Business ethics and communication

Organizations have become the model of reference, a place of affiliation for many working people, ensuring the socialization of individuals through employment. Productive organizations create wealth and contribute to regional development. They are also the ones through whom scandal arrives, ecological accidents, corruption, the 2008 crisis and its economic consequences, and so on. Although the focus of many studies on ethics is on ethics in business, implying that it is individuals who may adopt unethical behavior, there is also a less well explored area, that of the ethical company, i.e. the behavior of the company itself. Companies are no longer expected simply to produce the goods or render the services that correspond to their vocation, or to create wealth; they are also expected to conduct themselves in accordance with a certain ethic. The public's expectation of business ethics has a universal component, most often reflected in major international declarations such as the "OECD Guidelines", but it also obeys regional requirements, and business ethics in France do not match those in the United States in every respect. For example, on the other side of the Atlantic, the "socially responsible" character of a company is often judged on the basis of what it produces, whereas in France, the socially responsible character of its management is assessed. Finally, the importance of the media and a company's reputation in its environment has become paramount, and this introduces an additional constraint on ethics. It is no longer enough for a company to behave ethically; it must also appear ethical and have an ethical reputation. The contours of this reputation tend to merge with those of social responsibility, which is why we will often take examples from these two closely intertwined fields. Ethical communication is an imperative. It is based on several components, which we will examine in turn.

An ethically-minded company must equip itself with numerous communication and ethics management tools, and may also adhere to standards and obtain certificates on the subject. It must strive to measure its situation and progress. Finally, it must provide regular information to its stakeholders and engage in dialogue with them.