Ethical Risks Research Articles

Non-financial risk disclosure practice: Evidence from Saudi Arabian listed companies

This study employs content analysis to analyse non-financial risk disclosure (NFRD) practices within the annual reports of Saudi listed companies over eight years (2010–2017). The data gathered shows that the levels of average NFRD are moderate. The descriptive results show that the average level of NFRD in the sample is 35.33%. This number is much lower than that reported in other studies elsewhere (Elamer et al., 2020; Konishi & Ali, 2007; Ntim et al., 2013). For example, Linsley and Shrives (2006) and Rajab and Handley-Schachler (2009) find that the mean of risk disclosure is 78 and 95 sentences for UK listed firms, respectively. Konishi and Ali (2007) report that Japanese companies offer 47 risk sentences on average. Thus, NFRD in Saudi Arabia appears to be smaller compared to other studies. The low level of NFRD in Saudi Arabia could be mainly clarified by the absence of enforcement. Throughout the study, there were no compulsory requirements for Saudi listed companies to offer information regarding risk or non-financial risk in their annual reports. The rise in the categories of risk-non-financial risk disclosures is more pronounced in the process risk where process risk disclosure grew from 27 (33%) in 2010 to 41 (50%) in 2017. Product, legal, and ethical risk disclosure appeared to be the most frequently disclosed risk, while the Shariah risk is significantly lower. The lack of Shariah risk disclosure can be explained by the fact that only two sectors substantially apply Shariah contracts such as Murabaha, Ijarah, and Istisnaa into their operations. The results of this study have the potential to support those preparing financial reports in firms, as well as regulators to enhance corporate NFRD practices and help investors and other key stakeholders.

Онтологічні підгрунтя моральної культури. Частина 1.

The relevance. Forgetting the problems of being, erasing the idea of being from the worldview of modern man, and focusing on individualistic and hedonistic practices leads to the narrowing of the personality‘s fullness, dehumanization of its moral and spiritual dimension, and alienation from one's essence. Philosophical reactualization of being and its metaphysical essential foundations will allow finding a reliable ontological foundation for a shaken by skepticism and nihilism moral culture, and for the human who lost his essence. Goal. The purpose of the article is to study the ontological foundations of moral culture. The tasks of the first part of the article are to investigate the ontological framework of moral culture, and the fundamental axes on which it is based; the tasks of the second part of the article are to analyze the moral concepts of freedom, conscience, dignity, and equality through the prism of the ontological framework. Methods. The article uses a historical-philosophical and comparative method, genealogy, and hermeneutic methods of interpretation. The results. Ethical relations unfold in the value-meaning space of moral culture between the Self and the Other. The transcendental condition for the possibility of moral culture is reality and its internal structure, the parameters of which are set by the ontological framework, namely by the poles of attraction of singular and multiple, sacred and profane, phenomenal (existential) and essential. It is shown that the Western metaphysical tradition managed to find a balance between the extremes of the single and multiple, while the Eastern tradition of Hinduism, on the one hand, and the anti-metaphysical trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, on the other hand, absolutized one or the other extreme. Conclusions. Moral culture cannot be built and substantiated in isolation from ontology, and therefore without addressing being as the sphere of the real. Both metaphysical and anti-metaphysical philosophical systems are based on ontological assumptions. Without being rooted in ontology, ethics risks losing reality and realness. The transcendental "yes" or "no" to being enables further forms of moral relations and principles that exist in culture.

Research on Ethical Risk Governance of the Metaverse

Research on Ethical Risk Governance of the Metaverse

Ethical design and digital society: reflection of human activity in the modern world

The article deals with the actual problem of the development of ethical design in the digital society. The comprehension of the specifics of human existence in the modern world and the understanding of the prospects for the development of humanity led to a significant increase in attention to the ethical component in various types of social activity. In the digital society, in the phase of surveillance capitalism, the concept of ethical design came into existence, which teaches to set ethical goals on a par with the goals of business efficiency, and to make ethical design methods part of the everyday practice of creating products and services. The purpose of the study is to analyze the principles of ethical design in the context of the triad "human being – society – environment". The study is based on the analysis of the ethical design manifesto, scientific sources on the outlined issues, and the experience of leading design practices. It is determined that design ethics, in a broad sense, refers to moral behavior and responsible choices in design. Design ethics is concerned with establishing the relationship between the product and the user in such a way that it supports responsible and moral choice. Ethical design is the identification and development of the "goodness" factor in product design aimed at benefiting the individual users, their ecosystem, and society at large. Ethical design is based on respect: for human rights, human effort and human experience. Basic principles of ethical design include usability, accessibility, privacy, transparency, respect for people's moral autonomy, user participation, and sustainability. The new design priority is to take into account the ethical component in the process of creating products and services, rethinking their social, cultural, psychological, and environmental impact. During the development of the design, it is necessary to evaluate the ethical risks and benefits of the project, to create a design that takes into account cultural differences, inclusiveness and accessibility, to support the moral autonomy and interests of people, to observe confidentiality and transparency, to critically evaluate the results, to harmonize activities with the concept of sustainable development in order to establish a balance between satisfaction modern needs of humanity and protecting the interests of future generations, in particular their needs for a safe and healthy environment.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Ethical and regulatory issues of stem cell-derived 3-dimensional organoid and tissue therapy for personalised regenerative medicine

BackgroundRegenerative medicine has the potential to treat genetic disorders and replace damaged or missing tissue. The use of donor or animal tissue raises many well-known issues, including limited tissue availability, the possibility of rejection and patient infection. Stem cell therapy raised hope of overcoming these issues, but created new risks including tumour formation and limited benefit if the desired target tissue does not form. The recent development of 3-dimensional tissues, including organoids, allows the creation of more complex tissues for personalised regenerative medicine.MethodsThis article details the potential health risks of 3-dimensional organoid and tissue therapy versus dissociated stem cell therapy. The current ethical and regulatory issues surrounding 3-dimensional organoid and tissue therapy are presented with a focus on the highly influential FDA and International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) guidelines.ConclusionsThe potential use of 3-dimensional organoid and tissue therapy may deliver greater patient benefits than other regenerative medicine approaches, but raises new health and ethical risks. Preclinical testing of these therapies will not mitigate some of their risks; they may only be understood after first-in-human trials. The potential irreversibility and high risk of these therapies affects how clinical trials should be structured, including post-trial care for participants.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

The Role of the Human Resource Department in Organizational Downsizing

In preparation for an incoming economic recession, organizations in the United States and across the globe are now actively engaging in various downsizing tactics, such as layoffs and hiring freezes, to strategically reduce their workforce. The Human Resources department then has the important responsibility of effectively managing the impact of the downsizing process by mitigating the legal, ethical, and social risks that may arise as a result of layoffs, such as helping affected employees better manage the resulting stress, and empowering surviving employees to continue productivity. While most companies focus solely on continuing business operations after layoffs and reducing legal and publicity risks, not much is done to alleviate the stress so that the organizations’ remaining employees can better cope with their new situations. This paper provides a brief overview of the concept of organizational downsizing and its effect on employees. Additionally, the paper describes the function of the HR department in the downsizing process and concludes that the HR department has a responsibility to both surviving and affected employees. This paper then examines the responsibility of the department to both parties. Keywords: Organizational downsizing, layoffs, survivor management, human resources, HR Responsibilities

Ethical and Legal Implications of Social Media Use in Clinical Trials

As social media use connects more people virtually, that increased connection creates opportunities for researchers to expand their reach for clinical trials. Despite these opportunities, social media is not widely used by clinical researchers. Some researchers have begun using it to enhance recruitment, accelerate community consultations, increase follow up retention, and promote dissemination of results. However, because these techniques are new, their effects on cost and efficiency have not been well studied. Researchers were hopeful that the broad reach of social media could improve clinical trial efficiency and lower costs. Early studies suggest that using social media to recruit participants and to disseminate results is less efficient than expected. Moreover, the lack of regulations on social media use gives rise to certain ethical concerns, such as privacy and coercion. Although there are no legal or regulatory requirements for social media use, researchers can look to the well-established Belmont principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice for how to best incorporate social media into clinical trials while still maintaining ethics. IRBs are used to uphold these principles, but without mandatory regulations, researchers apply the principles inconsistently. Thus, not all uses of social media in clinical trials are justified, and researchers should contemplate the ethical risks and proposed benefits. However, federal regulations specific to social media are necessary because specific regulations would promote effective and safe use of social media in clinical trials.

Best Practices for Ethical Conduct of Misinformation Research

Abstract: Misinformation can have noxious impacts on cognition, fostering the formation of false beliefs, retroactively distorting memory for events, and influencing reasoning and decision-making even after it has been credibly corrected. Researchers investigating the impacts of real-world misinformation are therefore faced with an ethical issue: they must consider the immediate and long-term consequences of exposing participants to false claims. In this paper, we first present an overview of the ethical risks associated with real-world misinformation. We then report results from a scoping review of ethical practices in misinformation research. We investigated (1) the extent to which researchers report the details of their ethical practices, including issues of informed consent and debriefing, and (2) the specific steps that researchers report taking to protect participants from the consequences of misinformation exposure. We found that fewer than 30% of misinformation papers report any debriefing, and almost no authors assessed the effectiveness of their debriefing procedure. Building on the findings from this review, we evaluate the balance of risk versus reward currently operating in this field and propose a set of guidelines for best practices. Our ultimate goal is to allow researchers the freedom to investigate questions of considerable scientific and societal impact while meeting their ethical obligations to participants.

China’s Artificial Intelligence Ethics: Policy Development in an Emergent Community of Practice

ABSTRACT Extant literature has not fully accounted for the changes underway in China’s perspectives on the ethical risks of artificial intelligence (AI). This article develops a community-of-practice (CoP) approach to the study of Chinese policymaking in the field of AI. It shows that the Chinese approach to ethical AI emerges from the communication of practices of a relatively stable group of actors from three domains—the government, academia, and the private sector. This Chinese CoP is actively cultivated and led by government actors. The paper draws attention to CoP configurations during collective situated-learning and problem-solving among its members that inform the evolution of Chinese ethical concerns of AI. In so doing, it demonstrates how a practice-oriented approach can contribute to interpreting Chinese politics on AI governance.

From collected stamps to hair locks: ethical and legal implications of testing DNA found on privately owned family artifacts.

Biological samples containing DNA that is attributed to deceased relatives, can now undergo genetic testing at a reasonable cost due to revolutionary improvements in sampling, sequencing, and analytical techniques. This artifact DNA testing, or 'artDNA', includes genetic analysis of hair locks, stamps, envelopes with saliva traces or teeth. ArtDNA can reveal valuable information about a deceased relative or one's genetic background, but it also presents novel ethical dilemmas and legal uncertainties for genetic researchers and commercial testing services. In this paper, we provide an analysis of some of the unique ethical and legal risks of such testing and provide needed recommendations for practitioners of private family artDNA testing. ArtDNA testing generates ethical and legal risks regarding the privacy and autonomy of deceased individuals, the rights of living relatives over their ancestor's genetic information, and the rights of living persons to control their own genetic information. To mitigate these risks, practitioners can conduct certain preliminary testing to ascertain the identity of a DNA donor and estimate the time that has elapsed postmortem. Generally, the ethical and legal concerns will be higher when a shorter period has passed between the death of the DNA donor and the time of artifact DNA testing. Regardless, all artDNA testing present some risks, and practitioners should exercise professional judgement as necessary.

Gaining ethics approval for health professions education research.

Within health professions education (HPE), there is a well-established and expanding literature offering empirical evidence to inform pedagogic practice. Research ethics refers to the set of professional standards and principles that should be followed to ensure that work is conducted in a responsible and legitimate manner. Conducting scholarly inquiry within educational practice can be categorized as either research or evaluation, but boundaries between the two approaches may be blurred. Ethical risks in HPE research include coercion, psychological stress and infringement upon data privacy. This review considers ethical considerations at each stage of the research process and makes practical recommendations for the HPE researcher.

Gratifications in change of privacy? The response of four consumers' generational cohorts toward facial recognition technology in retail settings

AbstractNew technologies enable retailers to collect large amounts of information about consumers, which might lead to ethical issues and risks of individuals' privacy loss. However, consumers might choose to disclose information to retailers when they perceive that the information would generate more benefits for themselves rather than for the retailer. Since little research has been done to explain the role of age in disclosing personal information to third parties, the present study investigates the difference in the perception of one's own control when it comes to the usage of privacy‐threatening technology depending on respondents' age. Drawing upon uses and gratification theory, the present study explores the response of consumers from four generational cohorts towards the facial recognition technology in retailing. Results reveal that the locus of control over information collected by the technology is neither related to the age of consumers nor to their knowledge of a specific technology used to collect their personal data. Instead, consumers' expected gratifications (in terms of economic and utilitarian) vary across different age groups. Implications for practitioners are discussed.

Artificial intelligence in support of the circular economy: ethical considerations and a path forward

The world’s current model for economic development is unsustainable. It encourages high levels of resource extraction, consumption, and waste that undermine positive environmental outcomes. Transitioning to a circular economy (CE) model of development has been proposed as a sustainable alternative. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a crucial enabler for CE. It can aid in designing robust and sustainable products, facilitate new circular business models, and support the broader infrastructures needed to scale circularity. However, to date, considerations of the ethical implications of using AI to achieve a transition to CE have been limited. This article addresses this gap. It outlines how AI is and can be used to transition towards CE, analyzes the ethical risks associated with using AI for this purpose, and supports some recommendations to policymakers and industry on how to minimise these risks.

Protocol for Deferral of Consent in Acute Stroke Trials.

The challenges of conducting hyperacute stroke research and obtaining informed consent have been increasingly recognized within the stroke research community in recent years. Deferral of consent, in which a patient is enrolled in a trial and then provides consent at some point thereafter, is increasingly used to enroll patients into hyperacute stroke trials in Canada and Europe, although it is not permitted in the United States. Deferral of consent offers several potential advantages-quicker door-to-randomization, increased enrolment, decreased selection bias-but these must be balanced against the risk of enrolling patients against their wishes. We seek to minimize the attendant risks of deferral of consent by offering practical guidance regarding how to conduct acute stroke trials using deferral of consent. Building on existing guidelines and recent experiences with deferral of consent in acute stroke trials, we have developed a protocol for the use of deferral of consent that aims to maximize patient involvement while minimizing ethical and scientific risks.

Potential of extracellular space for tissue regeneration in dentistry.

With the proven relationship between oral and general health and the growing aging population, it is pivotal to provide accessible therapeutic approaches to regenerate oral tissues and restore clinical function. However, despite sharing many core concepts with medicine, dentistry has fallen behind the progress in precision medicine and regenerative treatments. Stem cell therapies are a promising avenue for tissue regeneration, however, ethical, safety and cost issues may limit their clinical use. With the significance of paracrine signalling in stem cell and tissue regeneration, extracellular space comprising of the cell secretome, and the extracellular matrix can serve as a potent source for tissue regeneration. Extravesicles are secreted and naturally occurring vesicles with biologically active cargo that can be harvested from the extracellular space. These vesicles have shown great potential as disease biomarkers and can be used in regenerative medicine. As a cell free therapy, secretome and extracellular vesicles can be stored and transferred easily and pose less ethical and safety risks in clinical application. Since there are currently many reviews on the secretome and the biogenesis, characterization and function of extracellular vesicles, here we look at the therapeutic potential of extracellular space to drive oral tissue regeneration and the current state of the field in comparison to regenerative medicine.