I can resonate with your article, particularly with your point on data manipulation. I once had a boss who wanted me to shave research data so that the chairman/owner would not come up with a position that was different from what she wanted. It didn’t sit too well with her when I told her upfront that I was not in favor of that move. It appears that in an environment strongly driven by profit, it is just too easy to lose one’s integrity. I have worked in banks, advertising agencies, and academic institutions; and I can say with certainty that the most principled people I have met, as well as the kindest and most courteous ones, come from the academe.
I can resonate with your article, particularly with your point on data manipulation. I once had a boss who wanted me to shave research data so that the chairman/owner would not come up with a position that was different from what she wanted. It didn’t sit too well with her when I told her upfront that I was not in favor of that move. It appears that in an environment strongly driven by profit, it is just too easy to lose one’s integrity. I have worked in banks, advertising agencies, and academic institutions; and I can say with certainty that the most principled people I have met, as well as the kindest and most courteous ones, come from the academe.