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LO1: Understand protocols to be followed when working in business - Coggle…
LO1: Understand protocols to be followed when working in business
authority protocols
there are procedures that employees or managers within a business hierarchy have to follow when making decisions, communicating with stakeholders and making payments
authority in the workplace
level of authority refers to the amount of authority a person has level of authority depends on where someone sits in the organisationsal structure: it increases as you move up the hierarchy of an organisation
on decision making
the person at the very top of an organisations hierarchy has the most power - having authority to make final decisions in all matters
people lower down in an organisations hierarchy might have to seek the approval of their line manager if they cannot resolve a problem, because they do not have the authority to make the final decisions
a clear chain of command is needed so that an employee knows what decisions they can and cannot make
a persons authority to make a decision will usually depend on the degree of impact a decision has on a business
management at the top of an organisational structure has the authority to make decisions that affect the whole of an organisation
middle management makes decisions that affect the department under their control to achieve long term goals set by top management
operatives make day to day decisions to fulfil orders or instructions from their line managers - middle management
on authorisation - signing letters, payment authorisation
employees may not be authorised to sign letters or make payments and may need to seek authorisation from someone more senior in the organisational hierarchy
reasons for authority protocols
to minimise errors and mistakes - this is very important when producing both internal/external communication materials - e.g. a line manager may check and sign letters before sending them to potential customers
to uphold standards - especially important when communicating with external stakeholders - e.g. promotional materials must be of a good standard before printing
make sure decisions reflect corporate identity - this is to minimise damage to reputation - e.g. choosing and using an ethical supplier
avoid fraud - especially important when it involves payments of any kind - e.g. cheques and petty cash payments may need to be approved by line managers
protect sensitive data on employee and customers - e.g. might be restricting access to employees'/customers personal info to comply with data protection
confidentiality protocols
confidentiality protocols - procedures an organization puts in place to maintain confidentiality
organisational procedures to maintain confidentiality
restricit info access to only those who need to see it
office documents can be set at different levels, including read, change or full control - makes sure that only people with correct authority have full editing control
use blind carbon copy so that email adressess are not shared for secrurity and privacy reasons
implement IT systems that protect electronic data such as passwords, screensavers, encryption, firewalls
dispose of confidential info properly - shredding
mark confidential info clearly on documents
store confidential info in locked filing cabinets or rooms accessible to only those who need to know
requires employees to sign a non-disclosure agreement - a contract in which an employee agrees not to disclose confidential info that is shared with them
include disclosure of confidential info as gross misconduct in a job description
storage of data and documentation
an organisation will have procedures in place to ensure that documents are stored safely and securely and cannot be accessed by people who do not have authority to access them
manual storage
lockable filing cabinet - keys only accessible to those who need to see and use the documents
fire proof filing cabinet
electronic data
drop box and other cloud storage systems - allow large amounts of info to be shared and worked on by different people anytime and anywhere - should be password protected and encrypted where relevant to ensure documents are secure
hard drives - could be installed onto a compute or could be portable, they allow large amounts of information to be stored, but must be protected approx to ensure data they contain remains confidential - using passwords, firewalls, encryption
flash drives - small portable devices which allow info to be stored, easily transportable and thus can be easily be misplaced or fall into the wrong hands - confidential documents stored on flash drives should be password protected
smartphones - have internal memory systems that allow information to be stored, make sure that anti virus, firewalls, encryption, are used when storing confidential info on smartphones
implications of breaching confidentiality
loss of customer/business
loss of trust affecting reputation
increase the risk of fraud - identity theft
costly law suits
benefits and drawbacks of maintaining confidentiality
benefits
sensitive information is not accessible to the public/competitors to secure competitive advantage - new ideas and inventions
prevents law suits from employees and customers
prevents fraud
maintains trust and good reputation
drawbacks
cost implications - filing cabinets and space as well as IT systems being quite expensive
affects image - stakeholders prefer transparent business practices
reasons why confidentiality may need to be breached
duty of care - someone or an organisation might suffer if you do not provide the info - e.g. it may be necessary to provide senior management the personal details of an employee who is selling confidential information to a competitor
evidence of danger/emergency - e.g. it may be important to provide contact details of the person in charge of security in case of a break in, personal info to a hospital in case of a medical emergency
importance of maintaining confidentiality
to individual
private sensitive info does not become public knowledge
to prevent identity theft
protect reputation
to organisation
maintain a competitive advnantage
protect new product ideas
maintain trust and good reputation
constraints on document content
voluntary
organisational - rules or guidelines specific to an organisation that all employees must follow e.g. having a standard opening and closing paragraph when writing to clients dealing with their comkplaints
ethical - organisations moral duty to be truthful and fair - e.g. avoid portraying a certain race as being inferior to others on marketing materials - marketing communication must be truthful
codes of practice - set of written rules for all employees to follow about what should/shouldnt be included in business documents - e.g. customers mustnt be criticised even though they might be wrong or their complaints unjustified. codes of practice are often adopted by a particular industry rather than being organisation specific
legislation
copyright - follow the copyright, designs and patents act businesses must gain permission before using third party material. sources must be quoted to avoid plagarism
data protection - data protection act requires all personal info to be held securely and not shared without permission to prevent misuse and abuse
consumer protection - means that marketing materials must be accuracte in terms of price, description. details of purchase such as delivery charges and a customerss right to cancel, must be provided clearly
equal oppurtunities - equality act protects someone from direct and indirect discrimination, harrassment or victimisation - e.g. businesses should avoid discrimination in terms of gender, race, religion in their job advertisements
checking protocols
these are procedures in place to ensure documents or arrangements are accurate, clear and contain all necessary info
checking of documents
practice might differ in different organisations. in some organisations checking may be done by employees first and then by their line managers. some legal documents may be checked by a solicitor or an accountant
checks ensure accuracy and appropriateness to make sure that the documents are fit for purpose
checks should also flag up omissions or mistakes that could be detrimental to the business
checking arrangements
may include e.g. checking details of meetings, travel arrangements or accomodation
practice may differ in organisations - in some, checking may be done by employees and line managers
checking ensures accuracy and avoids mistakes or confusion
should also make sure that all parties are informed of the arrangement
implications of poor checking
waste of time and money
loss of customers/sales/profit
bad reputation
loss of trust in the business
benefits and drawbacks of checking documents and arrangements
benefits
maintain reputation
ensure accuracy, fit for purpose, appropriateness
avoid mistakes and omissions
drawbacks
can be time consuming
can cause delays