Conflict of interest: its relationship to integrity in the academic setting

Conflict of interest is an issue not only for business leaders, government officials, and researchers, but also academicians. As an ethical issue, conflict of interest involves competing interests as well as raises questions related to an individual's integrity. A case is used to discuss these ethical issues in the academic setting. Recommendations are provided to prevent, reduce, or avoid these ethical tensions, with particular attention to the development of policies to support institutional and, thereby, personal and professional relationships among faculty and students.