I’ve been in many different situations recently wherein market research ethics became the topic of discussion. In my efforts to convince people that there are alternative behaviours which might be better, I heard many arguments trying to convince me otherwise. As you consider the excuses, think about these two questions.
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Does this response make our Market Research industry look good?
Will this response have legislators saying, “you can excuse market researchers from this legislation because they are doing a great job self-governing.”
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What I’m doing is fine because:
1. Hardly anyone was hurt
2. No one was hurt
3. Other people are doing it too
4. The other party involved has ulterior motives
5. It’s not illegal
6. The person I did it to won’t find out
7. No one complained about it
8. They can leave if they don’t like it
9. Everyone knows this is what’s happening
Have I missed any of the important responses? I need to know so that I’ll have them ready when I need a lame excuse.
The LoveStats Blog 
You got a problem with Rap music too?!?
🙂 Actually, I do. I’m a fan of celtic/folk music. Rap just doesn’t have the instrumentation, melody/harmony that suits my classical training.
Here are a few I have been told over the years:
11. You’re just not being pragmatic enough, its what is needed to get the job done
12. You’re not seeing the bigger picture
13. It’s just the way business is done these days
14 Results are always an interpretation anyway
15 Gee, you’re so rigid in how you interpret things, no one else would see it that way
16 Wow, are you naive. (which is really a short form for 1 through 9 aimed at belittling you into relative morality)
More good ones! I have so many to choose from now!
Ah, number nine. *sigh*
Great list (and an xkcd I haven’t seen before)
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Annie Pettit, Mike Donatello. Mike Donatello said: Love the graph! RT @LoveStats: Top 9 Lame Excuses to Behave Unethically #MRX http://wp.me/pow9s-16F […]
Thanks, Annie. Love that you can combine being good with good humor… sorry, humour!
My #10 would be, “Get out your glasses, and read the small print, greyed out, at the bottom of the page”. You can probably tell your post hit a nerve!
Frankie