Ethics Theory and Business Practice Discourse Ethics – Part Two Some Criteria for the Practical Application of Discourse Ethics

aims to consider the ethically legitimating potential of workplace discourse to outline some criteria that workplace discourse needs to meet if it is to conform to the expectations of discourse ethics to describe some structural features of communication that might help these criteria to be met

workplace democracy practically feasible instrumentally beneficial ethically desirable but, workplace democracy can take many forms so what criteria must it meet to conform to the expectations of discourse ethics?

three sets of criteria: 1.involvement of all employees 2.participating in discourse with the right motivation 3.the structure of ethically legitimating discourse

1: involvement of all employees provide open, equal access beware of informal barriers to participation consider the potential of ICT

theory in practice discourse and open door policies

2: participating in discourse with the right motivation with the intention of reaching shared understanding with a commitment to listening to other people’s views and amending one’s own perspectives accordingly rather than with the aim of winning the debate

contrasting communicative action to strategic action acting strategically: entering discourse with the intention of imposing some agenda that we value and using discourse as a means of gaining other people’s support for that agenda acting communicatively: entering discourse with the intention of reaching shared understanding (Habermas, 1984/1981, 1987/1981, 1990/1983)

3. the structure of ethically legitimating discourse Habermas: the fundamental purpose of all human communication is to reach shared understanding, which needs to be achieved in relation to: the factual content of what is said people’s authority to say what they say what people intend to achieve by saying what they say

such shared understanding can only be achieved if … speakers are free to raise and challenge validity claims across each of these dimensions, i.e. if: ‘Everyone is allowed to introduce any assertion whatever into the discourse’ ‘Everyone is allowed to question any assertion whatever’ (Habermas, 1990/1983: 89)

theory in practice workplace democracy at Suma

key points for workplace democracy to meet the expectations of discourse ethics, open, equal access for all affected stakeholders should be facilitated, which may involve dismantling informal barriers to participation all should be encouraged to participate with the objective of reaching shared understanding, rather than trying to fulfil strategic objectives all should be able to raise and challenge validity claims concerning the factual content of what is said, the authority of a speaker to say it, and their intention in saying it

references Habermas, J. (1984/1981) The Theory of Communicative Action, Volume One: Reason and the Rationalisation of Society, T. McCarthy (trans.). Boston: Beacon Press. Habermas, J. (1987/1981) The Theory of Communicative Action, Volume Two: Lifeworld and System: A Critique of Functionalist Reason, T. McCarthy (trans.). Boston: Beacon Press. Habermas, J. (1990/1983) Moral Consciousness and Communicative Action, C. Lenhardt and S.W. Nicholson (trans). Massachusetts: MIT Press.