Business communication - ethics, psychology, culture of business communication

Business communication is a form of communication interaction that is based on the basic principles, norms and rules of business etiquette and is characterized by a focus on relationships with subjects or a group of subjects to obtain mutually beneficial results. Subjects who take part in professional communication interaction adhere to the official style of communication and are aimed at obtaining results by solving assigned tasks and achieving established goals.

The skills of competently conducting a business conversation and a correct understanding of the personal characteristics of the interlocutor, his goals, objectives and interests can be considered the determining factors for conducting successful professional meetings and negotiations.

Ethics of business communication

Unlike other types of communication interactions, for example, personal or social, business communication has its own meaningful characteristics and features. The identification of such features allows us to give a more specific and complete definition of the concept of “business communication”.

The ethics of business communication is determined by how successfully the distinctive features of national psychological types preserved in group ideas about the state, nationality, and in phraseological turns that contain generalized characteristics of the image are taken into account.

Knowledge of national and understanding of the psychological types of different nationalities, their traditions, customs, uniqueness of cultural and historical heritage, their customs, language, peculiarities of expression of feelings, temperament, is urgently necessary for a business person, regardless of his field of activity, professional orientation, since it promotes effective communication , overcoming national egoism, fostering respect for the culture of other peoples.

The ethics of business communication is fundamentally based on many sciences, in particular on the psychology of management and communication, ethics, and the scientific organization of labor. The study of communication ethics is driven by the needs of the modern world. Psychology and ethics of business communication are unique pillars of successful interaction with various individuals.

A person, regardless of his role (a leader or middle manager, a simple entrepreneur or a civil servant), must certainly be able to clearly formulate his own thoughts, argue his point of view, analyze the judgments of a partner, and critically evaluate relevant statements and proposals. For this, the most important condition is the ability to listen to the interlocutor, correctly conduct and direct the conversation, create a friendly atmosphere during communication, and make a positive impression. All these skills are impossible without appropriate preliminary training.

The central element of communication ethics is the direct personality of the leader or subordinate. In order to become a professional and an excellent specialist in any industry, it is not enough to have the necessary knowledge and skills, and interpersonal skills. In addition, you also need to have an appropriate level of speech culture and internal culture. Speech culture and business communication are closely interconnected.

Today, ethical argumentation is represented by the two most common principles of its construction: the principle of utilitarianism and the moral imperative. The principle of utilitarianism is based on an action that will be considered morally justified provided that it tends to benefit the maximum number of people. The amount of damage caused is compared with the total benefit of the action. If the harm outweighs, then the decision is considered unethical. In cases where any alternative actions will cause damage to some extent, the path of least damage is chosen. The principle of the moral imperative is based on the fact that moral decisions under no circumstances depend on a specific consequence (i.e., a bribe is bad, deceiving one consumer is the same immoral act as many).

Business communication etiquette is considered the most important aspect of people’s professional behavior. Knowledge of etiquette is an urgently needed professional quality that must be acquired and improved. The role of business communication in the success of any business is difficult to overestimate. It is a necessary component of the life of individuals, the most important type of interaction with other individuals. After all, it is in communication that a certain system of goals is developed, which is characterized to some extent by stability. To achieve success in conversations with business partners, you must understand and take into account their interests. No less important for people is the ability to competently formulate and express their thoughts, to achieve mutual understanding in solving problems in the direct interaction of individuals.

Psychology of business communication

In psychological terms, communication interaction is at the same time an exchange of actions, thoughts, emotional experiences, feelings and the orientation of the individual towards himself, his own soul, conscience, dreams.

Business communication can be considered a process that is based on education and self-education. This is a form of personal creativity that helps to identify and develop the best sides of an individual’s personality.

Psychology and ethics of business communication are components of a complex of sciences that are based on the basic categories and principles of most sciences.

The effectiveness of business communication interaction is, first of all, determined by the activities of the subjects. Such activity has a socially significant equivalent, which can ultimately be measured by such a valuable and important indicator as monetary resources.

Business communication helps to establish connections and develop relationships aimed at cooperation and partnership between colleagues, superiors and subordinates, partners, rivals and competitors. A specialist, not to mention a manager, will never be successful in his activities if he does not master at least the basics of business communication. Communication interaction requires a high psychological culture from the individual.

Successful business communication also requires constant study and consideration of the emotional aspects of relationships. Often business people believe that feelings have no place in business, but they are very mistaken. After all, not paying attention to the feelings and emotional experiences of employees, you can lead the team to serious conflicts that will cost the enterprise dearly. Reason and emotions are inseparable components of the subject. During a communication interaction with a partner or colleague, many different signals are received by their senses.

There are certain techniques with which you can turn the interlocutor’s disposition in your direction. The “proper name” technique is based on the obligatory pronunciation of the interlocutor’s name out loud. “Mirror of attitude” means that a smile on the face will cause a reciprocal smile, and a gloomy grimace, on the contrary. A pleasant facial expression attracts the interlocutor's favor. Compliments are the “golden words” of any conversation. They contain a slight exaggeration of the merits that the interlocutor represents. However, it is necessary to distinguish compliments from rude flattery, which consists of greatly exaggerating the merits of the interlocutor.

In the psychology of business communication, it is important to use methods of influencing interlocutors through speech. Business communication and speech during it have certain specifics. During communication interactions, 90% of the interlocutor’s attention is paid to speech characteristics, when, for example, during interpersonal interactions – 50%, or even less. Its main characteristics include:

vocabulary that makes the conversation more vivid, rich, reasoned, accessible, and persuasive;

composition of speech, which allows the use of professional terms instead of jargon;

literacy;

pronunciation and intonation.

It is necessary to understand that it matters not only what exactly the subject says, but also how he says it; non-verbal components, which include the speaker’s posture, facial expressions and gestures.

Areas of forming connections in business

But, in addition to special events, entrepreneurs use every opportunity to expand the company’s business connections. The main areas in which you can expand your circle of useful acquaintances are:

Circle of colleagues. Each person has their own social circles and this can be used to make new friends.
Partners. Each organization has its own circle of connections and you can also make it your own.
Place of study. It’s not for nothing that management experts say that building a career should begin while still studying. It is known that many classmates willingly support each other in conducting business.
Rest, leisure. It is no secret that many connections are made in an informal setting: in sanatoriums, fitness clubs, hobby clubs, resorts, everywhere you can find useful people who will subsequently help develop your business.

Business communication culture

The most important indicator of assessing the professionalism of an employee is the culture of business communication. Many bosses focus their attention on this when hiring an individual and in the process of fulfilling his official instructions and job responsibilities.

Business communication over the phone is one of the main types of business conversation. After all, this is the only type of conversation in which it is impossible to influence the interlocutor non-verbally. This is why it is so important to use business communication skills during a telephone conversation.

There are generally accepted rules for conducting any business conversation. These include interest in the topic of the conversation, favor and goodwill towards the conversation partner, and the absence of influence of your general mood on the nature of the conversation.

Communication is considered to be the communication interaction of two or more subjects. Its main purpose is the exchange of messages of a cognitive or emotional nature. In the process of communication, the interlocutor influences the behavior of the communication partner, his state, beliefs and worldview. Such influence will always be mutual, but quite rarely even. Most often, communication is discovered during the joint activities of individuals.

In the process of communication, individuals exchange facial expressions, gestures and phrases with each other. In addition, both communication partners have virtual images of what each of them looks like from the outside, located in their heads. Such images may be similar to the true ones, but not completely. The head also contains the image of your partner. Such an image may correspond to reality, but each individual makes adjustments to it every time. In addition to the two subjects directly involved in a business conversation, there are also social norms. Each individual believes that he is unique, extraordinary and has his own opinion on everything, however, the result of any communication comes down to the judgment of the social norm.

The culture of business communication implies several communication styles and their principles. The culture of business communication interaction also includes business communication etiquette, which implies adherence to certain frameworks, norms and rules of behavior, for example, punctuality, speech culture, appearance, etc.

Speech culture and business communication are indispensable in the modern world of business and entrepreneurship. After all, most of the work process is occupied by conversations, conversations, meetings, and negotiations. In some areas of activity, career growth directly depends on the culture of speech and perfect knowledge of business communication etiquette.

The business type of communication differs from others in that it will always pursue specific goals, have a time limit and are often divided into intervals. Communication will be successful only if there is mutual understanding and trust between the partners.

Features of business communication

Business communication is a rather complex, multifaceted process of forming contacts between individuals who are connected by professional interests, work or official activities. Participants in communication interactions act in an official capacity and are aimed at achieving results and solving specific problems. A characteristic feature of the process of communicative interaction is its regulation, which means subordination to established frameworks determined by national traditions and cultural customs, and professional ethical standards.

The etiquette of business communications contains two groups of rules - norms and instructions. Norms are horizontally directed rules that work in the course of communication between members of the same group of equal status. Instructions are vertically oriented rules that determine the nature of the interaction between a boss and a subordinate.

The peculiarities of business communication are expressed in submission to general requirements, which consist of a friendly and helpful attitude towards absolutely all work colleagues and service partners, regardless of personal preferences, mood, likes or dislikes.

The regulation of business communication is also expressed in the culture of speech.

Business communication and speech must comply with socially developed norms of linguistic behavior, grammar and style, standard ready-made “formulas” that allow the formation of etiquette situations of greeting, gratitude, etc., for example, “hello.” All sustainable label designs must be selected taking into account age and socio-psychological characteristics.

Communication as an interaction implies that subjects establish relationships with each other, exchange the necessary information and information in order to build joint activities, i.e. cooperation. And for communication as a communicative interaction to occur without any problems, it must contain the following stages:

establishing contact, i.e. acquaintance, which involves understanding another individual, a kind of presentation (introduction) of oneself to another subject;

orientation in a situation of communicative interaction, comprehension of what is happening, maintaining pauses and intervals;

discussion of an issue or task of interest;

if necessary, solving the problem;

ending the contact.

The organization of business communication should be built on a partnership basis, based, first of all, on the principles of cooperation, based on mutual needs and requests, and on the interests of the business. Such cooperation will increase labor productivity and creative activity, which is the most important factor in the progress of production, commerce and business.

Formal and informal connections

In the business sphere, communications are classified according to the degree of formalization. Formal connections are established between people within groups created on the basis of certain documents. And informal connections are those that arise regardless of whether there are any documents to support them. Thus, a business or friendly connection can arise between the heads of partner organizations. And formal relations are established between the heads of branches, or, for example, between rectors of universities. But formal connections do not exclude the emergence of informal ones; they can coexist perfectly.

Language of business communication

The language of business communication is an official business style of speech, which is a functional type of syllable and is intended for communicative interaction in the field of business, entrepreneurship, commerce and other professional activities. The functional variety of a syllable represents a failure of the system of linguistic units, methods of their selection and use, which are determined by the social purposes of speech communication.

Speech communications in the field of professional activity have a number of specific characteristics explained by the communication situation. An important significance in the context of business communication is that members of such communication can be legal entities (organizations, enterprises) and officials, ordinary employees. The peculiarity and essence of information relationships into which subjects of business communication can enter depend on the place of the institution or employee in the hierarchy of organizations or positions, respectively, competence, content of activity and a number of other factors. The relationship between institutions and specialists is stable and regulated by accepted norms of law, as a result of which the information flows of institutions have a so-called “programmed” nature that meets the needs of the organization or field of activity.

The fundamentals of business communication always include three main aspects: orthological, communicative and ethical.

Orthology is the science of correct speech, the norms of language and their changes. In the mind of a subject who expresses his thoughts either orally or in writing, a norm is a sample, a template, a scheme according to which a phrase or sentence is constructed. The formation of such norms is influenced by the literary creativity and speech practices of the ethnic group, which are a mandatory criterion for the unity of the language and the proper functioning of the speech system. Therefore, literacy is an indispensable condition for success in business communications. An important characteristic of business communication is the mastery of the normative aspect of the language of oral and written business speech by managers, executives, employees, and employees.

The language of business communication has a huge arsenal of means that must be used, taking into account the scope of application, situation, tasks, circumstances, genre of speech and mobilized to achieve the goal of communication. The communicative side of speech culture examines precisely these issues.

The choice of words in accordance with the goals and situation of communication is determined by the requirements of appropriateness and purity of speech. And for this you need to know the styles of the literary language. For example, an abundance of specific terms, standard phrases and cliches is typical for business writing, but is absolutely not suitable for colloquial speech.

The ethical side of speech culture is represented by speech etiquette, which studies special means of speech to regulate social connections and interpersonal relationships. These include: speech etiquette formulas, texts and norms for their application, as well as rules of behavior in different conditions.

Etiquette standards for business communication depend on the national character. So, for example, what would be a sign of respect in European countries can be considered an insult in Muslim countries.

Reputation and business connections

Well-established relationships in the business sphere are an indicator of the success of a businessman. But there is also a direct correlation between business connections and the reputation of the entrepreneur and the organization he represents. A person with a positive image, known as a professional in his field, will more easily find partners and acquaintances. Therefore, a businessman must not only strive to expand his social circle as much as possible, but also carefully protect his reputation by not getting involved with dubious individuals who could damage the image of the entrepreneur. A good reputation allows you to make acquaintances with respectable, influential people. Reputation also helps to attract the attention of government officials, investors, and promising partners. Therefore, in pursuit of new connections, an entrepreneur should not forget about his image and the reputation of the company.

Types of business communication

The business type of communications involves setting tasks and solving the most important problematic issues. There is a classification of types and forms of business communication. Each type of communication explains a process that is closely interconnected with the specified sphere.

The types, forms and means of business communication today are quite diverse. However, information is transmitted only through sign systems. From here, business communication can be divided into verbal communication, where the sign system is represented by language, and non-verbal business communication, in which non-verbal sign systems are used. This division is also used in other types of communicative interaction.

Verbal communications include conversation, i.e. This is oral verbal communication.

Nonverbal business communication contains everything that gives the subject of communication additional information about the subject of the conversation and about the speaker himself. This type of communication includes postures, facial expressions, gestures, and intonations.

Many experts are confident that interlocutors in the process of communication receive only a small percentage of information through words, and the rest through signals that they read and decipher subconsciously during non-verbal communication. Also, types of professional communication include direct and indirect (indirect).

The direct type of professional communications represents the interaction of individuals in the same space and at the same time. This includes negotiations, conversations, etc. In direct contact during a conversation, non-verbal communication and oral communication are of greatest importance.

Indirect communication includes the transmission of information through written language (for example, email or telephone communication). This type of interaction is considered less effective compared to direct communications. Among indirect communications, business communication over the telephone is in greatest demand. It is distinguished by direct voice contact during a conversation and a wide variety of communication techniques. This makes it easy to combine the business (formal) interaction and the personal (informal) part of any message.

In any case, in business communication, just as in other types of interpersonal communicative interactions, it is important for people to be present simultaneously in the same space and at the same time, which allows you to establish eye contact, make a pleasant impression and influence the entire process of communicative interaction.

Examples

They are found everywhere. Examples of business and personal relationships accompany us constantly. The boss calls a subordinate to his office to talk about his promotion - this is the situation demonstrating the first case. Business relations are visible. This also includes the process of concluding a partnership or employment contract. Even a buyer in a store, communicating with a sales consultant, carries out a business relationship. Because their dialogue has a goal - the purchase and sale of goods. Each business contact leads to a specific result.

Personal relationships also have a purpose. But it is more sublime, since we are talking about the participants in such contact receiving joy from mutual communication. Two friends meet in the evening in a bar to discuss the events of recent days - this is a personal aspect. Just like communication between husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, parents and children.

Forms of business communication

There are several forms of business communications that meet the specific requirements of professional situations. These include: business correspondence, conversation, meeting, negotiations, public speaking, press conference and dispute.

Business correspondence refers to an indirect type of communication, which is implemented through written speech (orders, letters, requests, resolutions, etc.). There are business correspondence within an institution (enterprise), for an organization and between organizations.

A business conversation includes discussions of all sorts of working nuances and processes to make an important decision or to discuss details.

To hold a business meeting, the working team of a company, enterprise, organization or individual management team, some departments gather to solve pressing problems, plan future activities and set tasks.

Public speaking is a subtype of business meeting, during which one subject takes a leadership position and highlights an important issue and shares information with a certain circle of people. The main thing is that the speaker has a complete and detailed understanding of the topic and content of the conversation, and has the necessary personal qualities that would allow him to convey the topic of the speech to the audience.

During business negotiations, the mandatory outcome of communication should be finding a solution and its adoption. During the negotiation process, each party has its own position and direction of views, and the result is a concluded deal or a signed contract.

A press conference involves a meeting of officials (for example, managers, government officials, businessmen, politicians, etc.) with representatives of the media to inform society on current and exciting issues.

Not all issues in the course of business communications can be resolved without a dispute arising, but it can often only complicate the situation due to the fact that individuals do not always behave professionally and are too enthusiastic, emotionally defending their own position.

Forms of business communication cover all situations arising in the course of professional activities. The role of communication in professional activity is to streamline the processes of communicative interactions within the boundaries of the business environment.

Resources for forming long-term business connections

In order to build effective business communication, it is necessary to use certain resources. These include the personal qualities of an entrepreneur: sociability, politeness, friendliness. All this facilitates the process of establishing and maintaining business connections. These resources also include initiative, the ability to establish contacts, curiosity, and openness. Also, resources for establishing connections are the ability to conduct a conversation, a broad outlook, and a willingness to help.

Rules of business communication

The rules and norms of business communication are of great importance in the professional activities of individuals. One wrong word can lead to the loss of a multimillion-dollar deal or ruin all efforts towards career growth. So, there are several general rules of business communications.

The first rule is clear, intelligible speech. The listener must understand what the interlocutor is saying.

The second rule is to avoid monotony during the conversation. Monotonous speech can make anyone feel sad. Emotionally uncolored speech causes an irresistible desire to run away from the interlocutor.

The next rule assumes that the speaker's speech should be at an average pace. Very slow speech leads to disinterest in the interlocutor. It forces one to be distracted from the speaker's information. And speaking too quickly leads to the fact that the communication partner simply cannot keep up with the speaker’s train of thought. If the speech rate is excessively fast or slow, good communication will not work. You should try to alternate short and long sentences. Since long, overloaded sentences are difficult to understand. And a speech consisting only of short phrases will not make the right impression. You should ask questions wisely. Open and closed questions are equally important in a conversation. You need to learn to hear your interlocutor during a conversation. It is not recommended to start a conversation with business proposals. This can only cause rejection and aggression on the part of the interlocutor. You should try to avoid advice given directly. The point of view should be expressed softly and unobtrusively, while constantly emphasizing that this is just a subjective vision of the topic. Independent thinking about the problem should be encouraged. It is not recommended to communicate ready-made solutions. It is necessary to comply with accepted cultural norms and rules of etiquette. After all, the success of professional activity as a whole depends on their compliance.

Business communication differs from other types of interpersonal communications in its regulation. Such communication can be characterized as strict adherence by all participants in the process to their personal roles. This means that in different professional situations an individual can be both a leader and a subordinate, a partner and a colleague. The high responsibility of each participant in business interaction for its result is the main characteristic of business communication.

The success of business communications and communication is largely determined by the chosen communication strategies and tactics, which implies the ability to clearly formulate the goals of communication interactions and correctly determine the interests of partners.

Business communication styles

The sphere of business communication extends to the legal, managerial, and social aspects of the life of subjects. Therefore, the official business style of communication is determined by the practical requirements of professional activity and life in general. It can be implemented in written form (for example, business correspondence by e-mail, regulations, etc.) and orally (for example, meetings, negotiations).

In modern society, using the style of business communications correctly means ensuring sustainable advancement on the career ladder, increasing personal status and success in all areas of business activity.

Business style, in turn, is divided into several subtypes - legislative subtype, diplomatic and administrative-clerical subtype. Each of these subtypes has its own specifics, communicative forms and speech clichés. For example, in diplomatic communications a memorandum and a note are used. In the administrative-clerical style, a receipt, memorandum, certificate, power of attorney, characterization, order, etc. are used. In legislative style - law, paragraph, regulation, agenda, code, etc.

Extreme precision of speech is an essential component of business style. It is achieved, first of all, through the use of special terms, which can be both widespread and highly specialized. Today, the business style of communication is considered the most common in the everyday practice of formal interaction.

Business communication styles include manipulative, ritualistic, and humanistic.

The manipulative style implies the attitude of one conversation partner to another as a production tool and the use of it to complete tasks or obtain certain results. Typical examples of such communications are personal control over the implementation of assigned tasks.

The main task of partners in a ritual style of communication is to create the desired image in society. In such communications, the status of the interlocutors is important, and not their personal or business qualities.

The main direction of the humanistic style is the interlocutors’ support of each other and collective discussion of problems. Individual characteristics of partners are not analyzed and are not divided into positive or negative qualities. The personality is perceived completely. This approach highlights the personal qualities of the individual and his individual characteristics. However, in some circumstances this style of interaction is inappropriate. Knowledge of communication features and means of business communication ensures the success of professional activities.

Posture, gestures, facial expressions of the speaker

Posture, gestures, facial expressions - belonging to an individual style. These elements of the kinetic communication system affect the visual channel of perception, focus attention on the content of information coming through the auditory channel, increase emotionality and thereby contribute to better assimilation of expressed thoughts. According to psychologists, 25% of speech is perceived visually.

The speaker must achieve a sense of stability, balance, lightness, mobility and naturalness on the podium in front of the public. The sight of a person standing motionless for a long time tires the audience. During a long speech, an experienced speaker changes his position. A step forward at the right moment enhances the significance of a particular place in speech and helps to focus attention on it. By stepping back, the speaker allows the audience to “rest” and then moves on to another speaking position. During the performance, you must not walk or step aside. The skill of the speaker is manifested in enhancing the impact with gestures and facial expressions. Excessive virtuosity does not decorate the speaker and causes irony and hostility. It is necessary to distinguish meaningless mechanical gestures from meaningful gestures that contribute to the success of speech (shaking the head, straightening hair, dressing, turning a pen, etc.). It is argued that the best and most perfect gesture is the one that the listeners do not notice, that is, it organically merges with the content of the speech.

Negative and positive gestures:

The head, as if “pressed” to the shoulders, expresses a feeling of threat and, as a result, defensive behavior: helplessness, fear, nervousness.
Hands at the sides demonstrate firmness, confidence, stability and superiority of the speaker over others.
Hands resting on the back of the chair, podium, table shows the desire for any support due to uncertainty.
Staticity or immobility of the body expresses uncertainty, constraint, isolation, and avoidance of contacts.

Negative gestures during speaking may also include: hands in pockets or crossed over chest, hands clenched into fists, hand over mouth, looking away, passing hand behind chair before sitting down.

You can also highlight gestures that, on the contrary, demonstrate your goodwill towards the public: shrugging your shoulders, turning your hands towards the public with your palms up, unbuttoning your jacket, reducing the distance between you and your interlocutor. These gestures will help you win over your audience and allow them to relax internally.

When speaking, you cannot ignore eye contact with the audience. It plays an important role in establishing non-verbal communication and is a “bridge” of mutual understanding. Before you speak, take another look at each audience to listen to you. And during your speech, select several people from the audience to whom you seem to “address” your thoughts.

The main indicator of the speaker's feelings is his facial expression. The speaker's facial expressions stimulate the audience's emotions and are capable of conveying a range of experiences: joy and sadness, doubt, irony, determination... The facial expression must correspond to the nature of the speech. A good speaker, as A.F. noted. Kony, “the face speaks with a tongue.” The person and the entire appearance of the speaker should convey a friendly and even benevolent attitude. The public does not like those who are angry or indifferent.

Analysis is necessary after a public speaking performance. First of all, to find, highlight and take into account further shortcomings.