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Business Research Ethics Introduction Standards or norms that guide an individual’s behavior and moral choices about the relationship he or she has with others are business ethics. Parties must demonstrate ethical behavior in business research, so no one is harmed or suffer adverse consequences (Cooper & Schindler, 2003). Researchers and sponsors must follow codes and regulations and use review boards and peer groups to check research proposals for ethical dilemmas. A good researcher expects ethical dilemmas and initiates to adjust the design, procedure, and protocol during the planning process (Cooper & Schindler, 2003). Balance ethical research is a design that includes participant’s rights protected and the sponsor receives ethical conduct and reports credible research. The design must follow ethical standards, protect the safety of the researcher and team, and ensure the research team follows the design (Cooper & Schindler, 2003). Although practicing ethical behavior is the golden rule, unethical behavior creeps into the business sector like the case of Firm Networking and Bribery in China. The Unethical Behavior Involved A key element of China’s economic emergence is openness of international trade exposure and inter-firm networking. China implemented market reforms and opening-up policy over 30 years ago; however, this move cause increased incidence of bribery and corruption. China moved from a central planning to a market-driven economy. This economic transition advanced China’s openness to the world and successfully guaranteed integration and prominence of China in the global economic system (Shafer, 2007). China is important in contemporary economic and business research because of rapid economic growth and the important role it plays in the world market (Dunfee &Warren, 2011). This economic transition has increased pervasiveness of corruption and bribery as a problematic phenomenon. The Injured Parties Individual firms join forces in China to start business networks; however, ethical issues, culture norms, and some tensions escalated within these networks. This was the beginning of unethical business and corruption in China open market. In china these networks are call guanxi. Some guanxi networks have a business relationship connection between organizations and government agencies and officials that supports their behavior. The best way for organizations to enter China business sector is through guanxi-based networks that offer bribes to enter China markets. In modern China guanxi is a network accused of illicit payments and bribery. Open competitions and free market weaken with illegitimate intentions of gift given in society and economy (Xin & Pearce, 1996). Gifts given to politicians and bureaucrats in return for unauthorized benefits in terms of information, resources, privileges, or permits are examples of bribery. Stakeholders of individual organizations and their customers and suppliers that did not associate with guanxi networks are injured parties, and they did not enter China open market. The Unethical Behavior Effects on the Organization, Individual, and Society Positive and negative results came from unethical behavior in reformed China. Government central control lessened, increased privatization or government-owned businesses, international trade, and foreign investments are some micro-economic reforms that occurred (Dunfee & Warren, 2011). China gave openness to the global competitive market; however, Chinese businesses face increased competitive pressures both internally and globally (Dunfee & Warren, 2011). Managers who seek relational advantages with guanxi network through bribery receive relational rents not available to their competitors. Conflicts between the formal rule of law and informal rule were interpersonal relationships based on traditional guanxi networks. This resulted in economic growth, economic networking, and increased competition (Dunfee & Warren, 2011). Unethical behavior in china caused guanxi-based networks to expand in china. Some organizations try to justify the unethical payments and blame the government weak transitional laws in china for their behavior. The Unethical Behavior Avoided or Resolved A common custom in China is gift giving that is used to communicate Confucian positive virtues, such as caring, respect, friendship, trust, and reciprocity between parties, but some gift-giving are misused and distorted behaviors (Steidlmeier, 1999). The institutional weaknesses of the bureaucratic barriers and the lack of transparency of laws in the transitional phase of china created encouragement for guanxi- based networks. These are important motives driving the corrupt practices and bribery behaviors in china. The descriptive statistics of the research results of networking and bribery propensity indicated firms engaged in inner-firm networking is 19% and firms with propensity toward firm-level bribery is 22% . The government and institutional support believes with more institutional transparency and government assistant instead of hindrance from agencies bribery will decline. In conclusion, China’s openness to the world created economic growth, increased networking, bribery, and corruption. The challenge of keeping integrity and ethical behavior becomes difficult for managers and organizations when unethical behavior is accepted by government and other officials. The correct approach to take under these conditions is to perform a business research of the problems and hope that exposing the misconduct will bring change to the unethical issue(s). References Cooper D.R., Schindler P.S., University of Phoenix. (2003). Research in Business. Retrieved from Cooper D.R., Schindler P.S., University of Phoenix, BUS/351 website. Dunfee, T. W., & Warren, D. E. (2001). Is guanxi ethical' A normative analysis of doing business in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 32,191–204. Shafer, W. E., Fukukawa, K., & Lee, G. M. (2007). Values and the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility: The U.S. versus China. Journal of Business Ethics, 70, 265–284. Steidlmeier, P. (1999). Gift giving, bribery and corruption: Ethical management of business relationships in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 20, 121–132. Xin, K. R., & Pearce, J. L. (1996). Guanxi: Connections as substitutes for formal institutional support. Academy of Management Journal, 39(6), 1641–1658.