There is another form of conflict, which may or may not involve financial matters. This is the conflict of obligation to usually incompatible constituencies. This conflict can develop because the researcher has not fully disclosed an existing relationship which puts the researcher into a partisan position. The conflict can develop in the open, as well, with the fulcrum of conflict being the inability of the researcher to divest him or herself of the partisanship.
For example, one would not expect Ralph Nader to be a kind spokesperson for General Motors Corporation, since he more or less single-handedly forced the Chevrolet Corvair out of production. The question of why GM would even consider hiring Nader might be answerable in terms of a strategy of co-optation, although this is clearly a hope against history. The question of why Nader would take the spokesperson job is fraught with conflict. Nader's credibility would plummet were he to take the job. A researcher in similar circumstances would experience the same problem and erode the confidence of fellow researchers in his or her work.
| Back | Next |
