Ethical Issues in International Business Research

Abstract This article examines the ethical challenges in international business research, emphasizing how cultural diversity and socio-economic disparities intensify the risk of questionable and unethical practices. Various unethical practices are identified across stages of the research process, including conceptualization biases, data manipulation, and publication misconduct. Specific issues such as ethnocentric bias, idea theft, selective measurement, p-hacking, plagiarism, and coercive citation are critically discussed. Four approaches to enhance ethical research are proposed: researcher ethics, institutional ethics, professional ethics, and publication ethics. Intercultural sensitivity, transparency, and adherence to ethical guidelines are essential for the credibility and integrity of international business research.