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by Courtland Bovee, coauthor with John Thill of three business communication textbooks, published by Pearson. http://blog.businesscommunicationnetwork.com/texts.
Here are 16 practices that are commonly viewed as unethical, harmful, or even dangerous in professional business communication and that individuals must be aware of to maintain ethics and legality in their communication practices:
Lying to customers or stakeholders for personal gain or misleading people about goods and services.
Sharing/selling confidential information about customers, partners, or competitors without their approval, leading to liability or litigation.
Manipulating data to improve audit results, financial statements, or other compliance risks or using deceptive practices in financial reporting, raising investor concerns.
Using threats, fear tactics, or intimidation to secure sales or contracts.
Defamation: Writing and intentionally publishing false statements about other people or companies, with ill motives and resulting in damaged reputation or economic harm.
Insider Trading: Sharing information on a company's financial performance or share value, obtained through personal and direct insight/knowledge with other parties, in violation of security laws.
Bribery/Kickbacks: Offering or receiving money, gifts, or any other type of compensation or benefits to influence business deals or enhance personal benefits.
Engaging in plagiarism or intellectual property theft by replicating content or ideas without proper attribution, harming other businesses' legitimate interests.
Harassing or bullying employees or coworkers through malicious gossip or spreading details of someone's personal life, creating possible legal ramifications and toxic office environments.
Cyberbullying & Cyberstalking: Using writing to harass or threaten individuals, with the use of technology such as email, texts, or social media platforms.
Discrimination or unfair treatment of employees based on age, race, gender, religion, or any other protected characteristic.
Exploiting vulnerability or weaknesses in a deal or using unethical tactics to gain an unfair advantage during negotiations.
Fraud: Writing statements intended to mislead investors, prospective customers, or partners about financial performance or the safety and effectiveness of products or services.
Data Privacy Violations: Writing copy that breaches an individual's or company's privacy rights by disclosing personal or confidential information without consent.
Using manipulative language, over-promising, or misleading prospects and customers, driving false expectations that lead to disillusionment and disloyalty.
Creating fake social media profiles, sharing fake reviews, manipulating online reviews to generate fake impressions or endorsements.
By being aware of unethical or illegal communication practices, individuals and businesses can maintain their professional reputation and comply with legal, regulatory, and ethical standards. Additionally, adopting a code of ethics or organizational policy provides guidance to staff and stakeholders on ethical best practices.
