Frictions of Industry Praxis: Ethical Engagement and the Limits of Consumer Empathy

Recent decades have witnessed a growing reliance on ethnographic methods in consumer research to bring cross-functional teams “closer” to their consumers and promote empathy. However, involving clients in ethnographic fieldwork presents new challenges for ethnographic consultants whose ethical commitments and disciplinary training may differ from that of client teams. This article considers the challenges of involving clients in fieldwork, particularly when it involves marginalized populations and/or sensitive, even taboo, discussion topics. I explore the “friction of entrenched praxis” (Chesluk and Youngblood 2023) in industry ethnography, focusing on two of its norms: the prevailing discourse of consumer empathy and the involvement of clients in ethnographic fieldwork. Through reference to a project in which I participated as a qualitative market researcher, I raise critical questions for anthropologists working in industry to consider when evaluating the ethical dimensions of client involvement. To this end, I encourage setting non-negotiable boundaries to protect the participants.