Ethics in Business Networking

Keeping Business Networking Ethical

Ethics in business networking is required from all levels in the networking process. It should be practiced in every form of networking, from utilitarian networking, emotional networking, and virtuous networking. None of these forms exclude the others; rather, they should be practiced together.

Utilitarian Networking

Utilitarian networking can be defined by asking yourself “how much of my networking is designed as a true utility for my consumer?”. Ethical utilitarian networking is ensuring that your networking is not wasting the other person’s time, making it to be well thought-out, strategic, and useful. For example, utilitarian networking does not waste the other person’s time with lies or false advertising about the networking meeting.

Emotional Networking

Ethical emotional networking asks the question “do you emotionally feel and empathize with being ethical in a situation?”. An example of this could be “if you see someone being harassed at work, can you empathize with why it must be reported?”. Ethical emotional networking helps people see why they need to be ethical in a situation, as opposed to doing something because they know it is a rule.

Virtuous Networking

Virtuous networking consists of acting in good faith, sharing honest goals, and participating in legitimate activities. It also includes sharing information, knowledge, and resources with reciprocity, as well as exercising a positive ethical influence within the network.

Practical methods of utilizing business networking ethics

1. Consider the front-page rule. Ask yourself how how the company would feel if it were splattered across the front page of a national newspaper or on the national news. Even if it helps at the time and improves the company or makes you look better, unethical networking will come back to hurt the business, and you, more.
2. Create ethical policies that are effective yet practical. If your policies are not practical, they will not be followed. Make sure your policies are clear and reasonable, as well as enforceable. If a rule doesn’t make sense, people will not feel the emotional connection to the rule and will disregard it eventually, because they cannot empathize with the reason behind it.
3. Educate others. If they don’t fully understand the issues, they will not be able to make ethical decisions about them. Explain consequences so the other party understands what will happen if an unethical decision is made.
4. Network and hire not just based on skill, but on ethics as well. Make ethics part of the process. When hiring and deciding on who to choose for networking, most places will check references, but ethics are not generally considered. Most networking decisions are not made specifically with an eye towards ethics. However, ethics should be part of the process. If you’re going to allow others to influence both you and your business, you should make sure they will be an ethical influence.
5. Ensure others know how to handle issues. When networking, others in the network need to know what the rules are and how to enforce them. When someone goes against company policy, valuable time and energy can be lost as a result. If there is a chain of command, ensure the others in the networking circle understand who to go to first. If the issue is not resolved after that, make sure the next person in line is prepared to have the problem escalated to him.
6. Enforce ethical standards evenly and consistently. The standards need to be fair and consistent in the company’s networking policy. While challenging a close business partner’s ethics might not be enjoyable, consistency is required. A policy is no good if it is not always followed.