In Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Communications

The various factors discussed in this chapter have been incorporated into a contingency model of ethical decision making in public relations.83 (See Figure 2.3.) Individual, interpersonal, small group, and organizational factors are part of the initial set of factors operating in the model. Also influences from other organizations, external publics, laws, public policies, cultural beliefs and values—which will be examined in greater detail in the next chapter—are part of the initial set of factors. These basic factors influence an individual's initial perception of an ethical problem and subsequent perceived alternatives and consequences. The initial set of factors also is the source of deontological (obligator) and teleological (naturalistic) principles, the values assigned to perceived consequences of decisions, and the values assigned to loyalties owned various stakeholders.

When a person takes into consideration perceived alternatives and obligatory principles—such as, never tell a lie—this yields certain evaluations. When the person takes into consideration the values of perceived consequences, loyalties, and naturalistic principles—such as a cost-benefit analysis—this yields another set of evaluations. Considering both sets of evaluations, the obligator and the naturalistic, an individual makes an ethical judgment.

This judgment is a predisposition to act, an intention. Given the right situational constraints, the person will act and real consequences will result. The actual consequences will feed back to the initial set of factors, most importantly to the individual, and learning will occur.

If factors in the model are conceptually defined in greater detail and operationally defined so that they can be measured, and if assumptions about relationships between the various factors are clearly expressed, then the model can be used not only to explain, but also to predict, ethical decision making in public relations.

Personal Interviews Used To Examine Factors In Model

The author conducted more than twenty-five personal interviews with public relations practitioners to examine various factors described in the contingency model of ethical decision making in public relations. Each interview focused on ethical dilemmas the respondent knew about that occurred in the practice of public relations (not necessarily from the respondents' own personal experience). These involved common activities in public relations, such as media relations, employee relations, community relations, stockholder relations, and issues management. Interviewers probed to identify factors that affected the practitioner's ethical decision making. The respondents also discussed the strengths and weaknesses of a sample ethics training program.

To protect the confidentially of the respondents, the cases developed from the interviews were changed in minor ways to mask the identity of the organizations and principal players in the scenario, but without changing the essential characteristics of the ethical situation. Four cases will be presented in this chapter to illustrate individual, interpersonal, small group, and organizational factors affecting ethical decision making. More cases will be presented in Chapter 3.