as526112@ohio.edu
Ethical decision-making is an issue certainly not limited to the world of journalism. Ordinary people are forced to make choices in their day-to-day lives that are within the realm of ethics: making the distinction between what is easy and what is right. In the same way, all businesses and corporations are forced to make these same distinctions between 'yes' and 'no' that reflect the values of the company. But, just because these companies are not consistently in the spotlight that comes with publication, does not mean that they are invisible. There is always someone watching.
It's Up to You
In business, there is a constant pressure for employees to do whatever necessary to please their higher-ups. Especially in journalism, the job market is scarce and employers are able to easily and quickly replace those who are not willing to do what needs to be done. Under this burden to reach unrealistic goals in a small timeframe as to beat out the competition, employees may find it necessary to cut corners in order to get the job done quickly. As a result, management are willing to overlook small but persistent breaches of ethics or policy if employees are able to get results.
Photo via Wordpress
Well, frick that.
"Companies are going to make mistakes, it's seeing how they address their mistakes that shows their true commitment to value." -Seglin in "A New Era for Communication"
The same goes for individual workers. Professionals in PR, as well as any other field, cannot afford to lose their credibility. It's all they have, and if it's lost, the slate is never wiped clean. "It's not like I can just start over with someone else, somewhere else," stated a PR professional in "A New Era for Communication." Workers should be comfortable reporting violations of policy and ethics for the sake of the company's image as well as their own. People want to do business with people of character and integrity, people to respect.
Prevention > Damage Control
There should be clear lines of communication between management and workers when it comes to dealing with violations of policy or ethics. It is important that businesses have a code of ethics in order, just as they would a sexual harassment policy or a fraud policy.
The Institute for Public Relations has their own ethical code that could be repurposed for individual businesses. The PRSA, Public Relations Society of America, also has a code of ethics that could be utilized in informing PR professionals about the importance of a moral code in their field.
Workers should be knowledgable on how to handle ethical issues in case they are ever in such a situation. They should feel comfortable, not intimidated or fearful discussing these issues with management. In the article "A New Era for Communicating Values," a survey was conducted on 2,800 rank-and-file employees in the United States, and only 49% of the 2,800 thought of their superiors as having "high integrity." If employees do not feel their bosses will take these ethical breaches seriously, they will likely not waste their time in reporting the misconduct if they believe nothing will be done about it.
Corporations should not only be prepared to do damage control if their is a violation of ethics, but should focus on preventing these conflicts before they occur.
Photo via Resolution Group International
At the base of any business foundation lies ethics, and situated just above these personal and universal morals is communication. Open communication is vital in creating successful relationships between employers and their employees. These relationships ensure that all are on the same page when it comes to what should be most important to a company: ethics.
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