Business Practice 2Module 1

Activities

Activity 1How do you behave at work or in the college?

Study the list below and then evaluate how appropriate your behaviour is. What are your strengths? What are your areas for improvement?

• Do you communicate effectively?

• Do you behave ethically?

• Do you take ownership?

• Are you a pro-active decision maker?

• Do you manage your time effectively?

• Are you punctual?

• Do you set high standards for yourself in terms of personal dress and grooming

• If you are a smoker, do you abide by the smoking policy?

• If your college has a dress code, do you comply with it?

Activity 2

• Describe the dress code of your college or organisation. Is there a specific dress code for staff and students? If not, should there be one? Draw up a basic dress code for your institution.

Activity 3

• Explain the reasons why it is important to be on time for class or work. What effect does it have on the business or the classroom if people are always late?

• What are the main reasons why people are late or absent? Are these reasons valid?

• Make suggestions as to how people can change their habits to be punctual

Activity 41. Explain the importance of a positive attitude. Use

your work or college experience to identify the qualities that indicate attitude

2. What do you see in a person who has a positive attitude?

3. How does a person who has a negative attitude behave?

4. What is the effect of both positive and negative behaviour on other people?

5. There is an expression which says that ‘you can’t keep a good dog down’. Do you think that a person with a negative attitude can change? Give reasons for your answer

Activity 5Discuss the impact of the following on your

performance in class or at work:

1. You have to hand in a group assignment, but one group member is absent that day and your assignment is incomplete

2. You have to do an oral presentation in class and one person who was supposed to help with the presentation is late

3. You have to place an urgent order in the simulated office, but the person who must authorise is absent

Activity 6Select a partner and do the following exercise:

• Ask your partner to speak for two minutes on ‘My school career’ or ‘Why I am taking this course’ giving dates and saying what he or she has done

• Listen as actively as you can and then repeat what you have heard as accurately as possible

• Ask your partner to comment on how accurately you have retold the details

• Now swap roles

• You do the same exercise and your partner must listen

• Compare ideas on how effective the exercise was

• Do the same exercise again, but use a different topic. Talk about ‘My greatest achievement in the last 12 months’ Again, compare ideas on the exercise.

• Have your listening skills improved? Give reasons for your answer

Activity 7

• Use your experience to give reason why listening skills are important in the college, the workplace or at home.

• Give examples of the results of poor listening skills

• Give the examples of the results of good listening skills

Activity 8

Do a quick survey in your college (select two or three classes) to determine the following:

• The percentage of students who smoke

• The percentage of these smokers who would like to quit if they could

• The main reasons why they can’t or won’t quit smoking

• The percentage of these students who know that smoking is bad for them

Activity 9• Describe the regulations regarding smoking in

your college or place of work

Activity 10

• Does your college or workplace have a code of conduct? Get hold of a copy and discuss the its content in class

Activity 11

Interpret the body language of the people in the photos below:

Activity 12

• Give reasons why it is important to interpret body language correctly in the college or workplace

Activity 13• Explain the proper use of a handshake as a

greeting in a business setting. Compare the meaning of different handshakes used in South Africa. Give examples of when it is appropriate to use each handshake.

Activity 14

• Explain why it is important to respect other people’s space and why it is inappropriate to touch other people in a business environment. Give examples of the consequences if one ignores business etiquette in this regard.

Activity 15

• Describe behaviour that could be considered to be sexual harassment. Give examples from your college or work environment.

Activity 16

• Explain why first impressions are important in a business environment. Look at it from the viewpoint of both the customer and the business.

Activity 17• Explain you organisations procedures for

dealing with unexpected guests. What does a college do when unexpected students arrive for class?

Activity 18• Explore the sources of ethical values in your

group. What are the main influences that shaped your values and standards?

Activity 19• Find articles in the newspaper about companies

accused of unethical or illegal behaviour. Discuss the cases.

Activity 20• Find articles in your local newspaper about

cases where people have been accused of fraud or corruption. Discuss the cases in class.

Activity 21• Do the different cultures in South Africa have

different values regarding personal ethics?

• What have you observed in your workplace or college?

Activity 22Study the article from the Cape Times of 10 April

2005 and then discuss the following:

1. What factors determine our values and principles?

2. Why should companies and government organisations have a code of ethics?

3. What effect does it have on an organisation if its leaders are guilty or corruption and fraud?

4. What needs to be done to reduce the cases of fraud amongst government officials?