Course: (HS-301) BOC Course Instructor: Ms.

Shazia Mushtaque
Communication Technologies and Techniques

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Course: (HS-301) BOC Course Instructor: Ms. Shazia Mushtaque

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Course: (HS-301) BOC Course Instructor: Ms. Shazia Mushtaque
Business Communication Etiquettes
Etiquette is more about attitude than about formal rules of behavior. That attitude is a desire to show others
consideration and respect. It includes a desire to make others feel comfortable. You don’t have to become an
etiquette nut, but you might need to polish your social competencies a little to be an effective businessperson
today. Here are a few simple pointers:
● Use polite words. Be generous with words and phrases such as please, thank you, and you’re welcome.
● Express sincere appreciation and praise. Tell coworkers how much you appreciate their efforts.
Remember that written thank-you notes are even better than saying thanks.
● Be selective in sharing personal information. Avoid talking about health concerns, personal relationships,
or finances in the office.
● Don’t put people down. If you have a reputation for criticizing people, your coworkers will begin to wonder
what you are saying behind their backs.
● Respect coworkers’ space. Turn down the ringer on your business phone, minimize the use of
speakerphones, and turn your personal cell phone down or off during business hours. Avoid wearing heavy
perfumes or bringing strong smelling food.
● Rise above others’ rudeness. Don’t use profanity or participate in questionable joke telling.
● Be considerate when sharing space and equipment with others. Clean up after yourself.
● Choose the high road in conflict. Avoid letting discussions degenerate into shouting matches. Keep a calm
voice tone and focus on the work rather than on personality differences.
● Disagree agreeably. You may not agree with everyone, but you should respect their opinions.

Examining Business Communication Ethics

“There is adultery and fraud everywhere. Poor buy liquid milk to get some nutrition but they (manufacturers) were
selling chemicals in the name of milk. Every food item available in the market is tainted.
They have been told to write in bold letters on tea whiteners and other products that it was not milk.
[Link]
As a business communicator, you should understand basic ethical principles so that you can make logical
decisions when faced with dilemmas in the workplace. Professionals in any field must deal with moral
dilemmas on the job. However, just being a moral person and having sound personal ethics may not be
sufficient to handle the ethical issues that you may face in the workplace. Consider the following ethical
dilemmas:
E-mail message. You accidentally receive a message outlining your company’s restructuring plan. You see
that your coworker’s job will be eliminated. He and his wife are about to purchase a new home. Should you
tell him that his job is in danger?
Customer letter. You are writing a letter to a customer who is irate over a mistake you made. Should you
blame it on a computer glitch, point the finger at another department, or take the blame and risk losing this
customer’s goodwill and possibly your job?
Progress report. Should you write a report that ignores problems in a project, as your boss asks? Your boss
controls your performance evaluation.
Sales report. Should you inflate sales figures so that your team can meet its quarterly goal? Your team leader
strongly urges you to do so, and you receive a healthy bonus if your team meets its goal.
Presentation. You are rushing to prepare a presentation. On the Web you find perfect wording and great
graphics. Should you lift the graphics and wording but change a few words? You figure that if it is on the Web,
it must be in the public domain.
Proposal. Your company urgently needs a revenue-producing project. Should you submit a proposal that
unrealistically suggests a short completion schedule to ensure that you get the job?
Resume. Should you inflate your grade-point average or give yourself more experience or a higher job title
than your experience warrants to make your résumé more attractive?
The job market is very competitive.
On the job you will face many dilemmas, and you will want to react ethically. But what is ethical behavior?
Ethics author Mary E. Guffey defined ethics as “that behavior which is the right thing to do, given the
circumstances.” Determining the right thing to do, however, is not always an easy task. No solid rules guide
us. For some people, following the law is enough. Anything legal must be ethical. Most people, however,

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believe that ethical standards rise to a higher level. What are those standards? Although many ethical dilemmas
have no “right” answer, one solution is often better than another. In deciding on that solution, keep in mind the
goals of ethical business communicators.

Goals of Ethical Business Communicators

Taking ethics into consideration can be painful in the short term. But in the long term, ethical behavior makes
sense and pays off. Dealing honestly with colleagues and customers develops trust and builds stronger
relationships. Many businesses today recognize that ethical practices make good business sense. Ethical
companies endure less litigation, less resentment, and less government regulation. The following guidelines
can help you set specific ethical goals. Although the following goals hardly constitute a formal code of conduct,
they will help you maintain a high ethical standard.
Abiding by the Law. Know the laws in your field and follow them. Particularly important for business
communicators are issues of copyright law. Under the concept of fair use, individuals have limited rights to
use copyrighted material without requiring permission. To be safe, one should assume that anything produced
privately after 1989—including words, charts, graphs, photos, music—is copyrighted. By the way, don’t
assume that Internet items are in the “public domain” and free to be used. Internet items are also covered by
copyright laws. If you are in accounting, financial management, investing, or corporate management, you
should be aware of the restrictions set forth by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, officially known as the ‘Public
Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002.’ Whatever is your field, become
familiar with its regulations.
Telling the Truth. Ethical business communicators do not intentionally make statements that are untrue or
deceptive. We become aware of dishonesty in business when violators break laws, notably in advertising,
packaging, and marketing. The Federal Trade Commission, for example, charged Stouffer Foods with
misrepresentation for its claim that Lean Cuisine entrees always contain less than 1 gram of sodium. In a fine-
print footnote, careful consumers learn that 1 gram is equivalent to 1,000 milligrams, which is the commonly
used unit of measurement for sodium.44 The FTC also has cracked down on the makers of exercise equipment,
such as Abflex, because three minutes a day on the “ab” machine doesn’t come close to producing a
“washboard stomach,” as the manufacturer claimed.
Labeling Opinions. Sensitive communicators know the difference between facts and opinions. Facts are
verifiable and often are quantifiable; opinions are beliefs held with confidence but without substantiation. It is
a fact, for example, that women are starting businesses at two times the rate of men.46 It is an opinion, though,
that the so-called “glass ceiling” has held women back in business organizations with the result that women
are forced to start their own businesses. It is a fact that many companies are developing teams as tools to
achieve management objectives. It is an opinion that teams are more effective in solving problems than
individuals. Stating opinions as if they were facts is unethical.
Being Objective. Ethical business communicators recognize their own biases and strive to keep them from
distorting a message. Suppose you are asked to investigate laptop computers and write a report recommending
a brand for your office. As you visit stores, you discover that an old high school friend is selling Brand X.
Because you always liked this individual and have faith in his judgment, you may be inclined to tilt your
recommendation in his direction. However, it is unethical to misrepresent the facts in your report or to put a
spin on your arguments based on friendship. To be ethical, you could note in your report that you have known
the person for ten years and that you respect his opinion. In this way, you have disclosed your relationship as
well as the reasons for your decision. Honest reporting means presenting the whole picture and relating all
facts fairly.
Communicating Clearly. Ethical business communicators feel an obligation to write clearly so that receivers
understand easily and quickly. Some states have even passed “Plain English” laws that require businesses to
write policies, warranties, and contracts in language comprehensible to average readers. Plain English means
short sentences, simple words, and clear organization. Communicators who intentionally obscure their
meaning with long sentences and difficult words are being unethical.
Using Inclusive Language. Strive to use language that includes rather than excludes. Do not use expressions
that discriminate against individuals or groups on the basis of their sex, ethnicity, disability, or age. Language
is discriminatory when it stereotypes, insults, or excludes people.
Giving Credit. Ethical communicators give credit for ideas by

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Course: (HS-301) BOC Course Instructor: Ms. Shazia Mushtaque
(a) referring to originators’ names within the text;
(b) using quotation marks; and
(c) documenting sources with endnotes, footnotes, or internal references. Don’t suggest that you did all the
work on a project if you had help. In school or on the job, stealing ideas, words, graphics, or any other original
material is unethical.

Tools for Doing the Right Thing

In composing messages or engaging in other activities on the job, business communicators can’t help being
torn by conflicting loyalties. Do we tell the truth and risk our jobs? Do we show loyalty to friends even if it
means bending the rules? Should we be tactful or totally honest? Is it our duty to make a profit or to be socially
responsible? Acting ethically means doing the right thing given the circumstances. Each set of circumstances
requires analyzing issues, evaluating choices, and acting responsibly.
Resolving ethical issues is never easy, but the task can be made less difficult if you know how to identify key
issues. The following questions may be helpful.
● Is the action you are considering legal? No matter who asks you to do it or how important you feel the
result will be, avoid anything that is prohibited by law. Giving a kickback to a buyer for a large order is illegal,
even if you suspect that others in your field do it and you know that without the kickback you will lose the
sale.
● How would you see the problem if you were on the opposite side? Looking at all sides of an issue helps
you gain perspective. Consider the issue of mandatory drug testing among employees. From management’s
viewpoint such testing could stop drug abuse, improve job performance, and lower health insurance premiums.
From the employees’ viewpoint mandatory testing reflects a lack of trust of employees and constitutes an
invasion of privacy. By weighing both sides of the issue, you can arrive at a more equitable solution.
● What are alternate solutions? Consider all dimensions of other options. Would the alternative be more
ethical? Under the circumstances, is the alternative feasible? Can an alternate solution be implemented with a
minimum of disruption and with a good possibility of success? Let’s say you wrote a report about testing a
new product, but your boss changed the report to distort the findings. Should you go to the head of the company
and reveal that the report is inaccurate? A more tactful alternative would be to approach your boss and ask
whether you misunderstood the report’s findings or whether an error might have been made.
● Can you discuss the problem with someone whose advice you trust? Suppose you feel ethically bound
to report accurate information to a client even though your manager has ordered you not to do so. Talking
about your dilemma with a coworker or with a colleague in your field might give you helpful insights and lead
to possible alternatives.
● How would you feel if your family, friends, employer, or coworkers learned of your action? If the
thought of revealing your action publicly produces cold sweats, your choice is probably unwise. Losing the
faith of your friends or the confidence of your customers is not worth whatever short-term gains might be
realized. Perhaps the best advice in ethical matters is contained in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you
would have others do unto you. The ultimate solution to all ethics problems is treating others fairly and doing
what is right to achieve what is good.
Sources:
Pg. 10-11 [Mary_Ellen_Guffey]_Business_Communication_Process

Members of the International Association of Business Communicators have developed a code of ethics with 12 guidelines (articles) that spell
out criteria for determining what is right and wrong for members of its organization. You can see the IABC Code of Ethics for Professional
Communicators at [Link]
[Mary_Ellen_Guffey]_Business_Communication_Proces_Communicating in today’s workplace

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