What Are Conflicts of Interest?
A conflict of interest is an ethical dilemma involving a public official, an employee or a professional who has a private interest that might influence their judgment.
Conscientious professionals seek to avoid such situations whenever possible, but it is not always easy to spot and manage conflicts of interest. Often, they come up innocently. In this article, we will discuss about Which of The Following is True About Conflicts Of Interest ?
1. They are a form of bias
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual has a preexisting relationship that can influence their decision-making or research activities. They can be financial, non-financial, or both.
Bias is the tendency to favor one group over another, either explicitly (overt and conscious) or implicitly (automatic, ambiguous, and ambivalent). These biases can be emotional, cognitive, or behavioral.
People often have prejudice against groups outside of their own social group, showing biases such as racial or ethnic prejudice. They can also have a bias against people of certain religions or sexual orientations.
For example, in the US, some people have a conscious and explicit racial bias against blacks. However, many people have a bias against a particular group of people even if they do not have any outward displays of racism.
Some studies have shown that people have a more subtle, unexamined bias towards people of a particular race or ethnicity than they may think. They will be less warm and welcoming towards people of that group than they would be with a different group, and will also have a stronger tendency to see that group as angry or threatening.
These ‘hidden’ biases can be hard to notice or ignore, especially in the 21st century when social group categories are more complex. But if you can identify them, it will be easier to take steps to eliminate them.
A good start is to understand your own biases and the ways in which they affect your life. Consider taking a test such as Harvard’s popular Implicit Association Test to figure out which of your perceptions are governed by unconscious biases.
Having a clear understanding of your own biases will help you to avoid acting on them and making decisions that are uninformed. It will also allow you to develop strategies for overcoming them.
A conflict of interest can lead to bias in the results of an individual randomized trial and in the conclusions drawn from a meta-analysis based on the results of included studies. For a trial, this risk of bias is often influenced by a number of factors, including the design of the trial and the way in which the study was conducted. It is important to assess this bias before presenting the results of the trial in a publication or meta-analysis.
2. They are a form of self-dealing
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or institution is subject to two coexisting interests that are in direct conflict. This situation is of utmost importance because it can affect how the person or institution makes decisions. In this way, the process of decision making can be disrupted and compromised in a way that is detrimental to the integrity or reliability of the outcomes.
A financial conflict of interest, also called a self-dealing conflict of interest, is when an individual or organization conducts transactions in their own best interest and violates their fiduciary duty. It may be a breach of trust or a violation of the law, and it can result in penalties and even termination of employment.
An example of a self-dealing conflict is when a trustee acts in a way that benefits him or herself rather than their beneficiaries or clients. This can happen in many ways, but it’s most often seen when a trustee uses their position to benefit themselves or their own financial interests.
It can also occur when an employee accepts gifts from external interested parties in order to gain a competitive edge or promote their business to other customers. This is especially problematic in the business world, as it can influence a person’s judgment and lead to bad decisions.
In the case of government officials, it is illegal for them to use their positions to obtain private gain or influence a public matter in a way that directly conflicts with their duties. This includes: attempting to use their office to influence their political opponent; taking bribes for favors or contracts with government entities; using public resources to benefit themselves, family members, and associated businesses; and creating or allowing privileges, exemptions, advantages, or treatment that would be in violation of the law.
In addition to the monetary cost, a self-dealing conflict can negatively impact other areas of a person’s life. It can negatively impact their career, personal relationships, and even their health. It can also be an infringement of their privacy and their freedom of expression.
3. They are a form of corruption
Conflicts of interest are a form of corruption that can occur when people in positions of power use their powers to gain personal benefits or pursue private interests at the expense of the public. This can take many forms, such as insider trading, nepotism and gift exchanges.
In some cases, individuals with conflicts of interest will even take advantage of their position by bribing others to do business for them. These types of actions are illegal and can result in a person losing their job.
A person who has a conflict of interest can also be a target of extortion. This can happen when the individual breaches their duty to their employer and doesn’t notify them of their situation.
The law states that employees must notify their immediate supervisor if they have any conflict of interest or potential conflicts in their role. This notification should be made no later than the next working day.
If a person doesn’t report the issue, they could face disciplinary action or criminal charges. It is important for a manager to understand what a conflict of interest is and how it can be detected and managed.
For example, an executive who uses privileged information to boost their stock portfolio before announcing a company’s acquisition may be violating the law and putting the corporation in financial jeopardy. This type of self-dealing is illegal, so the company can sue the person for damages if they find out about it.
Nepotism is another form of corruption that involves a person who awards benefits or jobs to their family members based on their relationship with the owner. This is also called the revolving door effect.
It can be hard to determine whether a conflict of interest is illegal. In most cases, however, these practices are unethical and can be grounds for a lawsuit.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has compiled a number of resources and guidelines related to the topic of conflicts of interest in public offices. This includes information on the different types of conflicts, how to prevent them and how to identify them.
4. They are a form of discrimination
The conflict between an individual’s private, personal interests and their professional obligations can affect their ability to discharge those duties. This can be a form of discrimination, as it could cause someone to make a decision that benefits their interests instead of the institution they work for.
An example of a conflict of interest is insider trading, in which an executive at a company learns information about another company that they are able to use for their own financial benefit. This type of situation is not only illegal, but it can also have a negative impact on the business and its reputation.
A more serious conflict of interest is nepotism, which occurs when a person with power at a company awards favors, benefits or job opportunities to their family members. This can create a problem for coworkers and supervisors, as they may be reluctant to give a true assessment of the family member’s qualifications.
Nepotism can also lead to romantic relationships between people of authority and people under their supervision. This can lead to favoritism and the potential for special treatment in hiring, promotion or lenient treatment when employees fail to meet expectations.
Often, these conflicts are not a problem when an individual puts their professional duties first, but it can be when they take their private interests into account. This could be a way for them to avoid being held accountable for their actions.
For example, a supervisor at Tufts cannot accept gifts from external entities as it may be considered a conflict of interest. This is because it would cause the supervisor to feel that they are beholden to the entity and could give them the power to coerce their employee.
In addition, it might affect the way they conduct their duties or act on behalf of Tufts. For example, if a supervisor is asked by an outside vendor to review and recommend changes to a product, the supervisor might not be willing to comply because it might be interpreted as favoring the vendor’s interests over those of Tufts.
In any situation where a person is asked to make decisions that may be incompatible with their personal interests, the individual should not hesitate to report the conflict. This will allow others to avoid a similar situation in the future and help ensure that all parties are treated fairly and equally.
