Spotlight on ethics: institutional review boards as systemic bullies

Abstract

Bullying, often considered an interpersonal or intergroup behaviour, has not been explored as an unintended artefact of organisational structure. Institutional review boards (IRBs), the ‘human research ethics committees’ at US universities, help oversee the protection of human research subjects, particularly in the social sciences within higher education, but are organisationally situated so that they often have unchecked power over research. Consequently, this essay utilises IRBs as a lens through which to explore systemic bullying. Though important components of academic institutions, considering IRBs as bullies may empower institutions to the address negative effects on researchers’ personal and professional well-being and the unchecked mission creep reported of many IRBs.

Keywords:

• bully
• ethics committees
• higher education research
• institutional review board
• intra-organisational communication
• IRB
• mission creep

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank three colleagues who (perhaps wisely) wish to remain anonymous for their feedback, insights and suggestions on the manuscript.