In business circles, there is a specific communication that helps the parties to successfully communicate, work productively and achieve their goals. In this article we will talk about what is business ethics and how to use it in practice.
Features
It is worth noting that business ethics is not a set of legal rules established at the legislative level. Usually it is guided in business work behind the scenes.
Consider its features:
- The first is honesty. This indicator should apply to all colleagues, customers and even competing firms. It is the moral and ethical qualities that are the main activity of the company. In order for a business to be profitable, you need to properly conduct negotiations, correctly manage and resolve conflicts.
- National and cultural traditions worth studying in advance. So you can show respect and win the sympathy of foreign colleagues with whom you are building a business.
- Correct behavior will help to create a positive image of the company and the leader. Team management will also be successful. Thanks to a favorable reputation, the confidence level of buyers and investors will increase.
What it is?
Business ethics are norms of behavior, rules and principles that help regulate behavior at work. These are the basics by which goals are achieved. When the parties recognize and apply these rules, the business partners find it easier to cooperate together, lead successful joint activities.
The definition of business ethics rules characterizes the relationship between different parties in the business field. Knowing the main rules and rules, you will be able to correctly hold in critical situations and conditions of communication, to predict the lines of behavior of your colleagues. Interestingly, the term "business ethics" is close in meaning to the word "order." Of course, we are talking about doing business. Different areas of research on this topic agree that the basis of business ethics is work as a moral value that helps emphasize human dignity.
Thus, the essence of the term lies in the fact that entrepreneurs rely on certain elements - norms of behavior, in order to arrive at the goals that have been set, to accomplish important tasks.
The main differences from etiquette
Etiquette - the rules of human behavior in a particular social environment. Business etiquette incorporates various conditions of greeting, correspondence, and negotiations. Observing it, you will be able to level possible mistakes, to form the image of a reliable person. Every entrepreneur must understand that etiquette and its compliance will allow it to open new horizons.
As for business ethics, its purpose and structure is similar. Wherein Business ethics imply a set of certain rules that are usually followed in business circles. This also includes such categories as the style of work, relationships with partners, the appearance of the employee, the basics of the workflow.
These standards will be an excellent basis in order to actively and efficiently conduct your business.
The basic principles include commitment, responsibility, honesty. Of course, the conduct of any business will be based on constant contacts, negotiations, the implementation of important transactions.Therefore, entrepreneurs should be able to build relationships, correctly show themselves in any circumstances, improve the skills of good tone when communicating.
Kinds
There are several impressive groups of business communication:
- To the first should be attributed oral ways. They are divided into monological and dialogical. The first include a greeting, sales speech, informational speeches, a report. The dialogic includes business conversation, conversation, negotiations, interviews, discussions, meetings, press conferences. Such ways of business communication allow you to establish a verbal relationship with a person.
- Another group is written. The characteristic of such a remote interaction also helps to establish contacts, but without direct “live” communication. Here you can mark official documents: business letter, instruction, statement. All of them will be different in internal content. For example, a document is tangible (includes the exchange of objects, results of activity), cognitive (when knowledge changes), motivational (here they exchange interests), activity (skills act as a means of exchange).
To maintain correspondence it is necessary to strictly observe the basics of business communication.
Codex
Codex (from lat. Codex) is a set of rules. This is a single systematic normative act that regulates a certain area of public relations. It is the code of business ethics that provides effective assistance to company employees, their responsibility and other important issues. It is developed on the basis of public business ethics norms, as well as Russian and foreign documents that define the best corporate governance practices. This is the Code of Corporate Conduct.
It is thanks to him that the main values of each company are determined:
- Effective work. The company is always responsible to staff and other participants in the workflow. Every company wants to increase its profit, to be efficient. This will be the main value.
- Another value is employees. Successfully will be achieved those tasks, the solution of which is aimed at coordinated work. Therefore, it is in the company's interest to disclose the talents of their employees and their abilities.
- Responsible attitude. Every company should be aware of its social responsibility. This means that the company is fair and honest in the processes of market economy.
- Partnership. For the successful operation of the company need to win and strengthen business partnerships. Only then can significant results be achieved when there is long-term mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, both parties should respect each other. The company must create motivation to its employees in order to achieve the set plans and the necessary goals.
- Moral indicators. It is important not only to comply with all laws, but also to lead your company to profit using simple “human” foundations. These include honesty, fairness, decency.
We see that with the help of the code it is possible to effectively compile the corporate values of each company.
Functions
Business ethics will operate on the basis of a specific profession, its focus. The main function is to promote the effective implementation of tasks. Business ethics is a kind of mediator. It absorbs the interests of society and professional groups of the population, as well as separately for each individual.
Summing up, it can be said that business ethics binds moral and ethical components in the field of labor.
rules
Should be followed and the main rules for conducting successful activities. This applies to dating, greetings, meetings, meetings. Any interaction with working partners, colleagues or investors should always be rational.
Keep a low profile.Emotions that are not controlled will have an adverse effect on making right and balanced decisions.
It is also important to show understanding to business partners. Careful attention will help develop mutually acceptable solutions.
An important rule is to provide reliable information. False data will influence the situation not in your favor. You should also not lecture your partners. It is better to try to negotiate with the other side and understand their actions and desires.
Principles
There are the following moral principles of business ethicsI:
- It is necessary to make all actions in time. Punctuality - an important feature of the success of enterprising people. Any late arrival will have a bad effect on work. They will also tell you that this person is unreliable. In order to be in time, experts advise you to add 25% to the period that you think you need to do important work.
- Confidentiality. It is worth remembering that you should keep all the secrets of the institution as well as personal secrets. Do not retell any information you hear from a colleague, supervisor or subordinate.
- Friendly atmosphere, friendly workers. You should always behave at work extremely politely. You do not need to make friendship with everyone, but you should always be benevolent. This will help you in your work and career.
- Attentive attitude. Respect for the opinions of others is fundamental. Try to understand them why a situation has happened. You should also listen to the criticism, the important advice of workers. In this case, you can not lose self-confidence.
- Appearance. An important point is clothing. It should skillfully enter the environment, adopt a similar style. You must look neat, stylish.
- Literacy. Whatever the situation, you need to speak and write correctly. This applies to both negotiations and correspondence. The use of abusive phrases is unacceptable, including if you cite another person as an example.
Norms
There are multiple norms of ethical behavior for the head, colleagues of each organization. Their manifestation mainly consists of knowledge, and also depends on the desire of everyone to work fruitfully and effectively. There are also special rules that will help prevent conflicts. These include:
- When disagreements arise, contactless forms should be used. This will help the emotions to subside a bit and make decisions more carefully.
- Assign to negotiate in controversial situations only to those employees who occupy high positions in the firm, and also have all the necessary powers.
- Better in the first stage of the conflict to attract a qualified specialist. This will help prevent a possible deterioration of the situation, material and moral losses.
- It is necessary to use even small chances to achieve a truce.
- If it was not possible to resolve the controversial issue, then the dispute is further considered in a pre-trial or judicial procedure.
Such rules define expectations, effective behavior, which is approved by the enterprise or society. Of course, only honest business, which is based on moral and ethical values, will be the most civilized.
Relationship culture
In business, it is important to respect the culture of communication. If you speak the language of the client, you can enter into the most lucrative contracts. Corporate ethics, the ability to listen, as well as knowledge of the traditions of its partners will help to form a positive image of the company and conclude mutually beneficial transactions.
So, for example, in Russia there are some peculiarities of business communication, in contrast to Japan and Vietnam. Modern national ethics has evolved with the improvement of the traditional society.
The roots of business ethics are a thing of the past, when relationships between people began to emerge.In medieval Europe, the basis of such business relationships - the desire for profit. Now at the enterprise or in the company this principle is also present. Also important are the moral qualities of employees. All this allows you to establish strong contacts with the right partners.
Solving conflict situations in a team
Any team consists of different people - men and women, managers and subordinates. Sooner or later there will be a clash of interests - conflict situations. On how the company as a whole will overcome them, and further fruitful work will depend. It is worth noting that Conflict is the interaction of several people who have different goals and interests. Conflicts arise for various reasons. For example, personal motives. These usually include a mismatch of positions in relation to their own personality. There are also production reasons that are associated with the work process.
Also conflicts are one-sided, two-sided, and also false (occur due to misunderstandings and mistakes). It is worth noting that all conflicts have a different pace of development. It can be a bit slow or fast and fast. As a result of the conflict, one party can win. You can also reach a compromise or return to the previous state.
Business etiquette is designed to resolve such situations, ideally - to stop them at the first manifestations of discontent. In this case, it is worth removing the psychological barrier with colleagues to achieve understanding. A person who resolves a conflict must have the flexibility to evaluate the emotional state of the parties.
Choosing a way to settle a conflict, the manager focuses on his professionalism and on a specific situation. You can do it quickly. For example, when a person shows only his dissatisfaction. It is better to immediately stop such a conflict, until the stable work of the team is disrupted. At the same time, the employee needs to be self-control and to be organized. You can not have a conversation in a raised voice. This will further aggravate the situation.
Another effective way is to use a neutralizing phrase. Each manager should have in his reserve a couple of such techniques. You can also use another method. If you allow the customer to speak out, and the seller, for example, calmly listen to all the comments, the conflict situation will be exhausted. At the heart of business ethics is the preservation of calm and self-control. It should be more patient.
It is also possible to resolve the conflict with the help of a third party, if the two parties do not find a compromise. Such a third party could be, say, a sales manager. This will allow to control the process, as well as help to earn the trust of customers
It is also important to be able to correctly say "no." At the same time, it should be done not sharply, but gently. And, of course, the main point - the ability to listen.
Now you know what constitutes business ethics. By applying its norms and rules in practice, you can not only earn the trust and respect of employees, but also successfully develop your profitable business, establishing strong partnerships.
You will learn more about business etiquette and the culture of communication with colleagues in the following video.