The Importance of a Code of Ethics to the Practice of Public Relations

Transcription

1 The Importance of a Code of Ethics to the Practice of Public Relations In 1996, the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (CSEP) at the Illinois Institute of Technology (2009a) received a grant to place its collection of codes of ethics on the Web. More than 850 codes of professions, corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions can now be found online at The center was established in 1976 to promote research and teaching on practical moral problems in the professions (CSEP, 2009b) and was the first interdisciplinary center to focus on ethics in the professions (CSEP, 2009b). CSEP acknowledges that some writers have suggested that codes of professional ethics are pointless and unnecessary. Many others believe that codes are useful and important, but disagree about why (CSEP, 2009c). At the outer edges of the first camp is John Ladd (1991), who maintains that to rely on a code of ethics is to confuse ethics with law (CSEP, 2009c). Ladd (1991) contends that there is no special ethics for professionals that is somehow separate from the ethics of ordinary human beings. Professionals have no special rights or duties separate from their rights and duties as moral persons (CSEP, 2009c). Heinz Luegenbiehl (1991) mounts a different attack against codes of ethics: The adoption of a code is significant for the professionalization of an occupational group, because it is one of the external hallmarks testifying to the claim that the group recognizes an obligation to society that transcends mere economic self-interest (p. 138); however, ultimately codes of ethics create moral problems rather than helping to resolve them (CSEP, 2009c). He remarks that professionals do not often consult

2 their codes of ethics for guidance on ethical matters and that the guidelines presented in the codes are sometimes inconsistent (Luegenbiehl, 1991). Harris et al. (1995) argue that though practicing professionals do not frequently consult their codes, that does not necessarily mean that they do not know about or care about the their contents. Further, the fact that codes of ethics sometimes seem internally inconsistent can be addressed by understanding codes of ethics not as recipes for decision-making, but as expressions of ethical considerations to bear in mind. We should view them as an ethical framework rather than as specific solutions to problems (CSEP, 2009c). One of the most compelling cases for the value of a code of ethics comes from Michael Davis (1991), who argues that codes of ethics are to be understood as conventions between professionals: The code is to protect each professional from certain pressures (for example, the pressure to cut corners to save money) by making it reasonably likely...that most other members of the profession will not take advantage of her good conduct. A code protects members of a profession from certain consequences of competition. A code is a solution to a coordination problem. (p. 154) Davis (1991) gives the example of an engineer who can use his profession s code of ethics to object to pressure to produce substandard work, not merely as an ordinary moral agent, but as a professional. Engineers or doctors or clergy or public relations professionals can say, "As a professional, I cannot ethically put business concerns ahead of professional ethics." Making such a statement and taking such a stand would

3 allow a public relations professional to avoid deceiving the public or misrepresenting an issue or withholding pertinent information by telling a client, politely but firmly, that such behavior is prohibited by his or her code of ethics. Davis (1991) gives four reasons why professionals should support their profession s code of ethics: 1. Upholding the code will help protect them from being injured by what others in their profession do. 2. Upholding the code will help ensure a working environment in which it will be easier than it would otherwise be to resist pressure to do what the professional would rather not do. 3. Upholding the code helps make the profession one in which practitioners need not feel embarrassment, shame, or guilt about what they do. 4. Upholding the code reinforces the individual professional s obligation to do his or her part in fostering benefits for all those within the profession (p. 166). Harris et al. (1995) make the point that a code indicates to others that the profession is seriously concerned with responsible, professional conduct (p. 35). This is especially important in the practice of public relations, which often is seen by the public as the realm of spin doctors and fabricators. A code of ethics that is upheld by its members can foster consistency and build trust (see Appendices E-H).

4 Definitions At least three of the terms germane to this dissertation emotional intelligence, ethics, and public relations have meant many things to many people. It is beyond the scope of this dissertation to explore the myriad definitions that have been assigned to these terms over the years. The definitions given below do not, nor do they intend to, encompass the full, rich diversity of meanings given these words, but only to arrive at working definitions for the purposes of this study. Ethics: Though morality and ethics are often used interchangeably, the two actually concern different areas of social conduct. The former is primarily concerned with behavior that either adheres to or is in opposition to spiritual or religious teachings, whereas the latter concerns standards of behavior set by a profession, an organization, or an individual (Lattimore et. al, 2009, p. 74). Ethics concerns what is good and bad, fair and unfair, professional and unprofessional, proper and improper behavior for an individual, a profession, a company, or an organization. Code of ethics: A set of principles that all members of an organization, an institution, a company, or a profession swear to uphold. For the most part, codes of ethics have little or no enforcement provisions. To be in good standing, a member is supposed to adhere to the code s principles, but if he or she does not, he or she may not suffer any consequences (Wilcox et. al, 2007, p. 81). Emotional competencies: According to Goleman (2006b, p. 24), An emotional competence is a learned capability based on emotional intelligence that results in outstanding performance at work. Goleman (2006b, p. 16) also provides

5 the following definition: a personal trait or set or habits that leads to more effective or superior job performance in other words, an ability that adds clear economic value to the efforts of a person on the job. Emotional intelligence: Much has been written about emotional intelligence, but in brief, it refers to those intra- and interpersonal skills (Goleman s 25 competencies) that make for a successful career and personal life (Goleman, 2006b, pp ). Public relations If ever there was a term that means wildly different things to different people, public relations is it. Public relations practitioners are often thought of as flacks and spin doctors; as such, public relations is the purview of those who know how to lie and twist or spin issues during press conferences and other public forums to take the heat off of the organizations they represent (Heath & Coombs, 2006, p. 7). Granted, such unscrupulous people are found in public relations, but they do not define the field. Rather, public relations is the management function that entails planning, research, publicity, promotion, and collaborative decision making to help any organization s ability to listen to, appreciate, and respond appropriately to those persons and groups whose mutually beneficial relationships the organization needs to foster as it strives to achieve its mission and vision (Heath & Coombs, 2006, p. 7). Cutlip, Center, and Broom (2006, p. 5) offer a more succinct definition, which served the purposes of this dissertation: the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.

6 In order to have ethical, emotionally intelligent practitioners of public relations in corporate and government arenas, it is first necessary to incorporate emotional intelligence into the instruction of public relations courses. What is learned in the classroom can then eventually be used in the field. This study is a first step in bridging the gaps between lessons learned in public relations courses, as evidenced in the language employed in the ethics chapters of introductory texts and in the teaching philosophies of educators of introductory courses, and the ethical practice of public relations in our society.