Action research in management - ethical considerations

This paper discusses the application of the guiding ethical principles for the conduct of research involving human subjects in an action research project in a membership based community psychiatric disability organisation. Action research is a collaborative process of critical inquiry between the researcher and the people in the situation, in this case the management executive. The ethical issues related to manager participants as participant-researchers, participant selection, consent, anonymity and confidentiality, and the process of conflict resolution in action research are identified and strategies implemented to address them are discussed.