Ethics dallas 021204

ETHICS

How Do They Fit in Today’s Workplace?

Linda Oestreich, STC Region 5 Director-Sponsor

Lone Star Chapter Presentation, 2/12/04

2/10/04 Oestreich 2

The plan

Setting the Stage Codes of Conduct and the STC Ethical

Principles The Ethical Question and Your Part Ethics Checklist Discussion

2/10/04 Oestreich 3

Ethical Presuppostions

Everyone needs to be treated with respect. Each person has a right to come to his/her own ethical

conclusions. It is bad manners to tell others that they are ethically wrong. Ethics that works only for the advantage of the individual

with total disregard of others is not acceptable. People have physical and social needs that must be satisfied. People are or can be rational. Different people have different values, thus there will be

disagreements in ethics.

2/10/04 Oestreich 4

Ethical Imperatives

Helpbeneficence, protection from harm, healing, welfare, relieve suffering

Honestytruth, integrity, trust, obedience to laws

Fairnessjustice, equality, accountability

Freedomliberty, respect, individual dignity, autonomy, honor, privacy, confidentiality

2/10/04 Oestreich 5

What is your view on codes of conduct?

Codes must be specific enough so that compliance is measurable (from auditors)

Ethics is a process - a continuing dialogue on dilemmas in which a formal code plays only a very small part (from philosophers)

Codes of conduct definitely require associated training programs, communications initiatives, ethics officers, hotlines, and specific measures for corporate activities from marketing to layoffs (from consultants)

2/10/04 Oestreich 6

An objective, ethical principle

What do technical communicators and other business people use to guide their decisions?

As gatekeepers of information, what is our responsibility to our companies, our organization, and ourselves?

Do we, as technical communicators, have a tougher ethical standard to uphold than our colleagues in other professions?

Do the STC Ethical Principles have value?

2/10/04 Oestreich 7

STC Ethical Principles

Legality Honesty Confidentiality Quality Fairness Professionalism

2/10/04 Oestreich 8

So what is business ethics?

Concept has come to generally mean what is right or wrong in the workplace and doing what is right.

Many assert there’s always a right thing to do based on moral principle, others believe the right thing to do depends on the situation.

What we consider ethical today often becomes a law, regulation, or rule tomorrow.

Attention to business ethics is critical during times of fundamental change.

In times of fundamental change, values that were previously taken for granted are now strongly questioned.

2/10/04 Oestreich 9

Big myth of business ethics

Our organization is not in trouble with the law, therefore we’re ethical! Withholding information Fudging on budgets Complaining about others “Boil the frog” phenomena

2/10/04 Oestreich 10

Another big myth

Ethics only restates the obvious Do good! Obvious to be honest, but if a company has

continuing occasions of deceit, it’s important to list those cases in that company’s code of ethics.

Codes of ethics should change with the needs of society and the organization.


Dilemma #1

A customer asks for a service. You state a price. Customer says he can’t afford it. You know where he can get the service much cheaper. Do you tell him about the competitor?


Dilemma #2

My boss told me that one of my employees is among several others to be laid off soon, and that I’m not to tell my employee yet or she might tell the whole organization and that could cause major problems. My employee just told me that she was planning to buy a new car. What should I do?


A Three-Point Check

Ends-based principle—the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Rule-based approach—do what you need to do—what you would hope others would do in similar situations.

Care-based, or reversibility, principle—put yourself in the position of others—see how the decision would affect them


Dilemma #3

Our company prides itself on hiring minorities. One Asian candidate fully fits the job requirements for our open position. However, we’re concerned that our customers won’t understand his limited command of the English language. What should I do?


7-point ethical checklist

Relevant information Involvement Test Consequential Test Fairness Test

Enduring Values Test Universality Test Light-of-day test

Total Ethical Analysis Score derived from the above?


At the end of the day…

Ethics is an individual decision. But companies and organizations must stand

behind what they believe and make clear their ethical viewpoints.

The best ethics trainer is the behavior of the organization’s leaders.


References and supporting works

Joshua Joseph, et al., “Ethics in the Workplace, What Association Leaders Should Know,” Executive Update Online. www.gwsae.org/Executive Update/2000/October/ethics.htm

Cornelius van Baeyer, “What’s Workplace Ethics?,” www.workplaceethics.ca/work.html

Cornelius van Baeyer, “Codes of Conduct: Panacea or Bunk?” www.workplaceethics.ca/codes.html

Carter McNamara, “Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers,” www.mapnp.org/library/ethics/ethxgde.htm

Dragga, Sam. "'Is This Ethical?' A Survey of Opinion on Principles and Practices of Document Design.“ Technical Communication, Third Quarter 1996: 255 - 265.


More references

Paul Dombrowski (2000) Ethics in Technical Communication. Allyn & Bacon: Needham Heights,

MA.Fred Casmir (1997) Ethics in Intercultural and International Communication. Lawrence Erlbaum: Mahway, NJ.

Kant, Immanuel. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals: On a supposed Right to Lie because of Philanthropic Concerns. Ed. James Ellington. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1993.

Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Ed. George Sher Indianapolis:Hackett, 1979.

Institute for Global Ethics. “Dilemma Database: Right vs. Right.” www.globalethics.org/dilemmas/default.tmpl.

Klimes, R. “Ethical Choices: How to Reason Ethically,” www.learnwell.org/eth1.shtml.

Ethics dallas 021204

Business

Transcript of Ethics dallas 021204