Ethics Standards

Introduction Ethics refers to the norms and the generally accepted ways of doing things in a given community such a business, an institution, a profession or even the government (Middleton, & Chamberlin, 1994). Ethics standards are set by the given industry and every member of that given community is supposed to abide by them. Usually these ethical standards are laid down in what is commonly referred to as code of ethics. However, observing the code of ethics is a big challenge given that a breach of the code of ethics may not constitute a serious offence convictable before a court of law (Goldman, 1985).
Business organizations in UK especially the manufacturing industry which depend on marketing campaigns to promote their goods are at the highest risk of violating the code of ethics. To counter, negative implications for their unethical practices, organizations come up with public relations roles that are purposely established to ensure a positive public perception of the organization when the unethical practices leak out to the public (Baskin, & Arnoff, 1992). Therefore, ethics is a major problem for UK business organization.
If not well resolved the continued unethical practices often reported in the media will soon get out of hand and could have far reaching effects both to the public and to the organization. This is especially the case given the fact that most organizations care about achieving their sales targets and not the harm done to the public. It seems companies have accepted a philosophy of ‘the end shall justify the means’. This has caused a lot of harm to the public in that the public is led into making false buying decisions.

To solve the ethical problem so rampant in the UK industries, a research shall be carried out which shall seek to answer these questions; what causes companies to practice unethical marketing practices, as well as to find out solutions to the problem and what measures the consumers, the companies and the government can put in place to curb unethical marketing practices. Aronson, and Spetner, (1993) identifies the following as the commonest ways in which companies engage in unethical practices; deceptive advertisements, incorrect labeling and concealed costs.
Unethical practices become a PR concern when it is exposed and it is threatening to the reputation of the organization (Pavlik, 1987). Unethical practices also leads to unfair competition. Solutions to the problem of unethical practices range from increased government regulations as well as stiffer fines and punishment for offenders. Conclusion Business ethics is important public relations in the modern world. Unethical practices may seem lucrative in the short term but in the long run they may cost organizations a lot.
Business organizations found guilty of unethical practices can lose their trade licenses besides facing suits which can be financially burdensome to the company. Reference Aronson, M & Spetner, D. (1993). The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook. Free Press. Baskin, O ; Arnoff, C. (1992). Public Relations: The Profession and The Practice. 3rd ed. Brown ; Benchmark. Goldman, J. (1985). Public Relations in the Marketing Mix. NTC Business. Middleton, K ; Chamberlin, B. (1994). Law of Public Communication. 3rd ed. Longman. Pavlik, J. (1987). Public Relations: What Research Tells Us. Sage.