The way language is used is of great importance to convey messages to readers; this method either succeeds or fails to reach its goals; this depends on the wording of the sentences and phrases and the extent of their strength and impact on the reader, both (Weaver & Shannon, 1949), in-depth study in this framework to determine the elements of effective communication, this is by identifying barriers to effective communication and creating an ideal communication model capable of delivering a message that achieves its goal.
In this paper, I will only study the importance and influence of language on the code of conduct.
The Language In The Code Of Conduct
According to Gino, Kouchaki, and Feldman (2020), language is crucial to the effectiveness of the guidelines and limitations of the code of conduct and to its ability to bind employees to these guidelines. A field study of the same research paper showed that the method of drafting the code of conduct is one of the main reasons for following or neglecting instructions.
Personal or Formal
Through the study referred to in the previous paragraph, it turns out that using personal language such as (we) instead of using formal language such as (staff), makes employees think that they are out of punishment and that the company is not serious about implementing these regulations, formal language that gives the impression of more seriousness makes employees more obedient to instructions, even if these instructions take employees out of their comfort zone (Gino, Kouchaki & Feldman, 2020).
The Messaging
A more extensive study (George, Jones & Harvey, 2014) found that delivering messages to a reader of the code of conduct significantly impacts his or her personal behavior. For example, using moderate phrases such as starting with (should always) has less effect than starting with (definitely must). Also, conditional statements that begin with (if) provide a more substantial impact when they directly affect the employee, whether these results are negative or positive.
Conclusion
The way written phrases are formulated significantly impacts the reader; some editors of the code of conduct don't think about the importance of drafting it as much as they care about the quality of the phrases and are free from grammatical errors (Lunday, 2018). Still, ideal codes of conduct are the ones whose impact on the recipient is studied; how will he/she understand beyond the written phrasing if the company really wants it, or is it just general guidelines that can be done?
References
George, G., Jones, A., & Harvey, J. (2014). Analysis of the language used within codes of ethical conduct. Journal of
Academic and Business Ethics, 8, 1.
Gino, F., Kouchaki, M., & Feldman, Y. (2020). Your Code of Conduct May Be Sending the Wrong Message. Harvard Business
Review Digital Articles, 2–4. Retrieved from EBSCO multi-search in the TUW Library; note: this resource can also be found at: https://hbr.org/2020/03/your-code-of-conduct-may-be-sending-the-wrong-message
Lunday, J. (2018). Creating an effective code of conduct. HR compliance, leadership, career. Corporate Compliance Insights.
Retrieved from: https://www.corporatecomplianceinsights.com/creating-an-effective-code-of-conduct-and-code-program/
Weaver, W., and Shannon, C. E., (1963). The Mathematical Theory of Communication, Univ. of Illinois Press.