Collaborative Organizational Communication and Its Impact on Ethical Dilemmas

Toru Kiyomiya

International Studies of Management & Organization, 2012, vol. 42, issue 3, 49-68

Abstract: This article explores how tacit knowledge used in organizational communication is related to unethical behavior through negative aspects of collaborative practices in Japanese organizations. While collaborative practices are conventionally recognized as a strength in Japanese organizations, this article explores the "dark side" of the application of tacit knowledge and collaborative organizational communication (kyocho-kodo). A content analysis is conducted to examine how organization members make sense of ethical dilemmas in business. A major finding is that interpretation of equivocal context and creation of equivocal messages are the key aspects of collaborative organizational communication in unethical situations and other circumstances in which customers, other stakeholders, and society can be harmed by the group cohesion of members of an organization. Although this article looks only at Japanese organizations, the collaborative practices are likely to be used in other situations where corporate governance and corporate social responsibility challenges are faced by groups with strong cohesion.

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.2753/IMO0020-8825420303

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