Persuasive Memo Essay

ABC Corporation takes pride in being an ethical workplace both for the wellbeing of our company and our audiences. In an attempt to improve its policy on company ethics, ABC has set forth a new set of ethical guidelines for interpersonal communication on the workforce. It is crucial, that as a whole, we avoid ethical pitfalls in corporate communication for it can substantially degrade our working environment and neglect the company’s interests. Unethical Communication As an employee, it is extremely important that you recognize unethical communication. At ABC Corporation, we promote independent thinking from all employees; we believe no employee should be a victim of groupthink (when group pressures prevent an employee from questioning, or speaking-out). Unethical Writing Many accounts of unethical behavior in the workplace are witnessed in our employees’ writings. It is important to write with a conscience and reflect on your writing by asking yourself these three questions: What ideals do I want to stand for? To whom am I obligated? What will/could happen to others or/and to me? When writing a document, report, email, etc., it is necessary to take into account all of your obligations as an employee, a person, a businessman and a coworker. When communicating to the public, ABC Corporation expects your message to be ethical, clear and concise. Unethical practices include: Suppressing knowledge Hiding conflicts of interest Exaggerating claims Falsifying data Stealing information Misusing electronic information Exploiting cultural differences Intercultural Communication It is crucial to be sensitive (e.g.: culturally sensitive) and concise, while presenting your message in an inoffensive manner. At ABC Corporation, intercultural communication is witnessed daily between coworkers and clients. As a sender or receiver of a message (oral or written) it is crucial that you understand key cultural differences between you and the other person. Failure to recognize cultural differences, might lead to cultural exploitation, and perhaps place you or the other person at a disadvantage. Unethical v. Legal It is important to note that there have been laws instituted for unethical practices. However, laws do not necessarily provide a code of ethics for communication. Lying by omitting, for example, is unethical, though not technically illegal. The laws instituted for ethical communication have their â€Å"gray areas†; therefore, it is crucial for you to have a sense of integrity when communicating in the workforce. Plagiarism Plagiarism is an absolute violation of ABC’s code of ethics. Taking credit  for someone else’s work (apart from being utterly unethical) will ruin your reputation as an employee, and most likely lead to further repercussions. When using a source, it is extremely important to use proper citations to avoid plagiarism. Information written under the company’s name is exclusively owned by ABC Corporation, thus making it unlawful to copy or distribute (even if it was written by you). Reporting Unethical Conduct As an employee, it is up to you to decide how or when to report ethical abuses. I believe it is important to inform you that there have been laws instituted for the employee’s protection if he/she decides to come forth with an allegation. When reporting an ethical dilemma it is critical to take the proper steps and avoid overreacting to the situation because overreaction may cause much unneeded controversy. ABC’s new and improved ethical standards make ground for an exceptional workforce and a superior corporation. As a company, it is crucial that we maintain a favorable working environment and constantly seek improvement. It is our intention to improve our working conditions and make ABC Corporation an impeccable business.