COMMON PRACTICES IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

The corporate is a big jungle where stress from competition of skills,

knowledge and expertise exist in the midst of diversity. Business etiquette is the
glue that binds people and keeps them happy in an otherwise stressed out job
and market environment. To cultivate rapport as a solid foundation within
business communities, business etiquette is very important. Business etiquette
includes good manners, respect and positive communication in all levels of the
business organization; thereby harnessing positive work relationships regardless
of cultural differences and language barriers. Communication in the context of
business etiquette includes verbal and non-verbal that must be founded on trust,
respect for the dignity of the person.

Absence of the practice of good business etiquette will inevitably become

stumbling blocks in the path to business success and to avoid such stumbling
blocks, the following must be observed:

Business Decorum.
From the Latin term decōrus "proper, becoming, handsome," from décor "beauty,
grace," the root of English décor. The corresponding adjective is decorous,
meaning "well-behaved in a particular situation." In general, this means a polite
and proper behavior. Decorum can also be termed as business etiquette.

In the business setting, decorum includes language, actions, habits, behaviors

and actions done in the business setting. In communication, there should be
proper choices of words and even in written communication. Since most
communications now use technology and advocates for paperless
correspondence is being encouraged, such practice of netiquette is observed.

Cultures differ on how business people have to be addressed according to their

titles and positions. It is also the dictates of culture on how business dealings be
conducted relating to time and questions to be asked in the meeting. The simple
exchange of business cards has set norms, the way food must be served as part
of the dining etiquette. The observance of proper decorum in the business setting
is important to foster good relationships between employees, business owners
and customers and among business partners.
Decorum means working professionally, engaging in proper manners with and
among co-workers in a spirit of camaraderie and respect. The way one dresses is
part of decorum. The attire of the employees of the company is part of its
organizational symbol that reflects the culture of the company. The attire and
appearance of any employee should never be offensive and uncomfortable for
others in the workplace. To address this issue, companies provide uniforms, the
style, color and logos reflect a respectable reputation for the company aside from
making it as a brand name.

In the workplace, one must actively listen, provide constructive feedback, pay
attention when someone speaks to him, is more likely to smile and make eye
contact, speak clearly and avoid any language or words that could be
misunderstood. Respect in the workplace includes setting a limit or avoiding
intrusion on the “space” of the person which include the workplace allotted to the
person, the things belonging to him. Respect for the person’s time means being
punctual for meetings and other occasions whether formal or not, it is considered
impolite to keep people waiting. Arriving to work late is not only a disrespect but a
sign of being irresponsible.

Business decorum also includes maintaining professionalism and proper conduct

when communicating with people through virtual communication channels. Virtual
communications are now indispensable in business relations like social media,
email, online chats and other such. Communication via these channels must be
clear, precise, concise and meticulously written. For example – bold, underlined,
capital letters, use of different colors, multiple question or exclamation marks and
other such written matter is construed as extremely rude and often cause a
breakdown in communication.
Business Protocol.

Business protocol is a general term that includes guidelines, responsibilities and

decorum each employee has to comply with upon being hired. This includes
several aspects of a business from behavior and dress to task execution. The
protocol is usually in the form of employee contract indicating the job description
and job specifications; or in most instances is the Employee Handbook or Manual
depending on how the company prepares such. A business protocol serves as
the contract that an employee has to sign as proof of understanding and intention
to comply with all requirements and expectations of the company.

Business protocol is an assurance that employees accept, understand and

execute their roles and responsibilities in the company from appearance,
attitudes, behaviors and role execution. This is to encourage all employees in all
levels of the organization to act in a uniform manner according to the dictates of
the organizational culture.

Business protocol is an assurance that employees accept, understand and

execute their roles and responsibilities in the company from appearance,
attitudes, behaviors and role execution. This is to encourage all employees in all
levels of the organization to act in a uniform manner according to the dictates of
the organizational culture.
Business Policy.

A set of guidelines developed by an organization to govern the actions of the

organization. They define the limits within which decisions must be made regarding
acquisition of resources with which organizational goals can be achieved.

Employees are now being empowered and are given rights and privileges for decision-
making but business policy outlines the extent by which decisions can be rendered,
what kinds and types of problems they can deal with including the flow of
communication and the extent of accountabilities of both lower level and higher
management, this particularly applies to the front liners whose service are directed to
the customers. In the service organization, the front liners are usually the waiters, the
guards, the, customer service representatives, tellers, etc.

A business policy must have the following features: (1) specific or definite; (2) clear or
unambiguous avoiding jargons and connotations; (3) reliable and uniform so that it can
be followed by all subordinates; (4) appropriate to the nature of the organization and its
goals; (5) simple as to be understood by all in the organization; (6) comprehensive and
inclusive that it covers a wide scope; (7) flexible so that line managers can use it in
repetition or in a routine manner; and stable so that it will not cause indecisiveness and
uncertainty in minds of those who look into it for guidance.

Marketing. Business marketing as a practice of individuals, commercial businesses,

governments and institutions primarily deals with the practice of selling or re-selling their
products either in the form of goods and services to individuals (B2C) or other business
organization (B2B) as a means of sustenance and competitiveness in the market. It
entails strategies that seek to promote honesty, fairness and responsibility. For this
reason, principles for ethical marketing have been crafted.
Principles of Ethical Marketing (marketing school.org)
1. All marketing communications share the common standard of truth.
2. Marketing professionals abide by the highest standards of personal ethics.

3. Advertising is clearly distinguished from news and entertainment content.

4. Marketers should be transparent about who they pay to endorse their products.
5. Consumers should be treated fairly based on the nature of the product and the
nature of the consumer (e.g. marketing to children).
6. The privacy of the consumer should never be compromised.
7. Marketer must comply with regulations and standards established by the
government and professional organizations.
8. Ethics should be discussed openly and honestly during all marketing decisions.

Discussion and Processing:

Explain each principle by providing an example for each.

Bookkeeping.

It is a system of maintaining records and data within a centralized book. It refers to the
day-to-day techniques employed to expedite the general recordkeeping process. This
grouping covers the inputting of amounts, dates, and sources per each item on both the
revenue (assets) and expense (debits) sides of the ledger. Bookkeeping now takes
advantage of modern technology where data are no longer written entirely in long or
short-hand or retained within a physical master ledger book.

Bookkeeping is different from accounting since the latter encapsulates larger and
broader category of financial documentation procedures that includes database
management, invoice processing, income verification, tax processing and payroll that
culminate in a single, concentric financial report.

The term "accounting" encapsulates the larger, broader category comprising a wide
range of financial documentation procedures, including database management, invoice
processing, income verification, tax processing and payroll, that culminate in a single,
concentric financial report.
Bookkeepers may be held liable when they allow employee monies withheld but not
paid to the government or when they try to make “tricks” as to decreasing the amount of
taxes that can be paid to the bureau of Internal Revenue.

Reportorial Requirements.

Businesses under sole proprietorship must be registered with the Department of Trade
and Industry and for partnership and corporations, must be registered with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Business permits must be cecured from the
barangay or the municipality where the business exists. Registration must also be done
with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), social Security System (SSS), Philhealth
and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-ibig). Businesses must comply with the
monthly, quarterly and yearly statutory compliance.

Benefits of Ethical Business Practices

The company must put down in writing certain ground rules that constitute business
etiquette through the Code of Ethics or the Rules of right Conduct. With such
established guidelines and rules in place employees and customers would know when
their behavior is appropriate and when such is a violation of etiquettes. Without such
communication, employee behavior towards the company and each other would not
follow a pattern that could result in breakdown of communication and conflicts. Business
etiquette encourages solidarity, fellowship and unity among the people in the company
and when people work together they achieve greater heights and gain more success for
themselves and the company they work in. Treating each other and the company with
respect is a very basic requirement for any business relationship and proper business
etiquette leads to individual development and enhances the reputation and profitability
of the company.