Lecture 4 Communication & Ethics HC1021 Interpersonal and Electronic Communication (HF1004 Business Practice I) In Association With Ethics and Morality
Ethics is a set of moral principles and a code for behavior that govern an individual’s actions with other individuals and within society.
Morality is what people believe to be right and good, while ethics is a critical reflection about morality. Holmes 2011 Laws
Laws are brought about by tension, agitation and conflict by dramatic situations.
Laws are societal rules or regulations that are obligatory to observe. Holmes 2011 Comparing Law and Ethics
Law and ethics are different but related concepts.
Laws are mandatory to which all citizens must adhere or risk civil or criminal liability.
Ethics relate to morals and help us organise complex information and competing values and interests to formulate consistent and coherent decisions. Holmes 2011 The Identity Argument
Premise 1: What is understood to be morally right depends (at least in part) on one’s identity as a moral person.
Premise 2: Ones’ race, ethnicity and culture is central to one’s identity as a moral person.
Conclusion: Thus, what is understood to be morally right by an individual depends (at least in part) on that person’s race, ethnicity, and culture. Holmes 2011 Ethical Dilemma:
Value conflicts, no clear consensus as to the “right” thing to do. A conflict between moral obligations that are difficult to reconcile and require moral reasoning. Holmes 2011 Two questions when faced with a dilemma:
Behavior: What should I do?
Motivation: Why should I do it? Holmes 2011 Why Ethical Decisions Are Difficult
Close Call
New Problem
Conflicting Policies
Multiple Consultation
High Personal Cost
Outdated Policy or Procedure. Holmes 2011 Communicating Ethical Values
Key words or stories
Key decisions
Responses to letters and Questions
Written Philosophy
Code of Conduct
Policy statements
Performance evaluations systems
Rewards and penalties
Promotions
Education and training
Personal example Holmes 2011 Ethical Reasoning
Benefit-Harm Analysis; Does the good done to all parties by the present situation or by the proposed action outweigh the bad. (Ultimate Kindness) Holmes 2011 Ethical Reasoning
Rights and Principles Analysis: Does the present situation or proposed action respect the legitimate civil, human and contractual rights of all parties affected? Holmes 2011 Ethical Reasoning
Social Justice Analysis: Is the present situation or proposed action "fair" to all parties affected. If it treats people differently, is there a legitimate reason for treating them differently? Holmes 2011 Intercultural Ethical Dilemmas
When in Rome...
To what degree do you adapt to a host culture?
Are Cultural Values Relative or Universal?
Is it ever acceptable to judge the people of a culture when their behaviors are based on a radically different set of beliefs, values, and norms?
Do the Ends Justify the Means?
Should all intercultural contacts be encouraged? Holmes 2011 Ethical Dilemma: Deciding People’s Fate Holmes 2011 How goes down with the ship? You are on a sinking ship and there is only ONE lifeboat available. Posted on the side of the lifeboat is a sign which reads, “Maximum Occupancy” - 8 persons…this boat will sink if over occupied.” Standing on the deck and waiting on board the lifeboat are nine adults and one child. You must decide who dies. Be prepared to defend your decision. Persons on deck 1. You 2. A young mother and her infant son 3. A 75 year old retired physician 4. His 68 year old wife 5. A 17 year old, pregnant girl 6. (this counts as one person) 7. A professional athlete (male) 8. A member of the clergy 9. A middle aged school teacher and 10.Her husband, a banker Who Boards the Lifeboat? Why?
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. 1. You 2. A young mother and her infant son 3. A 75 year old retired physician 4. His 68 year old wife 5. A 17 year old, pregnant girl (counts as one person) 6. A professional athlete (male) 7. A member of the clergy 8. A middle aged school teacher and 9. Her husband, a banker Examples of Dishonest Business Communication  Abflex  Claim that 3 minutes per day on the machine will produce a “washboard stomach”  Publisher’s Clearing House  Use of large/small font sizes and tricky working to encourage recipients to believe they had won a prize and/or buying magazines increased changes of winning a prize.  Beach Nut  Sold baby apple juice with picture of apple on label but not apples were actually used in the vitamin-enhanced sugar water. Holmes 2011 Ethical Issues Exist When:  Violation of a behavioural norm  Intent/motive  Causing harm  Physical, financial, psychological  Individual, group, society  Higher standard for defenseless Holmes 2011 Five Common Ethical Traps  The false-necessity trap  Convincing yourself that you have no other choice  The dotrine of relative filth trap  Comparing your unethical behaviour with someone els’e even more unethical behaviour  The rationalisation trap  Justifying unethical actions with excuses  The self-deception trap  Euphemistic labeling, minimising perception of harm  The end justifies the means trap  Using unethical methods to accomplish a desirable goal Holmes 2011 Additional Ethical Traps  Displacement of responsibility or attribution of blame  Just following orders “He made me do it”  Diffusion of responsibility  If everyone is responsible, no one person is  Dehumanisation  Objectification, stereotyping (Arabs=terrorists) Holmes 2011 Goals of Ethical Communication  Telling the truth  NOT half truths  NOT exaggerations  NOT deceptions  Giving Credit  Referring originators names within the text  Using quotation marks  Documenting sources  Verbal credit for ideas from peers/subordinates Holmes 2011 Framework for Identifying & Resolving Ethical Issues Holmes 2011 Source: Dunn & Bradstreel Unethical distortion of data  Statistics  Surveys  In order to be valid surveys must represent a sufficiently large population  Must be worded clearly and fairly  Percentages  Averages  Graphics  Must use a valid data to base it’s decisions on  Photographs  Doctoring of photographs so that it is impossible to tell the real from the manipulated image  Presenting manipulated photos as ‘real’ Holmes 2011 Unethical Because?  Misrepresentation of data in technical writing is just as unethical as lying with words  The false representation could cause consumers to buy a product thinking it is capable of certain results when realistically it is not Holmes 2011 Ethical Communication = Honesty/Integrity “Being honest means more than not deceiving. For leaders within organisations, being honest means do not promise what you cannot deliver, do not misrepresent, do not hide behind spin- doctored evasions, do not suppress obligations, do not evade accountability, do not accept that the ‘survival of the fittest’ pressures of business release any of us from the responsibility to respect another’s dignity and humanity.” Dalla Costa The Ethical Imperative 1998 Holmes 2011