Page 434 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

CHAPTER 13 • Managing Communication and Information 433
misrepresent numbers, distort visuals, and fail to respect privacy or information security
needs. For instance, although British Petroleum attempted to communicate openly and truth-
fully about the Gulf Coast oil spill, the public felt that much of the company’s communica-
tion had some unethical elements to it.
So how can managers encourage ethical communications? One thing is to “establish
52
clear guidelines for ethical behavior, including ethical business communication.” In a
global survey by the International Association of Business Communicators, 70 percent of
communication professionals said their companies clearly define what is considered ethical
53
and unethical behavior. If no clear guidelines exist, it’s important to answer the following
questions:
• Has the situation been defined fairly and accurately?
• Why is the message being communicated?
• How will the people who may be affected by the message or who receive the message be
impacted?
• Does the message help achieve the greatest possible good while minimizing possible harm?
• Will this decision that appears to be ethical now seem so in the future?
• How comfortable are you with your communication effort? What would a person you
admire think of it? 54
Remember that as a manager, you have a responsibility to think through your communication
choices and the consequences of those choices. If you always remember that, you’re likely to
have ethical communication.

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