Types, principles, norms and foundations of business etiquette

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:42

Man, by its psychological nature, is a social being. That is why communication with his own kind is one of the main conditions for his stay in society. In the course of communication, the individual receives information about social realities, the nature of personal relationships, he learns what other people think about him, and evaluates this information, takes it into account in his subsequent actions. In principle, a person always looks at himself through the eyes of others. That is why it is important to know the basics of business etiquette not only for business employees.

Communication between people

Any incoming information serves a person as some kind of setting for the future, determining his further behavior, actions. He evaluates this information, sometimes without realizing this phenomenon, and experiences, by definition of psychologists, the instinct of social approval.

Basics of businessetiquette includes special norms that ensure the effective exchange of knowledge or emotions. They are vital for the he althy interaction and activity of any organization of people. Therefore, it is important not only to know them, but also to observe them.

Principles of business etiquette

In general terms, communication is understood as communication for the purpose of exchanging information between two or more partners, and business communication is an interaction in which participants perform certain social roles. The functional tasks of this type of communication are defined by precise frameworks and are pragmatic.

For an entrepreneur, communication is one of the indispensable and main conditions for work, as well as success in his enterprise. Conversational art for him is a very effective means of achieving absolutely any goal, be it industrial, commercial, scientific or information direction. At the same time, a business person is obliged to act strictly within the norms of business etiquette.

Ethics as a philosophical science of morality

In the humanities, the problem of the origin of morality was discussed in the dispute about the universality and relativity of moral norms. One of the greatest authorities on the issue of ethics is the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. He believed that the moral law was given to a person even before his experience, that is, a priori.

Man will never cease to amaze two things: the starry sky above his head and the moral law inside him.

Kant said that everyone shouldlisten to his inner voice and take only actions guided by which, at the same time, he may wish that they become a universal law at the heart of business etiquette.

History of Appearance

Ethics is a philosophical science, the object of study of which is morality. And it, in turn, represents a system of evaluation of human actions. Moral norms, from the point of view of the famous Austro-American economist Friedrich Hayek, are not generated by instinct and are not a creation of the mind. A represent an independent phenomenon, between these two concepts.

The emergence of the word "ethics" in the dictionary of mankind is due to the ancient Greek scientist Aristotle, who lived from 384 to 322 BC. He was the first in history to designate the doctrine of morality with this term.

The teachings of the Chinese thinker Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 BC, had a great influence on the formation of the ethical standards of mankind and the creation of the foundations of business etiquette, especially in the East.

Ren rule

Confucius was born in one of the small principalities of Ancient China. The philosopher belongs to a doctrine that has become the main ideological stronghold of traditional Asia. He preaches the theory and practice of moral self-improvement.

The teachings of Confucius are based on the rules of Ren, that people's relationships and the foundations of business communication etiquette should be determined by wisdom - what you don't wish for yourself, don't do to others.

Ritual as a manner of communication

According to Confucius, normsmorality comes from heaven and bears the seal of a divine character. The philosopher attaches great importance to the ritual.

In etiquette, he sees one of the most important life principles that determines the nature of communication between people. Confucius set the following task:

With the help of a ritual, cultivate an attitude towards earthly life as a necessary formality.

He said that reverence without ritual leads to fussiness, caution to fearfulness, boldness to confusion, and directness to rudeness.

The system of norms bequeathed by Confucius preaches such qualities for the basis of business communication etiquette as honesty, politeness, fidelity to duty, respect for elders, a tendency to compromise. As well as rejection of debts and denunciations.

Asian Business Communication Basics

Confucian ethics is one of the main mandatory guidelines for Eastern businessmen. Calls for spiritual self-improvement, a meaningful existence according to a certain set of prescriptions - all this can be found in many offices of famous people, offices of business people of the East.

And these are not just slogans shown, they really try to follow this kind of business etiquette. Apparently, this is why entrepreneurs in Japan, China or other Asian countries are often distinguished by enviable diligence, composure and energy.

Professional ethics

Ethics as an integral part of philosophy is developing, on the one hand, as a theoretical science ofmorality, it seeks answers to eternal philosophical questions about the origin and essence of morality in the sense of good and evil. On the other hand, ethics is associated with specific actions of a person in everyday life. In this sense, it is purely applied, normative in nature. Ethics is an applied science, "the art of living" - wrote the American psychologist Erich Fromm.

In practical application, this doctrine is a set of rules according to which a certain person or group determines its behavior, considers it legal and acceptable in achieving a particular goal.

Normative ethics underlies professional morality. For example, medical, one of the oldest, is known as the Hippocratic oath. Her first and main commandment "Do no harm" applies to scientific, military, and any other professional path. Therefore, it is this saying that forms the basis of business etiquette.

Norms

A necessary part of human life is business communication, which is carried out in the process of production activities. Ethical norms act as its regulator. They are a set of moral concepts, rules and ideas, which, in turn, regulate the behavior and attitudes of people in the process of their production activities.

Ethics in the conditions of the market is designed to serve precisely economic relations. In turn, the morality of an entrepreneur is the sum of moral rules, techniques accumulated by society and adjusted with the aim of implementing pure mutually beneficial relations among entrepreneurs, as well as between them andsociety.

Mankind has been looking for its golden rule for thousands of years, which would determine the necessary line of behavior in society with maximum accuracy. And separated those concepts that do not belong to the basics of business etiquette. Reflection on this topic is found in the writings of Confucius, he taught that when a person proceeds only from profit, he can only bring malice.

Norms of moral behavior of the leader

The basis of management ethics is the coordination and harmonization of the interests of the entrepreneur and his subordinates. The relationship between managers and employees goes beyond ordinary interpersonal contact.

This type of communication is tested by ethical reflection that justifies certain decisions of the entrepreneur and the behavior of subordinates.

The success of any collective activity depends on the psychological and moral climate that prevails in the organization. One of the main creators of this component is the manager who manages the institution. Therefore, strict observance of moral standards is fundamental in the behavior of an entrepreneur.

The first and most important commandment for a leader should be the rule:

See in each subordinate not a position or rank, but a personality.

This means behavior that excludes the slightest infringement on the dignity of a person and disrespectful attitude towards him. Even in the event that a subordinate has committed a misconduct or made a mistake, he deserves decent treatment. When dealing with conflictsituation, it is necessary to strictly separate a person and his act.

Management is a part of management activity, which is aimed at the implementation of specific production goals that arise before the organization. It is carried out within the framework of clearly structured formal official relations. Leadership involves solving managerial issues by influencing subordinates. This influence is carried out in the form of an order, request, order, advice. The difference between them is in the degree of categoricalness.

A new imprint on the formation of the nature of relations between the leader and subordinates is imposed by a private form of ownership, which in market conditions becomes a determining factor. The relationship between an entrepreneur and subordinates develops like a relationship between a master and employees.

In the modern world, a new category of executives has appeared: managers, marketers, dealers, distributors. And working in a private enterprise, they get a more complete right to independence, initiative and enterprise.

Leadership Style

The art of management, its success, is largely determined by the correct choice of the way of interaction with the company's employees. It is necessary to be able to use in a specific working situation, at the appropriate time, the complex of managerial influences that will ensure the optimal production return of the team.

Management style is a set of applied methods of influencing subordinates, as well as their form, manner and nature of execution.

ForeignSocial psychology and management has been studying the problem of leadership style for many years. A large amount of empirical material has been accumulated, and many management models have been proposed. Experts identify the most successful typology of individual leadership styles proposed by the American scientist Kurt Lewin.

He identified the following three leading ways:

1. Authoritarian.
2. Democratic.
3. Neutral.

The latter is sometimes called anarchist or liberal.

Business speech etiquette

Moral has a special meaning for a person who is connected with the business sphere. Since this is part of his production activity, an integral part of his success and prosperity. A well-known specialist in this field, Dale Carnegie wrote:

The success of this or that person in financial affairs, 15 percent depends on his professional knowledge and 85 percent, on his ability to communicate with people.

This pattern can be especially clearly seen when studying, for example, the verbal foundations of business etiquette in tourism. In this area, how competent the employee will be will depend on whether the buyer will use the services.

Speech, verbal communication means the process of transferring information from one person to another or from one individual to a group of people. The mutual exchange of information has a corresponding psychological and emotional impact on the participants in the communication process.

Verbal appearance in business cultureetiquette, provides for the use of oral and written speech as a sign system. By the way, the latter plays a decisive role where accuracy and responsibility for every word is needed, therefore it is preferred in science, legal and business relations.

Types of performances

Spoken language has its own characteristics in terms of rules and grammar. When communicating through oral speech, it is easier to influence the interlocutor, inspire him, and defend his position. However, oral speech allows different interpretations of the same sentence, which in some cases is a significant drawback.

For a business person, compliance with the rules of speech etiquette, the art of expressing one's thoughts correctly, accurately and intelligibly is evidence of his professional level, the key to success. “The ability to communicate with people,” says the famous American businessman John Rockefeller, “is a commodity that can be bought just like a person buys sugar or coffee. And I will pay more for that skill than anything else in the world.”

Specialists identify four main types of public business speeches. Consider them further.

Impromptu

Such a speech is delivered without prior preparation. It is highly valued in society. The best basis for a successful impromptu is well-read and a high general culture. One example of impromptu is a toast at the table. To perform successfully, for this kind of performance, you need to constantly prepare, have your own kind of cheat sheets.

Speech memorized or sight-read

This viewpracticed by politicians when it is necessary that every word be thought through and the speaker sets himself the goal of bringing it to the listener. An example of a sight speech is the responsible monologues of presidents and other officials.

In this case, business speech etiquette allows the use of technical means: a teleprompter or a special screen. Currently, all this allows you to read the text, turning your eyes to the audience, and not on a piece of paper. The speaker seems to be talking to people, inviting them to dialogue.

Impromptu performance

This method of broadcasting is most common as a form of public speaking. The performance is effective in terms of influencing the audience. It should be carefully thought out in terms of form, sequence and main idea. This type of speech contains elements of impromptu and memorized speech.