COMM 3170: Introduction to Organizational Communication Summer 2005 Dan Lair

Day Two: Organizational Communication from an Ethical Perspective Introductions Introductions Overview: Why Ethics First? Overview: Why Ethics First? Questions re: Chapter 14 Questions re: Chapter 14 Individual vs. Social Views of Ethics Individual vs. Social Views of Ethics Thinking about ethics in organizational contexts: example from The Apprentice Thinking about ethics in organizational contexts: example from The Apprentice

The Need for Ethical Reflection Employees encounter ethical dilemmas at work (Lutheran Brotherhood, 1998) Employees encounter ethical dilemmas at work (Lutheran Brotherhood, 1998) Ethically questionable behavior is rampant by executives (Brief, Dukerich, Brown, & Brett, 1996) Ethically questionable behavior is rampant by executives (Brief, Dukerich, Brown, & Brett, 1996) Disconnect between ethical beliefs and behaviors: Disconnect between ethical beliefs and behaviors: Business students (Badaracco and Webb, 1995) Business students (Badaracco and Webb, 1995) Business School Deans (Siguaw et al, 1998) Business School Deans (Siguaw et al, 1998)

Why Ethics First? We need a space for ethical reflection about organizational practices We need a space for ethical reflection about organizational practices A communication-based perspective opens up the ways we can look at organizations A communication-based perspective opens up the ways we can look at organizations Communication can help us explore the “disconnect” between belief and behavior (i.e. “It’s just business”) Communication can help us explore the “disconnect” between belief and behavior (i.e. “It’s just business”) Starting w/ ethics helps us reflect on the ethical dimensions of all organizational life. Starting w/ ethics helps us reflect on the ethical dimensions of all organizational life.

Questions from Chapter 14?

Individual vs. Social Views of Ethics Individual ethics focus on the principles governing individual actions Individual ethics focus on the principles governing individual actions Social ethics examine the broad effects of social organizations above and beyond the choices of individuals within them. Social ethics examine the broad effects of social organizations above and beyond the choices of individuals within them.

Recognizing Individual and Social Ethical Viewpoints: An Application (from Pasturis, 2002) “A course on ethics is not like a polio vaccine. We can’t inoculate students who have been inclined toward unethical behavior for the past 20 some odd years” -- Tom Donaldson, Wharton School “If a company only talks about driving up the stock price, that’s a structure that can make a crook out of an otherwise decent person” -- Ray Horton, Columbia Business School “With Enron, you can point to the players’ bad character, or you can look at how the company’s institutions, compensation methods and so forth disalign the values of executives from those of the shareholders. I see business ethics as a plea for good institutional design” -- Alexei Marcoux, Loyola University Chicago Question: What do you see as the potential strengths and weaknesses of individual as presented in the previous quotations?

Individual Ethics and Your Personal Vision of Work Statements

Ethics and The Apprentice: An Application In what ways do you see individual and social ethics playing out in this clip? In what ways do you see individual and social ethics playing out in this clip? How about teleological and deontological ethics? How about teleological and deontological ethics? How are ethics communicated in this clip? How are ethics communicated in this clip? What might be the effects of discussing/framing organizational ethics in this manner? What might be the effects of discussing/framing organizational ethics in this manner?

For Monday, May 23 First Journal due – pick your organization First Journal due – pick your organization Read Chapter 2 on Structure Read Chapter 2 on Structure Reading Guide and power points will be posted by Friday Reading Guide and power points will be posted by Friday