Stakeholder-Beteiligung in der klinischen Forschung: eine ethische Analyse

Definition of the problem

Concepts of stakeholder engagement are well established in business ethics and medical ethics. However, current approaches tend to see it as an end in itself. Thereby, two important aspects are often neglected: first, the general normative presuppositions of stakeholder engagement; second, moral implications concerning different modes of communication.

Arguments

The present article argues that normative presuppositions of stakeholder engagement can be understood by reconstructing existing approaches. Here, three ethical theories are relevant: deontology, contractualism, and discourse ethics. Furthermore, stakeholder involvement is related to modes of communication that range from information to empowerment. Drawing upon the example of clinical research, we argue that these modes have different normative weight in relation to the respective stakeholder’s form of affectedness.

Conclusion

We show why it is important for bioethics to reflect on the particular relation of affectedness and modes of participation, and how this can be realized in practice.