Transcending diversity: The communication manager as ethical/moral ombudsperson in the postmodern organisational setting
The communication manager as ethical/moral ombudsperson in the postmodern organisational setting
Copyright and Licensing:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
- Articles
- Submited: October 29, 2022
-
Published: October 31, 2022
Abstract
Although the philosophy of ethical and socially responsible communication management'
practices has a long history and has been described in great detail, the notion of the
communication manager as an ethical/moral ombudsperson is relatively new.
With increasing numbers of communication managers now forming part of the dominant
coalition/strategic decision-making team in many organisations, the real influence
that these individuals have over the values that organisations accept should be critically
assessed.
The new role of the communication manager is conceptualised as constituting two
spheres of responsibility. Internally the communication manager should be facilitating
the establishment and acceptance of ethically/morally acceptable organisational values.
These values will then figure in external organisational behaviour, while the
communication manager will act as the eyes and ears of the society in which he/she
operates.
Article Metrics Graph
References
- BISHOP, L. & ANDREWS, 5. 1999. Good Citizenship is Good Business: Using Strategic Communication to take Corporate Citizenship to the Heart of Ericsson. Strategic Communication Management, April: 17 - 20.
- BRIGGS, W. & BERNAL, T. 1992. Validating the code of ethics. IABC Communication World, May/June: 40- 43.
- CILLIERS, P. 1998. Complexity and Postmodernism: Understanding Complex Systems. London: Routledge.
- DOZIER, D.M. 1992. The organisational Roles of Communications and Public Relations Practitioners
- GRUNIG, J.E. (Ed.) 1992. Excellence in Public Relations and Communicot~on Management. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- GOODPASTER, K.E. 1982. Some avenues for ethical analysis in general management. Harvard Business School.
- GOUILLART, F.J. & KELLY, J.N. 1995. Transforming the Organisation. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
- GRUNIG, J.E. 1992. Communication, Public Relations, and Effective Organizations: An Overview of the Book IN GRUNIG, J.E. (Ed.) 1992. Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Manogement.'Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- GRUNIG, J.E. & REPPER, F.C. 1992. Strategic Management, Publics and Issues IN GRUNIG, J.E. (Ed.) 1992. Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management. Hilkdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- GRUNIG, L.A. 1992. Toward a Philosophy of Public Relations IN TOTH, E.L. & HEATH, R.L. (Eds.) 1992. Rhetorical and C"tica1 Approaches to Public Relotions. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- HALL, M.P. 1963. First Principles of Philosophy. Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society.
- HARRISON, S. 1995. Public Relotions: An Introduction. London: International Thomson Business Press.
- KITCHEN, P.J. 1997. Public Relations Principles and Practice. London: International Thomson Business Press.
- KRUCKEBERG, D. 1993. Universal ethics code: Both possible and feasible. Public Relations Review, 19(1):21-
- https://doi.org/10.1016/0363-8111(93)90027-A
- L'ETANG, J. 1996. Corporate Responsibility and Public Relations Ethics IN CETANG, J. & PIECZKA, M. (Eds.) 1996. Critical Perspectives on Public Relotions. London; International Thomson Business Press.
- OVERTON-DE KLERK, N. 1994. Corporate Social Responsibility IN LUBBE, B.A. & PUTH, G. 1994. Public Relations ~n South Africa: A Management Reader. Durban: Butterworths.
- PARR1NDER.G. (Ed.) 1983. An Illustrated History of the World's Religions. Feltham: Newness.
- ROTH,N.L., HUNT,T., STAVROPOULOS, M. & BABIK, K. 1996. Can't we all just get along: Cultural variables in codes of ethics. Public Relations Review, 22(2):151-161.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-8111(96)90004-1
- SEIB, P. & FITZPATRICK, K. 1995. Public Relations Ethics. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace and Company.
- SHAW, W.S. 1999. Business Ethics (3'd Edition). Belrnont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
- SPICER, C. 1997. Organisational Public Relations: A Political Perspective. Hitlsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- STRoH, U.M. 1998. Communication management in a millennium of chaos and change. Communicare,17(2): 16-41.
- STRoH, U. & LEONARD, A. 1999. Communication management research in South Africa: An exploratory study of the current state of affairs. Communicare, 18 (2):l-31.
- Till EJA, T. ? Beyond the Bottom Line: How Business Leaders are Turning Principles into Profits. Unknown: Penguin Books.
- VEENSTRA, C. 1994. Communication ethics: A Christian Approach. Ecquid Novi, 15(1): 71-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/02560054.1994.9653108
- WEISS, J. W. 1998. Business Ethics (Znd Edition). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace & Company.
- WHITEJ. & DOZIER, D.M. 1992. Public Relations and Management Decision Making IN GRUNIG, J.E. (Ed.)
- Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Monogement. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- YOUNGBLOOD, M. D. 1997. Life at the Edge of Chaos: Creating the Quantum Organization. Perceval Publishing: Dallar
How to Cite
Transcending diversity: The communication manager as ethical/moral ombudsperson in the postmodern organisational setting . (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 19(2), 34-50. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v19i2.1872
