PRINCIPLES OF CHAPTER 3:

CORPORATES Ethics and

CORPORATION Professionalism
Tran Thi Tuong Vi, PhD Candidate in Corporate
HCMC, June 2021 Communication
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Define ethics and professionalism;
2. Determine the importance of ethics and professionalism;
3. Describe how ethics and professionalism can improve
the profession of corporate communication; and
4. Describe how the code of ethics and regulatory
principles can be applied by practitioners professionally.
1.WHAT ARE ETHICS AND
PROFESSIONALISM?
 1.1 Foundation of Ethics
◦ Some people - PR is unethical. Public relations is
seen as being synonymous with terms such as
“spin doctor”, “propaganda” or “manipulation”.
◦ Cutlip (2006, p.122): ethics as “the applied ethics.
philosophical examination, from a moral
standpoint, of particular issues in private and
public life that are matters of moral judgment”
 1.1 Foundation of Ethics
◦ Key business units of the organisation, corporate
communication is responsible for the moral
behaviour. From the top management to the lower
supporting staff. This will improve the corporate
culture of result staff member working in that
organisation behaves ethically at work.
 1.2 Defining Professionalism

◦ Professionalism is “the occupational ideal for many

non-professionals and is likely to become the
ideal for more with the advance of industrialisation
and proliferation of technologically based
occupations”.
 1.3 Imperative of Trust
(a) Do you really trust the product you just bought?
(b) Do you really trust the producer of the product?
(c) Which is more important – product or producer?
◦ Building trust requires regular and interactive communication
between the organisation and its stakeholders.
1.3 Imperative of Trust
 2. IMPORTANCE
OF ETHICS AND
PROFESSIONALISM
IN CORPORATE
COMMUNICATION
2.1 A Significant Link between Ethics
and Professionalism
◦ First of all, it is important to address three crucial
questions:
(a) What constitutes a profession?
(b) Who is a professional? and
(c) How does an occupation become a profession?
 2.2 Profession and its Key
Requirements
◦ Wylie (1994, p.1):
(a) A well-defined body of scholarly knowledge;
(b) Completion of some standardised and prescribed
course of study;
(c) Examination and certification by state as an
authoritative body; and
(d) Oversight by a state agency which has disciplinary
powers over practitioners' behaviour.
 2.2 Profession and its Key
Requirements
◦ Cornelissen (2008, p. 167):
(a) The articulation of a domain of expertise;
(b) The establishment of monopoly in the market for a
service based on that expertise;
(c) The ability to limit entry to the field;
(d) The attainment of social status and recognition; and
(e) Systematic ways of testing competence and regulating
standards.
 3. CURRENT PRACTICES DETERMINING
ETHICS IN CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
◦ (a) Do you think that you are hired only because of your
competency and efficiency to deliver on the job?
◦ (b) Do you think your clients care about whether you do
the right thing?
◦ (c) Do you think you need a professional body to uphold
the highest level of morality and integrity which satisfy your
claim for professional status?
3.1 Importance of the Code of Ethics

◦ “Adherence to a set of professional norms”. Highest

standard of professionalism. “ Ethical conscience of the
company”. An obstacle for them to practise a profession.
◦ Complex business environment.
◦ Large established company may be caught cheating
its customers.
3.1 Importance of the Code of Ethics
 3.1
Importance of the
Code of Ethics
 SUMMARY
• Corporate communication is a vocation or profession.
• Understanding the importance of ethics and
professionalism makes the profession noble and
credible in claiming to protect public interest.
• The professional standards of corporate
communication need to be upheld so that the
communication fraternity can achieve high
accreditation and credentials.
 SUMMARY
• An excellent organisation should develop corporate
communication for the purpose of “ethical conscience”.
• Professionals must uphold professional ethics to
maintain their status and prestige in society.
• Ethics without competence is meaningless and
competence without ethics is directionless.
• Building trust is essential to improve the favourable
relationship between the organisation and its
stakeholders.
 SUMMARY
• Accreditation and licensing is important to a corporate communication
executive to certify them as a registered practitioner.
• The Institute of Public Relations Malaysia claims that it has a proper system to
give accreditation and professional status to their members.
• Code of ethics and applied ethics are important for the purpose of a
mandatory or voluntary accreditation of corporate communication.
◦ Today's business environment requires organisations to change the way they
do business and communicate with their various stakeholder groups.
◦ From “PR” to “CC”, the need for the services of these business functions is
dire as the world has changed and this requires PR practitioners to raise their
profession to the next level.
PRSA ◦ Ethics for an Evolving Profession
◦ As the public relations profession evolves, so does the need for revised and refreshed
ethical standards. The PRSA Code of Ethics is central to the ethical practice of public
relations. Ethical concerns and dilemmas occur daily.
◦ Recognizing and acknowledging ethical issues as they arise is among the reasons the
PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards was created. BEPS is a service to
members, providing an abundance of resources for public relations professionals – from
case studies, Ethical Standard Advisories, ethics quiz, blogs and various resources which
follow in this section. In addition, BEPS provides opportunities at PRSA’s annual
International Conference to explore ethics within public relations.
◦ BEPS upholds and amends, when necessary, the PRSA Code of Ethics. Comprised of senior
professionals and PRSA members, BEPS is a sounding board for chapter ethics officers and
members who are struggling with ethical actions in their chapters or their professional
careers.
◦ The PRSA Code of Ethics sets out principles and guidelines that uphold the core values of
the ethical practice of public relations, including advocacy, honesty, loyalty, professional
development and objectivity. BEPS provides educational opportunities to explore ethics
within public relations year round and provides a hosts of educational offerings in “Ethics
Month” in September and at the PRSA’s annual Conference
 ◦ This Code applies to PRSA members. The Code is designed to be a useful guide for PRSA members as
they carry out their ethical responsibilities. This document is designed to anticipate and accommodate,

PRSA
by precedent, ethical challenges that may arise. The scenarios outlined in the Code provision are
actual examples of misconduct. More will be added as experience with the Code occurs.

Code
◦ The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is committed to ethical practices. The level of public trust
PRSA members seek, as we serve the public good, means we have taken on a special obligation to
operate ethically.

of ◦ The value of member reputation depends upon the ethical conduct of everyone affiliated with the
Public Relations Society of America. Each of us sets an example for each other – as well as other

Ethics professionals – by our pursuit of excellence with powerful standards of performance, professionalism,
and ethical conduct.

◦ Emphasis on enforcement of the Code has been eliminated. But, the PRSA Board of Directors retains the
right to bar from membership or expel from the Society any individual who has been or is sanctioned by
a government agency or convicted in a court of law of an action that fails to comply with the Code.

◦ Ethical practice is the most important obligation of a PRSA member. We view the Member Code of
Ethics as a model for other professions, organizations, and professionals.

◦ PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values

◦ This statement presents the core values of PRSA members and, more broadly, of the public relations
profession. These values provide the foundation for the Member Code of Ethics and set the industry
standard for the professional practice of public relations. These values are the fundamental beliefs that
guide our behaviors and decision-making process. We believe our professional values are vital to the
integrity of the profession as a whole.
 ◦ Advocacy: We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we
represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid

PRSA informed public debate.

◦ Honesty: We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the

Code interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.

◦ Expertise: We acquire and responsibly use specialized knowledge and experience. We
of advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and
education. We build mutual understanding, credibility, and relationships among a wide
Ethics array of institutions and audiences.
◦ Independence: We provide objective counsel to those we represent. We are
accountable for our actions.
◦ Loyalty : We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the
public interest.
◦ Fairness: We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors, the media,
and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression
 ◦ The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is proud to support a universally agreed
set of principles aimed at promoting ethical conduct in public relations.
◦ The initiative - led by the Global Alliance - is backed by the International Association of
CIPR Business Communicators (IABC), the International Communications Consultancy
SUPPORTS Organisation (ICCO) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).
GLOBAL ◦ As a member of the Global Alliance, the CIPR has supported the project since its
PRINCIPLES inception and encourages PR professionals from across the world to adhere to the
principles.
OF ETHICAL ◦ The 16 principles are deemed universal and fundamental to public relations practice and
PRACTICE communication management. They are:
◦ Guiding principles Principles of professional practice
◦ Working in the public interest Commitment to continuous learning
and training
◦ Obeying laws and respect diversity
Avoiding conflict of interest
and local customs Advocating for the profession
◦ Freedom of speech; assembly; media Respect and fairness in dealing with
publics
◦ Honesty, truth and fact-based communication Expertise without guarantee of results
◦ Integrity beyond capacity
Behaviours that enhance the
◦ Transparency and disclosure
profession
◦ Privacy Professional conduct