UNIT III Scholarly Activity "ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION"

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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

9. Analyze the role that ethics plays within an organization. 9.1 Analyze how values and ethics affect organizational communication and decision-making

practices.

Reading Assignment Chapter 4: Organizational Communication: Values and Ethical Communication Behaviors Click here to access the Chapter 4 Presentation. Click here to access a PDF version of the Chapter 4 Presentation.

Unit Lesson Ethics are principles that help guide people in making decisions in situations they encounter every day. Values can be defined as “attitude sets which are subjective assessments about the relative worth of a quality or object” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2015, p. 108). Examples of values that can build one’s ethical code include a person’s beliefs about family, country, religion, prestige, work ethic, or even financial achievement. For instance, if a person values integrity, then each action and decision will be influenced by this value. An ethical code that supports integrity would include avoiding aggressive or ambiguous communication, participating in gossip, or even lying. However, sometimes circumstances occur that could present an ethical dilemma. Such a situation presents a crossroads where both paths are legal but one road may be ethical and the other unethical. In these situations, one’s ethical code, based on a value system, will come into play. Possessing a strong ethical code can help one avoid behaviors that would be considered unethical. In this unit, consider how values guide ethical or even unethical decision making and communication practices. Values guide decision making at the personal level and organizational level. “We are more likely to make choices that support our value systems than choices that will not” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2015, p. 108). Consider the values that govern the behavior of members throughout an organization. Does the organization value customer satisfaction, work-life balance for employees, or is the bottom line the most important element? Values can influence an organization’s policies and procedures, organizational culture, and decision making. Shockley-Zalabak (2015) explains that ethics are related to a person’s or organization’s value system and can be defined as “the standards by which behaviors are evaluated for their morality: their rightness or wrongness” (p. 116). Just as values can be exhibited at the personal or organizational level, so can one’s code of ethics. Some believe that when issues related to ethics surface the choices are black and white–-meaning there is a clear right and wrong method for handling situations. Others argue that there are many shades of gray in a situation, and ethics are not clear cut but can change as the situation needs. People must make choices about what is right or wrong, ethical or unethical, and moral or immoral. For instance, consider the following examples as they relate to determining ethical communication behavior:

 Is it ever ethical to tell a lie?

 Is it unethical to withhold information or to cover a mistake if the situation was resolved?

 Is it ethical to share information with another that could help this person even if you were told to keep it confidential?

UNIT III STUDY GUIDE

The Role of Values and Ethics in Organizational Communication

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 Should a person compliment another to be polite even if it may be insincere? o “That is a lovely baby.” o “You did fine on your presentation.” o “Your outfit looks great.”

Such examples as above are choices people must make which is guided by an ethical code. Shockley- Zalabak (2015) reveals three frameworks that can help identify how ethical decisions are made: utilitarian theory, theory of rights, and theory of justice. Each of these theories offers a basis by which to apply the concept of ethics and analyze how decisions are made. The following are several studies conducted by researchers to determine the role that ethics plays in organizational communication practices. Ethics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly In the first study, the researchers examined how to get employees on board with upholding an organization’s ethical code. Parboteeah et al., (2010) studied two managerial practices of communicating ethical practices and expectations and empowering employees to uphold ethical conduct in order to determine how these factors contribute to unethical behaviors in organizations. The researchers found that employees were more likely to choose an ethical course of action in their daily actives when they recognized their obligations and contributions to organizational operations upheld expected ethical conduct (Parboteeah et al., 2010). Hence, when an organization has clear expectations for right and wrong, employees are more likely to adhere to such ethical principles when making decisions and interacting at various levels. As employees are indoctrinated into an organization, certain expectations and beliefs are formed about the organization’s value system and expected behaviors. Imagine an organization externally and internally communicates a commitment to integrity and ethics to all stakeholders. However, what if employees found that some leaders in the organization were acting unethically toward employees, customers, or even other leaders. For instance, if an employee reports unethical practices to those in the highest authority and nothing is done about the breach of ethical codes this could have serious ramifications. “Organizations that fail to ‘follow-through’ on their ethics policies may be perceived as violating employees' expectations of procedural and retributive justice” (Trevino & Weaver, 2001, p. 651). Accountability and upholding the ethical standards of an organization are important. What if the employee is written up for reporting such an offense? Trevino and Weaver (2001) discovered that such inconsistencies among employee perceptions of organizational justice and ethics program can harm an organization if there is no follow-through or accountability for unethical behaviors. The authors examined four large companies to determine employee perceptions of organizational justice and ethics program follow-through when unethical behavior within an organization occurred. Results indicate that when there is a strong justice and ethics program follow-through, there is less unethical behavior and employees are more willing to report problems (Trevino & Weaver, 2001). For example, if an employee reports unethical behavior that could harm the company to someone higher up and there is no follow-through, then employee morale and willingness to communicate future breaches in ethical behavior decreases. However, if an employee reports ethical issues to someone higher up and the company leaders take action to revolve it, the employees are more likely to report issues and uphold their own ethical standards as well. Therefore, it is important to not only communicate an organization’s ethical code and value system to employees/members, but uphold the standards in all interactions form the highest to lowest levels within the organization. In another study, Fritz, O'Neil, Popp, Williams, and Arnett (2013) examined the relationship between a leader’s mission-congruent communication style and behaviors related to ethical standards. The researchers administered a questionnaire to 698 participants and discovered that leaders who supported organizational expectations on ethical decision making and communication tactics significantly impacted employee’s compliance in these areas (Fritz et al., 2013). In other words, if a leader upholds an organization’s mission and value system, then employees are more likely to comply with these same expectations. Hence, it is crucial for an ethical organization to position leaders who walk the walk rather than uphold the adage that states do as I say, not as I do. What happens when an organization has a code of ethics, yet there is still unethical behavior evidenced within the organization? Kaptein (2011) found five significant factors that determine the impact of a code of unethical behavior. When creating or even evaluating a current ethical code, five elements should be considered: the content of a code, the frequency of communication activities about a code, the quality of

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communications, the relative importance of a code, and the embedment of a code within an organization. Basically, ensuring that everyone understands the code and abides by it when interacting with internal and external stakeholders can lead to ethical behaviors and decision making. Organizations that utilize a code of ethics on which to base behaviors and decisions in internal and external organizational interactions should consider these five factors when evaluating their current code of ethical conduct. Conclusion Throughout one’s work and personal life, ethical issues will always arise. It is important to understand how one’s values and beliefs can affect one’s ethical code in dealing with these issues. This can help one recognize how others use values to drive their decision making. Ethical issues arise in any situation where there is right and wrong, and ethics is a fundamental feature of organizational life. Making ethical decisions and analyzing the decisions others make can be evaluated by observing values that drive actions.

References Fritz, J., O'Neil, N., Popp, A., Williams, C., & Arnett, R. (2013). The influence of supervisory behavioral

integrity on intent to comply with organizational ethical standards and organizational commitment. Journal Of Business Ethics, 114(2), 251-263.

Kaptein, M. (2011). Toward effective codes: Testing the relationship with unethical behavior. Journal of

Business Ethics, 99(2), 233-251. Parboteeah, K. K., Chen, H., Lin, Y., Chen, I., Lee, A., & Chung, A. (2010). Establishing organizational ethical

climates: How do managerial practices work? Journal of Business Ethics, 97(4), 599-611. Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. (2015). Fundamentals of organizational communication: Knowledge, sensitivity,

skills, values (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Trevino, L., & Weaver, G. R. (2001). Organizational justice and ethics program “follow-through”:

Influences on employees’ harmful and helpful behavior. Business Ethics Quarterly, 11(4), 651- 671.

Suggested Reading In order to access the resources below, you must first log into the myCSU Student Portal and access the Business Source Complete database within the CSU Online Library. Fritz, J., O'Neil, N., Popp, A., Williams, C., & Arnett, R. (2013). The influence of supervisory behavioral

integrity on intent to comply with organizational ethical standards and organizational commitment. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(2), 251-263.

Kaptein, M. (2011). Toward effective codes: Testing the relationship with unethical behavior. Journal of

Business Ethics, 99(2), 233-251. Parboteeah, K. K., Chen, H., Lin, Y., Chen, I., Lee, A., & Chung, A. (2010). Establishing organizational

ethical climates: How do managerial practices work? Journal of Business Ethics, 97(4), 599-611.