Company ethics encompass a wide range of factors. Businesses communicate their ethics to the world via every decision from the quality of their goods to the charities they support and the way they value their employees. In the changing landscape of business and technology, many businesses are under pressure to keep up with the Social Media while leveraging their ethics.
Charles Ramsey – Photo Credit: ABC
McDonalds’ recent tweet to Charles Ramsey “We salute the courage of Ohio kidnap victims & respect their privacy. Way to go Charles Ramsey – We’ll be in touch,” has sparked a loud debate as many feel McDonalds took advantage of the situation to help their brand. This heated societal reaction goes to show that the line of propriety in Social Media business ethics is still blurred. Although, similar to anything online, when there is no voice to the online presence, lines are often crossed, business leaders and social media representatives would be well advised to ask themselves the questions below for social media action consideration:
Social Media Business Ethics Evaluation:
- Do company leaders properly communicate ethics to employees so that company ethics are then portrayed in operations?
- Is the mission of the company being communicated via social media practices?
- Are tweets, mentions, likes, etc, showing pride in company brand?
- Do social media communications convey company value of customers and employees?
- Can the company as a whole stand by the messages being posted?
- Have guidelines been outlined to help social media coordinators accurately represent the organization?
Was the McDonald’s tweet a method of gaining exposure? Maybe. Then again, what action have those pointing fingers at McDonalds taken to benefit Charles Ramsey? One has to wonder if the pot is calling the kettle black. Opinions will differ. Standards for businesses in the world of social media will begin to become clearer as time marches on. In the end, businesses must self-evaluate from within to make decisions about how to interact in society just as they always have, be it in person or on a social media platform. Even under fire, at least if one retains their ethics, in retrospect they can stand by their actions.
