ETHICAL RULES FOR MOBILE PHONE USE IN AN OFFICIAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: PEDAGOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR FORMING A DIGITAL CULTURE OF PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The article substantiates the pedagogical foundations for developing a digital culture of professional communication through the regulation of ethical rules for mobile phone use in an official business environment. The relevance of the study stems from the fact that the smartphone functions as an «instrument of presence» for employees within an organization (calls, messengers, corporate email, video meetings), while simultaneously generating a range of ethical and security risks: violations of subordination and temporal boundaries, decreased quality of interaction during meetings, breaches of privacy and confidentiality, reputational losses, and cyber threats (phishing, weak passwords, unsecured channels). The theoretical and methodological framework draws on contemporary approaches to digital etiquette, which view it as a broader normative regulator of interaction across all digital environments, as well as on the idea of transferring offline communication norms into digital channels and maintaining status-role relations in networked interaction. The article proposes a structured system of ethical rules for mobile phone use as a component of the digital culture of professional communication and identifies pedagogical tools for its formation and assessment. As a result, three interrelated dimensions for evaluating mobile practices are distinguished: communicative-ethical, organizational-regulatory, and information-security (cyber hygiene). Based on an analysis of typical conflicts in mobile communication, the basic principles are formulated (respect for others’ time and attention, subordination and roles, privacy and informed consent, cooperation and message etiquette, security and cyber hygiene, professional appropriateness), and a staged rule system «before – during – after» a communicative event is developed for meetings, calls, messengers/chats, and mobile email. A pedagogical model for shaping ethical mobile practices (value-motivational, cognitive, and activity-behavioral components) and a practice-oriented toolkit for its implementation (case method, simulations, self-control checklists, microlearning, collaborative development of a mobile communication code) are proposed. Indicators for assessing the formation of ethical mobile behavior are outlined: channel appropriateness, observance of time/role boundaries, tone correctness, confidentiality, and safe behavior. The practical significance of the results lies in the possibility of applying the proposed system of rules and model in corporate policies, professional development programs, and the professional training of future teachers.