HR MANAGEMENT - Different Ethics in the Workplace & Advertising

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.