Att kommunicera etik : - En analys av de svenska storbankernas etiska riktlinjer

Abstract Title: Communicating Ethics – An Analysis of Ethical Codes in Sweden’s Largest Banks ( Att kommunicera etik – en analys av de svenska storbankernas etiska riktlinjer) Number of pages: 49 (without enclosures) Author: Karolina Svensson Tutor: Peder Hård af Segerstad Course: Media and Communication Studies D Period: Spring 2006 University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University. Purpose/Aim: The main purpose it to answer the main question how Sweden’s largest banks are communicating ethics externally? This question generates a number of questions with relevance to the purpose and subject of this thesis. The ambition is to answer all of these questions in order to achieve the main purpose. Material/Method: The method used for this study is a qualitative text analysis. Applying this method is also done through using a model presented by Norman Fairclough. This model belongs to the tradition of critical discourse analysis. The qualitative method used gives possibilities to present and study a few elements more closely. This is done by applying the purpose and furthermore the questions of relevance on the ethical codes presented externally by Sweden’s largest banks. A couple of complementary interviews have been used when considered needed. Facts about the banks are also used along with a theoretical background to the subject. Main results: Ethics seem to be an important part of our society. Therefore companies seek to integrate it in the everyday business life. The main question raised in this thesis is answered by applying a number of questions to the text material. The analysis of this shows that: The banks communicate to and about a number of stakeholders surrounding the organization. They communicate mainly about and to employees and customers but also about and to a number of other groups such as partners and public authorities. Along with communicating the ethical responsibility the banks integrate legal responsibilities in their ethical codes. Both economic and philanthropic responsibilities are being integrated to some extent. The banks ethical codes consist of how to act in order to achieve good consequences, what principles are considered to be good, how to be a good person (employee) and how to discuss what good ethics are. The banks also communicate about a set of moral standards: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Keywords: Ethics, moral, banks, communication, stakeholders and qualitative text analysis