Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Chapter 15 Understanding the Challenge of Ethical Communication

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Learning Objectives Define business ethics. Define business ethics. List the ethical considerations in communicating. List the ethical considerations in communicating. List the steps to building ethical communication systems. List the steps to building ethical communication systems. Relate the recommendations for improving on-the-job ethical behavior. Relate the recommendations for improving on-the-job ethical behavior.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Learning Objectives Describe an ethical outline. Describe an ethical outline. Discuss the parts of an ethical outline. Discuss the parts of an ethical outline. Understand the important role of global issues and ethics. Understand the important role of global issues and ethics. Discuss ethical issues involving technology. Discuss ethical issues involving technology. Outline how to train for ethics. Outline how to train for ethics. Ethical Outline

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Two Types of Ethics Descriptive ethics reflect facts about the moral judgment of a person or a group. Descriptive ethics reflect facts about the moral judgment of a person or a group. Normative ethics involve formulating and defining moral principles. Normative ethics involve formulating and defining moral principles.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. The Influence of Ethics What a candidate tells a prospective employer. What a candidate tells a prospective employer. The information a company reveals. The information a company reveals. How companies handle consumer complaints. How companies handle consumer complaints. How confidential information is used. How confidential information is used. How people respond to business pressure and respect privacy. How people respond to business pressure and respect privacy. Loius E. Boone and David L. Kurtz, Contemporary Business Communication (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1994), pp. 22–24.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Code of Ethics Provides the organization with a set of guidelines that outline what constitutes appropriate behavior. Provides the organization with a set of guidelines that outline what constitutes appropriate behavior. Allows a safe environment for all organizational members. Allows a safe environment for all organizational members. Defines the organization’s uniqueness. Defines the organization’s uniqueness.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Ethical Organization Culture fosters mutual respect, trust, and honest communication among coworkers, customers, and vendors. Culture fosters mutual respect, trust, and honest communication among coworkers, customers, and vendors. The code of ethics provides a “big picture” statement of principles and values. The code of ethics provides a “big picture” statement of principles and values.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Five Advantages to an Ethical Office Productivity Accountability Communication Confidentiality Predictability

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Ethical Communication Systems Communication Is: Communication Is: Central to the business and comes out regularly Central to the business and comes out regularly Congruent with actions Congruent with actions Coordinated with activities Coordinated with activities Courageous, collaborative, and credible Courageous, collaborative, and credible

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Global Issues and Ethics Learn the history of a country’s culture. Learn the history of a country’s culture. Take into account local holidays and local traffic conditions. Take into account local holidays and local traffic conditions. Be sensitive to the needs of others and go beyond what is asked. Be sensitive to the needs of others and go beyond what is asked. Stop bribes by offering positive mutual outcomes. Stop bribes by offering positive mutual outcomes.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Technology and Ethics Privacy Privacy Accuracy Accuracy Ownership Ownership Accessibility Accessibility Digital Signatures Digital Signatures Data Loss Data Loss

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Ethics Training Realism Realism Commitment Commitment Imagination Imagination Communication Skills Communication Skills

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Cardstacking Received its name from crooked gamblers’ dirty trick of arranging a deck of cards in a way that permitted them to cheat. Cardstacking

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Unethical Cardstacking Set out to mislead. Set out to mislead. Provide bits of evidence that lead toward inductive conclusions. Provide bits of evidence that lead toward inductive conclusions. Omit evidence that leads the other way. Omit evidence that leads the other way.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Improving On-the-Job Ethical Behavior Serve as a role model and screen potential employees. Serve as a role model and screen potential employees. Develop a meaningful written code of ethics. Develop a meaningful written code of ethics. Provide ethics training. Provide ethics training. Reinforce ethical behavior. Reinforce ethical behavior. Create positions, units, and other structural mechanisms. Create positions, units, and other structural mechanisms.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Ethical Outline Allows you to consider the various aspects of a particular communication event. Allows you to consider the various aspects of a particular communication event. Encourages you to think about your subject within an ethical and effective framework. Encourages you to think about your subject within an ethical and effective framework.