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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 138 Conn / INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND ETHICS TRAINING 139 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 140 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2008 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? Conn / INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND ETHICS TRAINING 141 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 142 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2008 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 Conn / INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND ETHICS TRAINING 143 • 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. 144 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2008 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 Conn / INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND ETHICS TRAINING 145 • 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 146 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2008 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 Conn / INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND ETHICS TRAINING 147 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. 148 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2008 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) Conn / INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND ETHICS TRAINING 149 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. 150 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION QUARTERLY / June 2008 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). Conn / INTEGRATING WRITING SKILLS AND ETHICS TRAINING 151 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).