Business etiquette and business protocol: concept, meaning, rules

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

From ancient times, in all epochs of the development of civilization, people with pleasant manners were valued in society, who in any situation knew how to show themselves from the most advantageous side. And these qualities gradually made up the rules that are known today as business etiquette and business protocol. In previous centuries, those who knew how to behave in society most often belonged to a special stratum of the population with a noble upbringing. And at present, not every person is required to have an idea of what business etiquette and business protocol are, but everyone is obliged to behave decently in society.

About career

Currently, career growth is everywhere at the forefront, and therefore the ability to behave correctly is also one of the priorities. To positively set up the opponent in relation to the set goal of the interview, accurately describe positions and observeown interests, while earning the respect of the interlocutor - this is possible only if the unshakable rules that prescribe business etiquette and business protocol are observed. Only thanks to such knowledge and skills can one count on successful activity in absolutely any field. It is the ability to use business etiquette and business protocol that helps the movement of career growth.

In addition, a beneficial psychological climate is created in the team if the ethics of eloquence is used in communication, in which many and very different features and principles coexist. Business eloquence is required not only for businessmen and managers who have just begun to build their careers. For example, there is international business etiquette and protocol for employees of embassies and consulates. This is an unshakably established procedure for holding certain events - negotiations, concluding deals, signing and handing over documents, including unpleasant ones (a note, that is, an appeal from the government of a country to the government of another state, handed through the embassy). International business etiquette and protocol must be followed strictly, otherwise cooperation between countries is impossible.

Definition and meaning

The protocol and etiquette of business negotiations are much richer in content and are interpreted more broadly than the more familiar norms of behavior in society. General human morality will not be sufficient here, since its most important side is entrepreneurial morality, and it is precisely profession althe behavior of the businessman can affect the successful outcome of the enterprise.

This is especially evident in the communication of domestic businessmen with representatives of foreign firms: a huge number of transactions that could be profitable are disrupted. And all due to the fact that newly minted entrepreneurs do not know the protocol and etiquette of business negotiations well enough. This is bad taste in both dress and behavior - literally every little thing can add to an unfavorable impression.

Breaking the rules

How do people who know modern etiquette and business protocol behave in this case and always observe? They won't make any comments. Criticism will not sound, but silence will be impartial. The honor of the company for entrepreneurs means a lot, and therefore people who respect themselves and their business usually, under any pretext, simply stop negotiations forever. The reason for this may be the usual behavior of failed partners, bad habits, bad manners. And it is not at all necessary to use a tablecloth instead of a handkerchief for this, a much smaller error will be enough.

Businessmen need to specifically learn the rules of business protocol and etiquette if they want to do business with serious firms. A good tone in behavior will not allow you to get into an absurd situation. For example, Peter the Great even issued a special decree, and violators of etiquette were punished. Maybe it's time to punish our businessmen too, so as not to cast a shadow on the entrepreneurship of their native country. So, for example, with all seriousnessfuture diplomats study diplomatic protocol and business etiquette in special institutes. And in business, this would be the foundation of entrepreneurial success.

On norms and morality

The concept of good and the concept of evil have been well known since time immemorial, and from the correlation of these concepts, universal morality has long been derived. It is the history of the development of these distinctions that ethics is concerned with. The central concept of ethics is morality as a system of moral relations with all the motives that encourage action, with feelings and awareness of the established boundaries in one way or another, with all the actions of people in society and in their interaction.

The protocol and etiquette of communication - business and diplomatic - have been formed through the perception of moral norms. All the results of man's distinction between good and evil are included in these postulates. For example, the main set of business qualities includes truthfulness, accuracy in performance, punctuality, disinterestedness, diligence. This is an unconditional good, considered in the protocol and etiquette of business communication as high moral qualities. And the lack of responsibility, evasion of it, juggling of facts, corruption, unscrupulousness, bribery and much more are regarded as an obvious evil, that is, they are also personality traits, only immoral.

Historically, morality has always developed and has always been studied, because it was a central figure in ethics. And, despite the fact that in different periods of history, public ideas about the world differed significantly from previous ones,the mindset itself changed, the systems of spiritual values were rebuilt, but the distinction between good and evil remained the same. Requirements for the individual, for morality, for behavior and for actions became more and more strict. Both business protocol and etiquette have changed. The practice of application has left curtseys far behind for centuries. However, the new rules also did not accept lies, substitution of concepts, bribery and corruption.

Professional ethics

Ethics through norms and rules conducts a thorough analysis of the state of society and indicates the reasons that cause trouble in it. In addition, it contains solutions that help to update public moral guidelines. In professional ethics, the norms and standards of official etiquette and business protocol are indicated, as well as the requirements for certain types of activities.

For example, the rules of conduct for the diplomatic corps, although not fundamentally, are still different from those used by workers in other professional areas: in the provision of services, in the production and sale of products, in the financial business, and so on. Nevertheless, absolutely any communication between professionals must take place in accordance with ethical norms and standards, which are mandatory. However, the latter depends on various factors, which can be divided into two groups for convenience.

Distribution into groups

In the first place, you need to include the whole complex of ethical norms, ideas and assessments that this person already possesses: good and evil, for example. With theseideas a person lives from birth, uses them, works with them. And this does not depend on what position he occupies and what work he performs. The second group will include what a person has acquired from the outside, that is, those standards and norms that include, for example, the internal regulations of the organization where he works, the corporate and professional code of ethics, which includes the instructions of the management.

It's not bad if the initial ideas about good and evil coincide with professional requirements. It happens that this coincidence is partially or completely absent, and then the very difficulties arise, since you still have to understand and assimilate these ethical rules, and then apply them in practice, moreover, constantly. Personal moral ideas should be replenished with a whole range of professional ethical rules, otherwise it is almost impossible to regulate the system of relationships in any area.

Ethical requirements

World-famous scientists formulated a list of necessary requirements and norms that formed the entire theoretical basis of both international business etiquette and diplomatic protocol, and a set of rules of conduct for teams, enterprises and individual employees. The first rule of professional ethics is the following: in the performance of official duties in relation to subordinates, in no case allow actions that are undesirable in relation to oneself. This so-called golden rule is broken especially easily and often.

The second requirement is that it is imperative to observe justice by providing employees with resources - material, raw materials, financial and the like. The third rule speaks of the obligatory correction of any ethical violation, no matter who committed it. The fourth requirement says: any action and all official behavior of a person in general should only contribute to the good of the organization and its development in moral terms. The essence of the fifth requirement is tolerance for traditions that do not even coincide with the moral principles that exist in their own countries, regions, organizations. The sixth rule speaks about the interests of an individual and the whole team, about correctly set priorities.

More specific

Next - about difficult issues where professional ethics prescribes to be bold in defending your own opinion. Nevertheless, there should be no pressure on subordinates, and even more so, violence in any form of conducting a business conversation. The next requirement is constancy: it is impossible to introduce ethical standards by order, and therefore, throughout the entire existence of the organization, constant efforts are needed on the part of the management and, of course, a personal example.

The rule of punishment for ethical violations is almost always used by superiors, because in practice the power of opposition to ethical standards is very high, even on the part of those who recognize (purely theoretically) the correctness of these requirements. For any violation, the leadership imposes appropriate forms of censure.

One morethe requirement applies to both the bosses and the entire team: the attitude towards colleagues must be justified, and the relationship must be based on trust - in competence and a sense of duty, responsibility and commitment. It is unacceptable to criticize and express dissatisfaction in advance. A strong recommendation is the desire for conflict-free. Despite the fact that even a kick is sometimes "magic", and therefore has purely functionally positive consequences, it must be remembered that conflict is the most fertile ground for any kind of ethical violation.

Job descriptions seem to say: each employee is free to the extent that his freedom does not infringe on the freedom of others. The ethics of behavior should be characteristic of each employee in the team. Less criticism, more own example. Of course, none of the requirements of etiquette is absolute.

Principles of business etiquette

Every modern person in the business world follows the unwritten laws of behavior, understanding or not their inner content and main meaning, but always feeling their necessity as a result of their application. These principles are not so complicated. Firstly, common sense, which none of the norms of etiquette ever contradicts, since they are aimed at orderliness, organization, saving time and effort, and other reasonable goals.

Secondly, freedom of choice is in no way infringed. Each business person can, without violating ethical norms, freely express his will, choose a partner, work methods, ways of doing things.agreements and everything else. Also, a free person is tolerant of national characteristics, cultural traditions, shows loy alty to opposing points of view and differences in business positions.

However, freedom is always limited, again, by common sense, as well as many other factors. Climatic conditions, for example. Or a political regime. There are a lot of principles of ethical behavior, it is impossible even to list them all in a small article, so only the most basic ones are collected here.

What ethics should not be for a business person

Ethics is a whole set of standards and norms, recommendations and requirements that are necessary in business etiquette, which is oriented towards goodness in its very essence and content. True, this "good" is interpreted in completely different ways, despite the fact that etiquette is the most important category of morality. In the field of business, this question is very ambiguous, since business itself is a complex field of knowledge. Ethical filters exist, there are many of them, but very often immoral acts are hidden behind completely ethical behavior. The saying is not in vain testifies: "This is business, nothing personal."

Ethics of professional relations can support many of the principles observed by all: convenience, expediency, economy, and even conservatism. In a person's behavior, you can not find a drop of laxity or arrogance, you can see only good breeding and attention to others. However, as a businessman, he is much more versatile, distinguished by the universality inherent in modern people: the norms of etiquette will only help him make a dishonest deal, "dump" a partner, and do much more, which will confirm his effectiveness as an economically profitable specialist.