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Business Communication: Building Critical Skills

Kitty O. Locker, Ohio State University
Steven Kyo Kaczmarek, Columbus State Community College
Kathryn Braun, Sheridan College

Communication Across Cultures

Video Cases

This case and its discussion questions are based on a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation video that accompanies the textbook. In addition to whatever in-class use your instructor may have given the video, it's available on this website for online viewing. If directed to do so by your instructor, you can also answer the discussion questions online and email the results.
These videos are intended only for students using the 1st Canadian Edition of Business Communications. To view the video, you'll require a password. Refer to page 541 in your textbook and use the first word appearing in the main text column as both 'username' and 'password.' Use of the word is case-sensitive.
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Office Etiquette
What irks you at work? Do you feel good about heading into your building or going to the photocopier? Basic manners are as necessary in the office as they are in social settings. However, basic manners in the workplace are seldom defined. What do we need to do to make the workplace a comfortable one for all?
     Let's start before you get your office. You're walking quickly toward the elevator. You see John and breathe a sigh of relief as he holds the door open for you. You know that most of your colleagues would have closed it and let you wait. When asked how long they would hold an elevator door open, employees' answers varied from 10 seconds to two minutes! Maybe two minutes is a stretch, but what would you do?
     Now you've reached your office. Your arms are loaded and Marian opens the door ahead of you. Will she hold it for you? Employees were asked how far they would hold a door behind them—answers varied from 1 1/2 feet to 6 feet. One worker from Manitoba said he'd hold a door for anyone as far away as he could see behind him. He said he'd likely hold the door for 10 to 15 feet. Joking aside, do you think there are regional differences with corporate etiquette? May people be more laid back in some areas of our country than in others? Are there differences within provinces?
     Now you're at work. What can irritate you on the job? Often workers find little things irritate them and detract from a good working environment. Common complaints include the following:

People reading other people's faxes.
People reading other people's e-mails from behind or beside them.
People who stand in the doorway while they are trying to write or read something important or confidential.
People who distract them while they're on the phone or who listen to their phone calls.
People who bring smelly food to the office.

Worker sharing office space have a particularly strong need to establish office etiquette so all workers can feel good about where and how they work. Many offices have opted for open plans with workstations without walls. Etiquette in these work environments is key to successful work teams.
Think about your visits to the water cooler, the photocopier, or the receptionist. In all of our interactions with other people, basic office etiquette can help us succeed.

Source: Based on "Office Etiquette", Venture 678 (Feb. 24, 1998).

View Office Etiquette


1		Write a list of four lapses of etiquette that bother you in the workplace or in the college environment. Form a group of four with your colleagues, and share your list with the group.



2		Are rules of office etiquette a good idea?



3		How can you promote good etiquette in the office?

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