Problem:
In recent news, a well known comedian/actor was recently terminated from AFLAC Insurance Company. Gilbert Gottfried was the voice of the organizations character duck that quacked the name "Aflac" during their commercials. Unfortunately, the actor/comedian made a few negative comments via Twitter about the recent tragedy in Japan, in a somewhat joking manner. The organization however, did not think the tragedy in Japan was anything to joke about, especially during a precarious time of destruction that leaves an entire country destitute. As a result of the comedian's ill-placed sense of humor, he was immediately terminated. "In a company statement released Monday (3/14/11) night Aflac said, 'Gilbert's recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac. Aflac will immediately set plans in motion to conduct a nationwide casting call to find a new voice of the iconic Aflac Duck.'"(Salt TV Network LLC., 2011).
In some aspects determining what is and is not ethical behavior may depend upon an organizations value system and/or organizational code of conduct; it may also be the difference between what is thought of to be ethically right and/or ethically wrong. Some managerial leaders assume that if the questionable act that was committed is not illegal it could not be defined as being unethical, and in some cases this philosophy allows for a barrage of corruption to take root for the reason that most questionable actions are often swept under the rug.
The unethical behavior identified in this document could have been prevented. It is my belief that the organization could have emphasized appropriate employee conduct when utilizing social media as a venue of communication. Some organizations, prevent the usage of social media during work hours, while other organizations strictly prohibit the use of social media period whether online or offline. If an organization decides to use a comedian, they must evaluate the type of comedian they are dealing with and establish some ground rules as to what is and is not acceptable under the corporate umbrella. Most comedians may find humor in any event and may speak about personal and often difficult subjects regardless of the controversy that may emanate from the content; with that in mind, the organization should implement strict guidelines as to how an employee and/or independent contractor may properly represent the company. For instance, when I began the Doctoral program, the university emphasized the importance of professional demeanor in public places, communities large and small and how whatever we say or do may have a significant impact on the university's reputation. Organizations should not assume that all employees understands the commonality of ethics, instead they should explain the concept and relay organizational "do's" and "don'ts" within the corporate framework.
Reference:
Salt TV Network LLC. (2011) Comedian Gilbert Godfrey Fired by Aflac Over Tasteless Earthquake Tweets. Retrieved March 15, 2011 from
https://www.salttvnet.com/articles/20110314/comedian-gilbert-godfrey-fired-aflac-over-tasteless-earthquake-tweets