Chapter Three Ethics and Organizational Communication.

Chapter Three

Ethics and Organizational Communication

Chapter Objectives

• Explain why ethical considerations are foundational for organizational communication study.

• List several ethical decisions that communicators must make in organizational contexts.

• Explain the concept of strategic ambiguity and the perspectives for and against it.

• Compare your own criteria for ethical organizational communication with others.

• Identify methods that can be used to improve ethical decision making.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Ethics

Ethics is the study of right and wrong.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Ethics

• Honesty, credibility, and openness are important for effective organizational communication.

• Unethical choices can have drastic effects on an organization.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Ethical Decision Making

• W. Charles Redding suggests that credibility and openness are especially important for positive organizational climates.– Honest communication is needed for

an organization to remain open and trusted.

– A violation of trust can damage both the credibility of the organization and its open communication climate.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Ethical Decision Making

• Eric Eisenberg argued that being clear is not always smart in organizational contexts.

• He introduced the notion of “Strategic Ambiguity” which has gained acceptance by many organizational researchers and practitioners.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Strategic Ambiguity

• Strategic ambiguity refers to messages that are purposely vague to increase organizational or individual benefits.

• Strategically ambiguous message allow for multiple interpretations.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Purported Values of Strategic Ambiguity

Eisenburg and Goodall Jr. list four advantages of strategic ambiguity.1. Promotes unified diversity.2. Facilitates organizational change and creativity.3. Preserves privileged positions.4. Is deniable.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Arguments Against Strategic Ambiguity

• Not morally defensible.• Allows people the license to be

misleading.• Leads to damaged interpersonal

relationships.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Assessing Attitudes: What is Ethical

Communication?

1. Personal values.2. Personal experience. 3. Victimization.4. Perceptions of organizational

responsibility. Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Conclusions of a survey given to respondents suggests that what is considered ethical depends on:

Making Ethical Decisions

An organization should have policies in place that help members make ethical decisions. Specifically, organizations should:1. Establish a Code of Ethics and. . 2. Employ Ethical Yardsticks.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Requirements for Establishing a Code of

Ethics.1. The code needs to be well

thought out and functional.2. Guidelines need to be published

or easily accessed by all employees.

3. Top management needs to be committed to enforcing the code.

4. There needs to be a method of enforcement.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Employing Ethical Yardsticks: Four Rulers

for Consideration1. The categorical imperative:

– Assumes that there are universal absolutes regarding what is or is not ethical.

2. Utilitarianism: – Determines ethics by looking

at “collective happiness.”

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Employing Ethical Yardsticks: Four Rulers

for Consideration3. The veil of ignorance.

– Argues that decisions should be made with no consideration to political, financial, or role influence.

4. Aristotle’s golden mean.– Argues that for tough decisions,

people weigh the extremes and make decisions that fall between both extremes.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Conclusion

Ensuring ethical communication is worth the effort.

• It increases trust and loyalty to the organization.

• It helps foster creativity and a supportive work environment.

• It helps motivate employees to produce quality relationships.

• It can positively affect the “bottom line.”

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©