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Sunday, March 12, 2006
Ethics: A moving target?
I’ve been giving a lot of thought, not just recently but for several years, about just what does “ethics” mean? Is it situational? Is it personal? Is it your client's or your employer's? Which one trumps in the game of life?I’ve been fortunate to represent a client who earned the 2005 Ethics in Business Award from the Samaritan Center in Austin. It’s no beauty contest to win this award: they had to fill out extensive questionnaires, permit observation by individuals studying ethics at St. Edward’s University, and meet the mark of opinion by employees, customers and vendors. My client, The Maids Home Services franchise in Austin, Tx is an honor to work for. The couple running this business are genuine people who walk the talk of their beliefs. Check out their Web site at www.themaidshomeservices.org.
You'd think this award, which included competition from huge international companies as well as smaller businesses such as my client's, would garner news media attention. NOT! It got a mention on an inside page of the business section, listing the three winners but nothing about what the award represents, how it was earned, what it means in the business world to even strive for such an award. The big daily said they really didn't have the staff to cover small business. I wonder if the big international company had won whether that would have changed their coverage. As you can tell, I'm frustrated by this. It was a failure to me as a public relations and media relations expert.
I’m interested in hearing from you about your employer or client whose ethics you consider impeccable. Why? Is it because their ethics mirror yours? Because they represent an ethic you’d like to achieve? Because they make money at it? Some combination of the above?
We’ll explore this more in future posts.
Comments:
I wish I had more to contribute in this area. While I feel the company/ies I'm affiliated with have better than average ethics, it almost feels as if we are putting ourselves at a disadvantage. We put the customers' needs first, which in the long run *should* pay off. But everyday we are pounded by competitors and even our vendors who are basically merciless. I refuse participate in this dog-eat-dog mentality, but sometimes I think I'm being naive. I totally understand your disappointment. If your client had a CFO who was caught embezzling, that would probably be a front-page feature. --lrm
It seems companies and organizations are often like people: they have reputations that range from awful to wonderful. Yet, as a representative of an entity or as an employee, one must decide when to gracefully bow out or stay when the winds of unethical behavior begin to blow. Unfortunately, too many people are willing to overlook criminal behavior when someone waves the oil well ownership papers in front of their eyes. As Americans, we are foolish to grab at those carrot sticks when we should be concentrating more on having good relationships and enjoying our lives. It's a delusion to believe sacrificing ethics to gain more money and power will ultimately bring contentment or joy. More than likely, it may bring even jail time. Not the moving target most would desire.
gulp
I think it speaks somewhat to the ever-shifting target and definition of "news values." Editors don't like to admit that the news product is in itself, subjective.
I don't think the big international company would have gotten any ink, either.