Ethics Information

Business Ethics: An Oxymoron?


Why do I believe good PR and business ethics are inextricably linked? It comes down to definitions. Ethics is learning what is right and what is wrong and then doing the "right thing." PR involves providing counsel on the "right thing" to do and then helping the organization get credit for it.

The business and political excess of the last 10 years have taken some PR practitioners to the dark side because they felt it was the only way for their company to profit. Although I personally believe doing right for right's sake is enough, there are some who may not share this view. OK, here's a reason that any good capitalist can embrace: research now shows that socially responsible behavior is good for the bottom line.

A recent analysis of overall financial performance of the 2001 list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens shows that this group of firms did significantly better than the remaining companies of the S&P 500. Professors at DePaul University found that the mean ranking of the 100 Best was more than 10 percentile higher than the other firms of the S&P 500.

Additionally, they had a significantly better reputation among corporate directors and security analysts based upon results of the Fortune Magazine survey of most admired companies.

So, you see, it really does pay to do the right thing.

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX, Verbatim and Youth Link USA.

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Free Times

Haley submits ethics probe packet
Aiken Standard
Nikki Haley accused House Speaker Bobby Harrell on Thursday of inappropriately inserting himself into a House panel's probe into an ethics complaint against her. Harrell says he's doing no such thing. Harrell spokesman Greg Foster said the speaker only ...
Haley accuses Harrell of meddling in ethics probeCharleston Post Courier

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ProPublica

Ethics group urges investigators to probe lobbyist involved in Owens trip
WatertownDailyTimes.com
By BRIAN AMARAL A public ethics watchdog wants federal ethics investigators to probe a lobbying firm that arranged Rep. William L. Owens's trip to Taiwan. In a letter sent Wednesday to the Office of Congressional Ethics, officials from Public Citizen ...
Owens Welcomes Ethics ProbeWWNY TV 7

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KIMA CBS 29

McKenna faces 2 ethics complaints over county work
The Seattle Times
A lawyer and a citizen have each filed ethics complaints against Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna. The Associated Press Note to Kyle Olive and Kimberly Christensen (and the note would be the same regardless... (May 24, 2012, by Creasy ...
SEATTLE: 2 ethics complaints filed against McKennaTheNewsTribune.com

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Man leading ethics probe of Baptist leader resigns
The Daily Advance
(AP) — The head of a group investigating the comments of Southern Baptist Convention ethics leader Richard Land has resigned. Arkansas pastor Richard Piles said he has taken over as Trustee Board chairman for the Ethics and Religious Liberty ...
Southern Baptist committee head resigns in Richard Land ethics caseThe Tennessean
ERLC trustees to be led by new chairmanBP News
The Head of the Group Investigating Richard Land ResignsNashville Scene
OneNewsNow -NewsChannel5.com
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Investigator: No ethics violations by Hedges
St. Augustine Record
By PETER GUINTA There is “no probable cause to believe” that St. Augustine Beach Police Chief Richard Hedges is guilty of the ethics violations that nine of his officers said he committed, according to a state ethics investigator's report made public ...



Board Dismisses Ethics Complaint Against Two Aldermen
Patch.com
There is no conflict of interest by members of the Common Council also serving on the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors, Ethics Board rules. By Sarah Millard Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings, sitting, listens to the Ethics Board discuss a complaint ...

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The Guardian

News Summary: News Corp. lobbyist testifies on UK government contacts to ...
Washington Post
ETHICS PANEL: Lobbyist Fred Michel talked Thursday to the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics that the British government created because of the hacking scandal. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published ...
News Summary: News Corp. lobbyist testifiesBusinessWeek
British Inquiry Questions Murdoch LobbyistNew York Times
Leveson inquiry: Jeremy Hunt should resign over links with News Corp, say ...The Periscope Post
Hollywood Reporter -Financial Times -The Australian
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Ex-SEC Attorney Barred for 1 Year Over Stanford Ethics Lapse
Bloomberg
Spencer Barasch, who participated in the SEC's investigation of R. Allen Stanford's $7 billion Ponzi scheme, performed private legal work for Stanford Group Co. about a year after leaving the agency even though the agency's ethics office had told him ...
SEC sanctions ex-staffer who represented Stanford CoReuters
SEC Bars Former SEC Employee On Alleged Conflict Of InterestWall Street Journal

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Bosch files ethics charge against tea party
Cherokee Tribune
by Kristal Dixon CANTON — A Cherokee County commissioner under attack by the local tea party has turned the tables on the organization, filing an ethics complaint against the group. District 3 Commissioner Karen Bosch on Thursday mailed the complaint ...



Essex County Ethics board reprimands Keene super
Plattsburgh Press Republican
ELIZABETHTOWN — The Essex County Ethics Committee issued a decision reprimanding Keene's supervisor for using town gas. Its findings came Thursday after a six-week review, saying the committee believes Bill Ferebee's use of 14 gallons from the town ...


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