Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Lieber, Paul Stuart
Author's Email Address	pliebe1@lsu.edu
URN	etd-0707103-111615
Title	Ethics in Public Relations: Gauging Ethical Decision-Making Patterns of Public Relations Practitioners
Degree	Master of Mass Communication (M.M.C.)
Department	Mass Communication
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Renita Coleman Committee Chair Gene Sands Committee Member Richard Nelson Committee Member
Keywords	ethical factors ethical codes theoretical models of public relations public relations job setting
Date of Defense	2003-06-30
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract This study employed the Defining Issues Test (DIT) and a quantitative version of the five-factor TARES Test to gather data on the ethical decision-making patterns of public relations practitioners. The former is an instrument based on Kohlberg’s (1969) moral development theory, the latter self-enforced, ethical consideration statements derived from the research of Baker and Martinson (2001). Results show that levels of moral development in public relations differ based on job segment, and that age, education, gender and rank significantly affect levels of ethical consideration. The TARES test, it was discovered, is better suited for a three-factor configuration based on Day’s (2003) definition of moral knowledge.
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