Introduction
Communication is the basis for conducting any business process, as it ensures the interaction of people within the company. However, in a contemporary complex business context, it is especially important for leaders to choose the most effective communication methods. This is necessary to ensure that the vision of the organization is communicated to employees who can work towards achieving common goals. In this regard, it is critically important to have ethical communication skills to create trust and respect within the team. This aspect is necessary not only to avoid conflict situations but also to effectively communicate the values of the company and inspire followers to take the necessary actions. Ethical communication allows the leader to create strong relationships built on a sense of respect to promote shared values and vision among followers.
Discussion
Ethical communication is one of the components of the development of ethical leadership, which is currently a prerequisite for success for organizations. Hegarty and Moccia (2018) emphasize that establishing an ethical framework within a company is directly related to ensuring the firm’s long-term stability through the creation of workers’ camaraderie, key employee retention, and respect for individuals. At the same time, this aspect is directly related to the leader’s ability to effectively communicate ethically and articulate their own values and goals of the organization openly.
Ethical communication is aimed at establishing trusting and respectful relationships between members of the company. In particular, the responsibility of the ethical leader is “cultivating good quality interpersonal relationships with followers and promoting good conduct among followers through the means of two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making” (as cited in Sharma et al., 2019, p. 720). In turn, ethical communication allows not only to avoid conflicts but also to increase key indicators of followers, including performance, perceived leader effectiveness, and prosocial activities (Zhang et al., 2018). Additionally, Zhang et al. (2018) note that the leader’s ethical behavior has a positive effect on “other-praising moral emotions” (p. 1). Thus, ethical communication helps in building relationships both between the leader and subordinates, as well as within the team.
Leadership can also significantly impact followers’ work attitudes and behaviors. The researchers note that the leader’s ethical communication has a positive effect on the willingness of employees to change and efficiency in transforming conditions (Metwally et al., 2019). Bansal and Kumar (2018) emphasize that ethical communication allows the creation “a culture of care, trust, and integrity that substantially improves organizational performance” (p. 541). It is also important that this aspect helps in creating a more positive image of the company in the eyes of various stakeholders, which also makes it more sustainable.
However, trust is the most important factor that provides a positive correlation between ethical communication and company performance. In particular, followers of an ethical leader are more open to new experiences because they trust the leader and the team (Javed et al., 2018). This aspect allows the leader to effectively inspire followers to achieve common goals since their value is clear. Subordinates are more likely to trust the opinion and direction of an ethical leader as they are aware of his or her open-mindedness and honesty (Jha & Singh, 2019). Thus, ethical communication is the basis for creating a reliable channel for broadcasting the vision of the company to its employees.
Within the framework of the discussion, it is also important to note that the leader’s ethical communication is an example that promotes the practice of ethical behavior within the company. In the long term, this aspect helps avoid conflict situations and scandals and creates a healthier working atmosphere. This aspect generally has a positive effect on the desire of followers to work for the benefit of the organization, as well as to achieve joint goals. Ethical communication enables the leader to create trustworthy relationships within and between work teams, ensuring long-term stability.
Conclusion
Ethical behavior is a necessary element for the successful functioning of companies. Nowadays, many organizations get into ethical scandals, which greatly harm the reputation and performance of the firm. However, ethical communication also has less obvious benefits, which are nonetheless the basis for a company’s success. In particular, leaders need to build trusting and respectful relationships with followers in order to communicate their vision and values effectively. In turn, subordinates who trust the leader are more willing to work for the benefit of the company and achieve common goals. Ethical communication helps the leader articulate shared values and inspire the team to work productively.
Additionally, ethical communication is necessary to create a healthier work environment. This aspect promotes the individual values of employees and maintains their connection with the team. In turn, these aspects result in the retention of talented employees and the readiness of employees to accept changes. In the transforming environment that is characteristic of today’s business context, it is critical that subordinates trust the opinion of the leader and follow his vision. Ethical communication provides confidence in the correctness of the leader’s decisions, which increases the productivity of workers, especially in the face of uncertainty.
References
Bansal, J., & Kumar, D. (2018). Is ethical leadership beneficial? Asian Journal of Management, 9(1), 539-542. Web.
Hegarty, N., & Moccia, S. (2018). Components of ethical leadership and their importance in sustaining organizations over the long term. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 11(1), 1-10. Web.
Javed, B., Rawwas, M., Khandai, S., Shahid, K., & Tayyeb, H. H. (2018). Ethical leadership, trust in leader and creativity: The mediated mechanism and an interacting effect. Journal of Management & Organization, 24(3), 388-405. Web.
Jha, J. K., & Singh, M. (2019). Exploring the mechanisms of influence of ethical leadership on employment relations. IIMB Management Review, 31(4), 385-395. Web.
Metwally, D., Ruiz-Palomino, P., Metwally, M., & Gartzia, L. (2019). How ethical leadership shapes employees’ readiness to change: The mediating role of an organizational culture of effectiveness. Frontiers in Psychology, (10), 1-18. Web.
Sharma, A., Agrawal, R., & Khandelwal, U. (2019). Developing ethical leadership for business organizations A conceptual model of its antecedents and consequences. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 40(6), 712-734. Web.
Zhang, Y., Zhou, F., & Mao, J. (2018). Ethical leadership and follower moral actions: Investigating an emotional linkage. Frontiers in Psychology, (9), 1-11. Web.