A study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control

The lack of studies relating to the ethical needs and values of public relations professionals in the European Union indicated the need for a research study to ascertain: 1. the experience of European Union public relations professionals in confronting and resolving ethical issues, 2. what the needs...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Corbillon-Gulin, Ramon
Other Authors: Ball State University. Dept. of Journalism.
Format: Others
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/185732
http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1014808
id ndltd-BSU-oai-cardinalscholar.bsu.edu-handle-185732
record_format oai_dc
collection NDLTD
format Others
sources NDLTD
topic Public relations personnel -- European Union countries -- Attitudes.
Public relations personnel -- Professional ethics -- European Union countries -- Public opinion.
Business ethics -- European Union countries -- Public opinion.
spellingShingle Public relations personnel -- European Union countries -- Attitudes.
Public relations personnel -- Professional ethics -- European Union countries -- Public opinion.
Business ethics -- European Union countries -- Public opinion.
Corbillon-Gulin, Ramon
A study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control
description The lack of studies relating to the ethical needs and values of public relations professionals in the European Union indicated the need for a research study to ascertain: 1. the experience of European Union public relations professionals in confronting and resolving ethical issues, 2. what the needs are in charting an ethical course for individual professional conduct, 3.what the needs are to guide organizations in the ethical performance of public relations, and 4. the social responsibility of public relations.Nearly all of the quantitative studies have been devoted to an examination of the views of members of American public relations associations. Numerous authors have pointed out the value of ethical standards and of a means of enforcement of the standards for professions. In spite of an ongoing professional dialogue as to the need, little progress has been made in defining sanctions against those who violate ethical principles while defining themselves as public relations counselors.This study was based on a mail survey created and distributed by Sharpe in the Fall of 1993. Three questions from the 1972 Newsom's research study were added. Threehundred and fifty-five public relations practitioner members of the International Public Relations Association within the European Union in 1995 were identified as the population for this study. A 35.2% response rate was attained after two mailings.The typical respondent was male, had been in the profession from 10 to 30 years, held an accreditation, was a specialist and identified himself as a counselor. He related that he confronted ethical issues with frequency particularly in relation to relationships with clients, the news media, and customers. The majority of the ethical issues, which would have or had transgressed the organizational policies and personal/religious principles, consisted of: misleading information, promising more than could and was delivered, supporting a program with which he disagreed in principle, withholding information, and failure to accept responsibilities. He said that he resolved the last ethical issue encountered, which involved their organization's management performance, by pointing out the ethical issue and influencing an ethical action. He placed some value on both IPRA Codes. He saw all ethical issues as ethically wrong, especially those relating to sexual harassment, the sale of unsafe products and services, discrimination, establishing different pay scales for men and women doing the same work, withholding information for gain at expense of others, and promotion and sale of products in other countries that are unacceptable in the EU that place people at risk. He viewed the public relations profession as having a leading role in improving relationships between peoples of different races within a country and between countries. He saw public opinion as an effective control over public relations performance. Finally, he would recommend the establishment and communication of the organization's ethics code and performance policies so organizational management would be recognized for public relations performance. The employment of public relations officials with professional memberships obligating them to uphold a code of ethical conduct was viewed as a criteria that organizations should establish as evidence of the organization's commitment to ethical public relations. === Department of Journalism
author2 Ball State University. Dept. of Journalism.
author_facet Ball State University. Dept. of Journalism.
Corbillon-Gulin, Ramon
author Corbillon-Gulin, Ramon
author_sort Corbillon-Gulin, Ramon
title A study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control
title_short A study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control
title_full A study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control
title_fullStr A study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control
title_full_unstemmed A study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control
title_sort study of how european union ipra practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and control
publishDate 2011
url http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/185732
http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1014808
work_keys_str_mv AT corbillongulinramon astudyofhoweuropeanunioniprapractitionersviewedethicalissuesvaluesstandardssocialresponsibilityandcontrol
AT corbillongulinramon studyofhoweuropeanunioniprapractitionersviewedethicalissuesvaluesstandardssocialresponsibilityandcontrol
_version_ 1716710352169730048
spelling ndltd-BSU-oai-cardinalscholar.bsu.edu-handle-1857322014-08-09T03:33:39ZA study of how European Union IPRA practitioners viewed ethical issues : values, standards, social responsibility, and controlCorbillon-Gulin, RamonPublic relations personnel -- European Union countries -- Attitudes.Public relations personnel -- Professional ethics -- European Union countries -- Public opinion.Business ethics -- European Union countries -- Public opinion.The lack of studies relating to the ethical needs and values of public relations professionals in the European Union indicated the need for a research study to ascertain: 1. the experience of European Union public relations professionals in confronting and resolving ethical issues, 2. what the needs are in charting an ethical course for individual professional conduct, 3.what the needs are to guide organizations in the ethical performance of public relations, and 4. the social responsibility of public relations.Nearly all of the quantitative studies have been devoted to an examination of the views of members of American public relations associations. Numerous authors have pointed out the value of ethical standards and of a means of enforcement of the standards for professions. In spite of an ongoing professional dialogue as to the need, little progress has been made in defining sanctions against those who violate ethical principles while defining themselves as public relations counselors.This study was based on a mail survey created and distributed by Sharpe in the Fall of 1993. Three questions from the 1972 Newsom's research study were added. Threehundred and fifty-five public relations practitioner members of the International Public Relations Association within the European Union in 1995 were identified as the population for this study. A 35.2% response rate was attained after two mailings.The typical respondent was male, had been in the profession from 10 to 30 years, held an accreditation, was a specialist and identified himself as a counselor. He related that he confronted ethical issues with frequency particularly in relation to relationships with clients, the news media, and customers. The majority of the ethical issues, which would have or had transgressed the organizational policies and personal/religious principles, consisted of: misleading information, promising more than could and was delivered, supporting a program with which he disagreed in principle, withholding information, and failure to accept responsibilities. He said that he resolved the last ethical issue encountered, which involved their organization's management performance, by pointing out the ethical issue and influencing an ethical action. He placed some value on both IPRA Codes. He saw all ethical issues as ethically wrong, especially those relating to sexual harassment, the sale of unsafe products and services, discrimination, establishing different pay scales for men and women doing the same work, withholding information for gain at expense of others, and promotion and sale of products in other countries that are unacceptable in the EU that place people at risk. He viewed the public relations profession as having a leading role in improving relationships between peoples of different races within a country and between countries. He saw public opinion as an effective control over public relations performance. Finally, he would recommend the establishment and communication of the organization's ethics code and performance policies so organizational management would be recognized for public relations performance. The employment of public relations officials with professional memberships obligating them to uphold a code of ethical conduct was viewed as a criteria that organizations should establish as evidence of the organization's commitment to ethical public relations.Department of JournalismBall State University. Dept. of Journalism.Sharpe, Melvin L.2011-06-03T19:37:39Z2011-06-03T19:37:39Z19961996xv, 212 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.LD2489.Z72 1996 .C67http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/185732http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1014808Virtual Presse------