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Saturday, April 01, 2006
Ethics: A Moving Target? Part II
Where do your personal ethics end and your employer’s/client’s ethics begin? Or are you among the lucky few whose personal views mesh perfectly with your job 100 percent of the time?For example, if you are an attorney in a large firm, do you have the right to turn down a client? Or if you are a copywriter at an ad agency? Or work for a professional association or for a government agency?
A big news topic today is whether pharmacists must inventory and dispense contraceptives and the “morning after” pill. Physicians can not turn down a patient in an emergency room, but she can decline a patient in her private practice.
I began my own business so I could work with people whom I respect and whose ethics and goals mirror mine. This is not an option for most people. When facing some of the conflicts I encountered in previous jobs, I usually did as asked. As the years went by, I became less willing to do that. Some would say I became less “politic.”
In the field of public relations, whether for an agency or other employer, what would/do you do when confronted with a task that goes against your grain? Is it your responsibility to your employer or client, or to yourself?
What would you say to your employer if you don’t want to handle a certain issue? Would you put your job on the line? Or is your greater responsibility to the people whom your income helps support?
Are there degrees of tolerance? When will you know when you’ve reached the line beyond which you can’t/won’t go?
I’m looking forward to this discussion!
Comments:
I am also lucky to work for myself. In "corporate America," people are asked to do things that they don't want to do all of the time. Whether it is being told to lay off people to make the bottom line look better or something less sinister such as being asked to stay at work longer hours, employees and their managers are in the habit of being acquiescent. It may start with a small request like, "Can you work this Saturday?" but it can end up with larger, more difficult requests that test morals. The problem is that by the time these more problematic moral quandries arise, folks are so worn down by the little requests (and have become so dependent upon their income) that there is less resistance to more morally objective quandries. My thinking is that unless corporate America wakes up to issues such as this as well as the sorry state of work/life/family balance, the smart people will leave to work for themselves. And corporations will be left with the people who don't have the initiative/guts to get out, the people who can't afford to pay for their own health insurance, and those who aren't with it enough to realize that there is a problem. Are those really the type of employees corporations want to be left with? I should probably step down from my soap box now. My husband just quit his job, is starting his own business, and has filed his application to form an LLC (limited liability CORPORATION)!
A colorful example of ethics from years ago just came to mind. I was the marketing manager for a sheltered workshop run by the County. The shop taught individuals with mental illness and general assistance welfare clients work skills. My job was to bring in "real work" contracts from local businesses. On one occasion, I was asked by an entrepreneur to bid on assembling a vibrator and on another occasion, a local company asked me to bid on assembling a M-16 (automatic rifle). Because the workshop was a public agency and one that served people with vocational disabilities, performing these two assembly jobs was out of the question and therefore turned down, even though both were lucrative opportunities. Personally I felt that given the nature of the client-workforce these jobs were inappopriate yet the practical side of me was momentarily swayed by the income they would have generated.
I feel that in my work life, I have sheltered myself from many ethical challenges by working in public and nonprofit sector jobs that were mostly headed up by ethical, caring people whose good behavior was also reinforced by the media and public opinion.
There has been more than a few times when I have chosen to not take an account because I'm being asked to "spin" behavior/activity that violates my personal sense of ethics. Ditto for resigning some accounts that may have seemed OK when I first signed on, but where the client's ethics and mine started to significantly diverge. Earlier in my self-employment career (my consultancy was launched in 1994), that was harder to do, because it threatened my family's economic survival. But I already had a lot of experience, while with Ruder Finn, with taking clients "just for the money," which I/we invariably regretted.
You raise a very good question, and after reading your post I'm realizing my own ambivalence about this topic.
I'm against companies forcing people to do things against their political conviction, such as writing or defending the company's position if it's opposite ones own (e.g., I personally could not defend a lot of conservative positions or speak out against abortion or gay marriages if that's what my job required). Or another example is a friend of mine who is a lawyer and his company is pushing him to make money any way he can, even if it means taking advantage of family members (so he ended up charging his brother-in-law money for giving him some business advice and making a couple of phone calls - which he had voluntarily offered to do - and we all thought he was wrong to charge for it and that he should've stood up for himself and refused to use his family like that).
However, then I think about my own opinion about pharmacists who refuse to dispense birth control medication because of their religious beliefs. My personal opinion is that it is not for them to say whether a woman can use birth control or not, and they have no right to refuse service if a doctor has written a prescription for it. But then I'm thinking maybe I'm a hypocrite because in other situations (as mentioned above), I think it's okay for an employee to refuse certain job functions if it is against their moral, political, and ethical beliefs.
Phew... this is a tough topic!!
I feel that when confronted with difficult situations, it is better to stay true to yourself over your employer. Though this is much easier said than done, there comes a point where you need to put your foot down and stand up for what you believe. In order for me to personally stand up to my employer, I would need to feel fairly strong about the topic.
One day I hope I can become my own entrepreneur and be in business for myself. I have had plenty of opportunities to work in professional environments with high level employers at the university. One thing I have learned is that politics does exist in the work force and whether you choose to follow or decline that authority is up to you. One thing I believe is that you should always ask questions of yourself before making a decision. What do I think? Is this the correct decision? Will I regret my choice? And what is the opportunity cost of the next best decision? To me if you can answer all these questions before making a decision about a job assignment, you have properly assessed all of your morals and with ethics, needless to say you have made the correct decision.
There is not much leway when you are a military member. The party line is what you must display. Recent media examples have shown military members prepared before speaking to the President of the United States and/or the media; only later to see them released from the military and speak their mind freely. In my position, I have not been faced with an ethical conflict. I would like to say I would stand strong for what I believe, thus assuring me of good "integrity" marks during my evaluation. One thing to remember and not get mixed up is ethics versus personal belief. The pharmacist whose personal beliefs are not in favor of the morning after pill should supply it to his clients. If he took an oath to provide medical service, wouldn't that be the ethical thing to do? Just a closing food for thought.
It is very difficult to think about what I would do if I was asked to do something for a client/employer that I did not believe was right. I would like to think I could stand up for myself and my beliefs, but what if I needed the money? I'm not sure I could stand up to my boss/client and tell them no. If I couldn't afford to lose the job, I would more than likely give in.
It is true many people are going to be faced with ethical dilemmas. The field of work I am interested in going into is Veterinary Medicine. The WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital is always facing ethical issues. How far is to far, when it comes down to research using animals?
No one said life is easy and sometimes people have to do things they don’t like. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is good to voice your opinion and state how you are feeling, and I often feel like people don’t voice their opinions because they think their opinions don’t matter or that their opinions will not be taken seriously. Are these opinions really worth losing your job too? If they are then you are probably working a job you hate and a change will suit you good.
It seems like it is human nature to handle situations in the easiest method possible, but maybe people should try and make compromises and work problems out, if possible. Or, people should take a step back and ask themselves, is the money really worth it or is the feeling you did the right thing worth more to you?
As my father always tells my sister and me, opportunity cost. What do you have to give up to receive something else? There is a huge difference in violating your own personal ethics after several years in the business. However, I believe there is a considerable difference for those of us just entering the marketplace. Not that all young or inexperienced business people need to succumb to other people's morals but rather we have less say, less money and not too many other options. However, when in the position that qualifies you for several different areas in the job market I feel there are enough careers or jobs to satisfy everyone’s needs. So if you're a smoker and want to promote that cause go ahead and help the smoking campaign. Another important part is establishing those boundaries before entering the job market, or especially a specific position. Ask yourself, how far will I be pushed? If you are in a management position you have to ask yourself how far I will push others. What is reasonable versus what is intolerable?
Whether running your own business or working for a corporation, you ultimately are working for yourself. I believe that when working in corporate America, one is simply freelancing their talents for a period of time.
When taking this position, it becomes much easier to vocalize your opinions when confronted with ethical dilemmas. If your boss is not willing to look at another point of view or explore alternate options, it will be their loss. It is simply time for you to share your expertise elsewhere when you are confronted with an irresolvable ethical conundrum.
No matter your financial situation, no person should ever feel bound to their carrier. Unless you are willing to prostitute your ethics, no amount of money is worth sacrificing what you value.
It truly is a tough decision to face and ultimately the bottom line is that you must be true to yourself. There is a fine line that shouldn't be crossed and when working in public relations there should be absolutely no bias.
This is where things get interesting and someone should not be required to engage in an activity that is completely contradictory to their beliefs. At the same time there are certain situations where an employee or practitioner must step up and take one for the team.
This is pretty much a never ending topic of conversation and is very unique because ethics relate to almost every field of business. Basically the point of this post is that people should not just meet other's needs without thinking of themselves.
I know this may sound selfish but how much can a person do before the line of self respect is crossed. Individuals must look out for themselves first. If they are going to be passive and not stick up for themselves then they are not an employee I would want.
This is a sticky subject and people must make their own choices. If they feel it will benefit their careers then they should go for it, but they shouldn't do anything that could potentially create bias in any way, shape or form.
thanks
I think it is crucial to do research on the companies that one applies for. To avoid being hired at unethical work place, find out what is truly important to you and work for a company that shares those same values.
As my experience grows larger I believe my strength in turning down ideas that I disagree with will also grow. In the beginning practitioners are often so eager to work that they will do anything for a small amount of monetary value. If I didn't want to handle a situation, and had the authority to say no, I would flat out say it. You don't want to establish yourself as someone who swings their opinions, and by practicing against them this may occur. If it were a deep moral value then I believe that almost anyone would turn it down. There is always a line in the sand, and mine would be drawn along the issues that are the most influential to me, and cut the most deep.
I've talked about this topic extensively in some of my past courses in college. After much thought, I believe it is best to stay true to yourself rather than your employer. I could never take a job marketing cigarettes. I could never take a job pushing for something I do not agree with.