Chapter 4Business Communication And The

Ethical Context

A. Background to Ethical Context Ethical Situations Ethics As a Communication Issue Ethics in Corporations – An Historical View

B. Communication on Ethical Issues Legal Issues Key Areas for Ethical Communication Ethics and Organizational Responsibility

C. Influences on Personal Ethics People Culture Philosophy Law Religion

Outline

Background to Ethical Context

Ethical Situations

Ethics As a Communication Issue

Ethics in Corporations–A Historical View

Background to Ethical Context

Ethical Situations

An Ethical dilemma is a complex situation that often involves an apparent mental conflict between moral imperatives, in which to obey one would result in transgressing another. This is also called an ethical paradox.

Making ethical decisions is relatively easy when all the facts of a situation are known.

Background to Ethical ContextEthics As a Communication Issue

We communicate our values and beliefs to others via verbal and nonverbal behavior.

We are defined in the eyes of others according to the way we behave.

We also need to communicate to others the importance and necessity of good ethics.

It follows that we have a responsibility to act in ways that promote honesty and fairness to maximize the personal worth of each person in the organization

Background to Ethical ContextEthics in Corporations – A Historical View

Companies have long fought the battle of corporate corruption. Because corporations are run by people and no human being is morally perfect, ethical issues are bound to arise. How these issues are handled is the best indicator of a corporation’s ethical commitment. Establish ethically moral behavior in your corporation by taking the task seriously.

When company executives behave unethically, that behavior often ends up in the news. While most companies have ethics policies, they don't necessarily enforce or even follow them. By incorporating ethics into the very heart of the business and reinforcing the idea of ethical behavior, businesses can run efficiently, legally and ethically.

Communication and Ethical Issues

Legal Issues

Key Areas for Ethical Communication

Ethics and Organizational Responsibility

Communication and Ethical IssuesLegal Issues

Communicating ethically in the business arena challenges you on several levels.Legal issues have an impact on you personally and on the organization to which you belong.

Legal issues in business communications become more complex with the advancing improvement to technology. Use of new devices increases efficiency and allows for more productivity, but it also raises legal concerns as a business worries about the erosion of privilege, interception of data or storage of communications.

Communication and Ethical Issues

Key Areas for Ethical Communication

Ethical treatment of a subject takes time, thought, and preparation. As a manager. It is important for you to focus on ethical communication in three key areas:

Personal Written and Spoken Messages

Cross-Cultural Messages

Advertising Messages

Communication and Ethical Issues Key Areas for Ethical CommunicationPersonal Written and Spoken MessagesYour messages, both written and spoken, demonstrated not only the message, you intended but also a message regarding your values and integrity. Use the guidelines to evaluate your purpose and motives in each situations.The guidelines are:1.Message purpose2.Research methods3.Selection of material4.Development of ideas5.Use of language6.Ethical context7.Self-analysis

Communication and Ethical Issues Key Areas for Ethical CommunicationCross-Cultural MessagesNever before have so many people from different cultures lived and worked together.The world has become a global village, and the work force reflects that diversity. Because we have such different customs and ways of communicating, it is natural that misunderstandings occur in the workplace.The cross-cultural ethical outline will help you assess your ethicality in multicultural situations.Cross-Cultural Ethical Guidelines:1.Cultural context2.Misunderstandings3.Language4.Accountability

Communication and Ethical IssuesKey Areas for Ethical CommunicationAdvertising MessagesIt is ethically wrong to advertise products in ways that confuse. Whether promoting a college jazz event, a gateway weekend, or a line of products for a multimillion dollar company, the rule for ethical advertising is consistent:Tell the truth, don’t misrepresent , and don’t manipulate language to create a false impression.Ethical Guidelines for Advertising:1.Language2.Graphics/print3.Omission4.Truth5.Accountability

Communication and Ethical IssuesEthics and Organizational ResponsibilityBusiness corporations exists for one reason: to make money . Today, however, corporations are mindful of their corporate social responsibility, or CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), also known as their "triple bottom line," which includes a concern for profits, but also an ethical treatment of people and the world in which we live. Proponents of CSR models say that businesses are actually more profitable when they employ high CSR standards, but that idea is still disputed by some corporate and financial analysts.

EnvironmentHuman RightsCommunity DevelopmentEmployee Welfare

Influence on Personal EthicsPeople

Culture

Philosophy

Law

Religion

Influence on Personal Ethics People

Your family played a large part in shaping your personal ethics.

Your family member and friends exert strong influence on your ethics.

Teacher, especially when you were younger, may have laid the foundation for ethical decisions.

Personal ethics is strongly influence people around him including ,parent ,family ,teacher etc.

Influence on Personal Ethics Culture

Culture is an integral part of every society.

It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life.

Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit sense of the term, culture constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. Culture is way of life.

A culture is a way of life that is based on beliefs and values, such as art, food, dance, rituals, religion, etc

Influence on Personal Ethics

Philosophy

Theories of philosophy have long been concerned with ethical and moral issues.

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, truth, justice, beauty, validity, mind and language.

A personal philosophy statement serves as an introduction to you, focusing more on your beliefs and values than on life experiences and biographical data.

Influence on Personal Ethics

Law

Laws, some argue, represent the minimum standard of behavior.

Law is a set of rules in society set by the government in order to maintain control.

Law of state has much and more influence one personal ethics.

Acting ethically mean following the law.

Influence on Personal Ethics

Religion

Religion is belief in super natural and divine power or powers and how we relate to them. It comprises of belief and practice.

Religious traditions give instructions to followers about what's right and wrong. That is, belief systems define what is or isn't ethical. In some religions, unethical behavior is punished and ethical behavior is rewarded. In other religions, teachings provide guidelines for ethics, but leave latitude for the believer to interpret what is ethical and what isn't.

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