ETHICAL AND MORAL CONSIDERATIONS IN COMMUNICATION PROCESS: RESEARCH IN LATVIA

The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical and moral considerations in communication process in Latvian organisations. Awareness of ethical principles and observance of moral laws will ensure optimal development of society. The concept of morality is often used in parallel with ethics. By the concept of moral, in contrast with ethics, we understand the regulatory and institutionalised structures included into organisational or professional codes and practical conduct; habitually, these manifestations, such as codes of conduct- are referred to as an entirety of ethical principles, standards and values. By morality sometimes social standards are meant, and by ethics- individual virtues and an entirety of values. Tasks of the study were to research the basis of the review of scientific sources regarding the principles of ethics and morality, as well as to evaluate the opinions of Latvian businessmen regarding ethical and moral principles in the social communication process. For this particular study, the focus group is selected as the most appropriate data collection method for high-quality research. To find out individuals' opinions and attitudes, the focus group discussion was carried out. Members from various organisations were included in discussion group. In aggregate, opinions of the 27 members were summarised regarding the ethical and moral aspects affecting the process of communication. The results of the study revealed that communication process is affected by such topical categories and critical aspects of ethics as trust and loyalty, conflict of interests, selection and use of tools for influencing, responsibility, transparency and truth as actual information. They are ethical guidelines, which according to public opinion comply with the universal ethical categories and which have been chosen by a separate group of people as the values to identify themselves with. Communications principles are summarised in both a written and unwritten form. It is conventional in society to rely on such moral aspect as fairness believing that the majority of professionals carry out their work in good faith, even if there are cases which confirm the opposite. The internal communication of the organisation is determined by ethical and moral assumptions of general communication culture. Communication ethics will largely depend on the company's self-perception, on the accepted views on communication and on the types of affecting people.