Business Communications Ethics in ‘The IABC Guide for Practical Business Communication’

Did you know that IABC’s recently published thought-leadership book, “The IABC Guide for Practical Business Communication: A Global Standard Primer,” features a chapter dedicated to business communication ethics? As we wrap up February and Ethics Month, revisit chapter four of the book. Haven’t secured your copy yet? Order now to read the latest communication insights and applications to strengthen your practice. Get a taste of the ethics-focused chapter here.

Business Communications Ethics, Barbara W. Puffer, MA, ABC, IABC Fellow

Business communications ethics seriously matters, and it has mattered for a very long time. Ethics writing and curricula are saturated with lengthy debate about the intersection between communications and ethics.

Broad ethical debate dates back more than 2,000 years, when Greek philosophers debated truth and ethics in rhetoric (persuasion) and dialectics (discussion). Plato “challenged others interested in the rhetorical tradition to consider how discourse must be based on truth and high ethical appeals in order to avoid false accusations and contrived evidence” (Bowen, et al, 2006, p. 76).

While the tenet of following professional ethics may have been a decades-long requirement of business communications, world circumstances will always raise and modify the benchmarks for the communications professional and shift trust in communications about and from the organizations they represent. While it is imperative that professionals pivot with the environment of the times, ethical behavior should be a constant.

Jane Mitchell, IABC Fellow and founder of JL&M, a U.K.-based consultancy, has been advising organizations about their broad ethics and values for years. “At the heart of my work is the principle that people willingly take responsibility for their own behavior and actions at work. Dialogue begins there.” (Mitchell, personal conversation, March 22, 2021)

Nigel Glennie, VP Global Corporate Communications at Hilton, agrees. “Underneath, there is usually an assumption of good intent at play. It’s something most take for granted but an organization continue to must talk about ethics. This needs to be a visible and ongoing commitment to ethical behavior.”

Order Your Copy

"The IABC Guide for Practical Business Communication” is now available for purchase worldwide. Look forward to reviewing new communication insights and applications to strengthen your practice. To order your copy, please use the following links: