PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS PRACTICE

What does it mean to be professional? To be professional means that everything you say and do must be to the best of your ability as it will be measured against the norms (standards) of society.

How can we be professional in the workplace? Different ways to be professional: dress, behaviour, attitude These three things add up to what we call ‘image’, and we always need to project the right image of ourselves and the company we work for.

Convey the right business image The message you convey when you interact with people consists of two aspects: VISUAL: how you look, your behaviour and your body language; in fact everything people can see. VOICE: how you sound when you speak, how you say something, and what you actually say.

Professional dress: Although the business world is much less formal that it used to, that does not mean that all the rules of dress have been thrown out of the window. A very formal company such as a bank might insist on suits and a tie, or a uniform. An informal organization such as an advertising agency may allow jeans and an open neck shirt.

Professional behaviour Knowing how to communicate properly Having good business manners Time management Keeping your emotions under control Having a positive attitude towards the company, colleagues and superiors.

Codes of Policies: These are written documents that describe the rules for such things as working hours, standard operating procedures, dress, and so on.

A professional code of conduct spells out the good habits we should acquire, the duties we should follow, and the consequences of our behaviour on others.

THE RIGHT Attitudes Values Morals

ATTITUDES: are your likes and dislikes, i.e. how you evaluate or pass judgement on objects people and events. A positive attitude means you are motivate, committed and involved.

VALUES these are our basic convictions, or beliefs which we don’t change. We use our values to guide us in behaviour which society regards as desirable. E.g. Honesty accountability

MORALS concern our knowledge of right and wrong. To act morally means to have a high regard for the law and to obey all the rules and regulations of society and the workplace.

What does it mean to be ethical? To act in an ethical manner means you know the difference between right and wrong, and always doing the right thing. Behaving ethically is what you do because it is the right thing to do.  

Examples of unethical behaviour An employee surfs the Internet searching for personal information on company time A manager share important company information with a competitor for her potential gain. An employee takes office supplies home to stock his home office. A secretary prints out her child’s school project at work. A senior management has a private lunch with friends and claims it as a business expense.

Code of ethics: All societies have both written rules (laws) and unwritten rules (norms) which citizens must respect and uphold. Companies have both written and unwritten rules to guide our behaviour.

Business ethics Business deals with difficult decisions about what is right and what is wrong from a MORAL point of view. No business will survive if its mission and values are dishonesty, greed or manipulation. Good ethics are based on a set of values that do not just comply with legal requirements  

Core values in a code of ethics

EQUALITY recognizing equal rights for all and displaying a sense of justice

TRUTH being accurate and open in all business transactions

HONESTY being fair in dealings and intolerant of deceptive behaviour

INTEGRITY being law-abiding and avoiding schemes that take advantage of people

CO-OPERATION supporting an open, ethical marketplace for all

SELF-REGULATION honoring all commitments and guarantees, selling safe products and services, and resolving disputes in a fair and equitable manner

True ethics means: that people hold themselves to the highest level of behaviour because they choose to, and not because they are afraid of being caught and punished for disobeying a rule.