This short paper is designed to show student expertise in a particular course element.

COM 600 Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric
This short paper is designed to show student expertise in a particular course element. In this case, the student is showing expertise in the importance of ethical behavior in one’s leaders.
For this short paper, imagine you are working at Enron in the late 1990s. Share an example of unethical organizational decision making from a company leader.
Specifically, the paper should address the ethical foundation necessary for effective leadership. What impact would unethical decision making have on an organization? Students should look for opportunities for critical analysis of the communications process as well as how systems theory frames those arguments.
The research paper should be drawn from the specific readings in the course material and include the following:
 The weaknesses of the decision-making process, paying particular attention to ethical behaviors of company leaders
 The impact of ethical behavior on the communications process by company leaders and the resulting impact of those decisions on overall company goals
and strategies
 Your recommendations for company leaders to create best practices for ethically based organizational communications decisions
Guidelines for Submission: The paper should be submitted as a 2- to 4-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font,
one-inch margins, and sources cited in APA format.