Abstract. The ability to recognize the ethical or moral implications of situations is known as moral (ethical) sensitivity. This paper describes the development of the concept of ethical sensitivity in the field of cognitive moral psychology and current research that examines ethical sensitivity. This significance of ethical sensitvity for the field of organizational communication is discussed. Because business ethics' scholars have been the primary investigators of ethics in organizations, weaknesses of empirical and theoretical research about moral decision-making in the field of business ethics are described. Methods for studying ethical sensitivity in organizations are discussed, with a focus on cognitive mapping as an improvement over many of the current methods used in business ethics research. Finally, questions from the field of organizational communication that might be answered using the construct of ethical sensitivity are discussed.

Abstract: Stereotypes of occupational group ethics may rest largely on communication experiences in customer service encounters. This paper identifies domains of unethical service communication and proposes a research agenda for examining service ethics. Research is reviewed which illustrates three categories of unethical service practices: deception, discrimination, and depersonalization. Deceptive service includes sales tricks and false fronts. Discriminatory service may be gender-based, appearance-based, sympathy-based, similarity-based, and reactive. Depersonalized service may include behaviors showing a lack of commitment and caring for customers. Research is called for to explore service ethics among different occupational groups, investigate effects of unethical practices on service providers and customers, and identify characteristics of organizational climates which foster unethical service norms.