Affärsetikett - ett verktyg för framgång i affärer?
Business etiquetteCompetitive advantageCustomer valueSituational adaptationCommon senseTacit knowledgeCodes of conductAffärsetikettKonkurrensfördelKundvärdeSituations-anpassningSunt förnuftTyst kunskapUppförandekoder
Background: Etiquette has become vital in business relationships. In today?s competitive business climate signs indicate that social competence affect whether a business deal is settled or not. This type of competence could be of crucial importance at a first business meeting and it also plays an important role for future business relationships. Business etiquette is therefore, within the world of business, an interesting area to study.Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to clarify what knowledge and understanding companies, listed on the Swedish stock exchange, possess towards business etiquette, their viewpoint on etiquette education and finally to ascertain whether or not those companies perceive business etiquette to be pivotal to success.Methodology: In order to attain our purpose of this essay we found it most suitable to utilize both a quantitative and qualitative research method. To obtain a deeper understanding, two personal interviews, with professionals within the field of business etiquette, were carried out. A questionnaire was sent out to 100 companies and four personal interviews, with representatives from two different banks, were also conducted.Conclusions: We have come to the conclusion that many business deals fail due to lack of appropriate etiquette. According to the respondents, business etiquette could be a suitable tool to achieve success in business. Our analysis shows that business etiquette is a collection of rules where common sense, judgment, humility and respect are important aspects that should pervade conduct toward colleagues and customers. According to our survey, the customer is imperative in business relations and the employees should therefore perform situational in accordance to the customer?s expectations. A conclusion could be drawn that if a company succeeds in offering the customer greater value, in comparison with its competitors, it will give the company a competitive advantage and result in profitability.