TRUTH AND TRUST


To understand the relationship between telling the truth and the subsequent ability to nurture a trusting relationship, we need to examine exactly what trust consists of. Webster's Dictionary defines trust as ˜a confident reliance on the integrity, veracity, or justice of another; confidence; faith. [1] The definition itself clearly defines the relationship between truth and trust. If you don't tell the truth, then your publics, once they are aware of this, have difficulty trusting you. If a public does not trust you, then the relationship deteriorates. It's as simple as that.

What is less simple, however, is determining what truth really means in business today.

German philosopher Immanuel Kant, whose work is widely taught in ethics courses, believed that ethics consists of fulfilling our duties categorically. For example, as far as Kant was concerned , telling the truth was one of those categorical duties. We have an obligation to tell the truth ” under all circumstances . In today's world of business, it seems clear that telling the truth is sometimes overshadowed by other duties. We have already established the fact that telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is for the courtroom and that sometimes we have a duty to withhold information to protect people, a decision that clearly requires a judgement call, but when does even telling the truth mislead and contribute to mistrust between organizations and their publics? Here's a case that illustrates this point.

[1] Webster's Dictionary (1992) PMC Publishing Company, New York, p 1038




Ethics in Public Relations. A Guide to Best Practice
Ethics in Public Relations: A Guide to Best Practice (PR in Practice)
ISBN: 074945332X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 165

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