Ethical Communication in Business: Issues and Importance

This paper discusses the importance of ethical communication in business and the issues related to it, including policies, discrimination, and unsafe working environments. The arguments for and against ethical communication are presented, and the conclusion emphasizes the significance of ethical communication in enhancing productivity and reducing negative impacts.

Running head: Communication
Communication

Communication
"Ethical communication is an essential part of the business"
Abstract
In this paper, the focus will be given to the ethical communication. "Ethical
communication is an essential part of the business". This paper will focus on the overall
process of ethical communication by considering the issues related to ethical
communication. The first argument is related to (Do Ethical communication focuses on
behavior and values?). In the next phase, the second argument is related to (Should
Business have ethics policy?). The third argument focuses on (Ethical communication
can lead to an unsafe working environment) and the last argument is related to (Ethical
communication can lead to enhancement in discriminating workplace). In the last phase
the opinion is given in context to ethical communication and also the last phase focuses
on the overall summary of the paper through conclusion.
1

Communication
Introduction
Ethical communication is considered as an essential part to conduct the activities
of the company. The Thesis statement of the paper is "Ethical communication is an
essential part of the business". It has been seen that if there is no proper
communication in the organization then it is difficult to operate the activities in a right
manner. Ethics is considered as a system related to the moral principles. This simply
states that the activities conducted should be correct and ethical in the eyes of law. It
has been seen that the ethical communication consists of the data which is accurate
and true (Blaschke and Schoeneborn, 2016). It avoids the overall language that
discriminates and manipulates. This paper will focus on the ethical communication and
three ethical issues. The three issues are related to policy, discrimination in the
workplace and unsafe working environment.
Argument 1: For (Do Ethical communication focuses on behavior and
values?)
Ethical communication focuses on being honest in the overall process of
communication and also in this the information is kept confidential. In this, the personal
and business situations are not discussed in front or the third person or in public. The
leaders of the company should focus on the ethical conduct which is expected of the
employees. It has been seen that the person is governed by the morals and also it
affect communication. It is important for an individual to behave in such a manner that it
does not give effect to the other individual.
In the business, if the ethical communication does not take place then there are
many issues that can take place. Business ethics is related to a subject that can vary
from business to business. It is essential to communicate with the employees in a
proper manner. It has been seen that employees should not be expected to conduct the
activities in an unethical manner (Pearson, 2017). It is important to have a proper
understanding of the ethical stance of the company. To have a proper understanding of
2

Communication
the business it is important for the employees to consider the ethical practices and the
ethical practices should be communicated effectively. Ethical behavior should be
communicated on a daily basis so that the actions can be recognized in an effective
manner. This can praise the employees to conduct the activities in a proper manner but
also help to set the standards which are ethical for the employee in the routine business
(Barak, 2016).
Argument 2: For (Should Business have ethics policy?)
There are many issues that take place in context to the ethical communication.
One of the issues is related to ethics policy. When there are no ethical policies
implemented in the workplace then it can create difficult to maintain the flow of ethical
communication. Policies help the employees to behave in an ethical manner. It is
important for every business to have a set of ethical policies so that the employees
behave in a proper manner. Yes, it is seen that ethical policies should be there in the
workplace so that employees cannot conduct any activity unethically (Raziq and
Maulabakhsh, 2015). The policies should communicate the expectation level of the
business towards the employees, like being honest at the time of communicating and
dealing with the customers. There are many companies who do not have a policy so
because of not having the set of policies many conflicts take place in the workplace.
Like for example: if there is no set of policies related to the ethical issues, then people
will be indulged in the act of stealing the work of someone and claiming that they have
done it. So, in this, the ethical policies should be there in the workplace so that the
issues related to stealing the information can be minimized. Benefits can be achieved
by the businesses if they focus on the concept of maintaining ethical communication in
the workplace and it can be done with the help of implementing the policies. The flow of
communication will take place between the employees and customer in an ethical way
(Mishra, Boynton, and Mishra, 2014).
3

Communication
Argument 3: Against (Ethical communication can lead to the unsafe
working environment)
The next issue is related to the unsafe working environment. The way in which
the employees behave or communicate states the working environment. It has been
seen that unsafe working environment in the company reduces the overall capability
and productivity level of the employees. But if there is ethical communication in the
workplace then it can create a safe working environment (Kabir, Watson and
Somaratna, 2018). Ethical communication does not focus on creating unsafe
environment but it creates a good working environment for the employees at each and
every action is conducted in an ethical manner. Communication is the major factor that
decides the environment of the workplace (Carroll, 2015). If the employees are not
communicating in a proper manner then it can result in conflicts and also dissatisfaction
towards the activities enhances. There are many businesses who offered training to the
employees in context to communication so that the environment of the workplace can
be maintained and also it will motivate the employees to give their best towards the
activities of the company. The argument which is "ethical communication can lead to an
unsafe environment" is not correct. If there is ethical communication between the
employees and the top management or between employees and customers is there
then the positive outcome can be achieved in an effective manner (Clarke, 2017).
Working in a safe environment can help the employees to conduct the activities in an
efficient manner and can also lead to success by achieving goals and objectives in the
workplace (Certo, 2018). So, the argument which is given is not correct but it has been
seen that ethical communication enhances the goodwill and also the safe working
environment.
Argument 4: Against (Ethical communication can lead to enhancement in
discriminating workplace)
The last issue is related to the discrimination that takes place in the workplace. It
is important for every company or the organization to focus on discrimination issue
which takes place in the workplace. When discrimination takes place in the company
than it gives an adverse effect on the employees. It has been seen that discrimination in
4

Communication
the workplace reduces the overall confidence of the employees but if there is ethical
communication in the workplace then discrimination can be reduced effectively (Triana,
Jayasinghe and Pieper, 2015). It is important for the companies or the organizations to
focus on the creating the environment where equality is given to each and every
employee. When the companies consider equality in the workplace then positive and
good environment can be created. Ethical communication can lead to a reduction in the
discrimination that takes place between the employees (Jones et al., 2016). If there is
effective communication in an ethical manner between the employees then it can lead
to enhancement of the overall profitability and success. To work in a discrimination-free
environment can enhance the overall profitability and growth of the employees. If
employees are communicating in an ethical manner then positive results can be seen in
the activities. So, if ethical communication is there between the employees and top
management then it can be possible to reduce the discrimination in the workplace. As
employees and top management follow a set of rules and policies which make the
process smooth. It is important for the company to focus on creating ethical
communication in the workplace so that the discrimination cannot take place and also it
will lead to enhancement in the satisfaction level of the employees (Dwyer, 2012).
Statement of position
In my opinion, it can be seen that ethical communication plays a great role in
enhancing the overall productivity level of the employees. Communication has a great
role in conducting the activities of the company. If proper communication is not there in
the workplace then it can lead to a negative effect on the overall success of the
company. With proper communication, it can be easy for the employees to conduct the
activities. Also, the ethical issues like discrimination, unsafe working environment, and
the issues related to policies can be reduced if there is ethical communication in the
workplace. Proper communication can lead to growth and success but it is important for
the employees to communicate in an ethical manner so that it cannot give an adverse
effect on the other employees. When the employees focus on considering the set of
policies in accordance o the ethical behavior then success can be easily attained. It has
been seen that communication is a major part of the company. The flow of
5

Communication
communication should take place in a proper manner so that employees can get the
direction to conduct the activities in an ethical manner. Through communication, only
the employees get the direction to complete the task or the activity by focusing on the
concept of ethics. The proper process of communication should be followed so that in
the right direction the activities can take place.
Conclusion
By focusing on the paper, it has been concluded that effective communication is
an important aspect of every company. Without communication, it is not possible for the
organization to conduct the activities in an effective manner. If there is ethical
communication in the workplace then issues related to policies, discrimination, and
unsafe environment can be reduced in a proper manner and it can give a positive
impact on the overall activities of the company. It is important for the company to focus
on considering the ethical communication so that activities can be conducted in a right
direction and can give a positive outcome. This will help to bring enhancement to the
overall activities and can lead to the success of the company.
References
Barak, M.E.M., 2016. Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage
Publications.
Blaschke, S. and Schoeneborn, D. eds., 2016. Organization as communication:
Perspectives in dialogue. Taylor & Francis.
Carroll, C.E. ed., 2015. The handbook of communication and corporate reputation (Vol.
49). John Wiley & Sons.
Certo, S.C., 2018. Supervision: Concepts and skill-building. McGraw-Hill Education.
Clarke, S., 2017. 16. A safe workplace environment. Research Handbook on Work and
Well-Being, p.351.
6

Communication
Dwyer, J., 2012. Communication for Business and the Professions: Strategies and
Skills. Pearson Higher Education AU.
Jones, K.P., Peddie, C.I., Gilrane, V.L., King, E.B. and Gray, A.L., 2016. Not so subtle:
A meta-analytic investigation of the correlates of subtle and overt discrimination. Journal
of Management, 42(6), pp.1588-1613.
Kabir, Q.S., Watson, K. and Somaratna, T., 2018. Workplace safety events and firm
performance. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 29(1), pp.104-120.
Mishra, K., Boynton, L. and Mishra, A., 2014. Driving employee engagement: The
expanded role of internal communications. International Journal of Business
Communication, 51(2), pp.183-202.
Pearson, R., 2017. Business ethics as communication ethics: Public relations practice
and the idea of dialogue. In Public relations theory (pp. 111-131). Routledge.
Raziq, A. and Maulabakhsh, R., 2015. Impact of working environment on job
satisfaction. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, pp.717-725.
Triana, M.D.C., Jayasinghe, M. and Pieper, J.R., 2015. Perceived workplace racial
discrimination and its correlates: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 36(4), pp.491-513.
7