Companies usually follow right and wrong standards demonstrating ethical communication, comprising valid but never misleading information. However, when organizations manipulate people’s minds by omitting essential information or misrepresenting numbers, it is called unethical communication creating an unethical lapse. Businesses should be aware of the different intentions involved in an ethical dilemma and lapse to avoid such cases. An ethical dilemma is when all choices are not clear-cut, while an ethical lapse results from personal failure when someone deliberately violates moral conduct.
An ethical dilemma and lapse differ in the people’s motivation driving decisions. The former relates to more challenging situations since all available options are ethically appropriate but conflicting (Courtland & John, 2016). Solutions may seem equally valid for each side, although both may be somewhere between permissible and forbidden. In contrast, a person facing an ethical lapse makes intentional unethical decisions due to negligence or dishonesty.
Ethics are fundamental in life as they govern human decisions, but companies can easily manipulate them through conversation. For example, unethical communication facilitates an unethical lapse by providing unreliable data and biased opinions. A business that uses vital persuasive tools and omits unfavorable information when contacting investors applies unethical communication. The company from figure 1.10 (Courtland & John, 2016, p.25) does not just lie to the audience but creates an unethical lapse, violating moral conduct. Thus, knowing the unethical nature of action but committing it is highly unethical.
Compared with an ethical lapse, an ethical dilemma demonstrates how two equally ethical decisions can conflict and cause many company challenges. People even address it as a “right-versus-right” decision (Avasthi, 2021). To illustrate, companies are responsible for satisfying customer and employee needs (Courtland & John, 2016). If a company faces bankruptcy, it decides whether to sell products for higher prices to generate profits. The clients, in turn, need affordable items, but the company cannot risk its sales. Thus, increasing prices and providing cheaper products are two valid options causing an unethical dilemma.
To conclude, while an ethical lapse infringes on moral conduct, an ethical dilemma considers several conflicting ethical choices. An ethical dilemma leads to the challenge of making a better decision since they all protect the moral values of different groups. When dealing with an unethical dilemma, companies should choose the group whose ethical position would be sacrificed. Meanwhile, an ethical lapse occurs due to an unethical conversation involving selective quoting and misleading audiences.
References
Avasthi, M. (2021). Chapter 3.3 The individual approach to ethics. In Foundations of business. Virginia Commonwealth University.
Courtland L. B., & John V. T. (2016). Business communication today (13th ed.). Pearson.