Different Ethics in the Workplace & Advertising
by Maria McCarron, Demand Media
Only 12 percent of people ranked advertising professionals as having high ethical standards, according to a Gallup Poll.
Different ethics in a company's
workplace can alter its perception and ultimately its success. Employees are
the first front of advertising how a business treats its customers, other
businesses and its community. Employees are a company's greatest asset because
they directly engage the customer and sell the product, and without employees'
belief in the business and its ethics, a company cannot sell its brand. On the
flip side, advertising presents a perception to company shareholders, customers
and the media as well as employees of how a business operates. How a company is
perceived by the public and employees can impact workplace ethics and employee
decision making, according to "Nature and Scope of Marketing Ethics"
by O.C. Ferrell.
Deceptive Advertising
Untruthful advertising can hurt both
the agency and its client company. A company that does not follow through with
its promise will likely lose many customers and make employees angry because
they will have to deal with the complaints. This false advertising degrades
ethical behavior in the workplace because employees are likely not to believe
the company if it cannot fulfill its promises, according to The News. Companies
that fulfill advertising promises and offer exceptional customer service
encourage higher ethical standards among employees.
Embellishing Truth
Chris Moore of Ogilvy & Mather says
the ethics of advertising should be truthful and not embellished, no matter how
creative the idea behind the ad. In a speech for the Advertising Educational
Foundation in 2004 he cited a Volvo commercial for which a Volvo's frame was
reinforced before being run over by a monster truck. Even though it was true
that the Volvo would have suffered less damage than other cars, Volvo received
bad press and the workforce received complaints because it was ethically wrong
to reinforce its car and not the others. Volvo embellished the truth and the
advertisement lead to customer mistrust.
Social and Employee Responsibility
Many companies advertise indirectly by
making donations or supporting organizations and participating in community
events, setting a good example for employees. Starbucks shows its workforce
that it holds itself to a high standard by using Fair Trade coffee products and
working with farmers that participate in C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity)
Practices. Patagonia integrates ethics into the workplace by selling garments
made of recycled material and being energy-efficient.
Effective Communication
Effective communications of a company's
ethics to its workforce is key to creating an ethical environment, according to
BLR Human Resource Network. To uphold ethical standards, employees and
management should effectively communicate. Advertising should reflect the
standards that employees are instilled with during their training. In fact,
many human resource professionals integrate company advertising into their
training program to depict how the organization wants customers to perceive it.
The workforce should reflect these standards and build upon them, sharing ideas
to make the organization stronger.
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