Ethical Communication Case Study

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Recently, the topic of power and ethical communication has been highlighted as an important factor in company success. Considering technological advancements, there is much more information which must be treated and communicated by employees and managers than in the past. While ethical communication concerns all members of an organization, individuals with a larger amount of power are more responsible for ethical communication and its impact on the enterprise. First of all, the individuals who are most responsible for a company’s ethics are found at the top of the company. In traditional company structures, more responsibility and power is allotted to people who are higher up the pyramid. The members with the most power are managers, executives, …show more content…

As an employee, a superior’s power is legitimized due to their position in the company or expertise in a particular field. Managers and other superiors receive information which lower level subordinates may or may not have access. Superiors’ ethical responsibility is if, how, and why they communicate the received information. For example, the superior receives news that the market is approaching a financial downturn. Any decision the superior takes after receiving news of the economic crisis will have ethical repercussions. In the first unethical scenario, the superior decides to with hold the information about potential layoffs from employees so that the company can continue its operations. In the second scenario, the supervisor with holds the information and plans to lay off employees to increase profits regardless of whether or not it is necessary. The two scenarios show unethical forms of communication between the superior and his or her subordinates for the sake of the company’s success and the superior’s position. In an ethical scenario, the superior would communicate the information to employees. However, ethical communication does not consist of coercion to perform better or threats of dismissal if performance lags. Considering the possible consequences of each scenario, the superior must decide which course of action would be best and then how to execute the

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