Importance of Ethical Business Communication

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Abstract
This paper will focus on the importance of ethical business communication in the
modern day organisation, after providing arguments stating the necessity of it to uphold
an ethical business environment that respects work culture, focuses on the achievement
of principles, applies integrity and finally achieves employee morale. Ethical business
communication is firstly explored in the context of work culture that is important for
achieving the confidence of outsiders and employees to help the organisation up the
profit ladder, because in the era of Internet and easily available information, people are
on the lookout for companies that are transparent, which helps them decide about the
nature and intensity of involvement with them. This paper also deals with the need of
ethical business communication for maintain good employee relations, in this world
where fundamental rights cannot be curbed and any kind of lack demands immediate
help. This is explained in a multicultural context as well. A few cons are involved like
extra costs required and the loss of privacy, as arguments to weigh the importance of
the pros against them, to establish the need of ethical business communication, in
organisations.
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Introduction
Ethical business communication should be placed high on the priority list of every
organisation to address the need for transparency. With changing expectations within
the business world, there has been a change in the nature of foundation required for a
stable and profitable business, which depends on the strategies and policies undertaken
by the company to address the need for ethical communication in a business
(Chmielecki 2015). Ethical communication is essential to ensure business success. The
main focus of successful business communication is to establish trust and to build on
the credibility of the company, for both the people involved within like the employees
and managers, as well as clients and consumers (Fleisher & Bensoussan 2015). The
need for honesty has increased given the availability of information from various
sources, including the World Wide Web which is accessible by everybody. People
prefer businesses they can place their trust in hence it is very important to ensure the
maintenance of the thin line in between fact and opinions, that can be used against by
organisations and elements that will profit by marring the organisation’s reputation. Thus
this paper will argue the importance of ethical communication in business. This essay
will also contain the drawbacks of ethical communication to come to a positive
conclusion about the importance, after noting recommendations to help control the
drawbacks.
Argument 1
Ethical communication is required for the betterment of workplace culture. This is
required to endure that every person related to the organisation is treated with respect
and that there are to miscommunications giving rise to further problems that will cause
harm to both relationships and profits. Smooth flow of communication should be
ensured by a carefully devised communication plan based on principles of the company
laid down, instead of rules, to endure that employees remain motivated and clear about
their objectives so they can implement methods that are suitable for them to ensure
productivity and because rules can be binding which might be restricting for employees.
Ethical communication raised workplace spirit, which will focus on delivering the
requirements of the business and not just narrow targets. To triumph in the changing
business scenario, a business must earn the license to become a successful leader
(Cardon 2014). They should communicate integrity and mutual respect that should be
strictly adhered to. The focus should be on the right thing that challenges and upholds
innovation along with breakthroughs. According to Edelman’s trust Barometer they must
respect motives and apply knowledge to deliver whatever the clients are passionate
about and expect from the business (Mishra & Mishra 2013). Successful companies
communicate fundamental points about their strategies and expectations and
employees are supposed to communicate their ethical takes around them, to ensure
profits, like Chipotle’s ‘Food with Integrity’ that ensures ethical animal treatment during
the production of their goods (Finney 2018). Radical transparency must be embraced to
make sure communication with the public is a two way model. A company must provide
information about changing agendas, like Starbucks, in 2008, released information
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about the quality of service being below par, and that they had focused more on growth
that on the retainment of consumer oriented initiatives. Hence, the company closed a
few outlets at different locations and focused on regaining the ‘soul of the past’ (Hanna
2014). Thus, an ethical workplace culture cannot clearly be established without ethical
business communication.
Argument 2
Ethical communication is focused on both the company and the personal interests of
people working for the company, as well as the clients. People seek the fulfilment of
self-interests through employment. If the company communicates long term plans for
the employee, by ensuring the proper functioning of their plans in the long term, it helps
integrity and promotes interest. Everyone, within and outside the company needs to
conform to standards of righteousness and empathy. This must be clearly
communicated and maintained, to reduce conflicts. A company runs on laws based on
Utilitarianism. So, in order to derive maximum benefits from most people, companies
must communicate policies that do not vacillate at different levels of authority because it
might embitter relationships between managers and workers. Proper levels of
communication also helps people communicate any breach of individual right, wherein
communication itself is an individual right (Oyemomi et al. 2016). Both employees and
consumers must be provided fair communication for justice, to be delivered in case of
discrepancies. If proper communication is not established, it leads to dissolution of trust
within the company. Hence proper feedback mechanisms need to be implemented.
Ethical communication helps ethical decision making that will keep the people related to
the company satisfied. Since, companies work with people, morals and culture need to
be kept in mind and communication which help solve any questions regarding the same.
Ethical communication is also important for multicultural employees, who are subjected
to stereotyping and racial bias, their concerns must receive immediate redressal
because it can lead up to legal actions being taken by the victim and it can result in a
loss of reputation. Multicultural communication in business should be based on
Hofstede’s model, which helps understand various tendencies of a person belonging to
a culture, like their personal ethics, beliefs and requirements that may differ from what
the company provides (Dartey Baah 2013). The International Association of Business
Communicators outline a code of ethics for all members that focus on: Honesty,
understanding of policies, citing others for their work, understanding of freedom to
speech and understanding of limits that cannot be overstepped. Thus, ethical
communication helps employee morale.
Argument 3
Privacy is important just like honesty, to maintain authoritative levels and company
secrets. Since ethical communication demands standardisation of procedures which are
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