portation as well as the liberalization of trade…” has created positive global “interdependencies.” (FAO) However, “the rules for this new global economy are only partially written and are themselves the subject of considerable contention…
“Global competition may result in lower prices, but it also erodes cultural values and national identi-ties. It may also foreclose options for future generations. Moreover, while textbook accounts suggest that trade liberalization will lead to greater overall welfare, some actors have the wherewithal to take advantage of global markets to a far greater extent than others, owing to their access to capital, expertise, technologies and policy-makers.”
In a move to formally incorporate ethics and adhere to a corporate social responsibility model, ethics awareness and training have become key elements of businesses and academic programs.
This year, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation revealed in a recent global survey of more than 1,800 communication professionals, that almost two-thirds of companies surveyed did not provide education training (seminars, continuing education or training workshops) on ethical issues and matters to employees.
According to the IABC report, The Business of Truth: A Guide to Ethical Communication, “a majority of respondents agreed that ethical considerations are a vital part of executive decision making and that public relations and communication professionals should advise management on ethical matters. However, many respondents noted that ethics was never given more than a cursory mention in their organizations, usually on the first day of employment when company policy manuals were distributed.”
Interestingly, the research “uncovered a clear divide between communicators on whether or not they should act as the principal ethical conscience or counsel in an organization. According to the report, “on one side of the divide are communicators who believe that ethics and corporate reputation concerns go hand-in-hand, making ethical counseling a natural component of public relations and communications. On the other side are practitioners who believe that they are not positioned to be the primary advisors to management on ethics because of
the complex nature of the issues (embedded in operating rules and regulations) and such critical responsibilities should fall under the legal or compliance functions.”
Seventy percent of the respondents reported studying ethics “not at all” or at a basic level, during their higher education pursuits; 18 percent took “an entire course on ethics” and 4 percent had “more than one course on ethics or a specialization” in the subject.
In a statement Kellie Garrett, ABC, chair of the IABC Research Foundation noted, “In this era of corporate scandals, it is vital that employers make it a priority to marry philosophical ethics education (“why” ethics matter) with practical and regular ethics training (“how” to implement ethical practices and display ethical behavior).”
The IABC study, led by Shannon A. Bowen, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Maryland, and sponsored by Hewlett-Packard and ROI Communications, received responses from 1,827 communication professionals from around the world. In addition, qualitative data was collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews with senior and middle-level communicators in North America, New Zealand, Israel and Australia.
The International Association of Business Communicators was established in 1970 and serves more than 13,000 members in 67 countries, 100 chapters and 100 organizations.
Another study, Beyond Grey Pinstripes 2005, a biennial report issued by World Resources Institute and the Aspen Institute, a non profit organization, takes a look at business schools where many entrepreneurial minds and future business partners initially train. The survey, which is conducted every two years, spotlights full-time MBA programs and faculty on six continents that “lead the way in integrating issues of social and environmental stewardship into business school curricula and research.”
The study concluded that an increasing number of schools surveyed (54% in 2005, up from 45% in 2003 and 34% in 2001) require one or more courses in ethics, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, or business and society.
World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank based in Washington, D.C.
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