Sample Essay On Ethical Communication Exercise #1

Using English-language internet sources, find the organization’s mission statement and /or key values or principles. This is the “public face” of the organization.

Where is this information located on the company’s web site? (include the url).

If you look at the very bottom of the website, you will see a category entitled “Our Story”, under it, you will find the mission statement and their principles. The mission statement refers to what the company stands for. It goes into detail about what the foundation of the company is built upon. Strong values and belief systems are the keys to building monumental success. It is apparent that the Bank of America understands this concept because Bank of America lays out line by line their objective which could also be defined as their mission. This is the url in which you can locate the actual mission statement for the company Bank of America-“http://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/our-story/who-we-are.html#fbid=ydNwU8LYOLO”.
How easy was it to find? Be specific in describing how you located it on the company’s specific website, especially if you used another source to find it originally.
Since Bank of America is a popular well-established business, it was extremely easy to find all key elements of the company such as the mission statement, key values and principles. How I went about finding where the companies information was simple. All that was needed to do was locate the bottom of the site. This is usually the location as to where you can find all of the information that you need to learn about a particular company. Yes, it is true if a person were not able to find essential information on a business, you could always just conduct a simple google search, however, in this case, all that you need to do is scroll down the Bank of America website where you can find information such as their story. This consists of who they are, who they serve, how they work and where they are located. Other types of information that is available are aspects such as “investor relations” which consists of financial information, investor presentations, fixed income information, annual reports & proxy, statements, stock information and shareholder services. All of this information as you can see can conveniently be found at the bottom of the Bank of America website, but for quicker access, all is needed is a quick and swift google search.

What is the mission statement? What are the key values or principles? Copy them, providing the source.

The mission statement is “With our platform and industry leading expertise, we help turn opportunities into realities and realities into more opportunities” which can be found here “http://merch.bankofamerica.com/about-us”. The key values/principles are to deliver together (We believe in the importance of treating each customer, client and teammate as an individual and treating every moment as one that matters. We strive to go the distance to deliver, with discipline and passion. We believe in connecting with people person-to-person, with empathy and understanding. We believe everything we do for customers, clients, teammates and the communities we serve is built on a solid business foundation that delivers for shareholders.), act responsibly (We believe that integrity and the disciplined management of risk form the foundation of our business. We are aware that our decisions and actions affect people’s lives every day. We believe in making decisions that are clear, fair, and grounded in the principles of shared success, responsible citizenship, and community building.), realizing the power of their people (We strive to help our employees reach their full potential. We believe that diverse backgrounds and experiences make us stronger. We respect every individual and value our differences - in thought, style, culture, ethnicity and experience.), and trusting the team (We believe that the best outcomes are achieved when people work together across the entire company. We believe great teams are built on mutual trust, shared ownership and accountability. We act as one company and believe when we work together, we best meet the full needs of our customers and clients.) which can be found here http://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/our-story/our-values.html#fbid=ydNwU8LYOLO.
Does the mission statement seem to align with the key values or principles? Be specific. What value or principle surprised you or seems to be missing? Be specific.
Yes the mission statement does align with the key values/principles. Everything mentioned on the company’s website correlates well with one another and showcases how everything is built upon each other like a foundation. The principle of “realizing the power of our people” is a little shocking because in my own personal opinion, a lot of companies don’t always recognize the talents and skills of their team members, so for Bank of America to be able to do that is a very honorable thing to do. In my opinion, nothing seems to be missing from the key values/principles. Everything seems to correlate with one another in perfect harmony building upon one another like the perfect tier or pyramid.
Do you think this information is communicated effectively to its intended audience of customers/clients and employees? Why or why not? Be specific. Consider just the presentation of the information itself. Make one recommendation to improve the presentation of the information. Be specific.
Yes, I do believe the information is communicated effectively because it lays out exactly what is to be expected from the Bank of America as a member (customer/client/employee) of their community. There is no second guessing this company because any and all kinds of information that you need to know, you can find it directly on the site. One recommendation to improve the presentation of the information is to maybe put this information on the “main” page instead of having it as its own category since this is what represents the company.
Using English-language internet sources, find the organization’s code of ethics/code of conduct. ( If you don’t know what is code of conduct you can see this website http://www.bentley.edu/centers/center-for-business-ethics/resources/codes-of-conduct)

Where is this information located on the company’s web site? (include the url)

The information for the code of ethics is located here: http://investor.bankofamerica.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71595&p=irol-govconduct#fbid=UwfHZW_AQ53 which can be found in the category of the Bank of America’s Investor Relations/ 2015 Code of Conduct Disclosure.
How easy was it to find? Be specific in describing how you located it on the company’s specific website, especially if you used another source to find it originally. Would someone visiting the company website be able to find it easily? Why or why not?
Just as it was easy to find their mission statement and their values, it wasn’t difficult at all to find the code of conduct. If you are familiar with what the “code of ethics/conduct” means, the categories that are located on the website are self-explanatory which makes it easy to figure out what is where. Therefore, to answer the question, someone visiting the website with that particular knowledge would have no trouble finding it. However, if they didn’t, it might take a little longer, but they would eventually find it within a few minutes.

Is this information intended for all employees or only for some employees? How do you know?

This information is directly intended for all employees. I know this because the code of conduct sets the standard as to how employees should conduct themselves within the company. Since it is a business and one employee reflects the entire business, no one person is above the code of ethics because it simply serves as an “ideal model” of behavior. Also, the code of ethics discusses how employees should treat other customers. It goes over common courtesies and mannerisms that should be practiced because in order to lead a successful company, the people will always come first and this is because without the customers, there is no business.
D. Consider just the content of the information. Do you think this information is communicated effectively to its intended audience? Why or why not? Be specific. Is there any topic missing? Did anything surprise or puzzle you? Make one specific recommendation for improving the content.
I would say that this information is delivered well because it lists everything that is to be expected of a Bank of America employee so well to the extent that an employee could not claim that they did not know of a particular “rule”. It’s spelled out verbatim and the only way that it would be possible for them to not know of the code of conduct is if they have not read it. As I read it, nothing surprised me. It discusses the standard code of ethics that a business should be equipped with.
E. Consider just the presentation of the information itself. Do you think this information is communicated effectively to its intended audience? Why or why not? Be specific. Did anything surprise or puzzle you? Make one specific recommendation for improving the presentation.
I think the presentation was designed quite well actually. It shows that the Bank of America’s website was designed by professionals who actually know what it is that they are doing and that they truly care how the Bank of America’s website will reflect their company as a whole. The site has a clear and compact website design that is extremely informational and knowledgeable. For an individual who is visiting the website that is new and has never been on the Bank of America website, it would be easy to navigate throughout the website because of how easy the layout and design of the website is. I believe because of this technique used, it allows easier access to find particular pieces of information that a customer may be looking for. One thing that I thought was excellent was the fact that they had the code of ethics available in several other languages and not just the English language. This showcases the fact that they are diverse to culture and yes I do believe that the information is communicated effectively because once again it lays out like a blueprint what exactly the company stands for and what they will not tolerate. Another thing that kind of surprised me, but in a good way, is how the Bank of America has established a theme. Just like their name entails “Bank of America”, it showcases how this bank represents the United States in such a big way by adopting the U.S colors red, white and blue. By doing this, it really resonates in the American citizens because there has been so many people who have fought for this country and because of this very reason, I believe, is what motivates so many people to sign up and become a member with the Bank of America. This bank utilizes imagery and pride and by combining those two, you end up with a wonderful fusion.