BUSINESS COMMUNICATION & THE ETHICAL CONTEXT

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION & THE ETHICAL CONTEXT

Communication of our values & beliefs through our Verbal and Nonverbal behavior.

Our responsibility is to act and behave with honesty & fairness.

We must maximize the personal worth of each person.Ethics As a Communication Issue

*

Imperative that we communicate to others the importance of good ethics.

Importantly, in a Responsible Business Enterprise, it is corporate leaders & managers who set a corporations ethical tone.

Demonstration of corporate values through leaders actions.

Corrosive, manipulative, devious or honest, open & willing to admit possible failures?

The ethics of an organization are only as good as the integrity of the people who belong to it.

People

Culture

Philosophy Descriptive ethics & Normative ethics

Law

Religion

Influences on Personal Ethics

Legal Issues:Defamation Individual PrivacyHarassmentPlagiarismCopyrightBribe & CorruptionETHICAL DILEMMA

Communication & Ethical Issues

A primary cultural characteristic of an organization is the extent to which knowledge is shared.

The elements of a business ethics program must be communicated within the organization.

Communicating Business Ethics

Essential to develop an effective communications program. A program that delivers a clear & consistent message regarding responsible business enterprise.

Inclusion of all employees, agents & all other stakeholders as appropriate to the corporation.

Personal Written & Spoken messages- Message purpose, Research methods, Selection of material, Development of ideas, Use of language, Ethical context, Self-analysis

Cross-Cultural Messages- Cultural context, Misunderstanding, Language, Accountability

Advertising Messages- Language, Graphic/Print, Omission, Truth, AccountabilityKey Areas for Ethical Communication

Message Purpose: If my purpose is accomplished, will it be in the best interests of my listeners? Will a small group benefit or will the larger organization/society be served? Do I have any hidden agenda that affect my purpose?Research Methods: Are my sources reliable, recent and unbiased? Was my research thorough? Have I gathered information from all avenues that is relevant to my subject/purpose?Guidelines for Spoken & Written Messages

Selection of material: Is the information chosen suitable to communicate my ideas fairly & accurately? Are my sources representative of the information available on my topic? Have I avoided the propaganda technique of card stacking(omitting relevant opposing information)?Development of ideas: Have I relied too heavily on emotional appeals? Is my logic & reasoning sound? Have I avoided propaganda techniques that omit, exaggerate, or distort information? Is my information accurate & relevant?Use of language: Am I easily understood by my listeners? Is my language specific, concrete & appropriate? Are there ambiguities, abstractions on loaded words? Does my language show respectfor my listeners?

Ethical Context: Have I considered the listeners values, feelings and attitudes in my messages? Have I avoided using communication strategies that would take advantage of their role, status or background?Self-analysis: Do I feel comfortable with the purpose and development of my presentation? Do I sincerely believe that what I have communicated is important and true? Is the message within my ethical comfort zone?

Cultural Context: have I considered the other individuals values, feelings, and attitudes from his/her cultural point of view? Have I attempted to understand the context of the transaction from the other persons position? Do I believe that all the other people involved fully understand the context of the transaction and all its implications?Misunderstanding: Have I attempted and tried to correct any possible misunderstandings that might occur? Have I attempted to gain an understanding of the other partys culture and what their expectations might be?

Cross-Cultural Ethical Guidelines

Language: Have I used language that is clearly understood by others? Am I taking care not to use language & expressions that might be offensive to another culture? Am I aware of the nonverbal aspects of my message and the ways they might change the message in a different culture?Accountability: have I completely fulfilled my own standard for cross-cultural ethics? How would I feel if my family and friends knew all details of the transaction? Am I being fair to all involved? How would I feel if the events were published on the front page of the newspaper?

Language: Have I represented the product or event using clear, straight forward language, taking care not to make exaggerated claims? Can the product be taken at face value?Graphic/print: Do the graphics used in the advertising depict the product accurately? Is any of the significant information in fine print, or is it placed in an unobtrusive spot? If so, does this slant the customer's perception of the product?Omission: Have I omitted any key details that may affect the way the customer views the advertised product? Is significant information unstated? Would it change the customer's perception of the product if the information were included?Ethical Guidelines for Advertising

Truth: Does the product or event live up to the claims made in the advertising? Is it a quality product that can fulfill all the expectations of the customer?Accountability: Would I be comfortable if my advertising techniques were scrutinized by a customer products magazine and the results printed for the public to read? Would I want to have a face-to-face meeting with a group of customers who purchased my product?

Mission Statements & Ethical CodesProgram announcementsPublic MessagesCompany newslettersNew employee orientationEmployee Manual & Policy StatementsTraining programsPostersAnnual & Social Responsibility reportsSpeeches MeetingsFormal Ways of Communicating Ethics

Organizational Stories /Legends

Individual Attitudes & Values

Rituals

Customs

Symbolic ActsInformal Ways of Communicating Ethics

Ethics is a communication issue- Recognize it & act responsibly.

Make the right decision.

Set the right example for employees to follow.

Modeling ethical behavior is an important managerial tool.Conclusion