Universal Code Of Ethics Research Articles

Launching a code of conduct

Biomedical ethicist Vasiliki Rahimzadeh speaks to Tami Freeman about why the rapid growth of the commercial space sector makes it imperative that we develop a universal code of ethics for doing scientific research on human subjects in space.

Respecting cultural diversity in ethics applied to AI : a new approach for a multicultural governance

Artificial intelligence seems to be part of our everyday lives. For some it represents the promise of a better world and many improvements that would be beneficial for humanity. For others, AI is seen as threat, if not an existential threat that needs to be controlled strictly. Whatever the stance, the need to regulate AI is now widely recognized. Short of legal instruments offering a specific framework for the development and use of AI, ethics has been summoned to set standards and establish guardrails. Yet, the number of documents pertaining to ethical standards for AI has increased exponentially to reach a point where it is difficult to know how to use them efficiently. These documents have mostly been issued to promote vested interests, and the setting of a universal code of AI ethics has been seen as a solution for AI global governance. If a global governance system is required to avoid negative outcomes of AI, it appears that the idea of a universal code of ethics denies the diversity of ethical standpoints based on the diversity of philosophical cultures the world is made of. Instead of offering a legitimate and efficient tool, such a solution could lead to cultural tensions between leading actors in the field of AI as it is the case between China and the United States. To avoid conflicting situations stemming from the denial of cultural diversity, it is more than ever necessary to put aside the idea of a universal code of AI

Ethical Pluralism: The Decision-Making System of a Complex World

Today's leaders are faced with many different ethical decisions that are further highlighted by social media and a rapid news cycle. It has been established that there is no universal ethical code, nor is there one unified global culture. Leaders must continually educate themselves and their employees in proper leadership techniques, education, decision-making, and cultural understanding. Pluralism is engrained in ethics, where there are different interpretations of the same information, different ways to analyze the situation and different ethical frameworks. Pluralism can lead to different outputs and decisions across the same situation, but pluralism is not a blight on ethics but a way to understand the reason for different outcomes and feedback.

Ethical Challenges in Neuromarketing : A Research Agenda

Neuromarketing is an emerging field which connects disciplines such as psychology, science, neurology, marketing, and neuroscience with economics. The main goal of neuromarketing is to explore how the brain is physiologically affected by various marketing strategies and advertising tools. The article discussed various neuromarketing techniques and their applications and aimed to examine the common ethical concerns of neuromarketing, emphasizing on the potential threats and risks to the consumers. A meta - analysis approach was used to capture the content of appropriate literatures and content analysis was done to support the views. As examined in the paper, neuromarketing studies the different emotions that are associated with human decision making and uses this information to improve the effectiveness of marketing. The benefits of this study can be taken to the marketing domain. This paper identified and addressed the qualitative impact of neuromarketing in different fields of advertisements and promotions. It also provided the metadata for future researchers to think about the universal code of ethics and objectives that can be implemented to promote the development of research in neuromarketing in a more positive light.

A Second (Quasi-Perfect?) Storm also in Arbitration?

Many users of international arbitration, particularly in-house counsel, have repeatedly expressed concern about the lack of adequate information on arbitrators, resulting in arbitrator selection based on a vague and general reputation often informed by word of mouth or anecdotal information. Arbitral institutions and arbitration circles cannot remain indifferent to this need. A first step to deal with this issue is the disclosure by arbitrators of the information contained in the arbitrator ’ s pledge launched by the European Court of Arbitration; another step is the issuance of an official acknowledgement as a ‘ certified arbitrator ’ by arbitral institutions, and eventually the requirement that certified arbitrators abide by a universal code of ethics.

Cultural and Socio-Economic Restrictions for the Adoption of the IESBA Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants in the European Countries

1. Introduction The globalization of the economy requires reliable financial reporting, which reinforces the importance of the accounting profession to guarantee the correct functioning and stability of the financial system. The complexity of international transactions makes it impossible that the accounting and auditing standards remain within the confines of the country in which the company or the professionals operate. Accounting professionals already work in international firms that carry out their activity and render their services in different countries. Therefore, the internationalisation of the profession and a study of it are essential (Nobes and Parker, 2008). The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) was created in 1977 and is comprised by 175 members and associates in 130 countries. IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by supporting high-quality international standards and helping to build strong professional accountancy organizations (IFAC, 2014). According to the IFAC's view, a fundamental way to serve the public interest is to develop, promote, and enforce high-quality, internationally recognized standards, including ethical standards for professional accountants (IFAC, 2014). At this respect, IFAC has established the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) to set internationally appropriate ethics standards for professional accountants worldwide. These ethical standards are compiled in the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants issued by IESBA. The objective of the IFAC is to promote the implementation of this Code of Ethics for all accountant members, whatever the area in which professionals operate (education, public practice, businesses, amongst others) and whatever the country in which professionals carry out their responsibilities. As Loft et al. (2006) state the power of IFAC as a global accounting and auditing regulator is undeniable, proof of this is that the European Commission (EC) adopted the International Standards on Auditing promoted by this organization. Moreover, the fact that the European Commission states in its audit regulation (Directive 2006/43/EC) that auditors must comply with the IESBA Code of Ethics highlights the positioning of the IFAC as a global leader. However, to date not all the countries of the European Union have adopted the code proposed by the IFAC, nor have the countries that have adopted it done so in the same way (Clements et al., 2009a). The need to reinforce the ethical conduct of the profession and confidence in what it does takes special importance. Auditors need to demonstrate ethical conduct in order to live up to the expectations of those who place trust in their reports for decision-making purposes. Corporate scandals of the beginning of the 21st century as well as the recent global financial crisis have led to a widespread distrust in the accounting profession. There is an imperative need of regaining investors' confidence to restore economic stability (Achim et al. 2010). In this regard, the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) considers the worldwide adoption of the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants as a top priority project (PIOB, 2012). Taking into account the role IFAC plays as an audit regulator globally, in agreement with Loft et al. (2006) we consider that additional research on the process by which IFAC's pronouncements are issued as well as the degree to which these are adopted and implemented is necessary. National accounting professional bodies, members of the IFAC, belong to different countries with its historical, legal, cultural or socioeconomic background. Accordingly, all these variables could influence the acceptance of a single and universal code of ethics for professional accountants. The globalisation in which we are currently immersed requires that the differences between countries to which professionals belong are consigned to the background. …

A Social Licence for Science: Capturing the Public or Co-Constructing Research?

The “social licence to operate” has been invoked in science policy discussions including the 2007 Universal Ethical Code for scientists issued by the UK Government Office for Science. Drawing from sociological research on social licence and STS interventions in science policy, the authors explore the relevance of expectations of a social licence for scientific research and scientific contributions to public decision-making, and what might be involved in seeking to create one. The process of seeking a social licence is not the same as trying to create public or community acceptance for a project whose boundaries and aims have already been fully defined prior to engagement. Such attempts to “capture” the public might be successful from time to time but their legitimacy is open to question especially where their engagement with alternative research futures is “thin”. Contrasting a national dialogue on stem cells with the early history of research into bioenergy, we argue that social licence activities need to be open to a “thicker” engagement with the social. Co-constructing a licence suggests a reciprocal relationship between the social and the scientific with obligations for public and private institutions that shape and are shaped by science, rather than just science alone.

Good clinical practice (GCP): A universal call for ethics in biomedical research

Today, the principles of good clinical practice (GCP) form such an integral part of the development of new medicines that they could easily be taken for granted. Yet, the road to a universal code of ethics in human experimentation is paved with tragedies which have only gradually led to tightened rules on human experimentation. Awareness of the historical roots of GCP helps explain that GCP, rather than representing a seemingly endless series of regulations, finally provides an international ethical and scientific quality standard designed to protect the rights and safety of individuals consenting to participate in clinical trials and to ensure the integrity and credibility of clinical research data. For medical writers, familiarity with the principles of GCP, which in the European Union are now a legal obligation, is an essential prerequisite for providing documentation in compliance with the ethical and scientific principles of GCP: not only are medical writers expected to frame clinical research into a language that enables independent assessors to evaluate the methodological validity of a study and the safety and efficacy of a given drug, they also compose documents that may be instrumental in assuring the rights and safety of clinical trial participants.

Baby Boy Singh

Baby Boy Singh

Journalism Ethics in Multinational Family: “When in the EU, Should One Do as the EU Journalists Do?”

This essay reviews a number of issues regarding self-regulation and professional ethics which journalists across Europe might face in the scaling down of national borders. The dilemma of whether a pan-European ideal standards code of ethics can help journalists when working across borders and encountering other traditions is explored by referring to Slovenia, one of the new European Union (EU) members. Presenting a critique of the traditional professionalization concept, cogent arguments are found for rejecting a universal code of ethics. By acknowledging the limitations and even deficiencies of such codified morality, a journalist's responsibility is emphasized and a different concept of ethics is indicated. Ethical journalists in this international context must focus on responsibility, positive tolerance, and empathy that transcends mere obedience to a code. The EU citizen's ethics rather than EU professional ethics should be advanced, based on universal principles and grounded in personal responsibility.

The Ethics of Marketing Faith-Based Commodities

From an ethical perspective, the problem of money in religion in the Western media is as confused as the problem of ideology and concepts of religious purity in Middle Eastern media. The profitability of faith-based entertainment, news, and multi-media commodities burgeoning within the past several years, has reaped unprecedented profits just as global fundamentalist religious conflict has intensified. In this climate, one cannot look upon faith-based commodities as merely benign; nor can we assume that producers of religious subjects in media are operating within ethical principles.Recent global best-selling books such as the Left Behind series which use religious beliefs in end-times prophecies popular among some Evangelicals, the DaVinci Code book and film which use anti-Christian portrayals in the conspiracy thriller, the decision by the Danish press to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed which violated religious prohibitions among Muslim nations and led to widespread riots, the National Geographic's use of the Gospel of Judas, a manuscript of questionable provenance, as a featured cover story and television documentary, and the film The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, widely construed to be anti-semitic, all point to the need to examine how mass media products, in all forms of media, abide by or violate a sense of principled ethical conduct by the producers. As these recent productions demonstrate, faith-based commodities, whether designed as entertainment or news, can cause conflict, exclude, offend, and disseminate hatred for what Martin Marty called the religious stranger as menace.1 A universal Code of Ethics should uphold the central principle of ethical conduct that religious marketing should not violate the integrity of the Stranger's religion.2Given the contemporary climate or religious conflict, it would be difficult to argue that a person's religion serves as judge of ethical principles. Unlike other professional media associations, there is no Code of Ethics for marketing religious identity, especially where it may violate the media ethics of world religions, or where religious bias, bigotry, or animosity against the Stranger might increase the profitability of such products.This article proposes that there ought to be a new global standard for the ethical uses of media, especially where religious or anti-religious attitudes are embedded. That standard ought to be restrained by what the Dalai Lama's Ethics for the New Millennium dubs a secular or pluralistic, universalist Code.3 That Code would recommend the following:* Distribution of profits from selling religiously themed products should be just.* Profits from religiously themed entertainment media should be shared by producers with the poor, at least to the extent of a tithe, reflecting ethical principles of Community and Social Responsibility in a world of vast economic differences between the first and third worlds.* Respect for sacred places and religious geography should be upheld.* Forgiveness and reparations should be advocated over revenge, as Abrahamic traditions and Buddhist philosophy suggest.* One should refrain from use of pseudo-events, faux-history, and fictitious characters depicted as facts.* Negative portrayals of religions should be granted equal time to reply and refute implications contrary to the fact.* Tribalism and sectarianism should be de-emphasized in favor of humanism, and the principles of the global community of many faiths and multiple tribes.* Products should not denigrate or attack, disseminate negative images or cause conflict among religions, upholding principles of nonmalfeasance.* Common values of the productivity of human life, spirit, and dignity should be emphasized rather than of universal consumption necessary for materialism.* Fiction, history, non-fiction and news should be clearly labeled so they are differentiated from propaganda or ideological language. …

Who is responsible?

One important aspect of training students and young scientists is to provide them with core competencies that help them to become successful researchers and prepare for the job market outside research and academia. However, the current paradigm of training through research or for research largely fails to fulfil this requirement. By and large, it focuses on training students for a life in academic research and teaches students little that could be of help later outside academia. To improve the professionalism of staff to support the students' learning experience, the current training paradigm—based on the master–apprentice model—needs a major overhaul to move towards a model whereby both students and their supervisors cooperate and learn from each other. > In any other arena, the behaviour of supervisors and their virtual malpractice would certainly fall into the category of ‘professional misconduct’ Universities are under more pressure than ever to train graduates with a broader set of skills. Yet, graduate education in the sciences has changed very little. Despite repeated calls for change from the private sector and professional bodies, higher education still focuses largely on preparing young scholars for a career in academia, which can ultimately only offer employment to a minority of today's scientists and engineers. As a result, many young scientists are facing uncertain career prospects and lack a wider range of skills and competencies, which they often cannot or do not learn from their supervisors or university courses. For many years in Europe, various reports have been calling for changes. In May 2005, the British Government proposed a “universal ethical code for researchers”, which, among other things, calls on researchers to “[a]ct with skill and care in all scientific work”, to maintain skills and assist their development in others, to “[s]eek to discuss the issues that science raises for society” and …

Fashioning Fashion for Good: Working Towards a Universal Code of Ethics and Social Responsibility in the Fashion World

Fashioning Fashion for Good: Working Towards a Universal Code of Ethics and Social Responsibility in the Fashion World

A uniform code of ethics

Business and IT professionals have enough in common that they can share a universal code of ethics.

Globalizing Media Ethics?An Assessment of Universal Ethics Among International Political Journalists

In response to recent scholarship on the need for universal professional values, a call that has intensified in the post-9/11 world, this article reports how journalists in Asia and the Middle East conceptualize universal professional values and the possible impact of a universal ethics code. In general, the journalists interviewed for this study were suspicious of a Western-imposed set of values or a code. However, they agreed on a core set of values, ones that de-emphasized truth telling in relation to respect and the need to maintain a community. They also emphasized that different political systems make the implementation of a universal code problematic. However, there was great agreement on the need for such discussion within the profession and on the commonalities such discussion reveals.

Ethics, Culture, and Psychiatry: International Perspectives

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book Forum: International ViewsFull AccessEthics, Culture, and Psychiatry: International PerspectivesROBERT CANCRO, M.D., ROBERT CANCROSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., New York, N.Y.Published Online:1 Sep 2003https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.160.9.1712AboutSectionsView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail As psychiatry emerges from the Decade of the Brain engulfed by almost daily developments in neuroscience, it is easy to forget that ethics is at the heart of all medical practice. Rapid scientific developments can obscure the more important role of ethics. The editors of this volume are to be congratulated for recognizing and fulfilling an obligation to the field.Psychiatric ethics suffers from the fact that ethical values differ among cultures. That which is highly valued in one setting may not be highly valued in another. The editors have addressed this problem by inviting experts from different cultural backgrounds to present culturally relevant material. It often seems to the practitioner of psychiatry that ethical practice is simple—just do the right thing! Reading these chapters is humbling in that it becomes quite clear that what is the right thing in one culture is not in another. This does not mean that there are no generally agreed-on fundamentals, but there are many, many important variations.The editors reserve some chapters for specific topics such as informed consent. These specific areas are complex, and the authors do an excellent job of presenting the material in a measured and thoughtful, as well as thought-provoking, fashion. The reader will leave this volume not only better informed but also stimulated to reflect on these important issues.An example may help to illustrate the complexity of the problems faced. In many parts of the West it is considered unethical to perform a placebo-controlled trial if there is in fact an effective treatment. Recently, an HIV trial was to be conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the problem of AIDS is pandemic. The investigators wished to find out if significantly lower than usual doses of retroviral medications would be more effective than placebo. If in fact this were true, the cost of treatment could be markedly reduced. Was it ethical to withhold the treatment from the placebo control group? Are the potential results of sufficient importance to override these concerns? Clearly, thoughtful individuals could differ in their conclusions. There will always be a tension between the rights of the individual and the rights of the group.There is one issue that is omnipresent in the volume but never resolved. Is there a universal, unchanging Code of Ethics—whether God-given or arrived at by human consensus—or is there an evolving code that varies as a function of time and place? Students of ethics disagree on this question, yet its importance is real. Perhaps the best resolution is to recognize that there are components of a universal Code of Ethics that will be applied differently in different settings as a function of culture and resources but that other components will vary dramatically over time.Edited by Ahmed Okasha, Julio Arboleda-Florez, and Norman Sartorius. Washington, D.C., American Psychiatric Publishing, 2000, 227 pp., $37.00. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byNone Volume 160Issue 9 September 2003Pages 1712-1712 Metrics History Published online 1 September 2003 Published in print 1 September 2003

Book Review: Practical nursing philosophy: the universal ethical code

Book Review: Practical nursing philosophy: the universal ethical code

A Paradigm for Development and Promulgation of a Global Code of Marketing Ethics

This paper provides a paradigm for evaluating the factors that affect the development of a global code of ethics in marketing. Based on a review of the literature pertaining to global codes of ethics, we examined the potential for the development and acceptance of a universal code of ethics in the international marketing arena. Towards that end, we suggest that any global code of ethics in marketing should consider two levels – normative guidelines and specific behaviors. A discussion detailing the factors that can impede the development of such a two-tiered code is included as well. Those factors being moral reasoning, organizational ethical climate, level of economic development and cultural dimensions. Finally, the feasibility and the possible outcomes of a global code of ethics in marketing is examined.

Collegial professionalism: the academy, individualism, and the common good

This text raises questions about ethics in higher education. Is higher educations's emphasis on faculty scholarship and individualism forcing colleagues to focus on competing with one another, rather than on the successes or failures of their students? Are faculty members becoming dissatisfied with their roles? The author discusses the malaise currently plaguing the academy, including the contributing behaviour and beliefs of faculty members. He says the competitive and autonomous collegiate environment results in unhappy faculty and disjointed departments. He proposes changes in the academy to improve ethics in higher education, including: adoption of a universal code of ethics; possible elimination of college majors; public access to private research; collaboration and interaction between faculty members in the development of similar courses to stimulate ideas and eliminate repetition; honest faculty member evalutations through implementation of uniform standards; public recognition of faculty members who contrubute to the common good of higher education; and rotation of the department chair position among faculty members. In his epilogue, Bennett ponders the future of higher education and suggests how globalization, deregulation and telecommunications will challenge the institution's authority and traditional existence.

Why An International Code of Business Ethics Would Be Good for Business

Many international business training programs present a viewpoint of cultural relativism that encourages business people to adapt to the host country's culture. This paper presents an argument that cultural relativism is not always appropriate for business ethics; rather, a code of conduct must be adapted which presents guidelines for core ethical business conduct across cultures. Both moral and economic evidence is provided to support the argument for a universal code of ethics. Also, four steps are presented that will help ensure that company ethical standards are followed internationally.