Misleading Public Relations - Essay Example

? Ethical Case Study: Misleading Public Relations KNES 460—Summer Research Paper of Maryland Introduction This is a research paper that focuses on ethical issues and ethical dilemmas that occur in sports management. The paper examines a hypothetical case in which the writer is made to go through a hypothetical situation. From the situation, the writer comes up with a balance between the moral/ethical matters and the profitability element of the situation. The paper will be based on a scenario that will set out the core elements and structures of the moral dilemma in a practical sense. The initial arguments will be explored and the main angles of the debate will be identified. After that, an empirical analysis of key reading materials will be conducted to identify social norms and sporting management trends and elements. This will create the basis for critical analysis in order to identify the rightful solution to the issue at hand. Scenario This essay revolves around a case where a sports manager trainee is told to give misleading information in a public relations campaign about a football team. The team has major issues with the following: 1. The drug addiction of a central star player. 2. Major management rifts concerning shareholders. 3. Personal problems with the coaching staff. 4. Race rifts within the playing body of the team. 5. Major financial challenges and crises with major financier The media has come up with numerous campaigns to expose these problems and issues. Clearly, most of the speculations and claims are true. However, the management and board seek to undertake an image enhancing campaign. And the newly appointed sports manager trainee has been chosen to lead this campaign. The rest of the paper will examine the different moral and ethical elements of the study. Initial Argument From this scenario, it is clear and apparent that the young manager is in his pre-professional management years. At this point, he will have to balance two conflicting ideas and concepts. The first idea is the need to be honest and ethical in the delivery of information about internal conditions to external stakeholders. Thus, working as a public relations representative presents the opportunity to be ethical and show honesty and transparency as required by laws and regulations. On the other hand, the young manager also has to adapt to the norms of the organization. He will have to show that he is an asset, rather than a liability to the sports institution employing him. This is because the institution expects him to become a positive and an important individual to the entity. This can be done by salvaging the image of the entity and doing what will retain supporter confidence, increase returns and improve the company's image and also provide some psychological advantage to the team. However, going too far at this side of the continuum could pose some dangers. The obvious one is that the information that is given could be false and provide an over-idealistic image of the company. This could potentially harm the career of the young manager and cause far reaching damage to the football team employing this manager. Obviously, this forms the crux and the central point of the ethical dilemma at hand Relevant Ethical Models As identified above, the central issue of importance is the need to balance the observance of ethical standards and ethical codes in his approach to this image enhancing PR job with the need for the attainment of confidence amongst external stakeholders. This provides various ethical constraints which can be viewed from two different standpoints. Anderson (1996) identifies that there are two main approaches to viewing ethics and defining what is right. The first is deontology which involve a non-consequential approach to ethics and decision making. In this area, what is right is set in a absolute standards and absolute rules. These are universal rules and regulations that guide conduct throughout the world. All human beings must adhere to the standard of ethics that is required in each situation or each circumstance. This is supported by the philosopher, Kant. Kant argues that what is right is absolute and cannot be changed for anything. The second school of thought argues that what is right is somewhat consequential. This is known as teleology (Anderson, 1996). To this end, what is right is not really permanently inscribed in some codes of ethics or practice. It is based on the circumstances and the facts of the situation at hand. In other words, a decision maker needs to be aware of the consequences of the decision being made and its implications. Thus, what is “right” is based on what will bring the best consequences. The concept of utilitarianism is strongly connected to this model. This is because the concept of utilitarianism argues that what is right at every given point in time is what brings about the highest levels of good for the highest number of people in the society. This means that teleology is based on doing what is best for the largest segment of the society. However, the concept of utilitarianism has come under some degree of modification. Ziegler identifies that “an epoch of civilization approaches with the basic conviction of the majority being challenged by a substantive minority” (2007, p297). In other words, a new generation has come up where the right of the minority is respected and protected by law. This means that the minority can challenge the majority especially if an act will cause a great level of good to a great number of people but cause a lot of severe hardship for a small section of the society. In examining the concept of racism, utilitarianism as an argument may be weakened. This is because racism can be justified if a large number of people belongs to one group and a small minority faces discrimination. This could be supported by utilitarianism. However, in the modern times where minority rights are guaranteed and protected by law, it is not right to continue this discrimination because the law has been invoked on a deontological basis to make it absolutely wrong and forbidden to discriminate. Circumstances in the Sporting World Hums et al (1999) argue that sports is growing to be an essential part of our culture and society. On a factual level, sports is growing as fast as religion is declining. Hence, sports forms a significant and central reflection of society's beliefs, norms and values. “Sports is too much a game to be a business and too much a business to be a game” (Hums et al, 1999). This is a paradox in the field and in the game which provides some kind of linkage between the economic sides of sports and the competitive aspect of it. This paradox reflects in so many moral and ethical dilemmas that are faced by sports managers in the sporting world. It is however recommended that coaches must be proactive, rather than reactive (Hums et al, 1999). Coaches must be careful and evaluate things critically and act, rather than sit back and allow things to happen before they take decisions or act. Additionally, sports is a competitive venture through which the participants learn important lessons and gather new skills and competencies that benefits them (Matthews, 2012). In other words, sportsmen and women build character and carry out the right actions in order to attain the right ends in their fields. This provides moral lessons that goes to support moral development. Thus, a manager needs to be a bit sensitive to these lessons and ensure that the participants get these lessons. Stated differently, sports must honor the values of moral lessons and must not lose sight of it, even if the need for money and sales revenue is very high. Some of the dominant elements and aspects of this moral quest include: 1. Preserving integrity 2. Honor contracts 3. Adhere to organizational goals and policies 4. Uphold standard of the profession 5. Consider social needs and claim (Matthews, 2012) The quest for integrating morality into sports include eschewing discrimination and doing away with practices like racism which manifests itself negatively in the society (Anderson, 1996). This makes the world of sports an exemplary platform where the different elements and aspects of the society are overtly handled and dealt with. Application of Moral and Ethical Theories to Decision Making The young manager will need to be sensitive to some important elements and aspects of his job requirement before he sets out to commence the image enhancement campaign. Wiest identifies that in situations like these, a fresh graduate or intern from a sports program will have some constraints. This include the lack of scientific objectivity, the obvious lack of experience and the lack of important competencies (Wiest and King-White, 2011). However, Wiest and King-White go on to state that on the field, a young and inexperienced manager from a course like this is likely to get a shock with the realities on the ground. This include the following key pointers: 1. Sales is a central theme in most sports institutions that employ people. This is because sales keep the organizations running and stakeholders happy. Thus, a manager from a theoretical background needs to understand this and work towards meeting sales targets and figures. 2. Technology is an important tool today. Technology makes information distortion difficult because there are many media outlets through which information could spread. Therefore, there is the need to find the best ways of using technology to your advantage and protecting oneself from the negative effect of information leakage. 3. Maneuvers are central and stakeholders seek their needs, desires and expectations. 4. Proof of performance is critical for career progression. A young manager or intern will have to understand that going on to another job will be centered around his achievements in the past appointments. 5. Community linkage is central to each sporting institution. And the elements of the community will need to get their needs addressed and honored. Decision Making on the Approach to the PR Project Obviously, the young manager will come under so many requirements and requests to come up with information that will present to football team in a positive light. This is because as an employee, he is expected to attain the best interest of his employers. And it is necessary to do so by providing information that will come with the best options. This is because sales are central and the young manager is also seeking a career progression interest. This means that he has to ensure that he gets the best results which will testify of his competence and effort. It is imperative to come up with a segregation of ethics and approaches that will be viewed in a non-consequential manner. And also come up with approaches that will be consequential in nature. Thus, the sports manager will have to identify confidentiality and the rights of the internal parties as absolute. This is because they are individuals who have rights and it will not be appropriate for him to present information that is far reaching. Hence, there is the need to set the scope of the things that will be discussed in the campaign. On the other hand, the young manager has an obligation to seek the best interest of the people who are employing him. So he has to ensure that the goodwill and the best information about the prospects and the aims and objectives of the team are disclosed. This will be done by disclosing the original plan and the original agenda of the team. This is consequential in nature because it will provide the fans and spectators some kind of interest. Thus, the young manager must focus on the positive things that the team has to offer, even at a hard time like the current time. And base his PR campaign on that. This will be a teleological approach and the vision will be to attract as many spectators as possible and boost sales in an ethical manner. In areas where there could be far reaching consequences, the PR team must try to remain silent and not given information on the basis of the rights of the individuals involved. Thus, the campaign must be focused on meeting higher demands and providing important information and encouraging the masses to attain the best interest of the stakeholders. However, where there could be some damage to individuals or persons around, the manager must not disclose too much information as it could create problems for the team and the group. Recommendation It is therefore recommended that the campaign must be conducted with a teleological approach. However, issues and areas with legal implications must be handled with strictness. The manager must not give too much information as it could harm the image of the organization. In cases where the approach could provide a legal situation, the PR manager must seek legal advice. Sales targets must be a central focus and also the values of the football team and the wider community must be kept in mind. Technological resources and other things must be used in the most optimum manner and the best results must be sought. Conclusion The paper examined the position of a young sports manager who graduate from an institution and has been given the task of undertaking a potentially misleading public relations campaign for a football team. The manager is in a constraint because he has to follow ethics and carry out the activities in the right way. On the other hand, his employers might demand that he goes beyond the normal because their uppermost desire is to boost sales and enhance the image of the team in a harsh situation. It is identified that sports is an essential part of the society. It blends elements of competing and gaming with elements of economic gains. This has made it quite a complicated area where the fundamental ethics of the game are at risk due to the need for money and economic returns. This provides an ethical dilemma. It is noted that there are two elements of ethics. There are the universalist deontological position which advocates for strict adherence to laws and mores irrespective of their results. There are also teleological or consequential rules which seek the best results from a large set of rules and regulations. The paper recommends that the manager should come up with a middle way that will seek the best results for the group. This is because sales and image enhancement is important to the stakeholders employing the young manager. Also, he needs job security and career progression. So he must seek the best results. However, in cases where there are legal consequences or harsh and far reaching consequences for a decision, he must take legal advice and come up with a much more appropriate solution. References Anderson, R. M. (19960 “Racism in Sports: A Question of Ethics” Marquette Sports Law Review Vol 6 (2) Spring Hums, M., Barr, C., & Gullion, L. (1999). “The ethical issues confronting managers in the sport industry.” Journal of Business Ethics, 20, 51-66. Matthews, R. (2012) “The Role of Ethics in Athletic Participation” UNLV University Libraries Vol 1 pp1 – 37 Weist, A. and King-White, R. (2011) “Selling out (in) sport management: Practically evaluating the state of the American (sporting) union” Sports, Education and Society Vol 00 No 00 Month 2011 pp1 – 22 Ziegler, E. F. (2007) “Sports Management Must Show Social Concern as it develops Tenable Theory” Journal of Sports Management 21 pp 297 – 318 Read More