Education in Business Etiquette: Attitudes of Marketing Professionals.
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| Title: | Education in Business Etiquette: Attitudes of Marketing Professionals. |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Schaffer, Burton F. |
| Source: | Journal of Education for Business. Jul-Aug 1993 68(6):330-333. |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 4 |
| Publication Date: | 1993 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Journal Articles |
| Descriptors: | Business Administration Education, Business Communication, Course Content, Higher Education, Interpersonal Relationship, Marketing |
| ISSN: | 0883-2323 |
| Abstract: | Of the 200 respondents to a survey of 400 marketing professions, 40% believed the business etiquette skills of college graduates had worsened, only 24% had received etiquette training in the workplace, and 80% thought business etiquette should be part of the business school curriculum. (SK) |
| Entry Date: | 1994 |
| Accession Number: | EJ468139 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN9309130025;JEB01JUL.93;1997Dec18.10:47;v2.3</anid> <title id="AN9309130025-1">EDUCATION IN BUSINESS ETIQUETTE: ATTITUDES OF MARKETING PROFESSIONALS </title> <p> <bold> ABSTRACT. </bold> Survey information from marketing professionals was used to evaluate perceptions regarding business etiquette skills in the business world. Results indicate that etiquette is indeed important in numerous situations, and in a variety of ways. Education in business etiquette is essential, and most marketing professionals believe that etiquette should be included as part of a business school's curriculum. </p> <p>Organizations are continually seeking to differentiate themselves from their competitors in today's increasingly competitive, global business climate. Providing consistent and reliable customer service has become an important component in the differentiation strategies of many organizations (Bennett, 1990). To successfully implement customer service programs requires the use of a set of skills that collectively constitute business etiquette (Wakin, 1986). However, there is increasing evidence that recent graduates of business schools do not possess the basic etiquette skills that are necessary to succeed in today's business world. For example, Dibsie (1990) reported that 88% of senior-level managers have impeccable manners. The figure falls to 40% for middle-level managers and only 12% for recent MBA graduates. Salvage (1988) and Trinkaus (1989) also reported a similar decline in business manners. </p> <p>Although business etiquette encompasses many dimensions of business, there are some common business faux pas that occur frequently. Among these are (a) being rude on the telephone, (b) interrupting conversations, (c) improper handshakes, (d) improper manners at business meals, (e) inappropriate meeting behavior, and (f) mistakes in business communications (Humphries, 1990). Kelley (1992) suggested that educating business students in the art of business etiquette belongs in the business curriculum. Marketing students, perhaps more than any other major, need these skills because marketing professionals directly interface with the customer. </p> <p>In spite of the importance of etiquette skills in business situations, surprisingly few studies have examined business practitioners' views on the topic. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the attitudes of marketing professionals in the area of business etiquette. How important is etiquette in the business world? What types of business situations require appropriate etiquette skills? What kinds of behaviors are considered good and/or poor business etiquette? Should etiquette be included as part of a business school's curriculum? Have etiquette skills of business graduates gotten better or worse over the past decade? </p> <hd id="AN9309130025-2"> Methodology </hd> <p>A three-page questionnaire was used to evaluate the perceptions of marketing professionals with respect to business etiquette. Initially, a definition of business etiquette was provided in order to establish a common standard of reference for all participants. A 5-point Likert-type scale, ranging from very important (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>) to not very improtant (<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref2">5</reflink>), was used to assess the importance of etiquette in the business world. A forced ranking question was used to establish the relative importance of etiquette in a variety of business situations. </p> <p>Open-ended questions provided respondents with the ability to list specific examples of good and poor business etiquette and to describe any business etiquette training that had previously been received. Dichotomous and categorical questions were used to assess whether business etiquette is valued enough to be included as part of a business school's curriculum and to determine the adequacy of business etiquette skills of recent college graduates. Finally, the questionnaire focused on the demographics of gender, marital status, age, income, and level of education. </p> <p>A total of 400 surveys were mailed to business professionals in the area of marketing throughout the United States. Names and addresses of the participants were obtained via the selection of a systematic random sample from the 1992 American Marketing Association Directory of Members. Out of the 400 surveys mailed, only 10 were returned as undeliverable. Out of the 390 surveys delivered, 200 usable surveys were returned, resulting in a response rate of 51.3%. </p> <p>As indicated in Table 1, slightly less than half of the respondents were female, and over 70% were married. Over two thirds of the respondents had annual incomes exceeding $50,000, and a large percentage (44.7%) held advanced college degrees. Also note that various age groupings were well represented in the sample. </p> <hd id="AN9309130025-3"> Results </hd> <p>Business etiquette is defined on the questionnaire as "the behavior, manners, and protocol established by convention as acceptable or required in a business or profession. " Given this definition, perceptions of the respondents regarding the importance of etiquette in the business world were gathered by asking respondents to rate the importance of etiquette in today's business world. A large majority (91.1%) of the respondents rated etiquette as either very important (56%) or important (35.1%). Less than 4% of the respondents indicated that business etiquette was somewhat unimportant (2.1%) or not very important (1.6%). Chi-square (x2) tests indicated that no significant differences of opinion existed according to gender, age, income, marital status, or level of education. </p> <p>Participants in the study were then asked to rank in order of importance the role of business etiquette in seven different business situations. Results of this ranking are presented in Table 2. Given an overabundance of articles in the literature attesting to the importance of communication skills, it is not too surprising that respondents accorded the highest rank to the area of business communications. Situations involving meetings and introductions were also ranked relatively high; lower ranks were given in dining, handshaking, and use of business cards. </p> <p>Chi-square tests identified only a few significant differences (p &lt;/= .05) on the demographic variables and the ranking contained in Table 2. No significant differences were found in the high ranks given to business communications and conducting meetings, or in the lower rank given to dining with clients. Concerning the importance of business etiquette in the other business situations, the following observations were found to be significant. </p> <p>1. Married respondents accorded more importance to situations involving introductions and handshaking than did single respondents. Over 51% of married respondents ranked introductions either 1 or 2, whereas less than 35% of the single respondents ranked introductions in a similar way. Less than 36% of the married respondents ranked handshaking as relatively less important (6 or 7), whereas over 58% of the single respondents ranked handshaking as less important. </p> <ulist> <item>2. Respondents with lower levels of income (83%) tended to rank interviewing situations higher (4 or higher) than did those respondents earning more than $50,000 (73%). </item> <item>3. Respondents with advanced college degrees (79%) ranked the importance of etiquette in the use of business cards lower (5 or lower) than did those without advanced college degrees (68%). </item> </ulist> <p>Two open-ended questions were used to give participants the opportunity to relate specific examples of what they believed to be good and poor business etiquette. Multiple responses to these questions were typical. Presented in Table 3 are the frequencies of examples given by the participants. For the purpose of tabulating these frequencies, the eight categories listed in Table 3 were developed. In Table 4, some specific responses given in the area of good and poor business etiquette in each category are provided. </p> <p>The most frequently cited examples of both good and poor business etiquette were in the courtesy category (Table 3). Obviously, considerate remarks, politeness, helpful acts, and other characteristics in the area of courtesy are valued highly in the business world. Also note once again that behavioral traits involving business communication skills are frequently on the minds of business people. At the other end of the spectrum, with the least number of both good and poor examples cited, is the category dining skills. </p> <p>When asked the question "Have you personally had any business etiquette training?" only 24.7% responded yes. Respondents answering yes were then asked to describe the type of training they had received. Some type of formal training was cited by over 42% of those responding. Types of informal training cited included personal experience, self-teaching, and parental guidance. </p> <p>In spite of the fact that less than 25% of the respondents had previously received any business etiquette training, a large majority of all respondents felt that today's students of business should receive such training. Specifically, 79.9% of the respondents answered yes to the question "Do you think business etiquette should be included as part of a business school's curriculum?" Even though the chi-square tests were significant (p &lt;/= .05) for gender and level of education, the belief that business etiquette should be part of the business curriculum was expressed by overwhelming majorities of both women (86%) and men (75%) and both those without advanced college degrees (87%) and those with advanced college degrees (71%). </p> <p>Participants were then asked to assess whether business etiquette skills of college graduates had gotten better or worse over the past 10 years. Most respondents felt that the etiquette skills of college graduates had either stayed the same (43.2%) or had gotten worse (43.2%) over the past decade. Less than 14% of the respondents believed that etiquette skills had improved over this time period. </p> <hd id="AN9309130025-4"> Summary and Conclusions </hd> <p>Etiquette is important in the business world in a wide variety of business situations. Writing a letter, talking on the telephone, conducting a meeting, and introducing business associates are examples of everyday situations that demand appropriate business etiquette skills. Furthermore, good and/or poor etiquette skills may be exhibited in various ways. An individual may be courteous or rude, on time or late, sloppy or neat, just to mention a few ways that proper etiquette may influence business associates' perceptions. </p> <p>In spite of the importance attributed to business etiquette skills, results of this survey imply that the preparedness of college graduates in the etiquette area is somewhat lacking. Recall that over 40% of the respondents believed that the business etiquette skills of college graduates had actually worsened over the past 10 years. In addition, it appears that once college graduates enter the business world, only a small percentage will receive business etiquette training. As a result, perhaps, a large majority of the participants in this study believe that business schools should include business etiquette in the curriculum. </p> <p>Though this study was not designed to develop the curriculum necessary to provide students with an education in business etiquette, the results of this study do indicate that curriculum development in this area may indeed be fruitful. However, given the constraints in the number of business courses that can be offered in the curriculum, appropriate pedagogy may dictate the modification of existing courses to include an introduction to business etiquette skills. </p> <hd id="AN9309130025-5">TABLE 1. Characteristics of the Respondents</hd> <ct id="AN9309130025-6"> Characteristic No. % Gender Male 107 53.5 Female 93 46.5 Marital status Married 132 70.1 Single 58 29.9 Age 35 or younger 76 38.2 36 to 45 71 35.7 46 or older 52 26.1 Income &lt; $50,000 63 32.1 &gt;/= $50,00 133 67.9 Education Advanced college degree 89 44.7 No advanced college degree 110 55.3</ct> <hd id="AN9309130025-7">TABLE 2. A Rank Order of the Importance of Business Etiquette in Various Business Situations</hd> <ct id="AN9309130025-8"> Business situation Rank Business communications 1 (e.g., telephone calls, letters) Conducting meetings 2 Introductions 3 Interviewing 4 Dining with clients 5 Handshaking 6 Use of business cards 7 Note. Scale ranges from 7 (most important) to 1 (least important).</ct> <hd id="AN9309130025-9">TABLE 3. Frequencies of Examples Cited as Good and Poor Business Etiquette</hd> <ct id="AN9309130025-10"> No. of No. of Category good examples poor examples Courtesy 127 135 Business communication 59 69 Social skills 36 14 Introductions 28 14 Grooming 24 29 Meeting behavior 18 16 Handshake 11 7 Dining skills 6 7</ct> <hd id="AN9309130025-11">TABLE 4. Some Specific Responses Given in the Areas of Good and Poor Business Etiquette</hd> <ct id="AN9309130025-12"> Courtesy Good: "Treating everyone with respect." "Remembering people's names." Poor: "Loud, boisterous talking." "Childish tactics--back-biting, tantrums." Business communications Good: "Eloquence of presentations." "Returning telephone calls in a timely manner." Poor: "Improperly addressed letter." "Not copying people referred to in memos." Social skills Good: "Standing when a client enters or leaves a room." Poor: "Get down to business too quickly." "Not listening to questions." Introductions Good: "Holding out one's hand and introducing oneself first." Poor: "Not standing when someone is being introduced." "Over-familiarity." Grooming Good: "Professional dress." "Good grooming, personal cleanliness." Poor: "Inappropriate dress." Meeting behavior Good: "Starting meetings on time." "Not talking over the heads of people." Poor" "No meeting agenda." "Lateness to meetings/appointments." Handshake Good: "Develop a good (not weak) handshake." Poor: "Men who gently lift a woman's hand instead of using a firm handshake." Dining skills Good: "Knowing how to be a good guest or host in restaurants (table manners, who orders first)." Poor: "Ordering before a client." "Using toothpicks at the table."</ct> <hd id="AN9309130025-13">REFERENCES</hd> <p>American Marketing Association (AMA) (1992). The American Marketing Association Directory of Members. Chicago: Author. </p> <p>Bennett, A. (1990, November 12). Many consumers expect better service--and say they are willing to pay for it. Wall Street Journal, B1. </p> <p>Disbie, P. (1990, October 9). Executive etiquette: Young graduates just don't have it. The Sacramento Union, B1. </p> <p>Humphries, A. (1990). Business manners for the '90s. Business and Economic Review, 36 (April-June), 3-6. </p> <p>Kelley, C. A. (1992). Educating marketing students in the art of business etiquette. Journal of Marketing Education, 14(Summer), 34-38. </p> <p>Salvage, J. (1988). Beware gentle readers: Business etiquette may spell your success or your failure. Computer Decisions, 22(<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref3">33</reflink>), 77-78. </p> <p>Trinkaus, J. (1989). Business manners: An informal look. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 68, 945-946. </p> <p>Wakin, E. (1986). Manners make the manager. Today's Office, June, 45 48. </p> <aug> <p>By BURTON F. SCHAFFER, CRAIG A. KELLEY and MARYANN GOETTE, California State University Sacramento, California </p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib1" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib5" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref3"></nolink> |
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| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ468139 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 4 StartPage: 330 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Business Administration Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Business Communication Type: general – SubjectFull: Course Content Type: general – SubjectFull: Higher Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Interpersonal Relationship Type: general – SubjectFull: Marketing Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Education in Business Etiquette: Attitudes of Marketing Professionals. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Schaffer, Burton F. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 1993 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0883-2323 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 68 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Education for Business Type: main |
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