CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF COMMUNICATION AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE SOUTHERN CROSS HEALTH SYSTEMS ! ! ! ! ! Author: Lareb. Azam. Cheema; Communication Consultant Authorised by: Southern Cross Health Systems’ Board of Directors Date completed: 25 September 2014 !1 ! TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 1. INTRODUCTION 4 2. CORPORATE IDENTITY AND CULTURE 5 2.1. CORPORATE IMAGE 5 2.2. CORPORATE CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP STYLES 5 2.3. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 6 2.3.1. BRIBES 6 2.3.2. ROKEACH’S VALUE SYSTEM 7 3. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION 8 3.1. COMMUNICATION CHANNEL 8 3.2. TEAM MANAGEMENT 8 4. CONCLUSION 9 5. RECOMMENDATIONS 9 6. REFERENCE LIST 10 !2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ! This report examines ethical and communication issues present in Southern Cross Health Systems. A critical analysis shall be provided on the unethical tactics used by CEO Bob Bieber, which include the issuing of bribes to Chinese officials as well as the unethical sales strategies used to promote pharmaceutical products to medical practitioners. Other issues of concern that have been created because of Bob Bieber include the division in the company based on the creation of the Southern Cross Pharma cup which has allowed a double standard to emerge. In addition, director of diagnostics division, Jacqueline Harris, has failed to create effective teams and has also failed to be an effective leader as meetings are not scheduled regularly. Both Bob Bieber and Jacqueline Harris undermine the corporate mission which states
In the world today, when you hear the words AT&T, Cox Cable, DirectTV and Comcast the first thing that would typically come to mind is enjoying sports and family television. Often time’s customers don’t really know into the weeds of a company until something goes wrong. A consumer may find interest in the event they have bought stocks into a company and they see it all fall. Companies such as this service millions and millions of people all over the world. It is sad to know that some of these organizations while looking squared away on the inside have such serious ethical issues going on or that went on within their organization. The last thing a customer wants to do is tune into the t.v. and find out that one of their providers was
When I consider my interpersonal relationships and connect a scenario that I believe is a common interpersonal communication ethics challenges for several individuals, it is Attentiveness; finding common ground, or agreeing. (Arnett et. al, 2008, p. 131)
If Emanuel accepts the offer he benefits greatly because he will be able to complete his assignments efficiently in his dorm room instead of using the college library but Microsoft will not profit and the roommate will have broken the law and potentially receive a penalty or fine for sharing a licensed product. But if Emanuel denies his roommates offer and
The twenty-first century has seen pharmaceutical companies grow in unprecedented size and strength. Due to the unprecedented growth the larger pharmaceutical companies have gained leverage and power in the prescription drug industry, but they lack innovation to market and they seek ways to help the business continue to increase its profits. The pharmaceutical industry was once ethically sound and was a valuable player in the development of human health. However, overtime with the lack of innovation pharmaceutical companies are becoming an unethical market that exploits patients, doctors and anyone else it can to increase its profitability. With eyes only on profitability this can create a hazard for patients because there
What is the culture's position on important issues facing the corporation (that is, on productivity, quality of performance, adaptability to
Healthcare organizations have a moral and social responsibility to ensure that their communications are conducted using an outlined code of ethics. Whether the communication is an internal message to employees or mission outreach in the community, it must reflect the values and beliefs of the organization. Therefore, in order to establish and maintain the standard of ethical behavior and social responsibility, our organization requires all employees to complete new employee orientation sessions that define the policies and expectations. This orientation introduces our mission and values and it develops the foundation for our success as an organization. Our focus on encouraging and communicating ethical practices helps to reinforce our values to employees and the community. Furthermore, there should be a process in place that monitors and enforces the policies to safeguard against potential errors that would reflect poorly on the organization’s mission.
The critical theory of communication developed by Stanley Deetz was designed to explore ways to insure the organizations’ health while increasing the representation of diverse human interests. He does this first by showing that corporations have become political as well as economic institutions. Deetz then employs advances in communication theory to point out how communication practices within a corporation can distort decision making. Finally, he outlines how workplaces can become more productive and democratic through communication reforms.
The Pharmaceutical industry has been in the spotlight for decades due to the fact that they have a reputation for being unethical in its marketing strategies. In The Washington Post Shannon Brownlee (2008) states, “We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow.” This honorable statement is completely lost in today’s world of pharmaceutical marketing tactics. These tactics are often deceptive and biased. Big Pharma consistently forgets their moral purpose and focuses primarily on the almighty dollar. Big Pharma is working on restoring their reputation by reforming their ethical code of conduct.
The new facts reflect the current ethical culture of the Red Cross by the fact that the leaders of this organization create problems within the organization. With as many leaders as the organization has had, the ethical standards will change
Over the past couple of decades, a sudden change has started to take over the way business is done. The time when no rules applied, and anyone could do what they pleased at the cost of others or the environment is rapidly ending. Instead, companies today have become aware that it is essential for them to employ ethics and morality in their actions, if not they will be heavily scrutinized and rejected by the public. This way of thinking also applies to the pharmaceutical industry, which over the past century has been rapidly expanding. Do to the fact that this industry can determine the health and lives of millions of people, it is imperative that this industry follow an ethical and moral path.
“Brad is a production engineer at a bicycle company and part of his job includes inspecting broken bikes and drafting the design repairs for their repair” (Bartlett). Brad is considering replacing a broken brake cable with a more durable material, even though the customer did not request it in their order and specifically requested that “No aesthetic changes be made to the bike” (Bartlett). Brad’s manager suggests that his considered actions would go against the company’s policy of “The customer is always right.” Should Brad disobey the manager and the customer to possibly lose his job or go along with
email, websites etc. Employers at the same time strive to make their employees focus on work,
Merck and Co., Inc. was, in 1978, one of the biggest makers of physician endorsed sedates on the planet. Headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, Merck followed its starting points to Germany in 1668 when Friedrich Jacob Merck obtained a pharmacist in the city of Darmstadt. More than three hundred years after the fact, Merck, having turned into an American firm, utilized more than 28,000 individuals and had operations everywhere throughout the world.
Communication is constant, especially in the information age. Savvy professionals know how to communicate quickly, effectively and ethically. The term "ethical communication" has different meanings depending on the context. A shampoo advertiser and a sports team spokesperson may have dissimilar views on what constitutes as ethical communication. Some communication guidelines are only applicable to certain situations, while others could be understood as ethical in one situation and unethical in another. Every aspect of ethical communication should be considered within the boundaries of the issue at hand.
When examining the values of a company, one must take into account the different metrics which make up the way that a company is perceived. Vision, Image, and Culture of a company must be aligned in order for a company to achieve an optimal result. When there is a gap in the cohesiveness of these aspects, a company will experience setbacks or