Do the ends justify the means? Dialogue, development communication, and deontological ethics

• Understandings of dialogue could be enhanced by associating the concept with deontological ethics.
• Dialogue is duty-based, and adheres to pre-arranged structures that facilitate open, constructive talk.
• Merely engaging in two-way communication should not be confused with normative dialogue.
• Communication practices aimed at achieving predetermined outcomes should not be mistaken for dialogue.

Despite being a frequently discussed topic in the public relations literature, dialogue is often misunderstood as simply two-way communication and seldom examined in practice. While international development organizations frequently claim to use dialogic and participatory methods, development communication remains a relatively unexplored area in public relations. To further clarify public relations’ understanding of dialogue as well as its potential in development practice, this study examined how a USAID-sponsored international development project adopted participatory communication practices to encourage Bolivian farmers to switch from coca to coffee. Drawing from public relations and development literature on dialogue, the article juxtaposes the approaches to “dialogue” used in the project against normative concepts of the theory. The article argues that using genuine dialogue is a matter of differentiating deontological, means-based approaches to communication practice, from consequentialist, ends-based orientations.