Grade inflation? Overconfident and underprepared the state of ethics training in US communication firms

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the state of ethics training in US communication firms. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted with 257 US employees working for communication firms to assess the effectiveness of their ethics training programs and emerging needs. Findings Agency employees are receiving ethics training, and employees gave their agencies a “B” letter grade for quality. However, the training is not typically provided on an annual basis or as part of new employee orientation. Even more concerning, about a third of agency employees indicated they are not reporting ethics concerns or have faced retaliation. The results also indicate that young professionals may be overconfident regarding their preparedness to provide ethics counsel. These findings suggest agency employees’ positive evaluation of their ethics training program appears to be overly optimistic. Practical implications Ethics training programs can enhance moral efficacy or confidence in their skills, resulting in the necessary moral courage to raise ethical concerns when they arise. Training programs should incorporate case studies and decision trees, which can help prepare employees regarding how to respond when they do face an ethical issue. Other recommendations include providing employees with information about resources such as hotlines for reporting issues, a code of ethics and a list of agency contacts who should be informed when an issue emerges. Originality/value Based on the perspectives of self-efficacy, moral courage and behavioral ethics, the study provides insights regarding agency employees’ preferences for ethics training and identifies industry weaknesses