John is a PR executive at a Fortune 500 company and a member of the Public Relations Professional Association, which has in its code of ethics, a prohibition against dating or having relationships with his co-workers. John has an intimate relationship with a co-worker. He retains his job, but loses his membership in the association. What is one of the criticisms of having a code of ethics?
A) The rules are too numerous to remember
B) The rules lack enforceability
C) The rules are sometimes contradictory
D) The rules are ones only a lawyer can understand

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The criticism highlighted by John's situation is that codes of ethics, while they can set standards for behavior, often lack enforceability. This means that while John lost his membership in the professional association for violating its code, he was able to retain his job, indicating that the association's code of ethics could not enforce consequences in his workplace.

John Is a PR Executive at a Fortune 500 Company