1. CHAPTER 3 TECHNOLOGICAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 2012 Business Communication I 1

2. Technology Advances and Productivity  Technology advances allow individuals to self-select  what,  when, and  where messages are sent and received. 2

3. Communication Technology Choices  Twitter and Tweeting  Tweets: messages of 140 characters published on Twitter  Selected automatic update feeds of people followed  Rapid communication of news events  Business profiles on Twitter  Social Networking  Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Ning  Organizational use: create brand awareness; communicate with consumers and clients  Misuse or illegal behavior: privacy threats, illegal or unprofessional monitoring 3

4. Communication Technology Choices  Other Internet Resources  Blogs and wikis: business and individual sites; searching the blogoshpere  Web 2.0 and connected campuses  Search engines and Internet research  Video conferencing  Alternative to face-to-face meetings  Improvement through broadband and high definition technology  Webcast and Webinar opportunities 4

5. Communication Technology Choices  Collaborative Writing  Intranet accessibility only to members  Collaborative writing software  Collaborative writing planning  Hoteling  Office space for mobile employees  HotDesking or virtual office 5

6. Legal and Ethical Technology Issues  Mobile Phones and Other Mobile Devices  Safety issues talking or texting while driving  Embarrassing pictures via mobile phones  E-Mail and the Internet  Personal use of work-site computers  Span and Phishing  Computer Fraud  Copyright  Online Business Transactions 6

7. Legal Considerations for Business Messages  Contracts  Elements of a Legally Binding Agreement Offer and acceptance Competency of parties Legality of subject matter Consideration (something of value exchanged: price, motive, or promise)  Plain English laws in several states with readability requirement for contracts 7

8. Legal Considerations for Business Messages  Warranties and guarantees required of manufacturer or seller by federal law Express warranties made willingly by the seller Implied warranties created by law such as free from defect and satisfactory for intended purpose 8

9. Legal Considerations for Business Messages  Employment Communication  The Civil Rights Act – prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, compensation, and other employment conditions based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin  The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) – prohibits discrimination against workers over 40 and requires due diligence  Labor-Management Relations Act – guides communication bet. Managers and workers  The Privacy Act – protects right of employees to access info about themselves and limits the use of personnel info 9

10. Legal Considerations for Business Messages  Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – protects the privacy of student info and student  Americans with Disabilities Act – prohibits discrimination in employment decisions against people with disabilities and limits wording in job descriptions and advertisements to bona fide occupational qualifications  Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – requires employers with 50 or more employees to allow employee unpaid leave for seriously ill family members, personal recuperation from serious illness, or to care for a new baby or adopted child 10

11. Legal Considerations for Business Messages  Defamation and Fraud  Defamation – statements that injure another person’s reputation or character  Defamation applicable to communication both written (libel) or oral (slanderous)  Fraud: lying that causes another person monetary damage Misrepresentation or concealment of a fact Misrepresentation of the truth recklessly and knowingly made with intent to deceive Reliance on the false statement and incurred monetary damage by deceived person 11

12. Ethical Considerations and Codes of Conduct  An Ethical Communicator  Relationships built on trust, honesty, and fairness  Principles or systems to evaluate ethical actions  Ethical Decisions  Ethics (ethos) equals character; doing what is right to achieve what is good  Information provided that is fully adequate based on the best decision for all concerned  Ethical Message Content  Honest, fair, and considerate from the receiver’s viewpoint  Sensitivity to moral issues  Consistent with ethical values and expected standards of conduct 12

13. Ethical Considerations and Codes of Conduct  Ethical Message Analysis  True to ethical principles even if not the expected behavior  Knowledge of a country’s culture, values, and ethics and a distinction bet. practices that are merely different and those that are wrong  Ethics in Businesses and Organizations  Most operate in ethical ways  Unethical operations unsuccessful long term 13

14. Ethical Considerations and Codes of Conduct  Ethics and Codes of Conduct  Clear direction about ethical behavior provided by codes of conduct  Demonstration by company executives of values in its code of conduct  Training sessions on ethics and compliance procedures  Ethical decisions usually not clearly right or entirely wrong: best guided by ethical principles  Being Ethical  The right thing to do  Meets own ethical standards and those of the organization 14

15. Summary of Learning Objectives  Describe current technology advances and their use to improve organizational productivity  Discuss legal and ethical issues related to technology use  Identify legal issues related to employment and communication  Discuss how to apply ethical principles to promote ethical communication  Explain how codes of conduct help organizations promote ethical behavior 15