Socially Responsible Communications Management

Using Business Ethics Training to Manage Public Relations

It is the process of business ethics training to manage public relations .The need for a focus on business ethics among public relations professionals is clear as hundreds of thousands of public relations managers and specialists around the world conduct activities that affect millions of lives.

These professionals work in support of organizations using business practices such as pitching stories to the media, developing effective relationships with communities, placing advertising and marketing and ensuring communications is solid with employees and other stakeholders.

Business Ethics Training Promotes Being Socially Responsible

Public relations managers must be socially responsible, a fact recognized by public relations associations such as the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) with codes of ethics and business ethics training. Codes of conduct are signed by members of both associations as a promise to uphold the responsibilities that public relations managers and specialists face.

The IABC approaches the discussion of ethics with a code based on three different and interrelated principles that value professional communication as legal, ethical and in good taste.

Corporate Ethics Involve Communications Management

The association lists articles that call for public relations and communications managers to uphold the credibility and dignity of the profession by being honest, timely and upholding the public’s interest.

Business ethics training for business communicators features large among public relations associations. IABC publishes regular articles in its monthly magazine and at least one session at its annual conference deals with corporate ethics in communications management.

The Public Relations Society of America promotes the principles of professional values, good conduct, commitment and compliance as its corporate ethics commitment in business communications. PRSA uses the example of Pay for Play to illustrate how communication in business should be socially responsible. Pay for Play happens when the hidden exchange of value is made between a public relations manager or specialist and a journalist.

Ethical Business Practice in Business Communications

This exchange can include compensation, gifts or future favors made by PR professionals to journalists for media coverage or story placement. Other examples of unethical business communications practices include a public relations professionals disclosing information about a business to one of its competitors, or spreading rumors to alienate customers or to poach employees and shareholders.

Deceptive business practices in public relations also include the creation of front groups such as so-called grassroots campaigns to government on behalf of undisclosed interest groups. Deception can also include failing to release financial information and giving misleading information about an organization’s performance.

Other unethical business practices in communications management can include:

• Knowingly using inaccurate information on a website or in a media kit.
• Using people to pose as volunteers to speak at public hearings and participate in campaigns.
• Changing jobs and taking confidential information then using that information in the new position to the detriment of the former employer.
• Not disclosing a strong financial interest in a client's chief competitor.
• Declaring publicly that a product the client sells is safe, without disclosing evidence to the contrary

Ethical business practices in communications management looms large for public relations managers and specialists. Professional associations for business communications tackle these issues with business ethics training, codes of conduct and awareness.