Principles of business ethics Culture of business communication Basic concepts Ethics of business behavior Business ethics in Russia Conclusion
Business ethics is a set of rules and ethical standards observed by business people in a corporate environment. Such ethics affects not only relationships within the company, but also outside it. In particular, its rules are observed when communicating with business partners. At the same time, the ethics of business relations is generally accepted and contains norms that apply not only in general, but also in specific situations.
Principles of Business Ethics
Basic generally accepted principles:
- Responsibility for actions in the business sphere;
- Respect for business participants.
An extended list of principles based on philosophy in conjunction with the practical experience of the business world was formulated by L. Hosmer, a sociologist from the USA. These principles are based on compliance with certain rules. In particular, it is necessary to exclude actions that:
- Contradict the interests of the company or business;
- It will not be possible to demonstrate or talk about them openly;
- They do not contribute to the formation of a sense of comradeship, the feeling that everyone is working towards achieving 1 goal;
- They violate the law, and it should be taken into account that the law always prescribes minimum social moral standards;
- They do not benefit society, as well as the company or business;
- Aimed at making recommendations to others, but I wouldn’t wish the same for myself if I found myself in a similar situation;
- They would violate the rights of those with whom they come into contact in the course of conducting business;
- They would be aimed at obtaining maximum profits in violation of the law and market requirements, without taking into account all kinds of costs. According to the axioms of economic theory, with the opposite approach one can claim a high degree of production efficiency;
- May cause injustice to weaker participants in business relationships;
- They are capable of preventing another person from realizing his right to self-development and self-realization.
Ethical principles
Ethical principles are moral laws based on a value system that establish the responsibilities of an individual. The literary synonym for this concept is the word “virtue”. The formation of internal laws occurs during the education of the individual. The result of this is the awareness and acceptance of such moral categories as humanity, honor, justice, dignity, responsibility.
The most extensive and in demand by human society are the following principles:
- humanity is a conscious, selfless attitude towards people, in ordinary life it is expressed through the ability to provide free help, to give in, to do a favor;
- respectfulness - respect for the environment, for the world around, which is realized in the form of gratitude, politeness, goodwill;
- rationality - involves actions based on wisdom, logic, that is, on innate intelligence, supported by experience and moral values;
- courage is a person’s ability to overcome life’s difficulties while maintaining respect for oneself and others.
Examples of principles with a minus sign are utilitarianism (consumerism), opportunism, unprincipledness.
Business communication culture – what is it?
You can often hear the opinion that business ethics is the same as the culture of business communication . In general, we can say that this opinion is correct. Culture cannot exist without ethics. Relationships can be cultural, which means they are ethical. However, culture is usually understood as a more capacious concept. It displays reality with seven positive and non-positive manifestations. In turn, ethics consists of norms and rules that are commonly applied in business circles.
A business person is obliged to adhere to the culture of business communication. The main aspects relate to being friendly towards the opponent, not being in a bad mood that could negatively affect the same conversation, as well as the need to show interest in the topic. Adhering to at least three important axioms, it can already be argued that a business person has an idea of the culture of business communication.
Controversial issues
Conflicts arise between people all the time: the more common points they have in common, the higher the likelihood of misunderstanding or dissatisfaction. However, you should not express your opinion sharply and emotionally, so as not to rack your brains over the question of how to make peace with your colleague. Controversial situations cannot be completely avoided, but their number can be minimized. Business etiquette will help you with this:
- Communication with colleagues should take place on equal terms; you should not please, beg or be rude;
- Each employee has the right to his own opinion and respectful attitude;
- It is customary to approach colleagues with a request, not an order;
- Avoid getting personal in the conversation; business communication on work issues is the best way to avoid conflicts, intrigue and gossip;
Concepts of business ethics: etiquette, norms, code
The concept of business ethics is associated not only with the culture of business communication. Ethics has a direct connection with business etiquette. The latter is a set of norms and rules that are used to conduct work in a certain style, with a certain manner; they determine the features of business negotiations, as well as appearance, etc. Business etiquette in a particular country may have its own original differences, about which business foreigners need to know if they want to find profitable ways of cooperation.
There is also such a thing as business ethics standards. However, they are generally accepted. They are not influenced by national, cultural and other characteristics. These include:
- Punctuality.
Predetermines the ability to do everything in a timely manner, to calculate your time. A punctual businessman is a person you can rely on. Professionals not only know how to take care of their time, but also that of others.
- Ability to keep secrets.
Maintaining confidentiality is one of the main and undeniable rules of the business world. And we are not just talking about some business details. Discussing even the personal lives of work colleagues is considered bad form.
- The ability to think about both yourself and others.
In the business sphere, it is not customary to show selfishness, disrespect, or intolerance. Arrogance is unacceptable and must be distinguished from self-confidence.
- Compliance with business etiquette in terms of behavior and appearance.
Knowledge of business etiquette standards regarding appearance allows you to ensure compliance with business ethics standards.
- Competence and professionalism.
The ability to correctly and competently structure one’s speech, to express oneself clearly through other forms of communication, as well as the presence of professional knowledge that relates to business are mandatory components that must be present in the life of a modern business person.
Another concept of business ethics should be considered a code of business ethics . No matter how loud this concept may sound, it has a rather narrow meaning in terms of application. The Code of Business Ethics is a local regulatory act. This is a set of rules and standards established in a particular company and mandatory for use by employees of this company.
Ethics of business conduct
Ethics of business behavior is a system of individual actions, which is associated with the implementation and achievement of the individual’s business interests. It includes features of interaction with business partners, managers, colleagues and subordinates. Business behavior is implemented through:
- Business communication, which is built on the basis of business culture, business professional ethics;
- Establishing mutual relationships, as well as making decisions that contribute to the success of the business;
- Respect for those with whom you have to communicate in the course of doing business.
How a businessman behaves during business communication, how he establishes contacts, how he makes decisions - all this forms the concept of business behavior, which is also influenced by respect, which includes:
- Politeness;
- Maintaining hierarchy;
- A competent combination of parity and priority.
Business ethics in Russia
Russia has its own peculiarities of business ethics , taking into account the fact that domestic businessmen doing business at the international level still comply with generally accepted ethical standards in the world. These features include the following:
- As practice shows, communication in the Russian business sphere begins with a sincere greeting and an obligatory handshake. It is customary for us to address the interlocutor by his first name and patronymic;
- If all over the world the communication of business people is accompanied by a calm voice, then in Russia a slight increase in tone, gestures and even sharp intonations are acceptable;
- Abroad, a sign of respect is considered to be the call: “How are you?” A Russian, even if he is a business person, for some reason decides when asked such a question that he needs to be told about everything that concerns the state of his affairs;
- In Russia, business people practically do not smile, which is strange when compared with the behavior of business foreigners;
- Russian businessmen often communicate at close range, which should not be done when communicating with foreign partners. Foreigners may consider this behavior familiar;
- Only in recent years have business Russians begun to be more scrupulous about their appearance. But all over the world it has long been customary to follow certain standards of business etiquette, which determine what a businessman should look like;
- Business people from Russia, when communicating with foreign partners, may speak incorrectly and incomprehensibly, which is absolutely forbidden to do if very important business issues are clarified during the same negotiations.
Appearance rules
Dress code
In your apartment you can walk around as you like, even in pajamas and funny socks. If you arrive at the office, or even more so for a meeting, please follow the dress code. Otherwise, the wrong impression may be formed about you. Representatives of the older generation may consider you frivolous, superficial and even - oh horror! - incompetent . Yes, we understand that professionalism does not depend on appearance. But the traditions of society are strong, and rebelling against them is stupid and short-sighted. You are not 15 years old.
Basic dress code rules:
- for men - a business suit or shirt with trousers. Jacket, shirt and jeans are acceptable. For women - a suit, blouse and pencil skirt, no minis and, God forbid, deep necklines;
- minimum accessories. For men, watches and cufflinks are acceptable. For women - a maximum of two accessories: earrings and a ring, a chain or earrings, and so on. If you have sets of jewelry, do not wear all the items at once, it is vulgar;
- neat haircut, well-groomed hair, for men - a styled beard and mustache, if any;
- neat manicure, well-groomed hands;
- clean shoes in any weather, even if you got to the office by subway or dog sled;
- no tattoos or piercings in visible places. If you have a large, visible tattoo, it is better to hide it under clothes. If you establish a good relationship with your partner, you can show it later, but at first it’s better not to take risks. You don't know what views he holds.
The more important the meeting or negotiations, the more strictly the dress code must be observed. Remember, this is in your best interest.
Dress code for women and men
Gestures, movements, facial expressions
It sounds funny, but in fact, many deals have been broken because the partner made an inappropriate gesture or was too familiar. It is clear that everything is subjective: an open person will not be intimidated if the interlocutor actively waves his arms or blows kisses to everyone. Still, you should adhere to the basic rules - at least at the first meeting . And then you will see for yourself how the interlocutor reacts.
Please note the following points:
- straight posture, restrained movements without fussiness;
- look into the eyes - confident, firm, but not arrogant;
- restrained facial expressions, try to control emotions. In difficult situations, when you want to curse or, conversely, laugh, put on a “poker face”;
- Tactile contact is allowed only in the form of handshakes. Leave pats on the shoulder, tight hugs, and especially kisses for loved ones: not all people love the touch of strangers. According to the rules of etiquette, only a handshake is permissible - preferably a short and energetic one.
Tip: practice in front of a mirror in advance or ask a loved one to “read” your facial expressions or movements . If there are signs of nervousness, fussiness, or too violent emotional reactions, eradicate these habits. Remember that many entrepreneurs have studied body language and know the basic rules. For example, eyes slanted to the left are a sign of lying. Arms crossed on the chest - a desire to isolate oneself. Whoever the toes of the interlocutor’s shoes point to is the one who is most important to him at the moment. And so on and so forth - the Internet is full of such advice.
Workplace is ok
It’s cool, of course, to justify the mess on your desk and in your office by saying that you are a creative person, but I’m afraid your partners won’t understand. Practice shows that order on the table magically clears your thoughts and brings order to your head . Try it and see for yourself!
Disorder in the workplace is unacceptable
