Web Activities

CHAPTER 12 VENTURING AS A WAY OF LIFE (2 Activities)

Links, p. 301: Advertising Codes of Ethics

Activity: Your Turn #2: Research codes of ethics related to advertising

1. With a partner, visit the Web sites of the following advertising organizations and examine their ethical codes:
   • Advertising Standards Canada
     (Select the "The Code Clauses" to view the full text of the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.)
   • Institute of Canadian Advertising
   • Advertising Federation of Australia
   • American Advertising Federation
     
     
2. Form a group of four with another pair of students and discuss the codes you've reviewed. Identify the fundamental values evident in each of the codes. What values do these codes have in common?
   
   
3. Go to the University of British Columbia's Centre for Applied Ethics. Click on "Resources" and then select "Applied Ethics Resources on World Wide Web." Click on "Business Ethics" and then "Codes of Ethics." This page provides links to the codes of ethics of various corporations and associations. Select any two organizations from the corporations list and any two from the associations list (except for the Advertising Federation of Australia).
   
   Review the codes of ethics for each of the organizations you chose. In your groups, discuss the values that underlie each code. In what ways are these codes similar to the codes of the advertising organizations you investigated earlier? In what ways are the codes different?
   

For answers, go to the Answer Key.

Teacher's Notes

For questions 2 and 3, groups should first review and discuss the fundamental values of each code separately. This will make it easier for students to then identify common values. These values might include honesty, integrity, respect (for consumers, customers, employees, colleagues, etc.), and care for the environment. Codes for industry and professional associations also focus on areas or issues that are of particular concern to their members. For example, topics covered by the ethical codes of advertising organizations often include false claims, testimonials, price claims, bait and switch tactics, and advertising to minors.

Links, p. 301: Professional Codes of Ethics

Activity: Your Turn #4: Compare the codes of ethics of various professional associations

Many professional associations have developed codes of ethics that set standards and guidelines for professional behaviour. These codes help to maintain the integrity of the profession as a whole. They can also provide guidance to professionals who are faced with difficult moral choices or ethical dilemmas in the workplace. In this activity, you will have the opportunity to visit the Web sites of various professional associations and review their codes of ethics.

1. With a partner, choose two of the professions listed below and follow the instructions provided.
   
   
   • Teachers: Visit the New Brunswick Centre for Educational Administration. This site provides links to teaching associations across Canada. Select an association from your province or territory and visit its Web site. Browse through the site to locate the organization's code of ethics.
   • Lawyers: Go to the Web site of the Canadian Lawyer Index. Click on the law society for your province or territory and then search the site for the society's code of ethics.
   • Doctors: Review the code of ethics of the Canadian Medical Association.
   • Psychologists: Visit the Web site of the Canadian Psychological Association and examine the code of ethics for Canadian psychologists.
   • Nurses: Go to the Web site of the Canadian Nurses Association. Select "Ethics" from the menu on the left side of the page to view the code of ethics for registered nurses working in Canada.
   • Engineers: Review the code of ethics of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. Read both the preamble and the code itself.
     
     
2. Compare the codes of ethics of the two associations you chose. What ethical values do they share? Join with another pair of students who selected different professions and share your findings.

Teacher's Notes

Once students have reviewed the codes of ethics in this activity and in Your Turn #2 on page 301 of the textbook, they should be prepared to develop a personal code of ethics. You might wish to post these codes in the classroom and then have students work together to prepare a class code of ethics based on common values.

The codes of ethics of the professional associations recommended in this activity vary in length and in detail provided. The law society codes, for example, are generally quite extensive and lengthy, as are the codes for some of the teaching associations. Because the law society codes can also be rather complicated, students who investigate these codes should have a high level of language proficiency. You may wish to review the teaching and law society codes for your province or territory beforehand to make sure the content and length is appropriate for your class.

The Web site of the Canadian Centre for Ethics & Corporate Policy is another useful resource for information on ethics in the business community. The site also provides links to many professional and business organizations and their behavioural/ethical codes.

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