Business ethics has long been an object of study. Even Aristotle equated profit with usury, and business was treated as one of the spheres of human activity. At all times, special attention was paid to the entrepreneur, the key element of entrepreneurship, the ethical foundations on which he bases his business. Business ethics is a business ethics based on honesty, openness, loyalty to the given word, the ability to function effectively in the market in accordance with the current legislation, established rules and traditions. Business exists in a complex ethical world, where the main thing is to avoid unethical steps in relationships. Humane management is more effective than aggressive management. The strategic goals of the company are easier to achieve, focusing on ethical principles. work in modern organization it is advisable to consider it as a group rather than an individual. From this, the conclusion is clear about the importance of forming and using the possibilities of a corporate culture that gives people an idea of the nature of the activity, generally accepted values, orientation and philosophy of the company. A high culture enables the manager to lead through norms and values, make decisions faster on the ground, offers clear quality standards, specific criteria for self-assessment, and facilitates a comprehensive understanding of what is happening in the team. Corporate culture enriches people with a sense of confidence, gives rise to a sense of pride in the company, counteracts the possible departure of employees, which significantly increases the stability of operation. People are the carriers of corporate culture. But in organizations with a well-established corporate culture, it sort of moves away from people and becomes an attribute of the organization, a part of it that has a powerful impact on its participants, transforming their behavior in accordance with the norms and values that form its basis. The culture of an organization is a complex composition of various assumptions and prerequisites (and often not even amenable to formation), unsubstantiated, a priori accepted and shared by members of the team. Often, corporate culture is interpreted as the philosophy and ideology of management accepted by the main part of the organization's team, value orientations, beliefs, expectations, dispositions and norms that underlie relationships and interactions within the organization and beyond. The purpose of the corporate culture is to ensure high profitability of the company by improving human resource management to ensure employee loyalty to management and decisions made by them, educating employees to treat the company as their home, which leads to maximization of efficiency production management and to qualitative improvements in the activities of the company as a whole. Ethics and etiquette are close, interdependent, complementary concepts. Ethics, of course, is a much broader concept. Etiquette - a system of rules of conduct in in public places when interacting with other people. It concerns all forms of human communication, but above all, of course, communication in the business sphere. General principles cultures of behavior are specified by the basic requirements of etiquette: politeness, correctness, tact, delicacy, modesty, naturalness of behavior, accuracy, commitment. For a business person, the strictest observance of these requirements is the basis for achieving success. Tact and delicacy are of particular importance. Delicacy should not be excessive, turn into flattery, lead to unjustified praise. Tact is a sense of proportion that must be observed in personal and official relationships, the ability to feel the border that cannot be crossed in relationships with people. It is important to take into account the spiritual world of others, to understand what people can cause a negative reaction. A very important requirement of etiquette is modesty. A sign of a well-mannered person is his behavior, adapted to the environment, the ability to behave modestly. It testifies to the integrity of the personality, its versatile inner world, the ability to always control oneself, which disposes to a person, contributes to effective solution business questions. In business relations, a lot depends on the nature of personal meetings, conversations, negotiations, meetings. Business ethics is a kind of intermediary that allows you to quickly find the optimal solution, while smoothing sharp corners, with dignity to get out of difficult situations. Any business meetings, negotiations are of an original nature: each time a different subject for discussion, new conditions and participants. The common thing that distinguishes them from other types of market activities is the preliminary organization, compliance with the conditions accepted in the business world, in the relationship of participants business communication. By observing business etiquette, you emphasize the significance and importance of your partner, create convenience and comfort for him. With your culture and well-chosen clothes, you demonstrate the importance for you and respect for the opinions of others. Business etiquette is not only a condition for career growth and a tool for building relationships, it is an integral part of the company's corporate culture. After all, every employee is her constituent element . In many thriving companies, business etiquette, as part of the corporate culture of employees, has contributed to their development and advancement in the competitive world of business. When employees know that it is not enough just to greet the visitor, but also to stand up when he enters, introduce himself and offer to sit down - this will definitely be counted. It is impossible not to notice if the company's employees are professionally dressed, treat each other and customers correctly and cordially, speak politely and quietly and do not gossip in the corridors. All these are elements of corporate culture. The constancy of good manners is the best way to inspire the trust of customers and partners. You are stable and professional, your behavior is largely predictable, and you are safe, which means you meet or even exceed people's expectations. Knowing the principles of business etiquette will help you easily overcome many of the undercurrents that arise in the process of business communication. The first principle of business etiquette is the ability to perform one's job functions without interfering with others' performance. That is, you must behave towards colleagues or clients the way you would like them to behave towards you. The second principle of business etiquette is the principle of positivity. You should always radiate an open and friendly attitude towards colleagues and clients. For example: always start and end business conversations with a smile; never gossip or allow discussion of the physical merits or demerits of anyone; if your sense of humor or irony humiliates others, refrain from such wit. Adopt the principle: if there is nothing positive or benevolent to say, it is better to remain silent. The third principle of business etiquette is the predictability of behavior in various situations. You seem to emphasize to others that you are stable, constant and reliable, that you know how to behave, and always fulfill your obligations. The fourth principle of business etiquette is that the rules of the relationship between a man and a woman, adopted in civil etiquette, are not transferred to business etiquette. There are no men and women in the business world, there are status differences. Business is a community of people without gender. Of course, business people at work remain men and women, but their gender should not be conspicuous or overemphasized. The fifth principle of business etiquette is the principle of appropriateness: following certain rules at a certain time, in a certain place, with certain people. Business etiquette represents a specific culture of business relations. It includes the established rules and customs of behavior in predetermined situations with common sense, rationality and usefulness of the content embedded in them. A serious entrepreneur is more likely to suffer a loss than violate business etiquette, the norms of entrepreneurial ethics. After a loss, you can always make a profit, but after a loss of reputation, it is not always possible to restore it. Thus, business etiquette is a set of rules, principles and specific forms of business communication. In etiquette, attentiveness and respect, the ability to listen, to render a service to those in need are highly valued. The ability to manage your negative emotions indicates good breeding and good manners. Therefore, the best way to overcome irritation and discontent in yourself and others is a human smile.
For modern ethics business a priori are issues of corporate social responsibility. The opinion that the financial well-being of a company is the last thing that encourages it to comply with ethical standards is fundamentally wrong; the very life and practice of business has postulated the following statement: “Good ethics means good business". Otherwise, a negative reaction from customers and partners will inevitably lead to a significant decrease in the company's profitability, and a dubious reputation disseminated by the media will lead to a lack of any confidence in it. Nobel laureate Milton Friedman writes that “the true role of business! "to use his energy and resources in activities aimed at increasing profits, provided that he adheres to the rules of the game ... participates in open competition, without resorting to fraud and deceit."
Ethics imposes on business system of restrictions, which is the sum of the moral rules and traditions that have developed in this society.
Business ethics - business ethics based on honesty, openness, loyalty to the given word, the ability to function effectively in the market in accordance with applicable law, established rules and traditions.22
The experience of international business confirms the importance of business ethics in shaping the success of a firm.
Thus, the dishonest behavior of the Coca-Cola company, cases of giving bribes to competitors as compensation during litigation with them, cost this company a market share given to Pepsico, since the latter had evidence of the unseemly activities of the Coca-Cola company.
By the beginning of the 80s. Three main directions have developed in business ethics: "ethics of philanthropy", "ethics of justice", "ethics of personal autonomy",
The first of them directly connects goodness with the result to which goodness leads, and encourages business to charitable activities. The second declares equality and justice between the employees of the company. And the third direction considers the observance of the rights of other subjects - business partners, customers and competitors as the main moral rule.
The discussion of business ethics is based on the ethics of personal relationships.
The very word "ethics" is of Greek origin and is literally translated as "habit", "character", "temper". As a philosophical category, ethics was defined by Aristotle. He devoted the works “Big Ethics”, “Nicomachean Ethics”, “Eudemian Ethics” to this philosophical direction, where he considered the issues of sources, the nature of morality, justice, the highest good, the meaning of life, and much more.25 With regard to business ethics, Aristotle preached reasonable behavior and moderation.26
Ethics was devoted to the works of many philosophers, among whom were Plato, Thomas Aquinas, Hegel, Feuerbach. Despite the difference in views, they all defined morality as the object of study of ethics. In most philosophical teachings, the highest good (Plato), the absolute idea (Hegel), the divine law were considered the basis of morality, which assigned a special role in the study of the ethics of theology, and the best ethical guide at all times was considered " Golden Rule”, common to the Old and New Testaments, as well as most religions, prescribing to behave towards others as we would like them to treat us.27
At certain points in history, religion has shown a negative attitude towards business.
Medieval Catholic theology was especially merciless to any way of "making money". "Christ gave one piece of advice to merchants and merchants to quit trading and follow him," writes David J. Vogel. Protestantism sanctified the desire for profit, and according to its canons, “only by working, one could serve God, but also definitely increase wealth to the glory of God through the correct use of this wealth ... A diligent worker turns out to be less attractive to the devil, and reward with financial success has become be understood as a sign of God's favor.28 Protestant theologian of the 16th century. John Calvin even interpreted financial success as a blessing from above. It was during the Reformation that a successful businessman began to be considered a "moral man."
However, the assertion that the Protestant work ethic contributed to the development of special diligence, diligence, hard work among representatives of countries that profess it is a myth. Business-Inform magazine cites the following results of research by the British Special International Agency for Social Research. “The average working week among workers, employees and employers is 44.9 hours in Germany and 42.4 hours in Italy. Thus, the difference between the work of Protestants and Catholics is 2.5 hours per week. In Britain they work 42 hours a week, which either destroys the theory or makes them honorary Latins.
These numerical examples don't take into account that Germans have more paid holidays than Italians or Britons. Including holidays, Germans have an average of 39 paid public holidays in a year against 33 for the Italians and 34 for the British. Thus, although the Germans have a longer working week, there are fewer weeks themselves.
The farther south you go, the more unreliable statistics are in estimating hours of work. In Italy, the shadow economy is 30-40% of the entire economy. This is not exactly reflected in the statistics. In Germany - about 10%, and in Britain - 15%. In Latin countries, most people have a second job with a lighter working day that starts and ends earlier.
Outside of big cities, these may be mobile small enterprises, the results of which do not appear in the statistics.
Observations confirm that people work in the south as intensively as in the north. The claim that members of one race or culture work harder than another is subjective. In fact, there is a quite measurable difference between a productive and a less productive economy. And the reason for this difference is not the intensity of labor, but its efficiency. The problem is management, not motivation.”29
Market economy is based on profit-driven private enterprise, which is absolutely legal.
Roy Domari, president of the Swiss-Russian business club, argues: “If this is unacceptable for someone, he should not be in business, because profit is the cornerstone of a market economy.”30 In terms of labor protection, environment, compliance with the rules of competition, the elimination of discrimination, society must impose certain restrictions on the activities of the company. For “companies as organizations have neither conscience nor morality. It is the people who work in them who bring an element of ethics into the activities of firms, and the operation of ethics covers a much wider area than the existing legal restrictions.”31
A firm's reputation is built from a simple sum of examples of good behavior by its employees, which is demonstrated by:
♦ in relation to the company's property;
♦ in situations where different interests collide;
♦ when establishing external business relations;
♦ when working with government agencies;
♦ in relationships with customers and competitors;
♦ in very delicate situations, when the firm's employees face the problem of choosing whether to publicize or keep secret an example of a violation by colleagues of intra-company rules and regulations.
For a manager of any level, it is extremely necessary to understand the basics of ethics, as he is forced to constantly make certain decisions. How will they be evaluated by peers? What will be the consequences of these decisions? To get answers to these questions, it is necessary to clearly understand what kind of moral climate has developed in a given society and in a given firm.
The manager needs to maintain long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with company owners, consumers, creditors, suppliers, employers. Quite often, these relations develop in situations where the interests of the parties do not coincide. The main rule here - adhering to ethical principles, avoid the intention to pay evil for evil. The firmness of the manager shows his dignity.
American researchers have formulated the following principles of de
fishing ethics:
♦ the principle of justice;
♦ the principle of law;
♦ the principle of utilitarianism (practicism).
These principles offer managers a way of directly considering the quality of a chosen decision before it is made.
The first principle is based on the concepts of decency and honesty and can be used in the analysis of decisions made. The main question at issue in this case is this: should the realization of opportunities be based on need, ability, or contribution?
The principle of law is based on the postulation of the inviolability of the rights of each individual. When rights are ignored, ethical violation. The legal approach also proves that for every right there is a corresponding duty, duty or responsibility.
There are controversial issues in the field of law. One of them is the contradiction between the rights of the individual, especially in the distribution of insufficient resources. In addition, the problem arises from the disagreement in some cases of society with the rights of the individual.
As for the third principle - utilitarianism - the decision in this case depends on the ratio of costs and profits. People who prove the necessity of certain solutions, based on this perspective, say this: "The greatest good and more." They determine costs, as well as profits, at every step in the business. Utilitarians will argue that the most desirable course of action is that which results in the greatest profit.
substantiate decision in business, based on all three of the above principles, is not always possible. Thus, by dismissing employees, the manager builds his decision on the basis of the principle of utilitarianism, sometimes right, but not justice. On the contrary, leaving an employee at the enterprise, he does so, realizing his idea of justice and respect for the rights of the latter, but waives the principle of utilitarianism.
In Russia, there is a huge need for managers who are able to bring the company to a leading competitive position and at the same time maintain integrity and moral character. A constructive system of teaching ethical standards is needed. The basis of such a system could be Western models of the moral improvement of man and organization. For example, in the United States, issues of the “Review of the Organization of Teaching Behavior” are regularly published, in which discussions are held about the teaching of morality in American business schools. see table 10.2).
Teaching morality is a complex and lengthy process. Peter Kostenbaum, a well-known author of books on business philosophy in the USA (“Leadership: the side of greatness hidden from others”, “The heart of business: ethics, power, philosophy”), Peter Kostenbaum, formulates the following components of the long-term success of the company:
♦ profit; :
♦ people (morality);
♦ goods or services;
♦ pride (prestige).
Kostenbaum justifies profit as the main goal of business. People should get satisfaction from their work, from the activities in this company.
1. Material consequences determine the ethics of behavior, which corresponds to a respectful attitude to authority 1. Social Darwinism: fear of loss of financial stability dictates moral behavior. Direct use of force is the norm
2. A person's desire for pleasure is his main interest 2. The profit of the organization determines the course of its actions. Successful achievement of goals justifies the use of any means, including manipulating people.
3. The sanction determines the behavior. A good person is one who satisfies the interests of family, friends and partners 3. Cultural fit: the tradition of operating habitual procedures in the interests of groups. The requirement to comply with social norms dictates what is right or wrong behavior
4. Agreement with the authorities, support for "social order", "fulfillment of duty"
4. Loyalty to authority: the instructions of legitimate authority determine moral standards and ethical standards. Justice and injustice are based on the decisions of the hierarchy of legal powers
5. Tolerance for Disagreement and Application of Majority Rule
5. Democratic participation: participation in the preparation of decisions and confidence in the right of the majority should become the moral norms of the organization. Participation in management becomes an attitude
6. What is right and good is the subject of a person's conscience and responsibility for the obligations assumed. Morality is based on the fundamental beliefs of the individual
6. Integrity of the organization: justice and human rights are the ideals of ethics. Balanced decision among competing interests shapes the character of the organization
The products and services of the company, of course, must be of high quality.
And finally, the stable reputation of the firm affects the long-term results of its activities.
However, one should not idealize Western business ethics, since in industrialized countries cases of elementary dishonesty, abuse and even crime are not uncommon. What is worth, for example, a comparison by the American economist Albert A. Carr, who worked as a special adviser to President Truman, of the rules of business and the game of poker. In both cases, Carr notes, a lie ceases to be a lie, since all participants in the game know in advance that frankness cannot be expected from partners. The game calls for distrust of a partner, and cunning deception and the desire to hide one's true power and intentions are the basis of the game.35 The logic of the poker analogy has certainly been met with great objections. However, this concept, interesting and logically built, arose as a reflection of business reality and has every reason to exist.
Despite the generally accepted irony regarding “Russian business ethics”, Russian business has relatively good reasons for forming its own moral base - the historical roots of Russian business and the specifics of human relations are the key to this.
In confirmation of the first, we will cite the following motto, under which the Birzhevye Vedomosti newspaper of business circles was published in pre-revolutionary Russia: “Profit is above all, but honor is above profit!”.
♦ develop the habit of looking at everything you encounter in terms of benefit to a higher cause;
♦ Keep promises on time. If you couldn’t fulfill it, don’t make excuses, but set a new deadline and keep your word;
♦ be attentive and objective to "useless" offers, reject unnecessary offers tactfully and politely;
♦ being self-confident, avoid being self-confident;
♦ nothing compromises an entrepreneur so much as his confusion;
♦ do not forget that your opinion or position is not always good, there are other opinions and positions that are by no means worse;
♦ do not leave any case of failure, failure, miss without careful analysis;
♦ in dealing with people, learn to understand what is not said;
♦ be guided in your work by three “not”: do not get irritated, do not get lost, do not spray;
♦ be tolerant of people's shortcomings, as long as those shortcomings do not hinder your business;
♦ remember that a person can be insulted not only with a word - posture, gestures, facial expressions are often no less expressive;
♦ avoid an arrogant, arrogant, categorical tone in a conversation, speech - it clearly shows an overestimation of one's own person and disregard for others;
♦ remember that there is nothing sharper and more painful for a person than humiliation. The last is never forgotten and never forgiven. Be afraid to commit injustice - it hurts people a lot.
All of the above indicates that ethics is a moral category that covers the diverse forms of the company's activities, and cannot be stated using a specific set of rules of conduct and communication. Being a much more capacious concept, ethics acquires its finished form in the form of business etiquette.
Business etiquette has a lot of definitions. In general, it can be described as the basis of the code of conduct adopted in the business environment.
Using the norms and rules of business etiquette, we can predict the behavior of colleagues and become predictable ourselves, which helps to effectively organize the management process. It is especially important to study all the components of business etiquette in international business, since in addition to uniform norms and rules, there are a great many national and cultural amendments in it, which are very significant in business relations. How not to get lost in this sea of national differences? How to avoid smiles caused by blind copying of other people's manners? The best assistants here are tact and loyalty to the national mentality and business etiquette (fortunately, international business etiquette currently prevails, born of the convergence of national business codes of good form).
International business etiquette is a very capacious concept and is not limited to issues of compliance with business subordination and the negotiation process. The main components of international business etiquette are:
1. Rules of greeting.
2. Rules of circulation.
3. Presentation rules.
4. Organization of business contacts (negotiations, meetings, receptions, business correspondence).
7. Ethical norms of monetary relations.
8. Rules for the exchange of gifts and souvenirs, and even
9. Acceptability of tips.
International business etiquette differs in many ways from the rules of etiquette adopted in a private setting. Business etiquette in detail
reviewed in specialized literature.
Of the huge number of definitions that reflect different ideas about ethics in the field of entrepreneurship, the most accurate definition from the standpoint of marketing and management is the concept of A. Sen in the book "On Ethics and Economics": "Business ethics is a business ethics based on honesty, openness, loyalty given the word, the ability to function effectively in the market in accordance with the current legislation, established rules and traditions". It responds to modern beliefs and highlights the main points of this abstract and at the same time quite real concept.
It should be noted that the need to comply with business ethics in marketing is welcomed by everyone, but many issues regarding its content are considered debatable, in particular such.
1. Is it possible for a company to buy goods and services of competitors in order to analyze and copy them later?
2. Let's admit international company to offer bribes to officials on whom much depends, if the obstacles are provided by its competitors and if these officials artificially create deficits, weakening the economy of their own country or region, consciously or unconsciously limiting the corporate community and impoverishing their own population?
4. Is it possible to inflate prices for products, which are several times more for all the costs of its production and promotion, if goods or services are "in short supply" and are in great demand?
5. What should be the ethics in relation to competitors? For example, the world-famous marketers E. Rice and J. Trout agree that "the moral factor can be decisive," and in this regard, they propose to "conduct" actions "it is necessary to destroy the morale of the opponent, release the fighting spirit from him." Are they right?
These and many other questions do not have a clear answer. Not only every person, but also any business entity, defining their culture of behavior, are guided by their own system of values. In this regard, a simple, but, most importantly, generally accepted definition of what constitutes unethical marketing practice has not yet been formulated.
At the same time, such attempts are being made: ethical codes of conduct in business are being developed, systems of social values in entrepreneurship are being formed. Some directions have already acquired distinct contours, while the main guideline is determined by the interests of consumers.
So, the reaction of the main element - the consumer, who is the object of marketing, becomes a criterion for evaluating the ethical behavior of business entities and business entities in the market for goods and services.
The concept of ethical behavior of economic entities and the reaction of consumers must be correlated with the so-called human factor.
Note
The President of the Swiss-Russian Business Club, Roy Domari, draws attention to the fact that "companies as organizations have neither conscience nor morality. These people who work in them introduce an element of ethics into the activities of firms, and the action of ethics covers a much wider area than existing legal restrictions.
The existing experience, forms, trends and patterns of manifestation and development of business ethics made it possible to single out three main principles for its expression:
1) the principle of justice;
2) the principle of law;
3) the principle of utilitarianism (practicism).
The principle of justice is based on the concepts of decency and honesty. Its main problematic point is that those who want to use it must determine in advance how (on what, according to what criteria) to justify the activity (behavior) associated with the realization of existing opportunities: according to needs, according to abilities, according to contribution or through an integrated approach, which, despite its flexibility, is capable of the largest number problems.
The principle of law is based on the respect and inviolability of the rights of each individual and community. According to him, any violation or disregard of rights must be considered as an ethical violation. The balance or imbalance for the use of this principle in practice is obtained due to the fact that the realization of the right of everyone is accompanied by the fulfillment / non-fulfillment of the relevant official and ethical obligations - duty, responsibility, professional duties.
In ethics based on the legal concept is an intractable conflict. One of their groups is predetermined by contradictions between the rights of a person, especially during the distribution of insufficient resources (material, monetary, temporary). Another group of conflicts arises when one does not agree with the rights of some separate individual or group.
The principle of utilitarianism (practicism) provides that in the decision-making process or in behavior it is necessary to focus on the ratio of costs and profits. People inclined to this principle determine the costs, as well as profits, for each fact of professional activity and in any situation. Utilitarians tend to defend those decisions and try to implement those actions that either lead to highest profit, or allow you to save as much as possible.
in Last years in business ethics, especially in marketing management, three main directions have formed and are progressing.
1. The ethics of philanthropy establishes a relationship between goodness and the results that it causes. This direction encourages the entrepreneurial environment to charitable activities. In the corporate community, the ethics of philanthropy (philanthropic ethics) is very often the basis of public relations.
2. The ethics of justice declares equality and fairness not only between employees of the same organization, but also between entrepreneurs, business entities, state (municipal) administration bodies.
3. Ethics of personal autonomy, in which the main moral postulate is the observance of the rights of other subjects - customers, allies, suppliers, intermediaries and even competitors.
Interest in business ethics is explained by the fact that, despite its abstract nature, it underlies almost all manifestations in the field of production, marketing, commercial and other relations and ties of a socio-economic nature.
In many countries, attempts are being made to fix and substantiate ethical norms in certain codes and codes, using them as a means of positive regulation of entrepreneurial, including marketing, activities.
One example is the American Marketing Association's (AMA) Code of Ethics, which is an authoritative guideline for determining ethical conduct. Its essence is briefly formulated as follows: "Those who are engaged in marketing must respect and promote decency, honor and dignity. marketing activities by demonstrating integrity in dealing with consumers, employees, suppliers, distributors and the public." This code sets out what character must be provided professional duties for each component of the marketing mix:
1) regarding the quality and functional properties of goods and services, it is indicated that companies must ensure the safety of consumers and customers, report any risks associated with them and identify all factors that can change the characteristics of the products sold;
2) regarding advertising, the AMA code emphasizes that companies need to avoid false and misleading messages, reject sales tactics and refuse to manipulate consumers to induce them to buy;
3) regarding the organization of distribution processes, the code states that suppliers should not force intermediaries to take those goods that they do not want and create artificial shortages in order to inflate prices;
4) on pricing issues, the code states that companies should not set fixed or "predatory" (very abstract definition) prices and are required to fully disclose all prices associated with the purchase, including service, installation and delivery.
In addition to these aspects, the AMA Code provides additional guarantees consumer rights. It recommends that companies not only carefully consider each case of complaints and claims from consumers, but also look for ways to resolve them in a fair way.
No less progressive achievements in the development of marketing ethics are observed in European countries. For example, in the field of promoting goods and services on the market, some forms of direct marketing - appeal to potential consumers mail, contacts with subscribers through telemarketing, in particular banking services, by telephone, are regulated by the Directive of the European Commission, which entered into force in 1994. The key provisions of this Directive reflect the following requirements:
1) the supplier does not have the right to insist on advance payment;
2) the consumer has the right to receive complete and reliable information about the supplier, price, quality of goods or services, delivery conditions and the time during which the relevant offer remains valid;
3) orders must be completed within 30 days (unless otherwise specified);
4) it is mandatory to establish a 30-day period for reflection and negotiations, during which the buyer can return the goods and get his money back;
5) it is forbidden to contact by phone, fax or e-mail"at random" unless the recipient has given their consent.
In general, any commodity producer or service structure is interested in ensuring that their activities and products that they sell do not cause complaints. But for this, enterprises must adhere to several important conditions:
Obliged to provide consumers (buyers) with exactly what they pay for;
Must guarantee consumers the safety of goods and services;
They must not only proclaim, but really care about their consumers. One of the ways of such care is to provide consumers with complete information about the components of the products that they sell (goods, services, complex offer models);
Ensure minimal environmental pollution, or better yet, avoid it.
With all the multiplicity of subjects to which the main manifestations of business ethics should be directed, the most important are potential and real customers. Therefore, priority must be given to this aspect.
These conditions and requirements are aimed at ensuring that business entities that are guided by the marketing concept adhere to the philosophy of socio-economic responsibility, making it much easier for manufacturers to find consensus in conflicts between profit maximization and the welfare of society. The reputation of enterprises, their development and prospects largely depend on this.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of writing the abstract was to analyze general characteristics ethics applied in business, as well as an assessment of their application in Russia.
The word "ethics" (Greek ethika, from ethos - custom, disposition, character) is usually used in two senses. On the one hand, ethics is a field of knowledge, a scientific discipline that studies morality, morality, their emergence, dynamics, factors and changes. On the other hand, ethics is understood as the totality of moral rules in a particular area of behavior of a person or organization. As a designation of a special field of knowledge, this term was first used by Aristotle. The concept of "ethos" refers to the agreed rules and patterns of everyday behavior, way of life, lifestyle of a community of people (estate, professional group, social stratum, generation, etc.), as well as the orientation of any culture, the hierarchy adopted in it values.
The direct connection between ethics and life practice can be clearly seen in the sphere of the so-called professional ethics, which is a system of moral requirements for a person's professional activity. One of the types of professional ethics is business ethics. It arose relatively late on the basis of general labor morality. In turn, the main place in the ethics of business relations is occupied by the ethics of business (entrepreneurship). It includes ethics of management (managerial ethics), ethics of business communication, ethics of behavior, etc.
Business- initiative economic activity, carried out both at the expense of own and borrowed money at your own risk and under your own responsibility, the purpose of which is the formation and development of your own business for profit and solution social problems entrepreneur, labor collective, society as a whole.
business ethics– business ethics based on honesty, openness, loyalty to the given word, the ability to function effectively in the market in accordance with applicable law, established rules and traditions.
There are two main points of view on the relationship between universal ethical principles and business ethics:
1) the rules of ordinary morality do not apply to business or apply to a lesser extent. This point of view corresponds to the concept of the so-called ethical
relativism, according to which for each referential
groups (i.e. groups of people whose opinion about their
behavior is oriented by this subject) are characterized by their
special ethical standards;
2) business ethics is based on universal universal ethical standards (be honest, do no harm, keep one's word, etc.), which are specified taking into account the specific social role of business in society.
Theoretically, the second point of view is considered more correct.
The system of norms and rules that is currently accepted in world business has not emerged in finished form. It evolved over a long historical period, as civilization developed, on the basis of people's inadvertent adherence to certain traditions and customs. The primary foundations of professional ethics were laid during the heyday of ancient civilizations. From there originate, for example, the professional Hippocratic oath, the rules and norms of trade, including - which is especially important for the situation in domestic business) the idea of the importance of respecting contracts. However, in the spiritual world of a person of ancient and medieval cultures, based on the forcible coercion of a person to productive labor, there was no place for ideas about the relationship between labor and property, wealth. Moreover, they were conceived as separate, even opposite elements of human life.
Business ethics issues are as old as entrepreneurship. However, they have become especially acute in our time, when the market has changed a lot, from fierce to fierce competition. Now all over the world the issues of ethics of business relations are widely studied, serve as the subject of scientific discussions and forums, are studied in many higher and secondary educational institutions providing training for the labor market.
ECONOMIC ETHICS
In Russia, the problems of business ethics have also come to the fore recently. Training courses on this subject are an integral part of curricula universities, other educational institutions, because it became obvious that our country cannot enter the civilized market without a serious ethical basis, primarily in entrepreneurship.
G. Ford believed that happiness and prosperity are obtained only by honest work. The essence of Ford's economic ethics is that the product produced is not just realized " business theory", and "something more" is a theory whose goal is to create a source of joys from the world of things. Power and machine, money and property are useful only insofar as they contribute to life's freedom.
Ford's ethical and economic principles are of practical importance even today.
Economic ethics- this is a set of norms of behavior of an entrepreneur, the requirements imposed by a cultural society on his style of work, the nature of communication between business participants, their social appearance. This is information about ethical concepts, moral requirements for the style of work and the appearance of a business person adapted to the practical needs of a businessman.
These are the ethics of negotiating with partners, the ethics of drawing up documentation, the use of ethical methods of competition.
Economic ethics includes business etiquette, which is formed under the influence of traditions and certain prevailing historical conditions of a particular country.
Business Etiquette- these are the norms regulating the style of work, the manner of communication between firms, the image of a businessman, etc. The ethics of entrepreneurship cannot arise from subjective desire. Its formation is a complex and lengthy process. The conditions for its formation are: political and economic freedom, strong executive power, stability of legislation, propaganda, law.
In 1924, the Committee on Business Ethics of the US Chamber of Commerce developed the first national code of ethics in history.
"Business Principles". It noted that at the heart of business is trust, resulting from fair relationships, efficient service delivery and mutual benefit. Here, however, the views of the “primitive ethics” of the last century still dominate, according to which any business receives moral justification in which the partners in the transaction recognize their exchange as equivalent.
The next turning point was the crisis of 1929-1931. F. Roosevelt's "New Deal" served Starting point in search of new principles of organization economic activity. By the 1950s, a number of socio-philosophical doctrines had been formed in the United States, which can be given the general name of "the theory of human relations." In the practice of corporations, the slogans of "social partnership", "sharing in income", etc. began to be implemented. The concept of "human relations" has received its concretization in a set of specific professional codes of morality (ethics of management, ethics of business, ethics of business communication, etc.)
The main postulates of the ethical code of the entrepreneur are the following principles:
He is convinced of the usefulness of his work not only for himself, but also for others, for society as a whole;
Proceeds from the fact that the people around him want and are able to
work;
Believes in business, regards it as attractive creativity;
Recognizes the need for competition, but also understands the need for cooperation;
Respects any property social movements;
Respects professionalism, competence and laws;
Values education, science and technology.
These basic principles of the ethics of a business person can be specified in relation to various areas of his professional activity.
The development of business ethics in Russia has its own characteristics, which is explained by the specifics of the historical path traveled by our state.
Considering the history of European civilization, P.Ya. Chaadaev noted that “in addition to the appearance common to all, each of these peoples has its own special features, but all this is rooted in history and traditions and constitutes the hereditary state of these peoples.” The peculiarity of Russia was that the common path of development, which for other countries was facilitated by an intensive exchange of traditions, she often passed alone.
The foundations of Russian norms of economic behavior are formed during the formation of the Muscovite kingdom (XV - early XVI centuries), when the Russian princes really realized the role of entrepreneurship.
motherhood for the development of the state.
To a certain extent, the policy of attracting the working population contributed to the rise of Moscow: everyone who wished was allowed to settle on the banks of the Moscow River, artisans were exempted from paying any taxes for a long time. The development of crafts was the basis for the economic strengthening of the Moscow kingdom, a prerequisite for the expansion of domestic and foreign trade, to the emergence of a new layer of entrepreneurs-merchants. At the same time, the strong centralization of power and increased alienation from the West contributed to the formation in the behavior of Muscovites, including Moscow merchants, suspicion of foreigners; the habit of acting “with the whole world”, the tendency to build trade relations with strangers on deceit, weak respect for the “letter of the law”.
From the middle of the XVII century. the rapid expansion of trade relations of Moscow begins. As they are included in world trade, there is a gradual assimilation of common traditions regarding private property, contracts, exchange, trade, competition, profit. The first impetus to the legalization of Western traditions was given by the reforms of Peter I, namely, attempts to exercise state control over the quality of imported and exported goods, providing benefits and patronage to merchants. The increased mutual trust between entrepreneurs and the state contributed to the manifestation and consolidation of new features of business relations.
Business ethics
Business rules
Ethics is, as you know, a set of principles of human behavior. Extending this definition to the field of entrepreneurship, it can be argued that business ethics is a set of principles of behavior of people involved in the field of entrepreneurial activity.
Such ethics allows us to consider and evaluate the business relations of entrepreneurs, as well as their personal behavior, in terms of compliance with generally accepted principles of conduct in the business world. Appeal to such principles helps entrepreneurs, who have a professional opportunity to actively influence the historical perspective of the development of society, to adequately fulfill their civic duty.
In this regard, it seems appropriate to single out in business ethics those moral values that are its structure-forming components. The first and most important value is honesty and integrity in business relationships.
The requirement of honesty in business follows from its nature. Deception cannot serve as the basis for a normal economic process. On the contrary, it poses a threat to the interests of partners. People who cheat have always been condemned in the business world. Ultimately, those who allow lies and falsification lose more than they gain.
Of course, such an approach contradicts our usual “class” vision, according to which any commerce is a fraud, without which capitalist entrepreneurship is impossible. The fact that deceivers in business have always been and are now is well known to everyone. It was they who invented the saying You can't cheat you can't sell, which you sometimes hear today.
However, dishonesty in modern civilized business is rather an unfortunate exception than general rule. Now, without honesty and decency in relations between industrial enterprises, banks, and individuals, civilized entrepreneurship is impossible. This is confirmed by the fact that millions of tons of oil and oil products, tens of millions of shares and other securities are sold and bought daily on the commodity and stock exchanges of the West on the basis of oral transactions without witnesses.
Honesty and decency are also shown in the fact that billions of dollars worth of goods are bought annually on the basis of contracts that have not been formalized for a long time. Many wholesalers and retailers trust their suppliers to fill out the accompanying documents for the volumes they order of the goods supplied at generally recognized prices. The principle of "money back guarantee in case of customer dissatisfaction" is very common in many reputable trading firms, manufacturing corporations and stores in the West.
Honesty and decency in business relations were also inherent in the Russian merchants. In Russia, the custom was known to “beat hands”, which meant the formal conclusion of a deal.
Honesty and integrity as the basis of practice modern entrepreneurship are the result of a long development of business and society as a whole, during which optimal ethical and moral standards. About what high morality
Could one speak, for example, in the era of the primitive accumulation of capital? The desire only for profit in the era of "wild" capitalism led to a number of negative consequences: brutal exploitation of workers. Appropriation by entrepreneurs of the lion's share of the product produced, the use of violent methods of enrichment. However, as society developed, the situation changed. And today it is significantly different from what it was at the beginning of the XIX century. Life convinces modern entrepreneurs that the lasting prosperity of business is possible only if the ethical standards that have been formed in the course of the evolution of society are observed.
Of course, even in industrialized countries, business is not without failures, abuses, elementary dishonesty and scandals that arise on this basis. Nevertheless, the main thing in business is honesty, decency, the desire not to “beat” a partner, but to conclude a mutually beneficial agreement in order to move on and develop relationships.
Business ethics is based on such a universal value as freedom. This means that a businessman or manager must value not only the freedom of his commercial actions, but also the freedom of his competitor, which is expressed in the inadmissibility of interference in his affairs, infringement of his interests even in trifles. Commerce, as they say in such cases, must be done honestly.
Other fundamental principle business relationships is tolerance, which means the realization of the impossibility to overcome the weaknesses and shortcomings of partners, clients or subordinates with a swoop. Tolerance gives rise to mutual trust, understanding and frankness, helps to "extinguish" conflict situations in their very bud.
Business relationships are always fraught with various kinds of rough edges and conflicts. Therefore, such relationships, like no other, require tact and delicacy. Tact in such communication is not only an understanding of the conformity of goals and norms of behavior, but also the ability to apply these norms to a particular person. Tactfulness implies, first of all, an orientation towards humanity and nobility, attentiveness and courtesy. To be tactful means, in any situation, to be aware of your partner, client or subordinate as an inherently valuable human personality, taking into account its biosocial characteristics: gender, age, nationality, temperament, habits, etc.
Delicacy is understood as politeness and attentiveness in communication, the ability to spare the vanity of one's colleagues. Delicacy is a special form of displaying correctness and sincerity in communication, peculiar only to highly professional businessmen and managers.
Delicacy is the simplest working tool of business communication, the art of mastering which is invaluable for business. It helps with the least moral and psychological costs to solve business tasks. The price of delicacy is especially high when dealing with foreign businessmen.
When representatives of foreign firms meet, differences in the assessment of certain phenomena are quite natural. Alien customs and ideas may seem strange, demeanor too stiff or, conversely, vulgar. But from the initial impression, moreover, as a rule, superficial, disrespect for foreign business colleagues should in no case be born.
At the same time, delicacy should not be excessive, turn into flattery, lead to unjustified praise of what is seen or heard.
Along with tolerance and delicacy, business ethics is guided by such a universal moral quality as justice, which involves an objective assessment of the personal and business qualities of people and their activities, recognition of their individuality, openness to criticism, self-criticism.
To general moral qualities that characterizes a business person can be attributed to his professional honesty, i.e. exactingness, dedication to
work, as well as integrity and respect for the opinions of others.
Business people all over the world have such a thing as business commitment. In the United States, for example, there is the concept of the Texas handshake, when the parties simply agree that they will do something together. And if someone violated the terms of the contract, no one else will do business with him.
The formula for the success of Western entrepreneurs is simple: prosperity = professionalism + decency. Partners who have been proven over the years are highly valued abroad, and newcomers are studied with suspicion and often crossed out from their notebooks the names of those who did not behave according to the rules from the first meeting.
There is a golden rule in business: take care of your customers and the market will take care of you. The success of American entrepreneurs testifies to the validity of this rule. For example, General Motors once spent $3.5 million on postage alone, but did so to warn 6.5 million car owners of defective engine mounts. This is how the professional reputation of the manufacturer is created.
A good reputation is difficult to acquire, takes years to achieve, and can be lost instantly and often over trifles: not answering a phone call or letter in time, not sending a fax that is expected, showing bad manners in any other form. Everything is important for the reputation: the culture of speech, manners, clothing, office interior, etc. For Russian entrepreneurs who want to work with foreign businessmen on a long-term basis, all this is doubly important. Otherwise, it is impossible to communicate with them, unless they are visiting rogues who want to “fish in troubled waters” of Russian entrepreneurship. Contacts are cut off as soon as the incompetence and dishonesty of our entrepreneurs are discovered.
Nowadays, every self-respecting company sets itself goals other than making a profit. The main postulate of business ethics can be expressed by the motto under which the newspaper of business circles of pre-revolutionary Russia Birzhevye Vedomosti was published: Profit is above all, but honor is above profit.
The cultural entrepreneur pays the most serious attention to business culture. A cultured person does not have to be an entrepreneur, but an entrepreneur is obliged to be a cultured person, if only because he is interested in constant success.
An entrepreneur is characterized by constant restructuring of his business, making changes and improvements, the ability to start over, the ability to overcome the rigidity and routine of the environment, etc. If we add to all these qualities the need to constantly take risks and be responsible for everything, it becomes clear why only a few agree to endure such a large load. Entrepreneurs usually work 20 hours a day, which is completely normal for them. They work when everyone is asleep, travel when others are at their desks, plan when others are having fun.
All of the above human values and professional business qualities are interconnected and reproduce in general the model of the moral character of a modern business person who:
Respects himself as a person and treats others with respect, showing tolerance, delicacy and tact in business relationships, trusts not only himself, but also others;
I am convinced that honor is above profit, values his professional reputation and therefore believes that honesty, decency, fairness, commitment and competence are mandatory for business relations;
Recognizes the need for competition, but also understands the need for cooperation;
Values not only the freedom of its commercial activities, but also the freedom of its competitors;
Able and not afraid to take risks and take full responsibility for the decisions made.
In conclusion, here are some specific tips that will help you create an attractive business image that guarantees not only success, but also true satisfaction from working in the field of business and management:
keep promises on time. If you couldn’t fulfill it, don’t make excuses, but set a new deadline and keep your word, albeit with some delay;
being self-confident, avoid being self-confident;
never forget that your opinion or position is not always good, there are other opinions and positions that are by no means worse;
do not forget that knowledge of people's personal motivations is one of the most important conditions for effective interaction with business partners;
Be tolerant of people's shortcomings, as long as those shortcomings don't hinder your business:
deal only with those issues in the solution of which your participation is mandatory;
praise in public, blame in private; know how to listen, have infinite patience;
reject unnecessary offers, but tactfully and politely;
remember that nothing compromises a businessman so much as his confusion;
do not leave without careful analysis any case of failure, failure or oversight
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