A choice-making ethic for organizational communication: The work of Ian I. Mitroff

Abstract

This article examines the ethical implications of Ian Mitroff's scholarly contribution to the study of Organizational Communication. Although Mitroff does not specifically ground his work in ethics, this article considers an “ethic of choicemaking” to be a significant interpretive key for understanding the contribution of his research. In addition, this article provides another conceptual key for understanding the considerable quantity of Mitroff's work by organizing it around three major themes: science, decision-making, and myth. The goal of this article is to make explicit two conceptual keys to Mitroff's scholarship, an “ethic of choice” and a three-fold division of his work that exemplifies his commitment to maximizing choice in organizational settings.