Ethics in Human Communication - Essay Example

The paper'Ethics in Human Communication' is a great example of a Management Essay. Communicating succinctly in an organization or interpersonally involves the understanding and sharing of information. Aristotle, the great Greek teacher, posited that the greatest achievement of a person communicating was a good and keen command of observation of any means of persuasion. He further pointed out that a good communicator must be able to observe all the dimensions related to a topic under observation and consider them thoughtfully (McLean, 2003)

In this paper, I will assess the crisis-hit Malaysian Airlines which in a span of one year has been hit by two crippling air disasters. I will further look at the interventions employed to rescue the company from oblivion. My observation will include but not limited, to the Company’s ongoing communication plan/program.

The double tragedies that affected the 68-year-old flag carrier are; Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 passengers in March en route to Beijing. All the passengers together with the aircraft have not been traced since. The Airline was blamed for many quarters for its response to the crisis. Four months later MH17 was brought down over Ukraine by a missile.289 people died. These tragedies pummeled bookings to an all-time low. This coupled with an intensified competition in the industry severely hemorrhaged the airline cash flow.

In the first Quarter, Malaysian Airlines posted a net loss of 443 million ringgit (approximatlely$139.5 million), this was a further dip from the 279 million loss in the same quarter in 2013. It reported a 1.17 billion ringgit loss, the third year running of losses.

The sheer nature of the disasters has made it extremely difficult for industry experts to ascertain the airline's chances of surpassing its woes. If the Airline continues its loss-making trend, it may have to seek a capital bailout from the government.

Malaysia Airlines' yields— the cash the company generates per passenger per kilometer flown, plummeted after the first disaster. With more and more passengers avoiding the airline, the yields are expected to fall further. Aviation and crisis-management analysts portend that the fate of Malaysia's national carrier will depend strongly on how it maneuvers through the expected sharp dip in passenger bookings.

During the second disaster, the main stakeholders seemed to have gained useful lessons from the first crisis. Malaysia's prime minister took to the TV with a concise public statement moments after the crash, a complete opposite from the March response which was characterized by delays and confusion from both the state officials and the airline.

In the long run, Malaysia Airlines has to rebuild passengers’ confidence and reassure them that it is not a risk-taking venture to board its planes. This will require a massive overhaul of the brand and the company as a whole. The process can be handled judiciously if a well-thought-out communication strategy is implemented.

For the airline to address its numerous challenges, it has to devise a communication strategy. Communication is a problem-solving activity in which the Company will focus on;

• The prevailing situation
• The possible communication strategies

News Reports and company reports

AFP - Khazanah Nasional, state investment fund, will take over Malaysia Airlines and de-list it, this is part of the complete overhaul plans aimed at rescuing the ailing airline. Khazanah Nasionalholds 70 percent of the airline shares. It will purchase all minority shareholdings then pull the company from the stock exchange.

The investment fund stated that all the key players will have to work as a team to salvage the company through a complete overhaul right across the company’s operations, human resources, business model, etc. 

The move will require the approval of MAS's board. The company has insisted that its operations in the interim will not be affected.

  -A Malaysia Airlines plane is seen taxiing on the runway at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Xinhua News- Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak has called for a total overhaul of MAS. "Piecemeal changes will not suffice," he said.

Analysts contend that Malaysia Airlines will need to implement a major management reshuffle, undertake painful layoffs, and scrap unprofitable routes. These measures will restore the image and profit margins.

"It needs a new brain, a new heart otherwise it is doomed," said Shukor Yusof, a Malaysia-based aviation consultant.

Come up with a vision or solution

 As the message to persuade the various stakeholders is developed, care must be taken not to distort the final message. Persuasion is the presentation of arguments to motivate or change the target audience.

During the presentation of the communication, not all people will support the position taken by the team. People have different points of view. Some are hostile, others neutral, etc. One must be prepared to deal with these varied audience types with their range of beliefs, preferences, and attitudes (Andrews et al, 1999)

Measurable Gain

A persuasive speaker must stimulate thought, convince, and form tolerance of different perspectives (Stroud et al, 2014).

Finally, Richard Johannesen eleven important points when speaking to persuade must also be implemented during the airlines’ communication process;

 should avoid the use of misrepresented evidence to bolster arguments.

 must avoid the use of unsupported and illogical reasoning.

 Comment only on a subject one is competent in.

 should avoid irrelevant appeals.