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Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 34, No. 2, 149-159 (1997)
DOI: 10.1177/002194369703400202
© 1997 Association for Business Communication

The Ethics of Strategic Ambiguity

Jim Paul

New Mexico State University

Christy A. Strbiak

New Mexico State University

Strategic ambiguity is a prevalent and valuable tactic in organizational commu nication. However, the deniability of strategically ambiguous messages, and the resulting utility of strategic ambiguity for escaping blame, may limit its useful ness for ethical communication in organizations. This article addresses the ethics of strategic ambiguity from an intrapersonal perspective that considers the congruity of communicators'espoused-ethics, ethics-in-use, and behavior. When communicators espouse a rational, logically consistent ethical system, judgments can be made about the ethicality of communicative behaviors. Ethi cal judgments are based on the congruity between espoused-ethics and actual behavior. The distinctive value of this approach is that regardless of differences in ethical systems among communicators, judgments of ethicality are based only on the particular ethical systems espoused and used by individuals. Communi cators who are unable to espouse a coherent moral philosophy upon which their actions are based should consider alternatives to strategic ambiguity.


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 Discourse StudiesHome page
S. Leitch and S. Davenport
Strategic ambiguity as a discourse practice: the role of keywords in the discourse on 'sustainable' biotechnology
Discourse Studies, February 1, 2007; 9(1): 43 - 61.
[Abstract] [PDF]