Ethics in the Workplace

Business Ethics is considered an

“oxymoron”, a combination of
contradictory words.
Before there was “ Greed is good” era
of the 1980s.

Now, there is CSR or Corporate Social

Responsibility.
Ethical awareness grows as
companies recognize that
ethical practices make good
business sense.
TheRiver blindness Disease in
South Africa and Latin
America
There is now an explosion of
ethical awareness because
ethical companies endure less
litigation, less resentment and
less government regulation.
Employees common ethical violations:

Cutting corners on quality

Covering up incidents
Abusing or lying about sick days
Deceiving customers
Lying to a supervisor or underling
Taking credit for a colleague’s ideas
Ethical behavior means doing the right
thing given the circumstances
Five Common Ethical Traps:

The False Necessity Trap- People act

from the belief that they’re doing what
they must do. They convince themselves
that they have no other choice, when in
fact it’s generally a matter of convenience
or comfort.
The Doctrine-of-Relative-Filth Trap-
Unethical actions sometimes look good
when compared with the worse behavior of
others.
The Rationalization Trap- In falling into
the rationalization trap, people try to
explain away unethical actions by
justifying them with excuses.
The Self-Deception Trap- Applicants for
jobs most commonly fall into this trap.
They are willing to inflate grade-point
averages or exaggerate past
accomplishments to impress prospective
employers.
The Ends-Justify-The-Means-Trap-
This trap requires taking unethical actions
to accomplish a desirable goal.
Business communicators can
minimize the danger of falling into
ethical traps by setting specific
ethical goals.
Goals of ethical Business communication:

Tellingthe truth- ethical business

communicators do not intentionally make
statements that are untrue or deceptive.
Labeling Opinions-
Sensitive communicators know the
difference between facts and opinions.
Facts are verifiable and often are
quantifiable; opinions are belief held with
confidence but without substantiation.
Being objective- Ethical business
communicators recognize their own
biases and strive to keep them from
distorting a message
Communicating clearly- Ethical
business communicators feel an
obligation to write clearly so that the
receiver will understand easily and
quickly.
“Plain English Laws” - require
businesses to write policies, warranties
and contracts in language comprehensible
to average readers.

Plain English- means short sentences,

simple words and clear organization.
Giving credit- Ethical communicators
give credit for ideas by:

1. Referring to originator’s names within

the text.
2. Using quotation marks
3. Documenting sources with endnotes,
footnotes, or internal references.
Resolving ethical issues is never easy.
To make it less difficult, identify key
issues:

1. Is the action you are considering

legal?
2. How would you see the problem if
you were on the opposite side?
3. What are alternative solutions?
4.Can you discuss the problem with
someone whose advice you trust?

5. How would you feel if your family,

friends, employer, or coworkers learned
of your action?
The best advice in ethical matters is
contained in the Golden Rule:

“Do unto others as you would have

others do unto you.”
The ultimate solution to all ethics
problems is treating others fairly and
doing what is right to achieve what is
good.