Washington: A study reveals millennials, pursuing career in public relations, do not feel the need to give advices on moral dilemmas, as for them, ethics are better left to the legal department or that role is beyond their responsibilities.
Researchers from Baylor University in the US found that helpful preparation for millennials included ethics training in college, workplace training, training through professional associations and mentoring by someone inside or outside their organisations.
Almost 74 percent of people received ethics training in college and many had not received training through the workplace or through a professional organisation.
They’ll shift from being “doers” to “deciders” in businesses, and their ethical compass will set the course for subsequent generations of PR professionals, said study author Marlene Neill.
“The study findings are a cause for concern. If Millennials don’t feel equipped, they may be misled by their superiors or used as instruments of unethical behavior,” Neill added.
The study has been published in the journal Public Relations Review.
They surveyed 217 Millennial members of the Public Relations Society of America, with the average age of 25 and with less than three years experience in the field.
When respondents were asked what ethical issues they had faced or were most likely to face, they ranked only one issue — messaging, such as how much information to disclose and when — above being a “neutral” challenge.
But two thirds indicated they actually had faced issues regarding messaging, while one third had experienced issues regarding blurring of online and professional speech, lack of access to leadership or information and transparency in sponsored content.
“Besides lacking confidence, most appear to be overly optimistic that they won’t have to confront such common dilemmas as truthfulness in communication, altering researching results, working with questionable clients or blurring of personal and professional speech online,” Neill explained.
Others suggest that ethics are better left to the legal department or that the role is beyond their responsibilities, abilities or training. (ANI)