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Fundamentals of
Organizational Communication:
Knowledge, Sensitivity, Skills, Values
9th Edition
Prepared by Pamela S. Shockley-Zalabak
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Introduction to Organizational
Communication
Values and Ethical Communication Behaviors
Chapter Four
Prepared by Pamela S. Shockley-Zalabak
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Objectives




Describe individual and organizational values
Define ethical communication
Identify criteria for the evaluation of ethical
communication behaviors
Identify own personal value systems
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Objectives



Understand the complexity of ethical
dilemmas
Distinguish between what one would do and
should do
Assess personal value systems and
behaviors
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Objectives
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

Apply skills to case and dilemma analysis
Relate values to individual behavior and
organizational effectiveness
Understand ethical behavior as contributing
to choice, growth, and development
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Key Terms

Values – The subjective assessments made
about the relative worth of a quality or object.

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
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Part of the shared realities generated through
organizational communication
Helps employees identify with the organization
which increases loyalty and job satisfaction
Value congruence - The similarity between
individual and organizational values.
Terminal values - Concerns for end states of
existence or desirable goals.
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Defining Values


An enduring organization of beliefs
concerning preferable modes of conduct or
end-states of existence along a continuum of
relative importance (Rokeach, 1973)
In any organization, the members generally
have a set of beliefs about what is
appropriate and inappropriate organizational
behavior. Furthermore, these beliefs can be
ordered in importance in a reliable fashion by
the members of the organization (Goodstein,
1983)
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Values and Decision Making


Palmer, Veiga & Vora (1981)
Values in practice, not just stated, govern
whether behavior is ethical, effective, or
abusive, flawed or illegal

“Value profiles were relatively successful in
predicting managers’ decision preferences and in
providing further evidence of the linkage between
personal values and decision making.”
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Collectivism Vs. The “I”

David Strubler (1993)



Illustrated difference between Japanese
collectivism and American individualism
Our abilities to misunderstand values
because of cultural differences extend to
numerous types of work settings
An organization is most successful when it
brings different cultural backgrounds
together, not to force one organizational
value but to integrate diverse ideas for the
benefit of the organization
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Individual Values


Congruence between individual values and organizational values =
increased job satisfaction
Gordon Allport, Philip Vernon and Gardner Lindzey –
6 value orientations
 Theoretical


Economic

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Expressed in relationships, love and service
Political

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Artistic experiences and in forming harmony
Social


The useful, practical and material acquisition
Aesthetic


Discovery of truth, knowledge and order
Relate to needs for power, influence, leadership and dominance
Religious

Relate to needs for unity and meaningful relationships to the world
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Key Terms


Instrumental values - Desirable behaviors or
modes of conduct that are related to and
influence terminal values.
Locus of control - Values we place as
organizational members on connections
between our efforts and the success or failure
of the organization.
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Key Terms
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
Self-esteem - Value we place on recognition for
work, positive feedback, and the use of our
contributions.
Tolerance of ambiguity - Value or importance we
place on structured or unstructured work
environments.
Social judgment - Value we place on the feelings of
others and our general assumptions about why
people work.
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Key Terms
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Risk taking - Value that explores the
importance we place on quick rather than
deliberative action and whether we prefer
our own sense of job fulfillment as
opposed to job security.
Ethics - Moral principles that guide
judgments about good and bad, right and
wrong, not just effectiveness or efficiency.
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Communication and Ethics

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Communication involves choices
Communication reflects values
Communication has consequences
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Ethics in Organizational Communication

Abuse of Ethics


Enron, Global Crossing, Synergy, Xerox,
Adelphia,Tyco and WorldCom came under fire for
ethics abuse in the early 21st century
Johannesen (1983) Values vs. Ethics



Values influence what we will determine to be ethical
Ethical judgments focus more precisely on degrees of
rightness and wrongness in human behavior
Values are our measures of importance, whereas ethics
represent our judgments about right and wrong
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Making Ethical Decisions

Three general decision-making frameworks
 Utilitarian Theory

Evaluates behavior based on outcomes or consequences for those
involved
 Theory of Rights

Emphasizes individuals’ entitlements or privileges as members of a
society
 Free Consent
 Privacy
 Freedom of Conscience
 Free Speech
 Due Process
 Theory of Justice

Emphasizes balance or equity

Guided by fairness, impartiality, and equity if their actions are to be
considered ethical
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Ethical Communication Behaviors


Karl Wallace (1955) developed guidelines for the evaluation of
ethical behavior
Later, Rubin and Yoder (1985) applied these guidelines to
assessment of communication skills

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1. The habit of search

Ethical communication that willingly explores the complexity of any
issue or problem.
2. The habit of justice

Ethical communication that presents information as openly and
fairly as possible with concern for message distortion.
3. The habit of public versus private motivations

Ethical communication based on sharing sources of information,
special opinions, motivations, or biases that may influence
positions.
4. The habit of respect for dissent

Ethical communication that encourages opposing viewpoints and
arguments.
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Key Terms
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Choice making - Selection of options
based on knowledge of alternatives.

Whistle-blowing - The exposure of illegal
behaviors to organizational outsiders.
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Organizational Conundrums


Seeger, Sellnow, Ulmer, and Novak (2009) identified the following
ethical issues: privacy and voice; free speech, diversity, persuasion and
coercion, change, power and domination, authority and control,
organizational democracy, discourse and dialogue, legitimacy and
corporate social responsibility, recruitment and socialization, ethical
climate, and public relations.
Carl Anderson (1997) identified four organizational goals that are often
framed as incompatible and therefore the foundation of ethical
dilemmas:
 Economic performance - the goal of profit
 Competence - tangible or intangible assets that yield sustainable
competitive advantage
 The learning organization - an organization’s capacity to change
strategies, tactics, or performance
 The organization as community - respect for rights and fulfillment of
duty
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Organizational Conundrums


Ann Plamondon (1997)
 Organizational climates in which ethical dilemmas
arise.
 Broken organizational promises
 No one taking responsibility
 Denial of participation and dissent
 Whistle-blowing required
 Cultural relativism
Moral Sustainability – Leaving the organizational ethics
and values better than how you initially found it.
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Value and Ethical Challenges in Organizational
Communication

Voice and Participation


Representing Skills and Abilities


The ability to speak to issues of importance with their value and
ethical dimensions
The way in which we communicate what we know reflects an
ethical decision about fair representation of our abilities
Communication Behaviors Related to Money

Communication surrounding fees for services, salaries, and
personal versus organizational money is subject to ethical
evaluation
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Value and Ethical Challenges in Organizational
Communication

Communication Behaviors Related to Information
Collection, Dissemination, Problem Solving and Decision
Making


Personal Communication Behaviors


During data collection activities, professionals make ethical
decisions concerning what should remain confidential, who has a
need to know, how accurate the information is, and what the
criteria for interpretation are
Ethics of our individual behaviors, regardless of our job
responsibilities
Communication Behaviors and Technology

Maintaining confidentiality and security of information for ecommerce is an increasingly complex organizational
responsibility
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Value and Ethical Challenges in Organizational
Communication


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Destructive Communication Behaviors
 A number of communication behaviors such as deception, invasion
of privacy, aggression, incivility, sexual harassment, and
discrimination are almost universally considered unethical.
Unfortunately, these behaviors occur daily within all types and sizes
of organizations
Planned and Strategic Organizational Communication
 Organizations regularly communicate a variety of policies and
procedures with ethical implications. Hiring processes and decisions,
promotional policies, assignment of work, and working conditions are
all evaluated for their ethical consequences
Courage, Responsibility, Trust and Ethics
 At times ethical behaviors are courageous and difficult behaviors. At
all times ethical behaviors contribute to the trust necessary for
individual and organizational excellence
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Ethical Communication Behaviors




Promote participation
Promote transparency
Promote accountability
Promote courageous actions
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Discussion Question #1

Are values and ethics different? If so, how?
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Discussion Question #2

Describe an organization with which you are
familiar. Outline how that organization’s
values influence decision-making and
problem-solving processes.
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Discussion Question #3
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Describe an organization with which you are
familiar. Outline how individual,
organizational, and professional values have
affected behavior in that organization.
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Discussion Question #4

Describe an organization with which you are
familiar and outline how individual,
organizational, and professional values have
affected the organization’s effectiveness.
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Discussion Question #5

In your opinion, what is ethical
communication behavior?
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