Chapter 8: Organizational Communication Ethics

What struck me about organizational communication ethics is the notion of competing goods

within an organization or institution and also the idea of the “community of memory.”

The idea of community of memory is defined by the book as “both a collection of the past and

an engagement with the future.” (147). The book also says that a community of memory works

as a conscience or guide, not as a dictate; it responds to changing circumstances within an

organization…” (146). I find these definitions to be truly thought provoking. I agree with the

books explanation, and can see how the idea of community of memory can apply to my own life.

For example, at my workplace, “community of memory” is a collection of situations and events

that have occurred not just at my particular store, but also at other stores in branches across the

US. These are compiled for us via weekly company updates, monthly company magazines,

and yearly corporate training manuals. They share not only updated goals and policies, but

also the stories of individual employees who are celebrating milestones, achieving success, or

representing the company in an innovative way. They alert employees of company problems,

and help us make necessary reforms to improve for the future. These various media pieces help

employees understand the goals of the company as well as connect with one another, and feel

like we are a “team.”

The idea of competing goods can also be applied to the workplace. The company as a whole

sometimes expresses different expectations than upper management at an individual branch.

It then becomes an issue of “what is good for the individual branch?” vs “what is good for the

organization as a whole?” Employees must often navigate situations where these two competing

goods are directly at odds. Whereas corporate policy is more general and idealistic, individual

branch policy tends to recognize specific situations, because these situations have occurred

before. It is important to recognize that competing goods exist even within a single organization.