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Den sminkande kommunikatören: Om etiska dilemman inom offentliga verksamheter

Communication as a cosmetic function: About ethical dilemmas within the public sector

På svenska

Author

  • Anna Fredriksson
  • Kristin Larsson Lindholm

Summary, in English

This study examines problems regarding ethical dilemmas that communicators are facing, due to conflicting interests between organisations and their stakeholders. Using qualitative interviews, we have examined how communicators in three public organisations deal with ethical dilemmas, in relation to how they occur. Furthermore, our intention has been to illustrate why ethical dilemmas occur for them. The study shows that the communicators face situations where they are forced to deal with ethical dilemmas by decoupling, both the communication activities and themselves, from the organisation. Thereby they unconsciously pursue hypocrisy because, due to a recipient perspective and being attributed the problem-solving role, they form the final step in the business process. As a result, the communicators are banished to be a fixing - cosmetic - function rather than a business support. Thus, there is a rationalised myth about the communicator as the organisation’s performer, which explains why ethical dilemmas occur for them.

Publishing year

2014

Language

Swedish

Document type

Student publication for Master's degree (two years)

Topic

  • Social Sciences

Keywords

  • kommunikation
  • etiska dilemman
  • kommunikatör
  • särkoppling
  • hyckleri
  • rationaliserad myt
  • legitimitet

Supervisor

  • Mats Heide (Professor)