COMM 417001: Applied Organizational Communication

1
COMM 4170-01Applied Organizational Communication

• Instructor Dan Lair
• Day Fourteen Ethics in Communication Consulting
• September 28, 2005

2
Todays Agenda

• Note on next Wednesdays (10/19) test
• Discussion of readings
• Group consultation (if time available)

3
Ethics in Context

• In his chapter, Purdy (1993) argues that ethics
  was an increasingly important consideration in
  the business world in the late 1980s/early 1990s.
• Purdy references Popcorn (1991) who argues that
  such concern is a cyclical trend. Consider where
  we are in such a cycle, given the following
  developments
• Employees regularly encounter ethical dilemmas at
  work (Lutheran Brotherhood, 1998)
• Ethically questionable behavior is rampant by
  executives (Brief, Dukerich, Brown, Brett,
  1996)
• Disconnect between ethical beliefs and behaviors
• Business students (Badaracco and Webb, 1995)
• Business School Deans (Siguaw et al, 1998)
• Question Purdy seems to peg his discussion of
  ethics in consulting to the then-popularity of
  ethics in the corporate world. What do you think
  about this move? What effect might it have?

4
Questions on Purdy, Ethics and Communication
Consulting

• What is the difference between code-based and
  traits-based approaches to ethics? What are the
  advantages and disadvantages of each approach?
• What do you think about Kohlbergs model of
  moral/ethical development? Do you agree with the
  claim that there are basic ways of moral
  valuing across cultures, communities,
  corporations? How does this view affect
  communication consulting?
• Purdy suggests three ethical imperatives for
  communication consultants. What are they, and
  what suggestions does Purdy have to help
  consultants meet them?

5
Questions on Harrison, Toward an Ethical
Framework

• Why does Harrison argue that even when a
  consultant is trying to be neutral to simply
  present information they still act as a change
  agent?
• How does Harrison apply Bitzers rhetorical
  situation to communication consulting? How does
  that application affect the way we look at the
  consulting process?
• Harrison argues that the decision that emerges
  from a consultation is judged to be moral or
  ethical on the basis of the quality of discourse
  which gave rise to it (p. 95). What do you
  think of this as an ethical principle? What
  guidelines does she suggest to help achieve this
  ethical goal, and what do consultants need to do
  to follow those guidelines?

6
Questions on Case Study, The Penis People

• What ethical dilemma(s) do consultants Emma and
  Sheila face in this case study?
• Drawing on the discussion in both Purdy and
  Harrison, how would you suggest that the
  consultants manage these ethical dilemmas?

7
General Discussion

• What ethical dilemmas/situations have you either
  already encountered or anticipate that you might
  encounter in your consulting projects? How do
  you plan on managing such dilemmas/situations?