BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

AND THE ETHICAL CONTEXT

 ETHICS
A major branch of
philosophy, is the
study of values and
customs of a person
or group.

 It covers the analysis

and employment of
concepts such as
right and wrong,
good and evil, and
responsibility. ...
 ETHICAL SITUATIONS
A person can make ethical decisions
every day and the decisions build on
a concept of right and wrong.

 Consider
the following situations.
How would you react?
 During an on campus interview a
recruiter ask you why he should hire
you over another candidate (a
classmate of yours). You have some
negative information about this
person. Do you share it with the
recruiter?
 You witness another student
cheating during an important
accounting exam. Do you confront
the student? Do you tell other
students or a professor about the
incident?
A firm invites you for a second
interview at its corporate office. You
are not especially interested in this
company, but you are considering
taking the trip because you have a
good friend you would like to visit in
a distant city and you could use the
frequent flyer mileage. Do you
accept the interview?
 A quick response to these questions
is that you would always make the
right and moral decision.
 ETHICS AS A COMMUNICATION
ISSUE
 We communicate our values and
beliefs to others via verbal and
nonverbal behavior.

 We are defined in the eyes of

others according to the way we
behave.

 We also need to communicate

to other the important and
necessity of good ethics.

 Ethical leaders speak out when

something is wrong; ethical
people influence other by acting
in line with their personal
values.
 INFLUENCES ON PERSONAL
ETHICS
 There are five major
influences shape in our
personal ethics

3. Influential people in our

life( family, close friends,
or a role model)
4. Cultural norms
5. Philosophical position
6. Local, state, and federal
laws that govern individual
behavior
7. Personal regions view
PERSONAL ETHIC
 PEOPLE
 First of all our family
member and friends exert
strong influence on our
ethics.

 The parents and other family

members shaped our ethical
value system early on.

 Teachers are also influential,

especially when a person is
younger, may have laid the
foundation for ethical
decisions.
 CULTURE:
“All that human beings learn
to do, to use, to produce, to
know, and to believe as they
grow to maturity and live out
their lives in the social groups
to which they belong.”
CULTURAL DANCE
 PHILOSOPHY
Theories of philosophy
have long been concerned
with ethical and moral
issues.

With business ethics we

are primarily concerned
with what is moral and
right and contributes
positively to the human
experience.
 Theologism Teleology

The 4
Concepts of
Ethics
Utilitarianism Deontologism
Theologism
 A moral Perspective that attempt to pattern
actions according God’s Will

“What would God have me do in this Situation?”

Deontology
 Derived from the Greek word for Duty
 Actions are not justified by their
consequences. Factors other than good
outcomes determine the rightness of actions

“ They believe that you should always tell truth”

Teleology
 Consequence driven approach

“They believe that the singular duty is to

maximize good consequences”

Utilitarianism
 The morality of an action can be determined
by its consequences
 An action is ethical if it promotes the greatest
good for the greatest number
 Philosophy……

Example:
A deranged Gunman is holding five people
hostage at gunpoint in a lobby of bank. He
asks if any other customers or employees
are in bank you know that three customers
escaped to backroom along teller. Do you
tell them truth?
 LAW
 Some individuals view
ethics from a legal
perspective: Acting
ethically means following
the law.

 Codesof ethics for various

professions, such as
accounting, law, and
medicines requires
standards of behaviour that
exceed the law.
 RELIGION
 Religions throughout
the world are major
foundations for ethical
behavior among
followers.

 Usingreligion as the
grounding for your
ethical behavior means
you at according to
what you believe God
wants you to do.
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 Communication & Ethical
Issues
 Legal Issue
 Key Area For Ethical Communication

-Personal Written and Spoken

message
-Cross-Cultural Messages
-Advertising Message
 Ethics and organizational
responsibility
-Formal V/S Informal ways of
 COMMUNICATION AND ETHICAL
ISSUES
 Communicating
ethically in the
business arena
challenges you on
several levels.

 Legal
issues have an
impact on you
personally and on the
organization to which
you belong.
 Organizational
challenges include
constructing a
productive company
culture, with
employees who have
diverse background,
values and beliefs.

 Inall these challenges

your personal system
of values will influence
yours and others
behavior in business.
 Communication & Ethical Issues……….

Legal Issues
 Defamation and privacy
-An employees personal
Disabilities
-An employees personal
identity and private facts
-An employees Records,
Reports, Letters, Electronic
Data
 Discrimination and
Harassment
 Plagiarism
 Copyrighting
 Key Area for Ethical communication
Personal written and spoken Messages

1. Message Purpose
2. Research methods
3. Selection Material
4. Development of ideas
5. Use of language
6. Ethical context
7. Self-analysis
 Key Area for Ethical communication
Cross-Cultural Messages

1. Cultural context
2. Misunderstandings
3. Language
4. Accountability
 Key Area for Ethical communication
Advertising Messages
1. Language
2. Graphics/print
3. Omission
4. Truth
5. Accountability
 Ethics & Organizational
Responsibility
Formal Communication
 Public messages
 Employees manuals and policy
statements
 Mission statement and ethical codes

Informal Communication
 Overtime, through workers and
managers or through organization
itself.