Business Etiquette and the Norms of Culture - Essay Example

Student Name] [Instructor’s Name] [Class Name] Business Etiquette Introduction A quick look around the world we live in shows us things like internet hotspots, the availability of internet access and phone service on flights, hotel rooms which have high-speed internet access for the business traveler and many other signs which show us how the balance between work and life has switched in favor of work. However, being business minded or being connected with technology all the time does not mean that we can give up on the etiquette which is required of us. In fact, beyond the rules of business, there are etiquette guidelines for handling cell phone calls in the presence of others and politeness rules for emails all of which not only help us be more civilized but they have a business based case as well. The basics Of course we are all familiar with the basics of etiquette in terms of being polite to others and accepting the differences in ideas since those etiquettes are drilled into us from our very childhood. However, there are deeper questions and issues in the business world which require a more through understanding of the issues surrounding business etiquettes. Once an individual has this understanding s/he is not only appreciated by the clients and his/her peers but also by the supervisors and bosses who may see him/her as being more ready for higher positions of responsibility. Beyond the Basics Baldauf (2006) gives some very interesting pointers in this regard with her suggestions of what business etiquette include for the modern worker. For example, she recommends that an employee should never say something about his/her boss which is negative since the event is likely to be reported. In fact, if the employee feels like venting about the higher-ups, this venting should be done to someone outside the work environment since etiquette demand a business environment to be free of such influences. In fact, these ideas and griping about anyone in the office, including coworkers and subordinates should always be minimized as much as possible. The business reason for this is simple since calling someone an idiot or telling anyone that they are incompetent would only hurt the productivity of the office. Additionally, gossip can lead to rumors about individuals or even lead to investigations against others causing paranoia and loss of time for all concerned parties at work (Baldauf, 2006). As much as possible, gossip should be avoided and rumor mongering is absolutely against good business behavior. The grapevine is a very powerful tool but the use of the grapevine for the sake of entertainment at someone’s expense is not a part of business etiquettes and could certainly be considered against ethics as well. Gossip Free Zone Even if the gossip is true but damaging to the image of the coworker it should be avoided since by pushing the story along the person who tells the story loses credibility with others. For example, if an employee is having an affair with another worker on the premises, such information should not be used with loose lips because it destroys the image of all involved parties. At the same time, having relationships with other people in the office can also be against the policies of the company or the human resource department. Therefore, such relationships can also be against business etiquette and business rules so the penalty for that can range from being looked at suspiciously to being terminated from service. Of course there may be cases when confrontations between employees have to take place and one party has to be blamed for the failure of a project or of a given task. This means that a finger has to be pointed towards someone and Hodgkinson (2006) offers the required etiquette for doing that. She agrees with Welch et. al. (2005) on the part that the offender has to be talked to in a constructive manner with a lot of respect and understanding while the focus of the discussion has to be on the solutions which can be given in the situation rather than a discussion of the problems caused by the offender. Being constructive rather than confrontational is an essential part of business etiquette. Handling Problems While every individual connected to a company or organization has certain benefits which s/he derives from working for the company, there is also a set of responsibilities which the individual has towards the company. Responsibilities change depending on how and where a person is placed within a company but certain responsibilities like loyalty, following company norms and going by the rules of the company are expected to be followed by all members connected to the company. In some cases, there can be individuals who do not pull their weight and are in fact bringing the company or a given project into danger with their behavior which needs to be addressed. Etiquettes demand that any potential problems or troublesome situations should be brought to the notice of the individuals managing the company so that things which do not turn up for the best at the end have been documented and reported before the event. Most importantly, Hodgkinson (2006) recommends understanding the culture of the organization as well as the culture of the industry the person is in since without a cultural understanding etiquette are nothing more than impositions of one’s own sense of right and wrong. Of course such a sense of right and wrong can be modified with the correct application of behavioral science and social acceptance to even get rid of the worst habits a person can have (Poland and Frohlich, 2006). The Management Style For example, a casual working environment with flexible work hours and even bringing in pets with the employees to work may be perfectly acceptable working rules for a high technology new media company. On the other hand, such practices might be unacceptable and completely against the rules given by the company for a high street bank or a pharmaceutical research company. Similarly, a bank may have an established dress code for all executives and employees with uniforms for guards and other clothing requirements which have to be met by the individuals who work at the bank. This reflects in the management style of a company where formality is the order of the day and a lot of attention is paid to established rules or corporate norms. Such rules and boundaries which form a part of business etiquette in a given environment often help in solving the social constraints which people might feel in dealing with others since they can be given an established system for communication with others in the same company. Of course, such etiquette requirements may also place limits on human potential that can be created due to a strict management and hierarchical systems of management. Some situations may require bypassing managers and breaking the chain of command yet at the same time, using such methods on a regular basis may irk the people in middle and senior management teams. In the same way, a software development company may see people wearing suits with suspicion and have a dress code which may accept shorts and T-shirts as the norm. Anything from attire to the way others are addressed within the company becomes a part of the culture which the company follows and going against the culture could be seen as going against the etiquettes of the business. Such behavior could make the person who goes against the norms of business an outsider who is not to be trusted. The Norms of Business This simply reflects the global application of culture and business etiquette since one practice may be perfectly acceptable in an industry or a company and go completely against business norms in another. As a visitor to a new country has to be aware of the culture and norms of the society, so should a new employee be introduced in both formal and informal means to the culture of the company where s/he has been selected to work. Welch (2005) goes as far as to say that if the individual being interviewed for a position in the company is not a good cultural match for the company then it could be very difficult to make that individual work at a productive level once s/he has been recruited. Similarly, as companies become more diversified and things like outsourcing and off shore operations become the norm rather than the exception, a global corporate culture could develop with time. However, such a state is still far off in the future since societal norms and personal cultural backgrounds still have a greater influence than HR policies established by an organization (Edwards and Kuruvilla, 2005). For example, the business etiquette which are followed in Japan or China are quite different from the ones which are considered to be the norm in America. The Japanese greeting system of bowing is only a small example of how an American worker in Japan could be taken as an out-group member rather than a business ally. However, if the American businessperson knows about the culture and understands the system and methods of bowing followed by Japanese businessmen, s/he would be on a better footing to handle the situation. In conclusion, business etiquette and the norms of culture which apply from company to company may differ in many cases but the basics of good etiquette remain the same across the board. As companies and businesses evolve with time, there may be new etiquettes which come up for managers and employees of the future and as they come to the mainstream they will surely be created as unwritten or written guidelines for all those who plan to work in the office environment. Etiquette and acceptable behavior may bring us closer to being civilized in our dealings with each other, but the business case for having good etiquettes also stands very true. Works Cited Baldauf, S. 2006, ‘5 things you should never say at the office’, Men's Health, 21(6):116. Edwards, T. and Kuruvilla, S. 2005, ‘International HRM: national business systems, organizational politics and the international division of labour in MNCs’, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(1):1-21. Hodgkinson, S. 2006, ‘How to Point the Finger With Poise’, Essence, 37(4):92. Poland, B. & Frohlich, K. 2006, ‘The social context of smoking: the next frontier in tobacco control?’, Tobacco Control, 15(1), p. 59-63. Welch, J. 2005, Winning, Harper Collins. Welch, J. et. al. 2006, ‘Don't Play the Office Cop’, Business Week, 6(4012):144. Read More