ETHICS AND INTERCULTURAL

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
 Ethics

• the same as morals, or considerations of “what

is considered right and wrong”. Martin et al.
(2002: 363)
• “moral standards by which actions may be
judged good or bad, right or wrong”. Hall (2005:
334)
• ethical judgments are more about “degrees of
rightness and wrongness in human behavior”
Johannesen/communication ethics (in Martin et
al., 2002: 363)
 distinction
• morality refers to the right or wrong of any
behavior in and of itself
• as a subset of morality, ethics deals with
rightness and wrongness specifically in our
interaction with others

• Decisions: All of us are guided by some ethical

principles, even if we are not aware of them.
 ethics within the cultural context
• Cultural relativism: Each culture determines
on its own what is right or wrong.
• Meta-ethic: There is some overarching ethical
ideal or system that can be applied to all
cultures.
• multicultural world: we want to say “every
culture should adopt its own ethical stance.”
 questions about practices
• Human sacrifice, even if the sacrifice is willing
• Slavery, even if those enslaved feel that it is
“right” that they be enslaved or be serfs of
some royalty
• Wife-burning, where widows willingly throw
themselves on their husband’s funeral pyres
• Oppression of women in terms of denial of
education, or forcing to wear veils, etc.
 scenarios
• John R. Baldwin (2013) Ethics: Can we
determine right and wrong across cultures?
Social Action and Civic Engagement: Can we
make a difference
• A. There is NOT a universal ethic
• B. There is a universal ethic—but what is it?
 different types of ethics
• Shuter:
• Communicator ethics: “That which contributes to
the well-being of others, to their happiness and
fulfillment as human beings” (Nilsen, in Shuter, p.
449)
• Message ethics: The right or wrong of
communication behaviors (aspects of the
message)
• Receiver/audience ethics: What ethical
guidelines guide those who receive the
messages?
 Classical approaches to ethics - The Five “Goldens”

• Hall (2005) - Griffin’s A First Look at Communication

Theories): “five golden approaches”
• (1)The golden purse (ethical egoism)
• (2)The golden consequence (utilitarianism)
• (3)The golden law (categorical imperative/divine
right)
• (4)The golden rule
• (5)The golden mean
 three principles for ethical
communication
Martin et al. (2002):

(1). The Humaneness Principle

(2). The Dialogic Principle
(3). The Principle of speaking “with” and “to”
 Civic and Political Engagement
• How we relate to others also involves the very
practice of our profession and education
• the goal of educating students not only to be
successful in their careers, but to be citizens
engaged with the world around them
• such engagement - ethically responsible or
imperative
 ACTIVITIES/ILLUSTRATIONS
• 1. Be able to recognize the main statement of these ethical
stances: ethical egoism, utilitarianism, “divine right,”
categorical imperative, cultural relativism, golden mean
• 2. What is a communicative approach? Dialogic approach?
Humaneness principle?
• 3. What are some stances that guide your ethical stance?
• 4. Smart believes that ethics based only on humanistic and
not religious principles will be insufficient. What do you
think?
• 5. Can you tell the main difference between the three
principles of ethical communication presented by Martin et
al. (2002)?