With the development of media technologies and the broad implementation of socially responsible business practices, ethical issues have turned into an area of critical interest for the management of numerous companies. Although some still tend to believe that ethics depends only on the individual’s value, this is not the case. Company management, organizational structure, policies, and practices are the crucial factors defining the attitude of employees towards ethical issues and finally shaping the overall public image. Among the key concepts currently adopted in this area, it is worth paying specific attention to the idea of integrity as a governing ethic. This approach goes beyond the traditional legal compliance concept and holds the company to a certain robust standard. Within this concept, ethics should be the governing force for individuals’ behavior and actions, and its governing principles are supposed to be stated and followed by the management. The core values of this concept include high social responsibility, respect for others’ rights, and fair business practices. Therefore, integrity turns into a fundamental concept characterizing the company image and its behavior.
An excellent example of a company requiring the implementation of integrity as a governing ethic is the United Airlines, notorious for its numerous conflicts. The story of its mishaps included several episodes ranging from passengers’ pets being accidentally killed or lost in the journey to a case when an infant was taken to hospital after a long delay. Finally, it culminated in a violent removal of a passenger being caught on camera. When that video became viral, the company’s daily loss in its market value almost reached $1 billion, and the reputational losses were even more severe (Cheng & Shen, 2020). Finally, after months of struggle against public opinion and attempts to mitigate the conflict, the company management had to admit that ethical issues were an area of serious concern.
Introducing the concept of integrity at a company like United Airlines is a complicated task requiring a number of actions. First, the company leadership should admit that merely following the regulations, no matter how strict they are in the airline business, is insufficient. A code of ethics should be created and put into operation after its thorough discussion with the public. The opinion of customers can be a helpful tool, as they “resort to various media tools to network or build alliances with other affected stakeholders and ensure changes from the organization” (Cheng & Shen, 2020, p. 3). The code of ethics should be specific and include not only general principles but also detailed recommendations for various scenarios, along with their enforcement means. Such practices as forceful removal of passengers for freeing the seats for the company employees should be strictly prohibited. Finally, the culture of voluntary communication of any ethical misconduct should be introduced, and such messages should always deserve proper attention. With the appropriate management contribution, combining all these steps would allow rebuilding a company based on the integrity principle.
Implementing all these changes requires significant efforts, but they are sure to pay off. A customer study showed that “ethics should be the top consideration for successful crisis communication” as the clients largely assess any company based on their “ethical evaluation of an organization’s conduct” (Cheng & Shen, 2020, p. 6). The ethical aspects substantially define public trust in any company, and the loss of it can quickly ruin a well-built reputation and brand loyalty. Therefore, I believe that introducing integrity as a governing ethic would be a perfect step for United Airlines to overcome the crises and take a step forward in improving its public image.
Reference
Cheng, Y., & Shen, H. (2020). United Airlines crisis from the stakeholder perspective: Exploring customers’ ethical judgment, trust and distrust, and behavioral intentions. Public Relations Review, 46(2), 1–9. Web.