Transcript E-Mail Communication - Ethics Advanced Technology Limited

Online
Communication
and
Business
Design & Developed by: EATL
E-Mail Communication
Do you ever feel like the only
person who doesn't use email? You
don't have to feel left out. More
than ever, email is easy to
understand and use.
In this lesson, you will learn what
email is, how it compares
to traditional mail, andhow email
addresses are written. We'll also
discuss various types of email
providers and the features and
tools they include with an email
account.
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E-Mail Communication
Email correspondence is not as straightforward
as it seems. Although it can be a helpful and
effective way to communicate with colleagues
and clients, it can also be unhelpful and
annoying. Below are 10 tips for effective email
communications.
Be clear and specific! Most of us have way too
many emails and too little time in the day to
read and respond to them. Keeping them short
and to the point will help maximize the chance
they are read (to the end of the message) and
minimize the reader pressing “delete” before
reading it.
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E-Mail Communication
Be prompt and respond to important email. By responding a day or two after an
email is sent shows you care about the message and the sender. Even if you are not
able to attend to something right away, telling the person you received it and when
you will attend to is shows professionalism and attentiveness.
Use a clear subject line to name/clarify what your email is about. Since most of us
receive a huge amount of email, we need an easy way to know whether to open an
email, where to file it and which ones need action. The subject line is a helpful tool
for this.
Add important directional words to the subject line when an email needs special
attention. Words like “response needed” or “urgent” are helpful in knowing what is
expected and by when i.e., “Client contract – confirming dates – response needed”
or “Board meeting – draft agenda – response needed by Friday”.
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E-Mail Communication
Be very careful and restrained about forwarding jokes and other non-work
related material. Most people don’t appreciate this type of email and may
get too much already. Keep your work email to just that: about your work.
Include one topic per email. Although you may have numerous things to
ask/say, it is best to limit your requests or important news to one per email.
In this way your subject line can reflect your message and your reader will
know where to file it and how to address it (at a glance).
Decide carefully who should be cc-ed on email. Although you may be
sending an email as part of group mailing, you should not feel the need to
hit “Reply All”. Often sending a response to the sender is enough and it
helps minimize clutter for others.
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E-Mail Communication
If you need to clarify or resolve a conflict or a misunderstanding, pick up the
phone. Although an automatic reaction, especially if someone has misunderstood
something in your email, may be to send a quick email back,, this is not advisable.
Email is the worst type of conflict resolution and can exacerbate it.
Minimize your use of BLOCK or bold to highlight words. Although some of us
(especially highly visual people) love playing with visual cues, they can be
misunderstood by others (especially if don’t use visual clues). In order to minimize
sounding “loud” (often associated with BLOCK) or annoyed (often associated with
bold), just use regular font styles – it’s safer.
Include an email “signature”. It is helpful to have all one’s contact information
clearly and easily accessible. There is nothing more frustrating than wanting to
phone someone or pass on an organization’s web address, and finding only a name
in the signature.
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Introduction Etiquette - Making Introductions
Simple Introduction etiquette, How to
make introductions or introduce
yourself. Examples of introductions
also included here.
Learning the unspoken rules of
introduction etiquette is a useful social
skill. Knowing how to introduce
yourself or how to introduce others
puts you and others at social ease. A
great introduction can be the start of a
rewarding friendship. Making a good
introduction leaves a favourable
impression on others.
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Introduction Etiquette - Making Introductions
You are probably already practicing
the right way to make
introductions without knowing it.
As these are general guidelines,
don't worry about making small
mistakes. Most people will
overlook them or not even realize
your blunder.
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Introduction Etiquette General Guidelines
Introduce the 'less-important' to the 'more-important'.
What this means:
•This means you bring the intern across the room to meet your boss.
•Introduce men to women,
•and younger to older.
•Introduce the more familiar to the less familiar (between friends.)
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Eye Contact and Deportment - Introduction Etiquette
Look at the person to whom you are
making the introduction (the boss,
for instance), then turn to the
person you are presenting as you
finish (the intern). Then back again
at the boss.
If someone is being introduced to
you (presented to you), smile and
say, "It is very nice to meet you,
Jane." while extending your hand
for a handshake*.(*This applies to the appropriate
greeting culture and introduction etiquette where it may be kisses
or a bow.)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai introduces his wife, Dr. Karzai, to Laura Bush
outside the presidential residence in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, March 30,
2005
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Eye Contact and Deportment - Introduction Etiquette
If introductions are made between a man and a woman, a woman usually
extends her hand first but nowadays, this is not followed strictly.
If you are sitting, the proper introduction etiquette is to stand when a
person is being introduced to you.
Women today either remain seated (not preferable in my opinion) or do a
half stand from her seat at the table, because sometimes the chair is
heavy and not easy to move back especially when a woman is dressed in
gown. However, if you're sitting on the sofa or anywhere where is not an
effort to stand upduring the introduction, please do.
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Handshakes - Handshaking Etiquette
In the past, a gentleman would never extend his hand unless
a lady extended hers first. Now, the 'highest ranking' tend to extend their
hand first.
I believe the right approach is to be flexible here. Have a feel and look
around at what others are doing. If you're a woman, just go ahead and
extend that hand. Of course, I don't think women in general would object
to shaking the hand to the man who extended his hand first.
Read some of your comments
In a group, shake the woman's hand first (if you're a guy). And if you're a
woman, shake the hand which is extended to you first.
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Kissing, Air Kissing and Hugging - Greetings Etiquette
This depends on the culture and
introduction etiquette of the country
you're in.
Follow the greeting etiquette according
to the culture of the country as much as
possible. Do as the Romans do.
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Introduction Etiquette of Countries and Cultures
• Asians (except the Japanese)- a gentle handshake.
In some ethnicities, a touch of the hand (like in a handshake) would
suffice. Read more about Chinese etiquette.
•Japanese prefer to make a quick bow. The more important the person,
the lower the bow.
• British - handshake or just a friendly smile.
• Americans - a firm handshake
• French - two kisses from the left cheek
• Italians - handshake or hug and kisses for the women.
• Spanish - hugs and kisses
• Swiss - three kisses starting from the left cheek
• Arabs - men only kiss men, and women only kiss women.
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Introduction Etiquette of Countries and Cultures
When in doubt, just let the person of the foreign culture lead. Be obliging.
Of course if you are in dominantly in the company of one culture, follow.
Don't be fussed if you're not used to getting kissed or hugged, even if you
feel that this is your country. It is polite to grin and bear it!
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Introduction Etiquette for Conversation
If you are hoping to introduce people for
conversation you may add a point of interest in
the introduction, or something that both have
in common.
For example, "Jenny, this is my friend John I'll
like you to meet. He is the other person I know
of who loves gardening as much as you do!"
Or (after formal introduction) "James is the
person to talk to if you areinterested in film
production."
More of this in the article Elegant
Sophisticated Woman
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Contacting Someone via email
In the past, email was the best way to communicate with people online.
But today, there are many different ways to talk online, allowing you to do
things like:
Make phone calls from your computer and even see the person you're
talking with
Share with lots of friends at the same time without sending an email to
each of them individually
Engage with different websites by making comments or posting your own
content
Over the next several lessons, we'll take a look at some different methods
of online communication, including chat, video calling, text messages,
and status updates.
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How people communicate online
When people are not online, they use a variety of communication
methods, including phone calls, written letters, and face-to-face
conversation. We use these different methods depending on the
situation. Online communication is very similar: People may use instant
messaging, video chat, or social networking depending on the situation.
You can choose whichever methods best fit your needs.
Review the graphic below to get an idea of how a few different people
communicate online.
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Staying safe online
No matter how you communicate online, you'll need to think
about privacy and safety. Each service that we'll discuss has its own
privacy settings. It's helpful to review these settings before using any
service to avoid revealing your conversations and personal information to
a broader audience.
Act as if you were communicating offline: Remember, everything you
write online is relatively permanent, so even passing comments could
have negative consequences for you or someone else in the future.
We recommend that you visit our Internet Safety tutorial for more
information about staying safe online.
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Social media
Social media are computermediated tools that allow people
to create, share or exchange
information, ideas, and
pictures/videos invirtual
communities and networks. Social
media is defined as "a group of
Internet-based applications that
build on the ideological and
technological foundations of Web
2.0, and that allow the creation
and exchange of user-generated
content.
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Social media
"[1] Furthermore, social media depend on mobile and web-based
technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which
individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify usergenerated content. They introduce substantial and pervasive changes to
communication between businesses,organizations, communities, and
individuals.[2] These changes are the focus of the emerging field
of technoself studies.
Social media are different from traditional or industrial media in many
ways, including quality,[3] reach, frequency, usability, immediacy, and
permanence. There are many effects that stem from internet usage.
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example of a social-media.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Tweets containing
advertising
Skype
Mobile social media
Mobile social media and
business potential
E-commerce businesses
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Basic English Writing Skill
Cover Letters
Crafting Your Cover Letter
Introduction
You've found the
job you want and have spruced
up your resume in hopes of
getting it. Now all you have to
do is submit it, right? Not so
fast!
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Basic English Writing Skill
Every resume should have a great cover letter to go with it.
So what's a cover letter? And why do you need one?
This lesson will help you answer these questions as you explore
interactive examples. Specifically, you will learn the purpose of a
cover letter, identify the main parts of a cover letter, find out
what makes a cover letter effective, and use several cover letter dos
and don'ts as you write your own cover letter
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Basic English Writing Skill
English writing skill
What is a cover letter?
As discussed in our Resume Writing tutorial, prospective employers use your
resume to learn about your education, skills, and work history, as well as who you
are and how to reach you. Your cover letter has a slightly different purpose.
As the name implies, a cover letter is a document that introduces you and
accompanies your resume. It is what a hiring manager will see first.
In a competitive job market, hiring managers may get hundreds of resumes for
only one position. Going through all of them can be time consuming. To alleviate
the time strain, most hiring managers will quickly read over or scan cover letters
to decide which resumes to read more closely.
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Basic English Writing Skill
Cover letters provide YOU with an opportunity to:
•Demonstrate how well you express yourself and that you have
researched the organization and position
•Tell prospective employers what position you’re interested in, why you
are interested in it, and how you came to know about it
•Highlight a few key skills that demonstrate your qualifications for the
specific organization and position
•Thank the hiring manager in advance for her time and consideration
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Use good writing techniques.
Characteristics of good writing for cover letters include:
Using bullet points or bold text to highlight your qualifications
Using concise and clear language; keep it to one page and focus on what
you have to offer an employer
Using correct grammar; have at least two strong writers edit and
proofread your cover letter, and do not rely solely on a spell checker
Using active verbs in the present tense to illustrate your skills; for
example, I consistently exceed customer expectations by offering personal
attention and product expertise.
Varying your word choice; for example, if your specialty is product line
management, try to find another phrase for the same function, such
as family branding
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Mistakes to avoid
There are several things job seekers can do in their cover letters that can
actually hurt their chances of getting an interview. You will want to avoid these
mistakes.
• Don’t write “To Whom It May Concern” or "Dear Sir or Madam". If you don't
know the person's name, use something generic and gender neutral,
like Candidate Selection Team or Dear Hiring Manager.
• Don’t use slang, like I crushed the highest sales in my region three years running.
• Don’t use correction fluid or make corrections after a letter is printed. Reprint
your letter if necessary.
• Don’t write a letter that's longer than one page.
• Don’t provide false information about yourself or your qualifications.
• Don't include erroneous information about a company.
• Don’t include personal information (avoid references to religion, family, etc.).
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You try it!
Open the Microsoft Word Cover Letter
Template and Save it to your computer with a
name that makes sense to you.
Enter your own information into the document
as you progress through this activity by
replacing the text inside the [brackets]. Remove
the brackets as well.
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS
1.3 DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNICATION
1.4 PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION
1.5 THE COMMUNICATION SITUATION
1.6 THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS/CYCLE
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
The word “communication” derived from the Latin word ‘communicare’ that
means to impart, to participate, to share or to make common. It is a process of
exchange of facts, ideas, opinions and as a means that individual or organization
share meaning and understanding with one another. In other words, it is a
transmission and interacting the facts, ideas, opinion, feeling and attitudes.
It is the ability of mankind to communicate across barriers and beyond boundaries
that has ushered the progress of mankind. It is the ability of fostering speedy and
effective communication around the world that has shrunk the world and made
‘globalization’ a reality. Communication had a vital role to play in ensuring that
people belonging to a particular country or a culture or linguistic group interact
with and relate to people belonging to other countries or culture or linguistic
group. Communication adds meaning to human life. It helps to build relationship
and fosters love and understanding. It enriches our knowledge of the universe
and makes living worthwhile.
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
1.2 ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS
The term business communication is used for all
messages that we send and receive for official purpose
like running a business, managing an organization,
conducting the formal affairs of a voluntary
organization and so on. Business communication is
marked by formality as against personal and social
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
communication.
The success of any business to a large extent depends on efficient and
effective communication. It takes place among business entities, in market
and market places, within organizations and between various group of
employees, owners and employees, buyers and sellers, service providers
and customers, sales persons and prospects and also between people
within the organization and the press2 / Business Communication persons.
All such communication impacts business. Done with care, such
communication can promote business interests. Otherwise, it will portray
the organization in poor light and may adversely affect the business
interest.
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
Communication is the life blood of any organization and its main purpose
is to effect change to influence action. In any organization the main
problem is of maintaining effective communication process. The
management problem generally results in poor communication. Serious
mistakes are made because orders are misunderstood. The basic problem
in communication is that the meaning which is actually understood may
not be what the other intended to send. It must be realised that the
speaker and the listener are two separate individuals having their own
limitations and number of things may happen to distort the message that
pass between them.
When people within the organization communicate with each other, it is
internal communication.
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
They do so to work as a team and realise the common goals. It could be
official or unofficial. Modes of internal communication include face-to face
and written communication. Memos, reports, office order, circular, fax,
video conferencing, meeting etc. are the examples of internal
communication.
When people in the organization communicate with anyone outside the
organization it is called external communication. These people may be
clients or customers, dealers or distributors, media, government, general
public etc. are the examples of external communication.
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
• Communication is the life blood of the business. No business can
develop in the absence of effective communication system.
• Communication is the mortar that holds an organization together,
whatever its business or its size.
• When people within the organization communicate with each other, it is
internal communication and when people in the organization
communicate with anyone outside the organization it is called external
communication.
• Ability to work well in teams, to manage your subordinates and your
relationship with seniors,
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professional ethics
How do professional ethics interact with business ethics and morals?
In this factsheet we look at how professional ethics interacts with business ethics and morals.
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The difference between morals and ethics
Morals relate to what is considered to be right or wrong, normally at the
level of the individual. Our upbringing and the environment in which we
live usually influence our morals, although some morals may be common
to all. For example most of us are likely to believe that murder is morally
wrong but may take a different moral stance on other issues such as
vegetarianism. Moral codes are complex. An individual might have some
principles which they are never prepared to violate such as not condoning
the use of violence but the same individual may support other behaviour
because “the ends justify the means” – the famous example of Robin
Hood stealing from the rich to feed the poor.
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The difference between morals and ethics
So opinion may be divided over the morality of a German surgeon recently
accused of manipulating his patient’s records to make them appear sicker
than they actually were, in order to get them to the top of a liver
transplant list.
Ethics are about the social system in which morals are applied. The beliefs
and value systems of a particular culture or society will govern the
standards of behaviour and principles of right and wrong that are socially
acceptable within a particular group. The recent case of the Chinese
badminton players expelled from the Olympics because they openly tried
to lose a qualifying match to ensure an all Chinese ladies final, highlighted
the pressure to win medals and differing views about the acceptable
methods of doing so.
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Professional vs Business ethics
Professional ethics as we have already seen are the personal and corporate
standards of behaviour expected of the members of a particular profession.
Business ethics are about how any organisation conducts its business. This may
include the way in which staff are treated and paid; relationships with suppliers
and the consumption of resources. Business ethics will be influenced by the moral
standards that a particular society expects businesses to adopt. For example,
payments by a business to a political party are permitted in the UK if declared in a
company’s accounts but are forbidden in the USA. Society’s expectations drive
business ethics at 3 levels:
(i) social responsibility
(ii) business
(iii) individual
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Corporate Social responsibility
The first level is about Social responsibility (the macro level) this considers
the role of business nationally and internationally and its responsibility to
wider society. Unethical behaviour here would include pollution (such as
the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico), the promotion and sale of unsafe
products (such as tobacco) and the overconsumption of the world’s
resources.
Over the past decade there has been an increasing drive for sustainability
to encourage businesses to meet the needs of the present without
compromising the needs and ability of future generations. The more
socially responsible organisations recognize this and use it as a source of
competitive advantage. So banks like Triodos and the Co-op bank are the
ethical trailblazers of the banking industry.
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Corporate Social responsibility
Multinational business, Unilever, ran an educational marketing campaign in rural
India to educate people about the benefits of good health and hygiene practices
including regular hand-washing. As well as benefitting society by improving
education this also helped raise awareness of Unilever’s Lifebuoy soap brand
thereby creating more users of its product.
For more information about corporate social responsibility, look at the downloads
section of the AAT ethics site.
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Ethics at the business level
The second level of business ethics concerns the way a firm as a whole
behaves (company or business level). This looks at the issues facing
individual companies when deciding on objectives and strategy.
Inappropriate conduct here might include the use of underage labour, the
paying of bribes for contracts, the manipulation of financial statements
and the exploitation of suppliers - several large supermarkets have come
under fire for the abuse of their power in dictating terms and prices to
farmers and other smaller suppliers. Many business level transactions
have moral dimensions, exacerbated by the fact that ethics varies from
one country to another. Is it ethical to adopt practices that are legally
permissible in one country that you would not adopt in your own and
where do you draw the line?
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Ethics at the business level
Perhaps paying workers significantly lower wages than would be
reasonable in the UK is acceptable if the wage is still higher than the going
rate in that country but is it reasonable to employ child workers because
there are different local regulations regarding the minimum age of
employment? Such are the dilemmas that have faced many of the world’s
biggest brands. In the 1990s there was a global boycott of Nike when it
refused to take responsibility for the behaviour of some of its
subcontractors who were using child labour. Move to 2011 and after
Greenpeace highlighted that its suppliers were dumping toxic waste into
the world’s waterways, Nike responded by producing a plan to go toxic
free by 2020.
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Individual ethics
The third level of business ethics is that of the individual and addresses
the actions and values of individuals within an organisation. Bad behaviour
here might include discrimination, bullying, lying and stealing. In 2012
investment manager Bernie Madoff, a former NASDAQ chairman, was
sentenced to 150 years in prison after using his reputation and experience
to dupe investors, industry regulators and Wall St banks into investing
$billions in his Ponzi scheme.
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The tone at the top
In addition to any professional or industry codes that apply, many
businesses will have their own code of business ethics to communicate the
values and conduct that are expected of the individuals within that
organisation and to reduce the risk of unethical actions and behaviour.
This is only successful however if the business’ leadership team create the
right tone at the top. The Goldman Sachs banker whose resignation letter
was printed in the New York Times alleged that within the firm managers
routinely referred to clients as muppets and openly discussed in meetings
how to rip them off.
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Conclusion
So as we can see, businesses can take a wide range of ethical stances. At
worst, ethically challenged organisations may take the view that behaviour
is acceptable “provided they will never get found out” or “because
everyone does it”. However as the world changes, the widespread use of
social media increases the likelihood of being caught. A recent example
here might be the ethical culture and practices of the media which came
under scrutiny in the Leveson inquiry into phone hacking. Today’s
customers, employees and even shareholders expect businesses and their
leaders to stand for more than just profitability. Those professions and
businesses that put ethics at the heart of everything they do, will be the
success stories of the future. All of the information that we’ve covered in
this factsheet is available as a podcast in the podcast section of the AAT
ethics site.
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Odesk bidding process
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Odesk bidding process
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Odesk bidding process
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Odesk bidding process
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