a high pattern of quality, the reason being, it is justified by the low expectation of those who depend on public services. The identification of barriers and opportunities of the user's participation to control the quality of health services has to be faced with an ethical compromise of the administration members and one essential element exercised by the upstanding law abiding collective community.

Nursing resistance as ethical action: literature review.

Much has been written about nursing as a predominantly female profession whose members display passivity, submission, obedience and powerlessness. Alternatively, some authors have presented evidence of nurses' capacity to exercise power, revealing the possible relationship between powerlessness and ethical compromise. Thus, empowerment strategies for nurses can yield ethical action. The aim of this paper is to use analysis of the literature to demonstrate how the actions and responses of nurses to ethical concerns are examples of nurses exercising power. Empirical studies published in the nursing literature between 1990 and 2003 have been analysed to illustrate how nurses' actions of resistance can ensure that moral values are realized in practice. Foucauldian notions of power relations and feminist ethics provide the theoretical framework. Nurses were found to resist in situations where they experienced moral conflicts in relation to the actions of health professionals; however, instances were cited where they did not. Consequently, strategies for nursing education and management are proposed to increase nurses' understanding of the potential acts of resistance that they could employ in situations of moral conflict or concern.

Globalization, Ethical Compromise and Planning Theory

Globalization, Ethical Compromise and Planning Theory