Business ethics: concept, principles, norms, features

Human interaction cannot take place without verbal communication. Currently, business communication, which includes all communications between people in the professional sphere, is becoming increasingly important. There are some principles for this type of communication between people, and the ethics of business communication are formed precisely from these rules. In order for work relationships to develop easily, it is important to know the norms of communication in the work team.

Types of business communication

In a professional environment, there are several types of communication:

• business meeting;
• business correspondence;
• meeting;
• discussion;
• business meeting;
• public speaking;
• business conversation.

All these types of communication are completely different in purpose and form, but in each of them it is equally important to observe etiquette. These principles are not very different for each type of communication.

The benefits of knowing the rules of behavior

Modern etiquette is far from the etiquette that was accepted in past centuries. Young people allow themselves to come to a meeting in jeans and a T-shirt, use emoticons in online communication, and pat their interlocutor on the shoulder in a friendly manner. But such behavior is acceptable only in a narrow circle.

If a businessman in this form comes to a meeting with a high-ranking official or a foreign investor who represents the older generation, he risks his reputation.

Knowing the basics of business etiquette, you can make a good impression on colleagues and partners from the first minutes of communication, as well as show other people examples of correct behavior.

Why do we need ethics in professional communication?

Ethics of business communication are the unspoken principles of communication in a team between employees united by common professional goals. It is important to adhere to ethical standards to ensure that information is shared in an orderly manner. In practice, their use is important for several reasons.

First, employees, through compliance with business communication standards, better understand what their goals are or what they must do to achieve those goals.

Secondly, the ethics of business communication helps to create a working atmosphere in a team, where most of the time is spent on production rather than personal communication.

Competent business communication in a team helps employees feel comfortable morally when performing work tasks, and this largely affects labor productivity.

Negotiation etiquette

It is important for a businessman to have business negotiation skills. You should prepare for them, decide on your goals and formulate an action plan. Choose a place and time that will be convenient for both parties to the negotiations.

Negotiations will be successful if you manage to capture the interlocutor’s attention and establish a trusting relationship. Business communication should proceed according to plan. Each point should be recorded, and the results achieved should be analyzed. Negotiations end when all intended goals have been achieved.

Mistakes and avoiding them

During negotiations you should not do the following:

1. Treat your interlocutor as an opponent.
2. Show hostility, secrecy and suspicion.
3. Focus on the fact that the region or city in which the company is located is better than others.
4. Choose a collectivist type of thinking. It indicates a reluctance to accept obligations.
5. Take an authoritarian position in which members of your delegation do not have complete information.
6. Negotiate toughly, do not make concessions or compromises.
7. Try to avoid discussing problems, move the negotiations into another thematic direction, insist on a break in advance, knowing that it will not be followed by a discussion of an uncomfortable issue.
8. Do not take into account the regional and national characteristics of partners.
9. Failure to fulfill obligations that were agreed upon.

Principles of Business Ethics

Among the basic principles of such a sphere of communication as ethics of business communication, the following can be distinguished:

• there should be no hostile attitude towards colleagues, clients, management or juniors;
• all resources between employees must be distributed fairly;
• progressive maximum rule - the development of the ethical side of an organization’s behavior depends on the behavior of employees;
• employees must be loyal to the traditions of the organization;
• in the professional sphere, both individual and collective actions are equally recognized;
• when solving work issues, you can be guided by personal experience, but justifiably;
• no violent measures should be used against employees;
• one employee cannot restrict the freedom of another;
• conflict-free behavior is important for any work team;
• you need to not only follow the rules of ethics yourself, but also motivate others to do so;
• you should not criticize any competitors;
• ethical standards of business communication in a company cannot be introduced by issuing an order. Business communication should become a tradition;
• It is important for management to trust employees in order to increase their sense of responsibility.

Other ethical requirements depend on what exactly the organization does.

Basic principles and rules

Ignorance of the basic rules and principles of business etiquette or non-compliance with them leads to difficulties in negotiating.

The following basic principles will help you avoid possible problems:

1. Compliance with the deadlines specified in the agreement. Failure to meet deadlines is considered disrespectful and a sign of lack of professionalism. A businessman must be able to plan his working time so as to do everything on time.
2. Correct oral and written language. In communication, you cannot use rude words, speech errors, or incorrect placement of emphasis are inappropriate.
3. Clear and concise formulation of thoughts. Dry and cliched phrases should be excluded, but unnecessary emotions should not be present. The best option is a confident and calm tone.
4. Listening skills. When the interlocutor is speaking, you cannot interrupt him or suggest words to him. When communicating, you should show restraint and listen patiently, even if the interlocutor is slow to speak out and gets confused.
5. Respect for colleagues and partners. It is necessary to establish feedback with subordinates and clients, answer questions that are not related to the project. It is necessary to find compromises and communicate so that clients and colleagues feel cared for and supported.
6. Maintaining confidentiality. Trade secrets cannot be disclosed, even if there is an oral agreement.

Ethics of horizontal business communication

Often rivalry arises between colleagues, so it is not always possible to immediately build the correct model of behavior with colleagues. The principles of business communication with colleagues are as follows:

1. it is better not to try to show yourself from a more advantageous side than it really is, as sooner or later this will become obvious;
2. the responsibilities and rights of everyone must be clearly defined; it is advisable that they do not overlap between different people;
3. Colleagues should be viewed as individuals, not as people helping to achieve their own goals;
4. It is better not to be interested in the personal experiences of colleagues or their affairs at work.

Rules for organizing the workplace

People in creative professions often justify the mess in their office and desk by the specifics of their work. However, a tidy desk improves productivity and organizes thoughts, and also makes a good impression on others.

The workplace is organized correctly, if there are no papers scattered on the table, there is no dust, a large number of family photographs, souvenirs and other personal items. Papers and folders are neatly folded and strictly placed on the table.

The ethics of vertical business communication "from the bottom up"

Compliance with ethical rules largely determines what kind of relationship the subordinate will have with the manager. The ethical standards of business communication that are important when communicating with an employer are as follows:

• If a manager assigns responsibilities to an employee, it is better for the latter to ask about his rights too. Without a certain degree of freedom, it can be difficult to implement orders;
• it is better not to address all minor problems to managers when there are other persons who can resolve these issues;
• your opinion should be expressed accurately, but not limited to short answers. Every leader will listen to a succinct, reasoned thought;
• You should not fawn overly in front of higher-ranking employees. This is always clearly noticeable and you can get the leader to be known as a flatterer or an irritant;
• by your behavior you need to show yourself not as soft, but as a principled and firm person to whom you can give serious assignments, otherwise management will not have trust.

The difference between ethics and etiquette

Ethics and business etiquette are concepts that have differences.

Ethics is a term from the field of philosophy that is associated with morality and ethics, mercy and justice in relations with others.

Ethics as a science performs several functions:

• explains the basics and principles of morality;
• instills moral values;
• helps to understand what evil and good are.

Etiquette represents the rules of behavior that are inherent in society and has a centuries-old origin. Its norms originated in the era of ancient civilizations, when people observed rituals and hierarchy.

Business ethics was first used at a ceremony that took place in the palace of Louis XIV in France. Guests were given cards with the rules of behavior at the royal reception.

Knowing the rules of etiquette allows you to be courteous, choose the right dress code and behave appropriately. Regular violation of business ethics will cause resentment from the public, after which it will be difficult for a person to restore a good reputation.

The Ethics of Vertical Business Communication "Top-Down"

The way people with high positions treat their subordinates largely determines relationships in the team. In a professional environment, management provides the standard of communication ethics to employees.

In order for communication to be productive, managers should adhere to the following principles:

• encourage the team, even if success was achieved through the efforts of management;
• criticize not the person himself, but his professional actions;
• reprimand an employee for improper performance of even minor duties (otherwise the person may feel impunity);
• do not give personal advice to employees that is not related to work;
• Show employees that management holds the power;
• praise an employee for a job well done not only financially, but also morally, so that he feels competent and important;
• Employees must be rewarded fairly - the size of the bonus should depend on the employee’s professional merits;
• protect your employees from outsiders.

It also matters in what situation and with whom the leader communicates. The style of communication can change - it depends on many details: for example, whether you have to talk to a conscientious employee or how long the person has worked in the company.

Etiquette for business negotiations over the phone

The rules of business etiquette should also be observed during telephone conversations.

Preparing for a conversation and greeting

Before starting a conversation, you should outline questions for discussion so that you do not have to call back and re-discuss the topic.

If after 5-7 rings the subscriber does not answer, then perhaps he is busy. No need to bother and wait for an answer. Having heard the answer, you should ask to call the subscriber to the phone, saying his name and patronymic.

Before you start discussing the issue, you should ask whether the interlocutor is comfortable talking now. If he is busy, then you need to clarify the time at which you can call back. If you receive a refusal to call again, you should not call back.

The etiquette of business negotiations suggests that work calls can be made between 9:00 and 21:00.

Calling a personal number is allowed only in case of emergency.

Start and end of conversation

After answering the call, you need to say hello, add the name of your business and introduce yourself. When making a call, you should repeat the same steps.

Before pausing a conversation or putting it on speakerphone, you must obtain the subscriber's consent.

During the conversation, you cannot drink tea or coffee, do other things at the same time, view documentation or work on the computer. But it is acceptable to make notes in a notebook on the topic of conversation.

You should periodically say the words: “yes,” “I understand,” so that the person understands that he is being listened to carefully.

If the connection is interrupted during a conversation, you need to call the interlocutor back. In another situation, the one who initiated the conversation should call back.

You should speak briefly on the phone so that the issue can be resolved in no more than 10 minutes. If this time is not enough, then the conversation should be continued on Skype or arrange a personal meeting.

At the end of the conversation, you should say goodbye, after which you should send your interlocutor a business letter outlining the conversation and the agreements reached.

Ethics of written business communication

Nowadays, it is increasingly necessary to conduct business communication through email correspondence.

The rules of ethics for business communication in correspondence are as follows:

• attentiveness to the work goals of another employee;
• respect for each other;
• maintaining the security of information without unnecessary dissemination;
• literacy;
• punctuality.

It is quite simple to reflect these rules in practice, but it requires care and time.

How to write a business letter correctly

First, you should fill out the “Subject” field in the email concisely and precisely. This helps the recipient immediately understand from whom and on what issue the letter came. The person will also be able to determine the priority of the message.

Secondly, to make the letter more personal, you need to insert the full name of your business opponent. This helps to immediately instill trust and goodwill in him.

Thirdly, you should accurately fill out the “To”, “Cc” and “Bcc” fields of the letter. If the name of a specific employee is in the first field, then he must respond to the letter (or, if there are several of them, then everyone who is listed there). It is better for the rest of the people whose addresses are listed in the “Copy” not to participate in the correspondence unless necessary, but simply read it. If you still need to answer, then you should introduce yourself and politely state your point of view, starting with the phrase “I apologize for interfering...”.

The “Blind carbon copy” column is especially dangerous, since the participants in the correspondence do not see the person indicated there, and therefore do not know about his presence. This action is not always legal.

That is why the participants in the conversation should be informed about it in advance or after completing the correspondence. The colleague listed in this field should not directly participate in the correspondence under any circumstances.

Fourth, it is important to respond to a business email as quickly and accurately as possible. This demonstrates not only competence, but also interest in cooperation.

It is believed that it is necessary to respond to a letter according to etiquette within 2-3 hours from the moment of its receipt. If this cannot be done, it is important to immediately inform your business opponent about this. The letter indicates the fact of receipt of the message and the time within which the person plans to respond (for example, a day).

The style of presenting information in a business letter, its volume, and format matter. The principles of ethics for business communication via email are as follows:

• A4 printed sheet – maximum comfortable volume for reading;
• You should not attach the entire correspondence history at the top, as this forces the recipient to scroll the page for a long time. The answer must come from above, and only after that - history;
• correspondence (this also needs to be attached so as not to force the person to look for the previous letter by mail);
• the volume of files attached to the letter should not be too large, otherwise the recipient may have problems downloading;
• to reduce the size of a file (or if there are several of them), it is better to archive it in any popular format; for scans and photographs, you can simply reduce the actual size.

There are no clear rules regarding the style of language in written communication - the main thing is that the speech is understandable to the opponent. Even the use of slang is allowed if it is justified - for example, it speeds up communication or simplifies business communication in a team. It is better to use it when communicating with colleagues within the company. With external clients or other companies, using abbreviations can carry risks.

Ethics of professional telephone communication

During a telephone conversation, you need to adhere to almost the same rules that are provided for live communication.

The opponent must be addressed correctly; before presenting the work question, you should introduce yourself, name your position, say the name of the company and your department. You need to ask a stranger for their full name.

You need to present your ideas briefly, and if the conversation has to be abruptly interrupted, you should apologize and promise to call back later.

The concept of ethics in business communication is necessary for all employees of business companies, as it is a powerful communication tool in a professional environment. It greatly facilitates communication between employees, management and clients, making it more productive, understandable and effective.

Basics of Psychology (100 pages)

5. Unconsciously (sometimes consciously) a person chooses specific means, phrases that he will use, decides how to speak, how to behave.

6. Perception and assessment of the interlocutor’s response, monitoring the effectiveness of communication based on establishing feedback.

7. Adjustment of direction, style, communication methods. If any of the links in the act of communication is broken, then

the speaker fails to achieve the expected results of communication - it will be ineffective. These skills are called “social intelligence”, “practical-psychological intelligence”, “communicative competence”, “communication skills”.

Communicative competence. Strategies, tactics, types of communication.

Communication is the process of two-way exchange of information leading to mutual understanding. “Communication” in Latin means “common shared with all.” If mutual understanding is not achieved, then communication has failed. To ensure the success of communication, you need to have feedback on how people understood you, how they perceive you, and how they relate to the problem.

Communicative competence is the ability to establish and maintain necessary contacts with other people. Effective communication is characterized by: achieving mutual understanding between partners, a better understanding of the situation and the subject of communication (achieving greater certainty in understanding the situation helps resolve problems, ensures the achievement of goals with optimal use of resources). Communicative competence is considered as a system of internal resources necessary for building effective communication in a certain range of situations of interpersonal interaction.

Reasons for poor communication may include:

a) stereotypes - simplified opinions regarding individuals or situations, as a result there is no objective analysis and understanding of people, situations, problems;

b) “preconceived notions” - the tendency to reject everything that contradicts one’s own views, that is new, unusual (“We believe what we want to believe”). We rarely realize that another person's interpretation of events is as valid as our own;

c) bad relationships between people, because if a person’s attitude is hostile, then it is difficult to convince him of the validity of your view;

d) lack of attention and interest of the interlocutor, and interest arises when a person realizes the significance of the information for himself (with the help of this information one can obtain the desired development or prevent an undesirable development of events);

e) neglect of facts, i.e. the habit of drawing conclusions in the absence of a sufficient number of facts;

f) errors in the construction of statements: incorrect choice of words, complexity of the message, poor persuasiveness, illogicality, etc.;

g) incorrect choice of communication strategy and tactics.

Communication strategies: 1) open - closed communication; 2) monologue - dialogical; 3) role (based on the social role) - personal (heart-to-heart communication).

Open communication is the desire and ability to fully express one’s point of view and the willingness to take into account the positions of others. Closed communication is the reluctance or inability to clearly express one’s point of view, one’s attitude, or available information. The use of closed communications is justified in the following cases: 1) if there is a significant difference in the degree of subject competence and it is pointless to waste time and effort on raising the competence of the “low side”; 2) in conflict situations, revealing one’s feelings and plans to the enemy is inappropriate. Open communications are effective if there is comparability, but not identity of subject positions (exchange of opinions, plans). “One-sided inquiry” is semi-closed communication in which a person tries to find out the position of another person and at the same time does not reveal his own position. “Hysterical presentation of a problem” - a person openly expresses his feelings, problems, circumstances, without being interested in whether the other person wants to “enter into other people’s circumstances” or listen to “outpourings”.

Types of communication

1. “Contact of masks” - formal communication, when there is no desire to understand and take into account the personality characteristics of the interlocutor, familiar masks are used (politeness, severity, indifference, modesty, compassion, etc.) - a set of facial expressions, gestures, standard phrases that allow hide true emotions, attitude towards the interlocutor. In the city, the contact of masks is even necessary in some situations, so that people do not “touch” each other unnecessarily, in order to “distance themselves” from the interlocutor.

2. Primitive communication, when they evaluate another person as a necessary or interfering object: if necessary, then they actively come into contact; if it interferes, they will be pushed away by aggressive, rude remarks. If they get what they want from their interlocutor, they lose interest in him and do not hide it.

iFormal-role communication, when both the content and means of communication are regulated and instead of knowing the personality of the interlocutor, they make do with knowledge of his social role.

4. Business communication, when the personality, character, age, and mood of the interlocutor are taken into account, but the interests of the business are more significant than possible personal differences.

5. Spiritual. Interpersonal communication between friends, when you can touch on any topic and do not necessarily resort to words - your friend will understand you by facial expression, movements, and intonation. Such communication is possible when each participant has an image of the interlocutor, knows his personality, interests, beliefs, attitudes, and can anticipate his reactions.

6. Manipulative communication is aimed at extracting benefits from the interlocutor using various techniques (flattery, intimidation, “showing off,” deception, demonstration of kindness) depending on the personality characteristics of the interlocutor.

7. Social communication. The essence of secular communication is its pointlessness, that is, people say not what they think, but what is supposed to be said in such cases; this communication is closed, because people’s points of view on this or that issue do not matter and do not determine the nature of communications.

Code of secular communication: 1) politeness, tact: “respect the interests of the other”; 2) approval, agreement: “do not blame the other,” “avoid objections”; 3) sympathy: “be friendly, friendly.”

The code of business communication is different: 1) the cooperative™ principle: “your contribution should be such as is required by the jointly accepted direction of the conversation”; 2) the principle of sufficiency of information - “say no more and no less than is required at the moment”; 3) the principle of information quality - “don’t lie”; 4) the principle of expediency - “don’t deviate from the topic, manage to find a solution”; 5) “express your thoughts clearly and convincingly for your interlocutor”; 6) “be able to listen and understand the desired thought”; 7) “be able to take into account the individual characteristics of your interlocutor for the sake of the interests of the matter.”

If one interlocutor is guided by the principle of “politeness”, and the other by the principle of cooperation, they can end up in awkward, ineffective communication. Therefore, the rules of communication must be agreed upon and followed by both participants.

Communication tactics - the implementation in a specific situation of a communication strategy based on mastery of techniques and knowledge of the rules of communication. Communication technique -

a set of specific communication skills: speaking and listening.

Positions in communication are distinguished as follows: 1) a benevolent position of accepting the interlocutor; 2) neutral position; 3) a hostile position of non-acceptance of the interlocutor; 4) dominance, or “communication from above”; 5) “communication as equals”; 6) subordination, or position “from below”. From a comparison of these two factor-vectors in a circle, Leary identifies 8 individual communication styles:

Correspondence via the Internet

Modern entrepreneurs often communicate through social networks and instant messengers, considering this method convenient and less formal.

But even with such communication, it is necessary to observe the etiquette of a business letter:

1. Familiar communication is unacceptable; the interlocutor is addressed by name and patronymic.
2. You should not use a lot of emoticons.
3. Avoid emphasizing important ideas using large print. Many people perceive this negatively.
4. Before communicating, you should study a person’s profile in order to understand what he is interested in, what discussions he participates in, and what he publishes.