Download integrating writing skills and ethics training in business

INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND
ETHICS TRAINING IN BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION PEDAGOGY: A
RÉSUMÉ CASE STUDY EXEMPLAR
Cynthia E. Conn
Virginia Commonwealth University
An integrated approach to teaching résumé construction in the business communication classroom focuses on simultaneously (a) emphasizing writing-related proficiencies
and (b) encouraging ethical and moral orientations to this task. This article provides
a résumé construction exemplar that operationalizes these two pedagogical goals. The
techniques and exercises used in the exemplar are presented as a way to make ethics
education accessible for both business communication instructors and students.
Keywords:
ethics education, business communication, pedagogy, moral development
SOME CORPORATE EXECUTIVES do it. So do some government
officials, college administrators, and Division I football coaches.
They lie on their résumés. In April 2007, Marilee Jones, former dean
of admissions at MIT, joined the growing list of prominent leaders
who have been ousted from executive-level positions for misrepresenting their credentials and qualifications on their résumés (see
Callahan, 2004; Winstein & Golden, 2007). These public incidents
have focused attention on the issue of résumé falsification and highlighted the problems that personal misrepresentation can engender.
Although the notorious cases of résumé falsification have thrust
this issue into the public purview and garnered the most attention,
fabricating information on one’s résumé is not limited to highprofile employees; rather, it is a pervasive and serious employment
problem that can occur at any organizational level (Andler, 1998;
Callahan, 2004). It is particularly important to note that “many
Author’s Note: A version of this article was presented at the Association for Business
Communication convention, San Antonio, Texas, October 2006.
Business Communication Quarterly, Volume 71, Number 2, June 2008 138-151
DOI: 10.1177/1080569908317150
© 2008 by the Association for Business Communication
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people start lying on their résumés while in school and continue to
do so throughout their careers” (Callahan, 2004, p. 220). This problematic and morally vacant attitude toward résumé writing can be
critiqued and discouraged in the college classroom.
As business communication educators, we have a unique opportunity
to influence how students think about and engage in résumé writing
because we teach the skills, answer the questions, and review the documents. Our teaching responsibilities should also extend to increasing
students’ awareness of and sensitivity to the ethical and moral issues
related to résumé construction (e.g., McQueeney, 2006). Indeed, it is our
responsibility to train students who can construct an informative, visually pleasing résumé without falsifying, embellishing, or exaggerating
its contents. This important, necessary, and timely pedagogical aim can
be accomplished by integrating the teaching of writing skills and ethical considerations. By focusing on these complementary goals, more
holistic learning can transpire in the classroom, and, as a result, students
will have better opportunities to examine both their communication
choices and the decision-making processes that influence them.
This article presents a case study exemplar that operationalizes the dual
pedagogical goals of (a) communication skill proficiency and (b) ethics
training as they relate to résumé writing. This integrated approach to pedagogy acknowledges the importance of ethics training for business school
students (e.g., Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business,
2004; Crane, 2004; Williams & Dewett, 2005), supports the incorporation
of ethics into extant course curricula, and reflects the need to maintain the
pragmatic focus of a basic business communication course. Both instructors who are new to teaching ethics and instructors who would like to supplement their current teaching techniques may find this exemplar of
particular interest and use. The first part of this article briefly explicates
the foundational concepts of the résumé construction exemplar. The second part of this article provides specific pedagogical techniques and the
supporting documents for using the exemplar in the classroom.
UTILIZING THE RÉSUMÉ CONSTRUCTION EXEMPLAR:
FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS
An integrated approach to business communication pedagogy promotes two core goals: (a) teaching students the writing-related skills
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necessary to be competent and effective business communicators
and (b) fostering ethical sensibilities in students and facilitating their
moral development by highlighting the centrality of ethics in business communication practices. Together, the two core pedagogical
goals of the integrated approach emphasize that effective, successful
business communication practices and messages are just as dependent on attention to ethical issues as they are on attention to content,
style, organization, and grammar.
The résumé construction exemplar discussed below advances
these core goals by providing a lesson that simultaneously emphasizes the mechanics of résumé writing along with the ethical considerations and, in doing so, makes both of these topics salient to
students’ understanding of how to construct a résumé. The overarching goal of this exemplar is to provide a pragmatic way for students
to develop an understanding of the writing skills and techniques used
in résumé construction as well as of the ethical choices and decisions
that shape the content and presentation of a résumé.
To support the dual pedagogical goals of this case study exemplar,
a thoughtful, organized classroom discussion about the ethical issues
inherent in résumé writing is necessary. One way to organize this
discussion is through the use of Kohlberg’s (1981) theory of moral
development. Kohlberg’s theory is particularly useful because it
offers a tangible framework that is useful for both instructors and
students. Specifically, instructors can utilize Kohlberg’s modes of
moral reasoning to facilitate a focused classroom discussion, and,
through this discussion, students can apply Kohlberg’s modes of
moral reasoning to more fully consider the ethical choices and moral
issues associated with résumé writing.
The ascending modes of moral reasoning in Kohlberg’s theory are
(from basic to advanced)
• Consequences: How will this behavior affect students and their professional careers? What will the consequences of their actions be?
• Rules: What rules, policies, codes, or guidelines pertain to the behavior in question? Is the behavior problematic or even illegal?
• Principles: What moral values, standards, or principles are relevant
to this situation? Are students embracing or disavowing qualities
such as respect, integrity, and honesty?
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Discussions oriented toward these ethical considerations can create
a stimulating learning environment that offers a direct, organized
approach to discussion and the flexibility to debate and discuss ethical issues and concerns. This type of engagement should leave
students with a clearer understanding of what is fair, just, and right
in terms of résumé writing.
Exploration of these foundational concepts should orient instructors and students to an integrated pedagogical approach and serve to
contextualize the application of the résumé construction exemplar in
the classroom. In the next section of the article, I detail the operationalization of this approach and describe the teaching materials
used in conjunction with the résumé construction exercise.
UTILIZING THE RÉSUMÉ CONSTRUCTION
EXEMPLAR: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Résumés are inherently personal documents because they showcase
foundational experiences and backgrounds while also reflecting personal attributes; as such, résumés also offer many opportunities for
ethically ambiguous and problematic situations to arise (McQueeney,
2006). Students generally want to develop an effective résumé; they
are interested in self-presentation strategies and inquisitive about
how to best engage their audience. Consequently, issues about the
mechanics of résumé writing and the ethical choices involved in
résumé writing can naturally arise during class lectures and discussions. The following section focuses on how to direct and facilitate
an integrated lesson on résumé writing that will give students information that is understandable, applicable, and transferable to their
résumé writing and editing.
Phase 1: Contextualizing the Class
This lecture and its supporting activities are best positioned after a
general, introductory lecture on résumé writing has been given but
before a résumé critique session; the lesson can be adapted to fit in
either a 50-minute or 75-minute class period. It is a good idea to
have students work in pairs for this activity. Having a partner gives
students an opportunity to jointly critique the résumé and then discuss its ethical issues. After students are paired up, tell them that
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résumé content and writing choices are the focus of the lesson.
Having acclimated students to the general idea of the class, distribute copies of the Raney Dilemma (see Appendix A).
Once students have a copy of the case study (one per person), instruct
them to read it and underline information related to Sam’s professional
credentials and background. After they have read the case study, distribute the accompanying résumé (one per pair) and ask students to identify
and correct the problematic content (see Appendix B).
Phase 2: The Raney Dilemma Case Study
The Raney Dilemma case study describes Sam Raney’s educational
background and professional experiences, contextualizing his need
to write a résumé in his desire to apply for a new, prestigious job.
The accompanying résumé includes both mechanically flawed content (i.e., issues with the résumé’s structure and appearance) and ethically problematic content (i.e., discrepancies between Sam’s actual
educational and professional achievements and the presentation of
these achievements). The mechanical errors reflect general writing
mistakes that may be found on résumés. The ethical errors reflect the
most common types of résumé falsifications (Andler, 1998) and primarily focus on misrepresenting one’s educational background (e.g.,
fictional degrees) or work history (e.g., incorrect job titles, overstated job responsibilities and accomplishments, changed employment dates to bridge gaps between jobs).
Using the Raney Dilemma case study to instruct students on both
the mechanics and ethics of résumé writing can create a productive
classroom environment in which involvement, engagement, interaction, and increased learning are promoted (Carroll, 2005; Corey,
1980). Specifically, the case study enables students to rigorously critique a fictitious résumé and address its problematic content. Using
a fictitious résumé allows students to fully embrace the exercise
because they do not have to fear personal embarrassment or scrutiny;
students may find this exercise less threatening and thus more helpful because their own résumés are not the target of critique.
Both the mechanical and ethical issues in the accompanying
résumé are noticeable and easily identifiable. The writing-related
issues include
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• Heading
Not bolding the name
• Objective
Poor phrasing (vague)
No spacing between the Objective section and Education section
• Education
Poor formatting of the content (e.g., not bolding the university’s
name, university’s location information improperly spaced)
• Work Experience
Lacking consistency in job heading information and spacing
(middle format is the preferred model)
• Professional Development
The word professional is misspelled
Too many spaces between the Professional Development section
and the Computer Skills section
The ethically based discrepancies include
• Educational Background
BS degree (not received)
GPA (does not distinguish between overall GPA and in-major GPA,
in-major GPA is rounded up)
• Work Experience
SB Consulting—incorrect organizational name
Swimmer Tag Toys—incorrect job title of “marketing director,”
inflated duties and responsibilities (e.g., led a seven-person team,
developed a series of training sessions), and incorrect dates of
employment
City Foods Inc.—inflated accomplishments (e.g., instrumental in
product launch, led a product team)
Phase 3: Discussing the Raney Dilemma
Once students have completed the résumé review and revision, a
class discussion should follow. This discussion should have two
parts. Part 1 involves two threads of discussion: (a) identifying the
discrepancies between the information in the case study and Sam’s
résumé content and (b) identifying the writing-related errors in
Sam’s résumé. This can be a classwide discussion, and the content
outlines previously provided can be used as a guide. It may also be
helpful to project the problematic résumé so that students can more
easily follow the discussion.
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After students have had an opportunity to point out the flaws in
the résumé, it is imperative that they understand why Sam’s résumé
is ethically problematic; this is Part 2 of the discussion. Kohlberg’s
(1981) theory of moral development provides a framework for the
ensuing discussion. With the outline of Kohlberg’s theory projected
(provided in the first part of this article), students first discuss the
issues associated with each mode of moral development with their
partner (i.e., consequences, rules, and principles). Then, students can
have a classwide discussion. The discussion guide and possible discussion points (based on my own use of the exercise) follows.
The possible consequences of falsifying one’s résumé should
begin this part of the discussion. Have students identify what could
happen to Sam (or them) if he is found to have falsified a professional résumé. Also, have students discuss what may happen to Sam
(or them) if he does not falsify résumé content (e.g., losing a job he
really wants, feeling confident in his self-presentation of knowledge,
skills, and abilities). Most important, this discussion should point out
the problems inherent in this mode of moral reasoning (i.e., why it is
undesirable to use only the consequences of a decision or act as the
basis for determining the moral quality of that decision or act).
Students are most familiar with a consequential approach to decision
making (whether they realize it or not); therefore, they will readily
supply a list of consequences that may include the following:
• Being fired (George O’Leary, the former Notre Dame football coach,
is a famous example)
• Having your reputation and credibility damaged
• Creating an inability to get hired because your credentials are suspect
• Not being prepared for certain job responsibilities
• Being forced to continually lie about your qualifications and background
After identifying some potential consequences associated with
résumé falsification, the discussion should then focus on the rules,
policies, and guidelines that apply to résumé writing. Here, the discussion objective is to encourage students to think about corporate
policies, legal issues, and other professional standards that will be violated by falsifying one’s résumé. Although there are not as many rulesrelated issues in résumé writing, students may still point out that
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• It is illegal to lie on a job application (i.e., doing so constitutes fraud),
and a job application’s content should exactly match a résumé’s content
• A company may have you sign a form stating that all the information
contained in your application packet (including your résumé) is correct;
this form is a legally binding document
• Sam is a member of the American Marketing Association, and his
lying violates the organization’s code of ethics
After a discussion of both consequences and rules, an examination of the moral principles involved in résumé writing should conclude this portion of the lesson. This is the highest level of moral
reasoning, focusing on generalizable and universal moral principles.
At this level, students should be encouraged to focus on their personal code of conduct and their individual standards for decision
making and behavior. For example, it might be argued that falsifying
one’s résumé is wrong because it violates the principles that students
believe should inform their and others’ conduct in business and professional life. Principles that may arise during this portion of the discussion include the following:
• Respect—falsifying one’s résumé reflects a lack of respect for yourself (e.g., taking no pride in your knowledge, skills, and abilities), a
company (e.g., violating expectations of honesty), and your references (abusing the trust of people supporting you) as well as a lack
of respect for the audience (seeking to manipulate them rather than
treating them with the respect and consideration one would want
accorded the self)
• Fairness—falsifying one’s résumé is unfair both to other applicants
who are truthful and to the company (e.g., they may assign you a job
that you cannot perform and, in doing so, unknowingly damage the
company in some way)
• Integrity—falsifying one’s résumé compromises one’s character
Having students progressively consider the ethical consequences,
rules, and principles involved in résumé writing will give them a
frame of reference for writing their own résumés. Moreover, this
exercise makes ethical issues and questions of morality highly personal and applicable to everyday situations. Rather than simply cautioning students not cheat or lie on their résumés, Kohlberg’s theory
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and the discussion it facilitates provide students with a way to generate their own understandings of honesty and ethical codes as they
relate to constructing a résumé and may even foster more general
moral development. Moreover, combining this discussion of résumé
ethics with a review of résumé-writing mechanics will enable
students to produce higher-quality résumés that are both ethically
and mechanically sound.
Phase 4: Discussing the Revised Résumé
In their initial reading of the case study and its accompanying
résumé, students were instructed to identify and correct the errors
and discrepancies in Sam’s résumé. To bring this lesson to fruition,
it is necessary to show students what the corrected résumé looks like
and how it is both similar to and different from the original (see
Appendix C). Project the revised résumé while comparing and contrasting its information to the problematic copy. Be sure that students
notice the following points:
• The improved form makes a more impressive visual presentation
• Correcting the résumé’s ethics-related errors does not need to alter
the impact of its content
• Including accurate information may give Sam a competitive edge
when applying for the job (e.g., running his own business requires
highly desirable knowledge, skills, and abilities such as self-motivation,
fiscal responsibility, and willingness to take reasonable risks)
This final discussion allows the class to end positively and provides
students with important issues to consider as they construct or edit
their own résumés. Students should then be encouraged to apply the
mechanical and ethical principles discussed in the lesson in the construction of their own résumés (which they will bring in for the peer
critique session that will take place during the next class meeting).
Additional Applications
The Raney Dilemma case study has variable and adaptable uses in
the business communication classroom. For example, students can
be asked to transform the ethically and rhetorically correct chronological résumé into a skills résumé. This exercise will give students
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an opportunity to compare and contrast résumé formats and content;
in doing so, students can gain a more tangible understanding of how
to adapt and present their knowledge, skills, and abilities in different
ways. Relatedly, the Raney Dilemma case study can also be used as
part of a lesson on application letter writing. Asking students to write
an application letter for Sam gives them an opportunity to discuss
and practice ethically and rhetorically correct communication;
students can dialogue about how to address Sam’s strengths (e.g.,
extensive work experience) and weaknesses (e.g., employment gaps,
lack of college degree) and then use this knowledge to write an
application letter that accurately and positively represents Sam to his
potential employer. In addition, this case study can be utilized during the employment interview lecture and activity; students can be
asked to create questions that they would like to ask Sam and, based
on their own experiences, practice answering these questions.
Incorporating one or all of these activities from the Raney Dilemma
case study into the business communication curriculum can readily
facilitate student learning and promote the idea that professional
success can be achieved through communication that is both ethically and rhetorically sound.
CONCLUSION
By integrating ethics training into the skills-focused business communication course curriculum, students can be encouraged to
develop communication skills while simultaneously reflecting on
ethical and moral issues inherent in their communication practice.
To promote this pedagogical aim in a way that makes ethics a more
accessible topic for both instructors and students, the résumé construction exemplar discussed in this article offers tangible, practical
resources for teaching résumé writing and highlighting the relevant
ethical issues associated with it.
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References
Andler, E. C. (1998). The complete reference checking handbook: Smart, fast, legal ways to
check out job applicants. New York: AMACOM.
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. (2004). Ethics education in business
schools. St. Louis, MO: Author.
Callahan, D. (2004). The cheating culture: Why more Americans are doing wrong to get
ahead. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Carroll, A. B. (2005, January/February). An ethical education. BizEd, pp. 36-40.
Corey, E. R. (1980). Case method teaching [Teaching note]. Boston: Harvard Business School.
Crane, F. (2004). The teaching of business ethics: An imperative at business schools. Journal
of Education for Business, 79, 149-151.
Kohlberg, L. (1981). Essays in moral development: The philosophy of moral development. San
Francisco: Harper & Row.
McQueeney, E. (2006). Making ethics come alive. Business Communication Quarterly, 69,
158-171.
Williams, S. D., & Dewett, T. (2005). Yes, you can teach business ethics: A review and
research agenda. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 12, 109-115.
Winstein, K. J., & Golden, D. (2007, April 27). MIT admissions dean lied on résumé in 1979,
quits. Wall Street Journal, p. B1.
Cynthia E. Conn (PhD, Purdue University) is an assistant professor in the Management
Department at Virginia Commonwealth University. Address correspondence to Cindy
Conn, Snead Hall, 301 West Main St., P.O. Box 844000, Richmond, VA 23284-4000;
email: [email protected].
APPENDIX A: The Raney Dilemma
Sam Raney is a freelance marketing consultant who has been selfemployed for the past 3 years. Sam assists local businesses with small-scale
marketing projects, focusing on creating graphic design layouts and print
copy for promotional materials (e.g., newspaper ads, banners, flyers). He
currently has nine active accounts and has worked with 13 organizations in
various industries over the years.
Although Sam has been successful as a freelance marketing consultant,
he now wants to rejoin the corporate world; his dream job as head of the
marketing department at Lowery Development has just been advertised,
and he is eager to apply for the position. In order to do so, though, Sam
needs to write a new résumé.
Sam is apprehensive about writing his résumé for two main reasons:
(continued)
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Reason 1—Educational Background: Sam did not complete the requirements for his BS degree in business administration (with a concentration in
marketing) at Purdue University. He attended Purdue for 3 years (19951998) and was an above-average student. He made the dean’s list three
semesters and earned an overall GPA of 3.1 and an in-major GPA of 3.47.
Reason 2—Work History: After leaving Purdue, Sam had two jobs before
he started doing freelance consulting work. His first job was as a marketing
assistant at City Foods, Inc., from January 1998 to May 2000. In this position, Sam was primarily a support staff member for the marketing team. He
assisted with the launch of a new food product (Hokie Flakes) and participated on a product development team that redesigned the packaging and
labels for products that had been in stores more than 5 years. Sam’s job was
phased out when the marketing department merged with the public relations
department.
Sam was unemployed for 6 months while he engaged in an extensive job
search. He finally accepted a position as a marketing specialist at Swimmer
Tag, a toy company, in November of 2000. In this position, he led a fourperson team through two product launches (BoBo Boxing and Swimming
Dolls). Both were successful projects, each grossing approximately $1 million dollars in total retail sales before being discontinued. Because of his
success that year, Sam was asked to conduct training sessions for summer
interns during their week-long orientation. Sam was laid off from Swimmer
Tag in February 2003 because of staffing reductions.
In sum, Sam fears that he does not have the formal education necessary
for the prestigious job at Lowery Development. He also feels that his work
experiences are inadequate and do not represent the extent of his marketing
knowledge, skills, and abilities. Sam knows that he is facing a competitive
job market and applicant pool.
As Sam sits down to write his résumé, he tries not to let these concerns
dominate his thoughts. Sam reflects on his skills and accomplishments: He is
very active in the American Marketing Association, the professional marketing organization. He serves on the Award Selection Committee and is chair
of the Commercial Advertising Division. His computer skills are strong; he is
proficient with all the Microsoft Office Suite programs, Adobe PageMaker,
and Photoshop. In fact, Sam has presented six training sessions on computer
skills for the Marketing Research Conference attendees (2000-2005).
Thinking about both his strengths and weaknesses as a marketing
department head, Sam sits down to write his résumé.
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APPENDIX B: Problematic Résumé
Sam B. Raney
Objective
Education
Work
Experience
1015 Monroe Park Drive
Glenn Allen, VA 26854
[email protected]
804.828.0011
Getting hired for my outstanding knowledge, skills, and abilities at Lowery
Development
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN
Business Administration (Marketing Concentration)
December 1998
GPA: 3.5 (Dean’s List, three semesters)
Marketing Consultant, SB Consulting, Glenn Allen, VA, March 2003 – Present
· Assist organizations with graphic layout design and print copy for
promotional materials
· Manage nine active accounts
· Consulted for 13 organizations in diverse industries
Marketing Director
Swimmer Tag Toys
Roanoke, VA
May 2000 – February 2003
· Led a seven person product development team
· Managed the product launches of BoBo Boxing and Swimming Dolls (Total
Product Sales: $2 million dollars)
· Developed a series of training sessions for summer marketing interns
Marketing Assistant
City Foods Inc.
Bedford, VA
January 1998 – May 2000
· Instrumental in the product launch of Hokie Flakes cereal
· Led a product development team that redesigned the packaging and labels for
products that had been in stores more than five years
Profesional
Development American Marketing Association - Chair, Commercial Advertising Division,
Member, Award Selection Committee, Presenter, Marketing Research
Conference
Computer
Skills
Proficient with:
· Microsoft Office Suite
· Adobe PageMaker
· Photoshop
Presented six computer-related training sessions for the American Marketing
Association at the annual Marketing Research Conference (2000-2005).
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APPENDIX C: Corrected Résumé
Sam B. Raney
Objective
1015 Monroe Park Drive
Glenn Allen, VA 26854
[email protected]
804.828.0011
To be selected as the Marketing Department Head for Lowery Development
Education
Purdue University
Business Administration (Marketing Concentration)
Overall GPA: 3.1 In-major GPA: 3.4
Dean’s List (three semesters)
Work
Experience
Freelance Marketing Consultant
Glenn Allen, VA
March 2003 – Present
· Assist organizations with graphic layout design and print copy for
promotional materials
· Manage nine active accounts
· Consulted for 13 organizations in diverse industries
West Lafayette, IN
Fall 1995 – Fall 1998
Marketing Specialist
Swimmer Tag Toys
Roanoke, VA
November 2000 – February 2003
· Led a four person product development team
· Managed the product launches of BoBo Boxing and Swimming Dolls (Total
Product Sales: $2 million dollars; $1 million for each)
· Conducted three training sessions for summer marketing interns during
orientation week 2002
Marketing Assistant
City Foods Inc.
Bedford, VA
January 1998 – May 2000
· Assisted with the product launch of Hokie Flakes cereal
· Participated on a product development team that redesigned the packaging and
labels for products that had been in stores more than five years
Professional American Marketing Association
Development · Chair, Commercial Advertising Division
· Member, Award Selection Committee
· Presenter, Marketing Research Conference
Computer
Skills
Proficient with:
· Microsoft Office Suite
· Adobe PageMaker
· Photoshop
Presented six computer-related training sessions for the American Marketing
Association at the annual Marketing Research Conference (2000-2005).