Social Dynamics of Responsible-Use-of-Data in an Organisation: Enactment of Ethical Espoused Intentions in Practice and Learnings by an Insider Researcher
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2025
Open Access
Copyright Clearance Process
- Recently Added
- In Progress
- Open Access
This item is open access.
This research was conducted within a defined corporate setting in Australia. As an 'insider researcher' I was employed within the organisation in a role embedded within existing organisational practices and project methodology adopted for the development of a digital product. Adopting an ethnographic methodology, the research focused on understanding ethical decision making in a defined organisational context. Five key themes were identified that led to answering the research question of “what is the nature of the social dynamics that manifest in attempts to ensure ethical decision making within a defined corporate context?”. These themes show that, contrary to the rhetorical claims of the organisation’s policies, the espoused intention of ethical decision making was disregarded in practice in favour of political and individual interests.
This study shows that if ethical decision making is to manifest, frameworks and organisational structure alone are insufficient. Ethical decision making needs to be viewed as an indispensable value proposition.
Much of the extant research on this topic has adopted a positivist methodology, with few studies exploring the topic in an organisational setting. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge through findings that illuminate the socio-political dynamics that challenge the practice of ethical decision-making in organisations.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: