1. Introduction to ethics And Legal considerations
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's

2. Definition: Ethics is the study of the principles of conduct
that apply to an individual
or a group.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2013 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2

3. Four Standard for Confronting Ethical Dilemmas
Rights—how are the individuals’ basic needs and welfare being effected?
Justice—how are the costs and benefits of an action or a policy distributed among a group?
Utility—what are the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has on others?
Care—how does the action effect the relationships we have with other individuals?
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4. Your Ethical & Legal Obligations
I. Obligations to your employer:
competence and diligence
generosity
honesty and candor
confidentiality
loyalty
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5. Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations
II. Obligations to the public:
Treat customers fairly
Provide a safe and effective product
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6. III. Obligations to the Environment:
Know how your organization effects the environment
IV. Obligations to Copyright Holders:
Know the “Fair Use” law and understand that copyright relates to the appropriate/fair use of a person’s intellectual property
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7. Court Guidelines consider four factors in disputes over “fair use”:
the purpose and character of the use, especially whether the use is for profit
the nature and purpose of the copyrighted work
the amount and substantiality of the portion of the work used
the effect of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted work
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8. Dealing with Copyright Questions:
Abide by the fair-use concept:
Don’t rely on excessive amounts of another source’s work.
Ask permission:
Contact the source of the information for permission.
Cite your sources accurately:
This fulfills your ethical obligation AND strengthens your writing, showing the reader the range of your research.
Consult legal counsel if you have questions.
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9. The Role of Corporate Culture in Ethical and Legal Conduct
Organizations in which ethical values are promoted at all levels - and where employees see that everyone lives up to the organization’s stated values – experience fewer ethical problems.
1. The organization’s leaders can set the right tone by living up to their commitment to ethical conduct.
2. Supervisors can set good examples and encourage ethical conduct.
3. Peers can support those employees who act ethically.
4. The organization can use informal communication to reinforce the formal policies, such as those presented in the company code of conduct.
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10. An effective code of conduct has three characteristics:
It protects the public rather than
members of the organization or profession.
2. It is specific and comprehensive.
3. It is enforceable.
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11. Communicating Across Cultures:
They must not reinforce patterns of discrimination in product information.
They must not reinforce patterns of discrimination in product information, but they are not obligated to challenge the prevailing prejudice directly.
They must adhere to other countries’ federal and regional laws when exporting goods and services.
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12. Ten Principles for Ethical Communication:
1. Abide by copyright law.
2. Abide by the appropriate professional code of conduct.
3. Abide by your organization’s policy on social media.
4. Take advantage of your employer’s ethics resources.
5. Tell the truth.
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13. Ten Principles for Ethical Communication (cont.):
6. Don’t mislead your readers.
7. Use design to highlight important ethical and legal information.
8. Be clear.
9. Avoid discriminatory language.
10. Acknowledge assistance from others.
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14. Avoid four common types of misleading technical communication:
false implications
exaggerations
legalistic constructions
euphemisms
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