Projecting a positive, tactful tone.

Being adept at communicating negative information will give you the confidence you need to handle sensitive in a positive, constructive manner. You will find that stating unpleasant ideas tactfully and positively preserves the receiver’s self worth and builds future friendship. The following suggestions can reduce the sting of an unpleasant thought:

-    State ideas using positive language. Do not forget to submit your time and expense report by noon on Friday (negative Tone). Remember to submit your time and expense report by noon on Friday (Positive Tone). We cannot ship your order until you send us full specifications (Negative Tone). You will receive your order as soon as you send us full specifications (Positive Tone).

-    Avoid using second person when stating negative ideas. You completed the project in time (Pleasant idea). The person will appreciate the emphasis placed on his or her excellent performance. This page contains many mistakes (Unpleasant ideas). “You made many mistakes on this page” would direct attention to the person who made the mistakes and would not be diplomatic.

-    Use passive voice to convey negative ideas.  He did not proofread this bid proposal carefully (Active Voice). This bid proposal was not proofread carefully. The job was completed ahead of time (Passive Voice).  He completed the job ahead of schedule (Active voice preferred for positive ideas).

-    Use the subjunctive mood.  I cannot approve your transfer to overseas operation (Negative Tone). If positions were available in our overseas operation, I would approve your transfer ( Subjunctive mood conveys positive tone).

-    Include a pleasant statement in the same sentence. Your personnel ratings for communication ability and interpersonal skills were satisfactory (Negative Tone). Your personnel ratings for communication ability and interpersonal skills were satisfactory, but your rating for technical competence was excellent.

Avoiding statements that destroy good will

Tone is the way a statement sounds. The tone of a message conveys the writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the message and the receiver.

i) Avoid using condescending words. Condescending words seem to connote that the communicator is temporarily coming down from a level of superiority to join the receiver on a level of inferiority. To build strong good will, avoid condescending words. Avoid this:

As director of marketing, I will decide whether your product proposal has any merit.

As a retired editor of best sellers, I could assist you in editing your PTA newsletter.

ii) Use euphemisms cautiously. A euphemism is a term that makes an unpleasant idea seem better than it really is.

Negative tone                Euphemistic tone

Died                    Passed away

Aged                    Senior citizen
Line worker                Production associate

Compliant department            Customer service

Inspection department            Maintenance department

iii) Avoid a flattering tone. Flattery (words of undeserved praise) may be accepted gracefully, but the net result is almost always negative. Give sincere complements judiciously; avoid flattery.

iv) Avoid demeaning expressions.

Demeaning expression

Be sure the turtles understand the importance of meeting next week’s deadline

Respectful expression

Be sure the management trainees understand the importance of meeting next week’s deadline.

v) Use connotative tone cautiously. Human relations can suffer when connotative words are inadvertently used instead of denotative words. The denotative meaning of a word is the literal meaning plus an extra message that reveals the speaker’s qualitative judgement. Here is an example:

Connotative meaning with negative meaning

Another gripe session has been scheduled for tomorrow.

Denotative meaning (preferred)

Another employee forum has been scheduled for tomorrow.

Avoid statement of surprise, doubt and judgement

Phrases that reveal a writer’s surprise about a receiver’s behaviour can cause problems in human relations. “ I am surprised” or “ I cannot understand”. Such expressions are particularly offensive to receivers because they seem to place them in a position of recognized inferiority. Avoid expressions of surprise, doubt and judgement when they would be interpreted as insults.

Ethics in an organizational context

It is vital to note that ethical or unethical actions by particular managers do not occur in a vacuum. They most often occur in an organizational context that is conducive to them.

Some people may commit crime to further their own careers or financial gains. Ethical standard of a person determines this behavior.

Organizational practice may strongly influence the ethical standards of employees. Some organizations openly permit unethical business practices as long as they are in the best interests of the firm.

Environmental competitiveness tends to encourage unethical behavior. They engage in unethical behavior through price-fixing. Competitive jealously is normal in business. Everybody wants to make more than others do.

Pressure from superiors can lead to blind conformity. Most workers feel some pressure to act unethically or illegally on the job.

There are some ambiguous situations in which there are no clear- cut ethical guidelines. Managers feel uncomfortable in these ambiguous situations.

Organizational culture also contributes to the context for ethical behavior. If a manager aware of an unethical behavior and allow it to continue, he has contributed to the organizational culture that says such activity is permitted.

Profit as a goal

Profit is the reward for taking risks involved in investing money and time. It is the reward for innovation.
Adam Smith in his book “The Wealth of Nation” (1776) argued, “People do their best when they reap the rewards of hard work and intelligence and suffer the penalties for laziness”.
He favored the use of profits as a means of encouraging individual incentive and initiative.

There are three elements of business
Business reveals  that it has several  important elements, namely:
Recurring exchanges. Recurring sale constitute business. If goods is purchased or produced fro sale, it is a business activity.
•    Creation of values or utility.  Form place, time and ownership utilities.
•    Satisfaction of wants. People have many physiological and mental needs.
•    If you buy a flat for your own living is not a business activity.

Is profit the main goal of business?

Profit making is the primary motive of the business. Profit plays a key role in the private enterprise system in terms of:
-    Motivating the owners.
-    Profit is the remuneration of the businessman.
-    Profit is the livelihood of the businessman.
-    Encouraging innovation.
-    Encouraging efficiency.
-    Increasing profit increases the goodwill of the business.
-    Signaling areas for expansion. Profit is necessary for the expansion and development of the business.

-    Providing the finance for expansion.
-    Providing a measuring rod of performance. It is measure of the success of the business.
Business is an activity that is directed to create values for removing wants of man in society through recurring exchange.
Profits come from the efficient production of goods and services demanded by people.

Ethics and Shaping Ethical Behavior of a Person

The world ethics is becoming popular all over the world. Because most of the people are becoming UN ethics. We should behave ethically.
Ethics is personal beliefs about whether a behavior, action or decision is right or wrong.
Ethics may be defined as “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad with moral duty and obligation”.
It is the study of moral obligation involving the distinction between right and wrong.
People have ethics, organizations do not.
Ethical behaviors may differ from person to person.

Ethical behavior refers behavior that conforms to generally accept social norms. 


According to Expert there are many factors the shape is called ethics.
Experts (Rose, 1990; Carroll, 1987) identified many factors that constitute and shape individual ethics.  According to them, a combination of such actors as
family influences,
peer influences,
life experiences,
personal values and morals,
religious instructions, and
Situational factors determine individual ethics.
Both positive and negative kinds of events shape an individual’s ethics
A person’s values and morals also contribute to his ethical standards.
Values are abstract ideals that shape an individual’s thinking and behavior (Rokeach, 1968).
Behavioral scientists have identified two basic types of values: instrumental values and terminal value.
An instrumental value is an enduring belief that a certain way of behaving is appropriate in all situations. For example, “ honesty is the best policy” represent an instrumental value. A person who truly values honesty will probably behave in an honest manner.
A terminal value is an enduring belief that a certain end-state of existence is worth striving for and attaining.   Whereas one person may strive for eternal salvation, another may strive for social recognition and admiration. Instrumental values help achieve terminal values.

Theories of ethics

Utilitarianism. The philosophy used in making ethical decisions that aims to achieve the greatest good or benefits for the greatest number. A person using this philosophy would try to figure out the impact of all the alternative actions on every one concerned and then choose the alternative that creates the most satisfaction for the most people.

Individual rights. The philosophy used in making ethical decisions that aim to protect human right and dignity.

Justice. The philosophy used in making ethical decisions that aims to ensure the equal distribution of burdens and benefits.

Guideline to improve business ethics

Ethical behavior must begin with top management. Top management establishes the organization’s culture and defines what will and will not be acceptable behavior. Top management must create an organizational climate that rewards ethical conduct.
Management can use ethical advocates in high level decision making. These ethics specialists will sit as a full-fledged member of the board of directors and acts as the board’s social conscience.
Obey the law, both the letter and spirit of the law.
Tell the truth. Telling the truth is important in building trust with relevant stakeholders.
Show respect for people. The notion of treating people with respect has deep roots in the study of ethics.
Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you.
Practice participation, not paternalism. Learning about the needs of stakeholders, rather than deciding what is best for them. Eliciting ideas and views before finalizing any plans. Discuss the problem with the affected parties before making decision. 
Establish ethics training programs for the employees to enable them to cope with ethical dilemmas.
Establish an ethics committee that reports directly to the board of directors. The committee may consist of internal and external members.
The functions of such committee may include- holding regular meetings to discuss ethical issues, dealing with gray areas,
communicating the code to all members of the organization, checking for all possible violation of the code, enforcing the code,  conduct frequent and unpredictable audit,
Rewarding compliance and punishing violations and make them public so that it may deter others,
reviewing and updating the code, and Reporting activities of the committee to the board o directors.  Formalize the ethical standards of the firms.
Prepare guidelines that detail how employees are to treat suppliers, customers, competitors, and other constituents.
Establish a formal code of ethics- written statements of the values ands ethical standards that guide the firm’s action.
A code is a statement of policies, principles or rules that guides behavior. Some codes specify penalties for offenders.

Different managerial ethics

Immoral
Amoral
Moral

Managerial ethics are standards of conducts or moral judgments used by managers in carrying out their business.
Carroll notes that three major levels of moral or ethical judgment characterize managers:
Immoral management. An approach that not only lacks ethical principles but is actively opposed to ethical behavior. Example- exclusive concern for company gains at any price.
Amoral management. An approach that is neither immoral nor moral but, rather, ignores is obvious to ethical considerations. Two types of immoral management- intentional and unintentional. Managers are insensitive to the moral implications of their decisions and actions.
Moral l management. An approach that strives to follow ethical principles and precepts. Making profit while engaging in legal and ethical behaviors.

Managerial ethics

Managerial ethics are the standards of behaviors that guide individual managers in their work.

 Managerial ethics are standards of conduct or moral judgment used by managers in carrying out their business.

Such standards arise from the general norms and values of society: from an experience within family, religious, educational and other types of institutions; and from interpersonal interactions with others.

Therefore, managerial ethics may differ among individuals. There are three basic areas of concern for managerial ethics. These are the relationships of the firm to the employees (hiring and firing, wages and working conditions and employee privacy), the employee to the firm  (conflict of interests, secrecy, and honesty in keeping expense account) and the firm to the other economic agents (Customers, competitors, stockholders, suppliers, dealers, and trade unions).

There are three basic areas of concern for managerial ethics.

These are the relationships of the firm to the employees (hiring and firing, wages and working conditions and employee privacy), the employee to the firm  (conflict of interests, secrecy, and honesty in keeping expense account) and the firm to the other economic agents (Customers, competitors, stockholders, suppliers, dealers, and trade unions).