Legal Issues in Business Communication

People typically associate business compliance with legal factors within a business,
businesses often also run on things they perceive to be ethical, for example WH Smith will
not sell adult magazines to anyone under the age of 16 even though they have no actual legal
age. This is what businesses perceive to be ethical and therefore are seen to be a better
company.

A legal factor is very simply something all businesses will have to abide by. For example,
WHSmith cannot sell on information about a customer without them giving permission to do
so.

Data Protection Act 1998

This law was passed to replace the earlier 1984 law. It very simply tightened up and made
more clearly the previous law. It states what you can and cannot keep as information for an
individual, it clearly states that you are not allowed to keep information on an individual
without their consent and it is very plainly there to protect the consumer.
I think this new law is a very good idea, it means that only information the consumer wants to
share is shared and they never have to share it.
Although i think without this law things may be very different, seeing for example what
someone looks at weekly, what someone buys weekly and how they go about buying their
items means shops and other companies can target the consumers specific requirements and
make everything that the consumer looks at more relevant.

Freedom Of Information Act 2000

This law was put in place to allow anyone to request all or any part of a public authority's
recorded information in the UK.
A public authority is either a form of government or a company whole owned by either the
government or the public. So companies with some shareholders or private companies need
not comply.
The law was brought in so that organisations owned fully by the public can access
information for, in effect, their companies.
In recent months the law has helped expose some problems within companies hidden within
them. For example, the BBC released information of extremely high pay to let go of their
high up workers. Of course as the public pay their TV licenses it is their money (and within
their interest) to see where this goes. Without the freedom of information act this would have
simply been covered up.

Computer Misuse Act 1990

This law is all about protecting companies and individuals from another person who is
knowingly attacking a computer. This including hacking in and stealing information, Denial
of service (booting a website offline to customers) and unauthorised changes to someone’s
information or data.

This also carries a fine and possibly imprisonment depending of the seriousness.
Ethics in business communication
Ethical issues of business communication is the way by which individuals or groups of
people exchange information between them. From end-to-end the process, effective
communicators try as clearly and accurately to pass on their ideas, intentions and, objectives
to their receiver. Communication is successful only when both the sender and the receiver
understand the same information. Nowadays business world, effective communication skills
are necessary due to the highly informational and technological era, Which has made it easier
for exchanging of information between the parties.[1]
Despite of the context, communication is all about choice, reflects values, and has
consequences. For better communication, understanding the obvious and the subtle issues
relating to communication is necessary. Any company that aims to be socially and ethically
responsible must make a priority of ethical communication both inside the company and in its
interactions with the public. In theory, many consumers prefer to do business
with companies they believe are ethical which gives those ethical businesses an advantage in
the market.
Some of the vital characteristics of ethical communication are discussed below.

 Conveying the point without offending the audience:

While communicating with the audience, expressing the desired message to them in a
significant manner is of primary importance.Strong conversation skills can make a big
difference in the workplace. Knowing how to share an attentive, friendly discussion will give
you more confidence and help you build better relationships. As you improve your skills,
you’ll become a more thoughtful listener, give sharper responses, and learn how to handle
common mistakes. For instance, the employees in a company can be asked to increase their
efficiency in a demanding manner whereas managers and executives will feel offended if the
same tone is used on them. There are different ways to explain the exact things to them in a
much smoother manner.

 Maintain a relationship with the audience:

Maintaining the same wavelength with the audience is very important for a communicator to
ensure the audiences feel at home. Experienced communicators immediately build a
relationship based on trust with the audience as soon as they start speaking. As the audience
shares, ask relevant questions to give them further chances to express themselves. Be curious
about the audience! For instance, if they’re talking about a tough presentation they just gave,
ask how they felt when they finished.

 Avoid withholding crucial information:

In the modern era, information is vital for all decision. Hence, it is essential for any
organization to be cautious when communicating with titanic. The related information should
be absolute, and all crucial information must be passed on appropriately. Purposely
withholding crucial information might result in the public conceiving a bad image.

 Well organized value system:

In order to ensure that this concept is successfully practiced and understood in an
organization, a well-organized value system must be established throughout the organization
by the top management. If an organization functions on the base of value systems common to
both the top management and the employees, mutual respect between them will be present. A
sound and healthy value system can make way for ethical communication.
 Accuracy of information is necessary:

Any information that is to be passed on must be true and accurate. Communicating without
checking the truth of the information can be highly dangerous for the organization.
Identification of the source and testing the information is necessary before communicating it
The work of an organizational communication professional consists in developing
communication plans that seek to restore trust, not only in the organization but the leaders
and in all the people who work for it, in verbally promoting ethical behaviours and generating
spaces of communication that help support institutional values.
In this way, both managers and employees will be "on the same page," employees will feel
heard and respected and will treat customers in the same way. Also, this will generate more
loyalty on the part of the client and, therefore, more business. In addition, a business that
communicates internally with ethics will most likely project that image in the business
community, will seek to maintain good relations with the government and its most successful
businesses. Without the distractions and negative effects that can have the legal implications
of running a business " ethically debatable," the organization will be able to concentrate its
efforts on its employees, its products, and its clients.