Teaching business-communication ethics with controversial films

Two recent films by Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright, David Mamet, can prov ide opportunities for observing student reactions to ethically troublesome situations and for discussing business-communication ethics in the classroo m. The key question addressed in this article is whether business-communica tion courses, for example, those in public relations, can encourage student s to make the "metaphoric leap" and apply Mamet's messages to class reading s and discussions on ethical problems or challenges. Through showing two fi lms in their entirety and conducting focus groups among upper-level undergr aduates, the authors find that there is instructional value in using Mamet' s films to discuss ethics in business-related settings.