ETHICAL ISSUES OF

COMMUNICATION
 MEANING

• Ethical communication is a type of communication that is

predicated upon certain business values, such as being truthful,
concise, and responsible with one’s words and the resulting
actions.

• Ethics, also called moral philosophy,

the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad
and morally right and wrong. The term is also applied to any
system or theory of moral values or principles.
 ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

• An ethical behaviour is the application of moral principles in a

given situation. It means to behave according to the moral
standards set by the society which we live in.
 WHAT DOES ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR
MEAN?
• Ethical behaviors can be identified in both individual relationships
and work relationships.
• The concept can also be applied to corporations as entities.
• It evaluates the moral implications of actions being taken on each of
the previously mentioned contexts.
• An ethical behavior is essential for a society to function properly.
• Individuals that behave unethically will normally loss other people’s
confidence and their unethical behavior should be also punished by
the law.
• On the other hand, ethical behaviors can also be evidenced in work
relationships. Co-workers should maintain an ethical standard
between each other to ensure a healthy work environment.
• This behavior is evidenced by certain values and principles
maintained within the relationships, such as integrity,
transparency, honesty or fairness.
• These are ethical standards that should be respected between
the parties to maintain an ethical environment.
• Finally, business and corporations should also maintain an
ethical behavior towards their clients and stakeholders.
• Transparency with shareholders, punctuality when it comes to
payments and a fair treatment towards their employees are
desired ethical behaviors for companies.
 RUMORS

• A rumour, or rumor, is "a tall tale of explanations of events

circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object,
event, or issue in public concern." In the social sciences, a
rumour involves a form of a statement whose veracity is not
quickly or ever confirmed.
• When you hear a rumor, no matter how juicy it is, do you
investigate? Why is this information being brought to you?
• You may need to question the ethics of the person bringing you
negative information about another company he or she
previously worked for (is that something you would do?).
• If you repeat the rumored information to the wrong people and
it turns out to be false, your reputation may take a hit.
• If you change your business strategy without checking the
information out, you may endanger your company’s shareholder
value and your reputation – so be sure to do your due diligence.
• Would you believe a rumor within your own company without
investigating? Of course not – there are rules and procedures
that must be followed to make sure all allegations are founded
on truth.
• Make sure you take similar steps when information comes to you
from outside your company.
• Someone may be trying to maneuver you into a bad situation by
supplying you with bogus information about someone else.
• He or she may also be trying to sour your relationship with a
competitor because the competitor may have a better product and
can take business away from him or her.
• In business, when people pass information there is always an
angle.
• Be sure you find out what it is.
• As governance professionals, make sure the angle behind all
rumors is an ethical one.
 TRANSPARENCY

• Transparency, as used in science, engineering, business, the

humanities and in other social contexts, is operating in such a
way that it is easy for others to see what actions are
performed.
• Transparency implies openness, communication, and
accountability.
T RANSPARENCY IS THE BEDROCK OF
ETHICS
• Transparency can be challenging for leaders when their company
faces adversity, but it’s essential for fostering an ethical culture.
• Transparency is an attribute of corporate culture that’s revealed
through the behaviors of an organization’s leaders, employees,
and stakeholders.
• It’s how values are embodied and demonstrated on a day-to-day
basis.
• It shows in the degree of openness of meetings, events, and
interactions within the organization.
• Transparent workplaces facilitate healthy relationships among
people.
• Building strong relationships involves open communication,
honesty, regular feedback, respect, admitting mistakes and
wrongdoing, and offering praise.
• When we talk about transparency, most people immediately
think about disclosing salaries and the company’s expenditures
and financial results.
• That may be part of the conversation, but transparency is more
holistic and encompasses why the organization’s leaders make
the decisions they make.
• The broad nature of transparency at ethical organizations stands
in stark contrast to the fraud problems at the Boeing Company,
Wells Fargo, and Volkswagen, among others.
• Transparency is essential to an ethical climate in organizations
and should be evident in communications, practices, policies,
meetings, and other interactions.
• Making cultural changes requires conscious effort and
deliberate actions to overcome the previous opaque culture.
BUILDING A TRANSPARENT CULTURE

• The first step to building a transparent culture is making the

commitment. This requires time.
• Create a plan, and invest in tools that facilitate transparent
communications.
• Assign champions to drive the effort, make recommendations to
leadership, and ensure that all employees follow through on the
commitment.

• Second, be open about the rationale behind the decisions that you and
other company leaders make. Strive to have everybody in the company
understand why you made significant decisions.
• Share details about finances, growth trajectory, hiring, strategic
priorities, and tactical plans.
• If you ever don’t know how to navigate a particular situation
or circumstance, or you’re waiting for data that’s forthcoming,
say so.
• It isn’t advisable to be silent, thinking that employees will
forget about the situation or circumstance.
• They’d appreciate a status update and any insight on the
rationale behind decisions that leaders make.
• This transparency in conveying information shows respect for
employees and an understanding of their need for information
to feel invested in the company’s mission.
• Third, give and seek honest feedback. Encourage openness and honesty in all
communications.
• Send anonymous surveys aimed at measuring employees’ level of
engagement, leadership skills, alignment with the company’s mission, and
professional development.
• Share the results of those surveys throughout your organization.

• Have regular formal reviews and informal check-ins or one-on-one meetings

with employees to discuss goals and performance.
• Don’t be afraid to have tough conversations. When leaders avoid giving
direct feedback on performance, it will likely result in the loss of employees’
and stakeholders’ confidence and create frustration, confusion, and insecurity.
 FAKE NEWS

• Fake news impacts both media trust and credibility.

• Fake news is defined as content that is intentionally misleading,
sensationalized, or deliberately false (Fullerton, McKinnon, and
Kendrick, 2020).

• While the "fake news" issue is currently a hot topic, it's been a
problem in the business world for a long time.
• A bad news story can cause plummeting stock prices, destroy the
reputation of a business, or cause unreasonable customer
expectations.
• Unethical businesses can also generate fake news or reviews in
order to boost their own stature or profits.
 HONESTY

•
Honesty is a key characteristic of a business because it sets the tone for the kind of work
culture that you want to create, provides consistency in workplace behavior, and builds
loyalty and trust in customers and prospects.
• It Establishes Your Work Culture
• Whether you run a top-down or a bottom-up organization, honesty is one of the most
effective ways to establish the work culture that will propel your company to long-term
success. Work culture is all about the values and beliefs that drive everything your
company does, from how it makes its products to the way it markets those products and
treats customers. As a leader, the importance you place on honesty can create the kind of
work culture in which your employees feel empowered and validated.
• For example, do you frequently solicit feedback from rank-and-file workers about how
they feel about their supervisors and managers? Do you have an open-door policy that
allows employees to talk to supervisors about any issue without fear of reprisal? Are you
transparent with your team members about why you made a decision that affects the
company?
• It Creates Consistent Workplace Behavior
• When you create a culture built on honesty, you also help foster
workplace behavior and activity that is consistent regardless of
external influences. In other words, your employees will behave
with a consistent code of ethics regardless of the circumstances.
For example, an employee will remain respectful and helpful
even when faced with a rude customer that is in the wrong.
• Another example would be an employee on a business trip that
has the opportunity to pad his expense account but chooses not
to because that employee has bought into the culture you’ve
established and wants to remain consistent in every
circumstance.
• It Builds Trust With Your Customers
• Companies spend years building loyalty and trust with their target audience,
and a key method for building that trust is honesty. When customers
perceive that a business does things the right way and cares about creating a
quality product or service, they tend to reward that business. For years, The
Reputation Institute has published an annual list of the most reputable
companies in the U.S., which ranks businesses by their values, the trust
they’ve built with customers, and having strong industry reputations.
• People are looking for companies that not only sell products and services,
but also make the world better, brighter or more meaningful in some way. In
2017, Rolex led the list, followed by perennial winner Amazon, then Sony,
LEGO Group, Hallmark and Netflix. Each of these companies has created a
recognizable brand that stands for quality, integrity and inspirational values
that strike a chord with their customers.
 INTEGRITY

• Integrity is the act of behaving honourably, even when no one is

watching. People with integrity follow moral and ethical principles in
all aspects of life.
• Integrity should extend to professional areas at work such as decision
making, interacting with colleagues and serving customers or clients.
• Employers who are committed to hiring employees with integrity are
better equipped to provide high-quality service and maintain a
positive reputation.
• When employees have integrity, their managers can trust their team is
working diligently.
• Integrity is an essential ingredient in being an ethical person.
• Personal integrity is an innate moral conviction to stand
against things that are not virtuous or morally right.
• To have integrity is to do what you think is right regardless of
the consequences attached with your decisions.
• Persons with high integrity are usually described as
trustworthy, reliable, and accountable for one’s actions.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE.

• A co-worker confides in you that she made a mistake in budgeting

sales revenue for the upcoming year. The mistake led to hiring ten
additional employees to speed up production. She asks for your
advice. Will you tell her to disclose the error right away or wait and
see if the actual sales level is less than budgeted?
• Let’s assume you told the co-worker to wait and see what happens;
she can always admit the mistake down the line. Why cause a
problem where no problem exists? It turns out the budget was
wrong. Your friend is asked by her boss about it. She’s unsure what
to say so confides that she went to you, a more experienced
employee, for advice and was told to wait and see. Now you’re part
of a cover-up. Your reputation for honesty, integrity and
trustworthiness is at stake.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR MANAGERS
TO FOSTER INTEGRITY IN THE
WORKPLACE
• Define integrity in your workplace and in relationships with stakeholders.
• Create a culture of openness and transparency.
• Establish a set of ethical standards that promote honesty and full
disclosure.
• Lead by example: Model integrity by “walking the talk” and
demonstrating integrity at every turn.
• Take appropriate action against workers who violate the integrity
standard.
• Reward employees who have demonstrated integrity in their decisions
and behaviors.
• Say what you mean and mean what you say. Like so many aspects of
being an ethical person, it can be easier said than done.
 ACCOUNTABILITY

• Accountability is when an individual or department

experiences consequences for their performance or
actions. Accountability is essential for an organization and for
a society. Without it, it is difficult to get people to assume
ownership of their own actions because they believe they will
not face any consequences.
• Why do the majority of employees stay mum when witnessing
unethical behavior? The top reasons employees gave for not
blowing the whistle include:
• It might damage their career.
• It would have made the offender harder to work with.
• They didn’t think they would be taken seriously.
• They weren’t sure how to bring up their concerns.
• They didn’t know how hold anyone accountable.
 RESPONSIBLE COMMUNICATION

• "Responsible communication is the responsible management

of the communication process, content
of communication (the message) and impacts of
the communication support. It is targeted, human,
transparent, truthful and caring of its economic, social and
environmental impacts.