Ethics and Communication

Christine Butler

Ethics and Communication Paper

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Business Writing (GEB 3213)

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Course # 03197

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Fall 2017

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September 23, 2017

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 Ethics and Communication

Table of Contents

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Impact of Ethics in Communication
4. Relevance of the content toward ethics and communication
5. Consequences or impact to the subject, organization, and/or society
6. Importance of Ethics in Business
7. Reflection
8. Implication of lesson learned
9. Conclusion
10. References

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Abstract

This paper will discuss the importance of ethics and communication in business. I will
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evaluate the impact of Ethics in Communication, the consequences of performing unethical in

behaviors, the importance of Ethics in Business, and lastly the implication of what I learned

from the article. I will examine the results of the studies in these articles “Entrepreneur:

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 Ethics and Communication

Respecting Your Business's Ethics Policy Entrepreneur: Well, Honestly!, Boeing: Ethical

Business Conduct, An article from http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business/ethics/business-

ethics-meaning-sources-and-importance/64095/” and http://business-ethics.com/about/ as well

as elaborate off of the findings of the article.

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Introduction
I think that ethics in communication is very important in today’s society. In any business

or organization, I believe that the culture should incorporate an active way to reach out to the

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 Ethics and Communication

consumer and proper communication with the employees, managers etc... Structured

communication and ethics is considered a gift, and should not be taken advantage of. In an

organization’s environment it should be able to be given and received no matter what position

you may hold, when done correctly it helps management lead within the organization.

. Impacts of Ethics in Communication

The building blocks for a successful company used to be proper communication, quality

products and consistent financial returns. Most companies are focusing on societal factors

instead of business sense. Listening to customers’ needs, treating employees right and be

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profitable but not so that you get greedy and loose the consumer. These are all great ethical

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business practices of ethical communication and are very important to have a successful

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business. I believe that a business should act ethically while letting their stakeholders,
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shareholders, and employees know what they are doing and why. (Entrepreneur: Respecting
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Your Business's Ethics Policy)

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Relevance of the content toward ethics and communication

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An ethical consideration in business communication is completeness of information or

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content provided to the recipient. It is very unethical when some essential information is
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withheld by the sender. Such concealment of essential information may make a message

deceptive which may give the recipient information which may not be real or it may not be

reliable. Therefore, organizations should ensure that the information provided to others is

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 Ethics and Communication

complete and none of the aspects of the message are concealed or modified. (Entrepreneur:

Respecting Your Business's Ethics Policy)

Another important aspect of ethical communication is its neutral and politically correct

nature. A message should be drafted in a manner that does not offend the audience in any

manner. Before sending out any communication, the sender should give due consideration to

the social background of the recipient and avoid any phrases which may offend the recipient.

In addition to that, if the communication involves a bad news, it should not be given directly.

Such a message should be imparted indirectly and with such words that retain the goodwill

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between the sender and the recipient. (Entrepreneur: Respecting Your Business's Ethics Policy)

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Consequences or impact to the subject, organization, and/or society

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Ethical business practices are just good business. Companies use them to drive profits and
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force other companies to follow their lead and if they don’t the consequences or impacts are that

they will fall behind. They boost brand and enhance goodwill. These practices are important to a
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company’s consumers. The only way for companies to triumph in this environment is to shift
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their ways of thinking, to move from following proper ethics to operate. The impact is the

implementation and communication of strong ethical business practices. It requires

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companies focus less on rules and more on principles, and shift their cultures from ones of

compliance to those of value-based leadership. This means companies must acknowledge what
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their constituents are most passionate about and then build on those areas of shared interest.
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Using strategy and building ethical practices around them and use it to drive business results.
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(http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business/ethics/business-ethics-meaning-sources-and-

importance/64095/)

Importance of Ethics in Business

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 Ethics and Communication

In order for employees to effectively understand what the business considers to be ethical

practices, it has to be communicated effectively to employees. Ethical behavior should be

communicated daily to employees and that includes recognizing employees who have acted in

an ethical manner. This not only gives praise to those employees for a job well done, it helps to

set ethical standards for other employees in the business. (Boeing: Ethical Business Conduct)

In running a successful ethical business, the consumers’ needs are changing and

businesses should act of this. “There are three ways this is happening. The first is that authority is

now dispersed. Consumers around the world can access endless sources of information, which

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means that no one not even companies, media, corporate spokespeople can truly control how

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information is shared. Second, the basic influence is flipped. Employees, consumers and activists

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now drive the agenda, rather than the CEOs, government officials and influencers of the past.
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The CEOs must continue to lead the business, but the model of successful leadership has and

continues to evolve. And third, reputation is built on quality. Good financials are no longer
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enough. All shareholders impact a company’s bottom line, not just the loudest shareholders.”
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(Entrepreneur: Well, Honestly!)

Complexity is abundant and transparency is a must. Trust is important and ethical

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business practices are a must. For a company to connect with customers, regulators and

employees, its strategic business results must come together with its own ethical standards and
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those of the marketplace. (Entrepreneur: Well, Honestly!)

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Reflection

In our increasingly complex society, trust and transparency are critical elements of
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corporate reputation. Before, business success was about performance, customer service, price

and quality. Now there is a new dimension: social responsibility built on ethical practices.

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 Ethics and Communication

Business success is increasingly based upon shared value and the sort of citizenry a company

lives. Successful companies today will implement socially-responsible, transparent, values-led

engagement with all of their consumers, employees, regulators, investors and all others. Those

that prioritize these ethical practices and true public engagement will not only succeed, but

will prosper. (http://business-ethics.com/about/)

Implication of lesson learned

In business, it is important to not only behave ethically but to have the appearance

of ethical behavior. Many actions may appear unethical but still fall within the bounds of

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ethical behavior. I remember a manager when I worked for ADT who was always on

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social media, did something very unethical and it cost him his job. But more importantly

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it is the act of encouraging the ethical behavior of others and creating a corporate culture
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that supports ethical behavior that prevents ethical mistakes from occurring in the first
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place. Businesses develop through their actions, a corporate culture that supports or does
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not support ethical behavior to greater or less of an extent. Also, if someone looks at the

PM as the CEO of their project team they must not only practice ethical behavior but also
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encourage and develop it in their teams. To do otherwise is to fail as a business.

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Conclusion
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In conclusion, ethics in communication play a significant role in the success of an

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organization. If communication is carried out unethically, an organization may lose its

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relationships with suppliers and consumers. In addition to that, offensive communication may

also result in legal troubles for the organization.

References

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 Ethics and Communication

 Entrepreneur: Respecting Your Business's Ethics Policy

 Entrepreneur: Well, Honestly!

 Boeing: Ethical Business Conduct

 http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business/ethics/business-ethics-meaning-sources-and-

importance/64095/

 http://business-ethics.com/about/

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