UNIT 1: THE COMMUNICATION ESSENTIALS
LESSON 4: ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Ethics is defined as “the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a
society. Put another way, ethical principles define the boundary between right and wrong”
(Bovee and Thill, 2007, 6).
Bovee and Thill explained that ethical communication includes all relevant information,
is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. By contrast, unethical communication can
include misleading information, falsehoods or exclusions of important information.
Unethical Communication
1. Selective misquoting. Deliberately omitting unflattering or damaging comments to paint a
better but false picture of you or your group.
2. Misrepresenting numbers. Altering statistics, increasing or decreasing numbers,
exaggerating, or omitting statistical data.
3. Distorting visuals. Making a product look bigger or changing the scale of graphs and
charts to amplify or conceal differences.
4. Plagiarism. Stealing someone else’s words or work and claiming it as your own.
Questions to consider when you make ethical choices:
1. What is your intention in communicating this message?
2. Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately?
3. What impact will this message have on the people who receive it, or who might be
affected by it?
4. Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm?
5. Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems
ethical now seem unethical in the future?
6. Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed in
tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Would you be proud to describe
your choice to someone you admire and respect?
10 Basics of Ethical Communication
(Lewis, 2015, p. 1)
1. Seek to “elicit the best” in communication and interactions with other group members.
2. Listen when others speak.
3. Speak non-judgmentally.
4. Speak from your own experiences and perspective, expressing your own feelings,
thoughts, and needs.
5. Seek to understand others (rather than to be “right” or “more ethical than thou”).
6. Avoid speaking for others, for instance, by describing what others have said without
checking your understanding, or by understanding your values, opinions, beliefs, and
conclusions, assuming everyone shares them.
7. Manage your own confines or boundaries. Discuss only what you are comfortable
sharing.
8. Respect other’s personal boundaries.
LESSON 4: ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Ethics is defined as “the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a
society. Put another way, ethical principles define the boundary between right and wrong”
(Bovee and Thill, 2007, 6).
Bovee and Thill explained that ethical communication includes all relevant information,
is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. By contrast, unethical communication can
include misleading information, falsehoods or exclusions of important information.
Unethical Communication
1. Selective misquoting. Deliberately omitting unflattering or damaging comments to paint a
better but false picture of you or your group.
2. Misrepresenting numbers. Altering statistics, increasing or decreasing numbers,
exaggerating, or omitting statistical data.
3. Distorting visuals. Making a product look bigger or changing the scale of graphs and
charts to amplify or conceal differences.
4. Plagiarism. Stealing someone else’s words or work and claiming it as your own.
Questions to consider when you make ethical choices:
1. What is your intention in communicating this message?
2. Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately?
3. What impact will this message have on the people who receive it, or who might be
affected by it?
4. Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm?
5. Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems
ethical now seem unethical in the future?
6. Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed in
tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Would you be proud to describe
your choice to someone you admire and respect?
10 Basics of Ethical Communication
(Lewis, 2015, p. 1)
1. Seek to “elicit the best” in communication and interactions with other group members.
2. Listen when others speak.
3. Speak non-judgmentally.
4. Speak from your own experiences and perspective, expressing your own feelings,
thoughts, and needs.
5. Seek to understand others (rather than to be “right” or “more ethical than thou”).
6. Avoid speaking for others, for instance, by describing what others have said without
checking your understanding, or by understanding your values, opinions, beliefs, and
conclusions, assuming everyone shares them.
7. Manage your own confines or boundaries. Discuss only what you are comfortable
sharing.
8. Respect other’s personal boundaries.
