Chapter Six: Ethics
What are ethics?
People have struggled for
years to answer this question. Here is one definition:
“Ethics are standards
of conduct that indicate how one should
behave based on moral duties and virtues.”
Another definition
of ethics
“Ethics refers to the values that guide a person, organization, or society — the
difference between right and wrong, fairness and unfairness, honesty and
dishonesty.”
Ultimately, an individual’s or organization’s
ethics come down to the standards we
follow in our relationships with others.
Ethical decisions
are based on:33
o
Our moral choices
o
Norms of society
o
Legal principles
o
Organizational values
o
Professional values
Classical
approaches to ethics
Culture, along with the
fields of philosophy and religion, provide the framework for ethics.
o Utilitarianism:
Consider the “greater good” rather than
individual interests.
o Aristotle's “Golden Mean:” Seek the golden mean of moral virtue between two extreme points of view.
Classical
approaches to ethics
o
Kant’s Categorical Imperative:
act on that maxim which will become a universal law.
o
Mill’s Principle of Utility:
seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
o
Judeo-Christian Ethic: love your neighbor as
yourself.
Corporate Codes of Conduct
These are formal statements of the values and
business practices of a corporation.
They are needed
to:
o
increase public confidence.
o
stem the tide of regulation.
o
improve internal operations.
o
respond to transgressions (the
violation of moral principles).
A worthy quote to
ponder:
“An organization is the lengthened
shadow of a man.”
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
What does this quote mean to YOU?
Corporate social
responsibility
This principle holds that any social institution is responsible for the behavior of its members
and may be held accountable for their misdeeds.
Social
responsibility applies to:
o
Product lines
o
Marketing practices
o Corporate philanthropy (voluntary promotion of
human welfare)
o
Environmental activities
o
External relations
o
Employment diversity in retaining
and promoting minorities and women
o
Employee safety and health
Ethics in
government
o
E.g. Chen Leung-yu, Shanghai
mayor (corruption case)
o
the public is less willing to tolerate ethical violations from elected
officials.
Ethics in public relations
(p.146)
Ethics should be
the great differentiator between PR and other professions. Here are four
relevant ethical theories:
o
Attorney/adversary model by Barney and Black (like the lawyer, PR
practitioners concern only the interests of their clients)
o
Two-way communication model by Grunig (balance role as a client
advocate and social conscience for the larger public)
o
Enlightened self-interest model by Baker (businesses do well by being
ethical)
o
Responsible advocacy model by Fitzpatrick
and Gauthier (professional responsibility)
Public relations
and ethics
o
Advocacy
o
Honesty
o
Expertise
o
Independence
o
Loyalty
o
Fairness
Find out more for
yourself……
Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA) website:
International
Association of Business Communicators
(IABC) website: www.iabc.com