Business ethics have some of the most confusing rules of any ethical discussion, in my book. It is in business where a lot of the times the entire company reflects what the owner's main goals are. At the beginning of the chapter, it opened with a comment that talked about how there isn't a recipe for success. It is the whole organization/company lasting and growing that makes have certain amounts of "good" (p.173). Although this point made sense, I thought it was kind of surprising that a lasting business is one that is "good." Not all businesses are ethical just because they last. In fact, many that are unethical are the ones that last. However, when a business is promoting their definition is good, it is ethical in their eyes, or at least should be.
I thought the discussion of manners was vital to business ethics because of the fact that having manners and being polite isn't always appropriate. If someone is straying away from the good of the company, it is essential that actions are taken in order to stop it and prevent more negativity from happening. I also thought that "people like me" section was really applicable to my work environment now. I work at an HR company that is contracted on to companies who don't have an HR. So, we work on several positions. One of my employers literally said that they just wanted the person that they hired to be funny like them. I had to stop and wonder if that was for the "good" of the company or just the "good" of the owner.
The people we have been sending over aren't as qualified as other candidates, so I wonder if that is ethical or unethical. In some sense, I think it is a subtle form of discrimination. I think that this is something that happens often in the workplace, and it is something that should be stopped. But, if a business is planning on going in one "unified" direction personality-wise, then it is completely necessary for them to choose whether or not someones personality is more important than their qualifications. Without this unified goal, many companies would probably go out of business. It is with a companies identity that people relate, and this is what makes people so loyal to certain companies over others.
I think you make some really interesting points in your post. I think this chapter was fairly comprehendible and straight forward in terms of the way it introduced and discussed the main points of business communication ethics, but I absolutely agree with you that business and the professional world is one of the hardest spheres to maneuver in terms of communication ethics. I think your comments on the book's idea of a "good" are interesting because you are right that a lasting business is not necessarily a good one. But I took what the book was saying to be more about the "good" of the business as a thing, like the common good, goal, direction, etc., which I think is interesting and that different shows how difficult these topics can be to sort out. I guess I understood it to be, in terms of ethics, that the good they were describing was less a moral good vs. bad and more of a goal or bettering of the business. I think this is what the book is saying when it talks about there not really being a recipe. I understood it to mean that the business may have to adapt or change its methods or course to meet that good. I do like what you have to say though because I think your interpretation of what it means to be good really pulls in the ethical aspect and how to measure a company's ethics in a way the chapter doesn't necessarily.
ReplyDeleteThis ties really well into your comments on the "people like me section" which really stuck out to me as well. I think your example of the people in the HR company you work for is a perfect example of this and I think this is a relatable scenario to many. The question you pose about the ethics of the company versus the ethics of one specific person I think does a great job of demonstrating how communication and ethics are both vital to business. First, I think it is interesting to see that not only is the person focusing on their own good instead of the company as a whole, but also that they didn't attempt to communicate it in a different way. This is a great example of someone not acknowledging that good or direction of a business as a whole and not knowing how to communicate in a more ethical way. They don't seem to have any concern for communicating their thoughts in a way that would come off as less selfish and better for the company, so it sounds to me like that person should probably read this chapter and learn a bit about business communication ethics. I also think it provides an interesting predicament for you and the others you work with because it places you in a position where you have to decide between the good of the company you are providing a service for and the company you work for. And your recognition that the people that are being sent for interviews are not the most qualified shows this dilemma and demonstrates that the actions of this owner have an effect on business beyond his own office. I really thought that was a good example.
Ann, I deal with the same issues everyday in the restaurant game. It seems as if we just can not find a good hire to save our lives. Having three managers is part of the problem. The reason I say this is because we all have different styles. Quite frankly I feel that I am the only qualified person to do the job. I don't say this to be boastful but our other two managers just have picked the worst of the barrel the past few hires.
ReplyDeleteI also felt that the manners discussion was not only informative but a lesson to everyone who is set in a particular way. I know I just never think like that while working. In my everyday life I feel I am even more distant from being aware of simple life lessons such as manners in different cultures. I think Kathryn put it best in her reply saying, "I absolutely agree with you that business and the professional world is one of the hardest spheres to maneuver in terms of communication ethics." This is something that takes a considerable amount of time and energy with mistakes which will help us all grow.
Discrimination is all over in the work place. People do it all the time and we don't see it as you stated. To understand this we have to look back at the intercultural communications. People are not hardwired the same, some folks are just better off working from home or being demoted to humble them down a touch. The boss you speak of in your case should be fired or demoted. There is no room for a weak link in a frail chain.