Are Students Ethical Human Business Communicative Agents? Analysis Between A Six Year Period

Abstract

The growth in graduates indicates that those professionals are now shaping the ethical climate of our society (Birtch, Chiang, & T, 2014). Ten scenarios were created to test students' ability to act as ethical human communicative agents (Ballard et al., 2014). Data was collected from undergraduates, 2009 and then in 2016, in various degree programs and geographic locations in the United States, but predominately a Northeastern university. Two scenarios illustrated significance differences. This does not necessarily indicate less or more ethical behavior, but it does illustrate a difference between participants. Additional indications for business communication ethics literacy will be discussed. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Over the past decade, business ethical dilemmas have blanketed our society (See Figure 2). The growth in graduates indicates that those professionals are now shaping the ethical climate and social norms of our society (Birtch et al., 2014). Candace deRussy (2003) believes that higher education is the place for students to learn about ethics. Essentially; "The professoriate is a gatekeeper, determining a student's first exposure to ethical standards, traditions, and the responsibilities of peer evaluation (de Russy, 2003, p. 1)." A 2009 study indicated that 73% of employers are; "Expecting students to work through ethical issues and debates to form their own judgments about the issues at stake (Hart Research Associates, 2010, p. 8)." There is great emphasis on higher education institutions creating ethical human communicative agents; those individuals who are able to "understand [sic] the role of communication ethics in how we make decision and engage in the world around us (Ballard et al., 2014, p.66)." The following paragraphs touch on the definition of ethical communicative agent through communication ethics, followed by literature regarding different calls for ethics education, models of that education, and previous analysis of these scenarios. Ethical Human Communicative Agent To fully comprehend what an ethical human communication agent is, we must first define communication ethics which will lead us to communication literacy and then to the ethical human communicative agent. Communication ethics involves applying ethics to circumstances that involve communication, specifically human communication (Neher & Sandin, 2007). Communication ethics encompasses those "beyond our own immediate lives and relationships (Neher & Sandin, 2007, p.9)." To conduct communication ethics research means to test the tension between theoretical versus applied. "On the one hand, it questions ethical theories…….On the other, it investigates past ethical dilemmas to offer prescriptions for future ethical choices (Ballard, Ortiz, & McManus, 2016, p. 158)." This tension, or rather dialogue, leads to the pragmatic theory of communication ethics literacy which "identifies the good in the interplay of self and Other and the particular historical moment attending to what is protected and promoted (Arnett et al., 2009, p. 210)."...

Persuasion and Pragmatism: A Higher Goal for Christian Instructors

“…"Unfortunately, moral awareness and moral judgment do not necessarily lead to moral action; organizational variables and social influences frequently trigger emotions such as fear, anxiety or desire, motivating employees to act in ways that they know are wrong" (Baker, 2014, p. 511). Fredricks (2019) conducted a study to examine whether students' ability to act as ethical communication agents has improved due to ethics education in universities. When comparing students' responses to different ethical situations in survey data from 2009 and 2016, Fredricks found "minimal, but noticeable, change" in students' choices that suggested that education in communication ethics might be improving students' thinking, but the results were not conclusive (Fredricks, 2019, p. 33).…”