PUP Qualifying Exam for Bachelor of Science in Office Administration PDF

PUP LADDERIZED PROGRAM QUALIFYING EXAM FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN OFFICE ADMINISTRATION FIRST SEMESTER 2023-2024 1. Office Procedures a. The Office Concept, Functions, and Importance o The word “off...

PUP LADDERIZED PROGRAM QUALIFYING EXAM FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN OFFICE ADMINISTRATION FIRST SEMESTER 2023-2024 1. Office Procedures a. The Office Concept, Functions, and Importance o The word “office” came from Latin word “Oficium which means personal, official, or moral duty; official position; function ceremony, etc. In Middle English, an office is defined as a room or other area where an organization’s personnel or employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. In modern term, an office is usually the location where administrative professionals carry out their functions. The term office is used in a variety of ways. An office is a place in which the affairs of a business or an organization is carried out. For example, you may have heard a lawyer say, “I will be out of the office.” The office is a place of work for many types of workers. Accountants, marketing managers, systems analysts, human resource directors, as well as secretaries, records clerks, administrative assistants, principals, directors, encoders, and many others work in offices. Although each of these employees has varying duties, all of them must be knowledgeable about many office practices. b. The Office in Relation to the Organization Office tasks are related to the work of many parts of an organizatio n. Completin g office tasks often requires judgment and makin g decisions. Understandin g the organiz ation will help you make sound decisions in completing your work. Understanding t he Organizatio n. Off ice activities are basically related to informa tion. You w ill process and communica te informa tion as you complete your work. In doing so, you will learn much about your organiz ation. Such learnin g, however, is not automatic. You must make an e ffort t o learn about the company. You w ill f ind task more interes ting and be a more valua ble employee when you understand the organization. The information you handle is related to your organiz ation. You should be alert t o opportuni ties to learn from the content of your work. Of course, you must realiz e at all times the in formation you handle may be confidential. o TYPE OF ORGANIZATIONS Sole Proprie torship - A business owned by one ind ividual. Such business may or may no t also managed by the owner. Sole proprietorships may be of any size, but many of them are small. A sole proprietorship is a business with a single owner and not registe red as a corporati on, partnership or limited liability company. A sole proprietor can work as an indepen dent contractor or operate a small business. Sole proprietors own businesses in many industries. Many home- based businesses are operated by sole proprietors. Understan ding common businesses operated by sol e proprietors can h elp you decide i f it is the righ t structure for you. Can you list dow n some examples o f sole proprietorship in your tow n? Partnership - is a legal form of business operation betwee n two or more individuals who share and manage both the profits and losses of the company. Different t ypes of partners may participate in a partnersh ip. Some partners may prov ide funds for the busi ness but not take part in managin g it. Other partne rs may activ ely lead and manage the business. Can you give som e examples o f our local partnership organiz ations? A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  Corporation - is a busi ness set up und er the laws of a particular state. A business may be privately or publicly owned. Owners have shares of ownership called stock certificates. Owne rs are called stockholders of shareholders. The corporation is considered a legal unit, separate from its shareholders. Publicly owned corporations are required t o report information about the business to shareh olders on a timely basis. Governmental Units Governmental units at the local, state, and national lev els play a critical role in society. These units are called by different name s such as agency , commission , bureau, department , and board. Each unit has speci fic responsibil ities for services considered important for the citizens served. o GOALS OF ORGANIZATIONS Each of the t hree major types of organizations has different overall goals. Busin esses, including professional companies, seek to m ake a pro fit. On the o ther hand , not -for-profit entities and governmental units do not seek to earn profits. T heir goals relate to the services t hey p rovide. These goals in fluence the work o f the employees. o STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZATIONS Many different types of employees work at various level in companies. Because they work together, they must know who is responsible for each activity. They must also know that authority each person has. Office workers, especially, find it helpful to understand the duties and authority of those with whom they work. Knowing how a company is structured will give you a better understanding of how it operates. Many companies prepare a chart that shows positions in order of rank or authority. An organization chart shows the structure of a company. You may download a sample of an organization chart using the structure of our University. 1. Board of Directors - Many large corporations have boards of directors. Publicly owned corporations must have such boards. Owners elect members of the board of directors. The board establishes the policies that guide senior management in directing the company. Generally, some senior managers of the company are members of the board. The board has a number of committees that may meet more frequently than does the full board. Some members of boards of directors are not employees of the company. These directors are expected to provide guidance and to make decisions that will serve the best interests of the company. Such outside directors receive a payment for their services, which are limited to a number of meetings each year. Generally, the full board of directors may meet no more than four to five times each year 2. Senior Management - Those persons who provide direction in carrying out the policies of the board of directors are identified as senior management, or top management, in both businesses and not-for- profit entities. The chief executive officer (CEO), the president, the chief operating officer (COO), and the chief financial officer (CFO) are generally included in this group. The CEO and president have overall responsibility for everything that happens in the A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  company. In some companies, one person holds both of these positions, and even additional ones. 3. Middle Management - Managers and supervisors who direct day-to-day activities of the organization are referred to as middle management. Increasingly, American companies have fewer middle managers. You may have heard references to a flatter organization. Such an organization has fewer layers or levels of managers. Increasingly, workers are given authority to make decisions without review by one or more higher-level managers. This concept is sometimes called employee empowerment. 4. Department Employees - The nature of a company’s activities determines the types of workers that will be employed. Each type of employee has certain duties. Working together, they are expected to meet the goals of the organization. In most medium- and large- sized companies, employees are organized in departments or teams that relate to the functions of the company. These functions may include finance and accounting, communications, sales and marketing, information technology, legal services, and human resources. Office workers can be found in all these areas. c. Information Processing and Technologies INFORMATION: A VITAL BUSINESS RESOURCES - Most of the work performed in offices involves the processing of information. Information starts as basic facts or raw data made up of numbers, symbols, and letters. This raw data becomes information when it is organized in a meaningful way. Example an office worker in a shipping department answers a customer’s inquiry about a shipping date. The basic facts used are the customer’s name, the invoice number, and the shipping date. Locating the specific invoice gives the office worker the information to answer the customer’s question. o INFORMATION PROCESSING ACTIVITIES Information processing - is putting facts or numbers into a meaningful and useful forms. Five types of activities or operations are typically involved such as: o INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES Information technology refers to the equipment and software that allow a user to create, store and retrieve information. The information processing methods found in business vary according to how technology is used. The telephone is the most common piece of equipment that is found in almost all offices. Photocopiers, fax machines, and computers are becoming almost as common. Technology allows for rapid processing of a huge quantity and variety of information. Information technologies can be used to improve communication among the staff and between companies and their suppliers and customers. Examples of common information technologies used in office include computers connected to networks, the Internet, and online services provide access to a wide range of resources; electronic imaging and A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  transmission of documents reduces paper work. It saves valuable time and increases customer satisfaction; electronic mail, instant messaging, online databases, and two-way video increase the flow of information and speed of responses. Interactive voice response systems reduce manual processes for sending and receiving data. Computer-based systems are common in today’s offices. Computerized processing relies heavily on equipment (the computer) and related software to turn data into meaningful and timely information. o INFORMATION SYSTEMS Information technology refers to the computer and equipment and software used to process information. Technology is only one part of managing information. Managing information effectively also includes people who follow procedures to run the information technology efficiently. An information system is composed of people, the information technology and resources, and procedures used to process information. The information systems found in a company relate to business activities such as accounting or manufacturing. Three typical information systems are: Accounting information systems used to record transactions and create financial reports; marketing information system helps the business keep tract of customers; Product information systems determine the cost of goods it sells. o ELECTRONIC RESOURCES With advancements in information technology come new sources of information and new ways to access the information. Electronic resources, often called online resources, are those available via computer. Online resources are becoming more popular because of the wide range of available information and the instant access to the information. Electronic Databases - is a collection of related data. These databases provide information on many topics useful to businesses. Most electronic databases have powerful search features. These features allow the user to find data quickly and easily. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) - provides another means for retrieving information. PDAs can be used to store a variety of data, from a list of schedules and appointments to photos to a reference text. Intranets - are internal networks based on Internet technologies and standards. Intranets allows workers to share data quickly. The data can be used to make decisions and serve customers effectively. An Intranet can be used to keep employees informed about the company’s products, procedures, and activities. The Internet - is a giant network of computers and smaller networks that spans the globe, is the world’s largest information resource. Using the Internet, businesses can connect with other people, organizations, and information resources quickly and easily. The Internet is used for research, transferring files, exchanging messages, promoting organizations, advertising products and services, and buying and selling products. Web Browsers - provided navigation and search tools to help you find topics and locations on the World \wide A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  Web. URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) are interned addresses that can be understood by any Web browser as it searches for hypertext documents on computers around the world. Search Tools - often referred to as search engines, can help you locate sites. You may be familiar with some widely used search engines such as Google, Alta Vista, Yahoo, etc. E-mail - is the electronic transfer of massages using computers and software. Users are limited to sending and receiving messages only to and from those on their network unless their network is connected to the Internet. Email messages contain text. Some programs also allow the message to contain audio and graphics. Files may be attached to an email message. Mailing List - is a directory of Internet user addresses. Some mailing lists are used by businesses while other lists are private. E-Commerce--Buying and Selling Online. Businesses are changing the ways they acquire, use, and share information. Amazon.com, one of the most successful e- commerce companies uses this technique. o HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED IN THE 21ST-CENTURY WORKPLACE Technology makes it possible to telecommute, work from virtual offices and communicate with businesses and individuals across the globe. Flexible work schedules are popular because so many duties and responsibilities can be accomplished from an employee working at home or while the employee is traveling. The private sector initially became the test case for telecommuting arrangements, and the government followed suit in its attempt to be competitive with industry in attracting qualified candidates. Remote reporting relationships are also a factor of improved technology. Managers of team members who live and work in different cities, and even different countries is becoming more common. d. Duties and Responsibilities of Administrative Professionals Office professionals – also called ‘business & administration professionals’ – are high-skilled office workers who carry out a broad range of tasks that involve dealing with finance, business administration, human resources, public relation and marketing, sales in the technical, medical or ICT areas. Occupations in this group include for example accountants, finance analysts, policy administration professionals, career development and training professionals, business consultants, advertising or marketing professionals or technical and medical sales professionals. Typically people in this occupation have completed between three and six years of higher education. As an office professional, you will face numerous challenges. You live in a work world where change is constant, and change is not always easy to handle. If you are to be successful, you need to be clear about what is important to you and the directions you want to take. In the workplace, you make decisions daily. Many of these decisions will be affected by your values. Values are deeply held beliefs that come from many sources; some of these sources are your parents, your school experiences, your culture, and your friends. As you prepare to become an effective office professional, you need to seriously consider your values. Almost daily you will face situations in the workplace that call into play your values. A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  Due to office automation, the job responsibilities of office professionals continue to change. Core responsibilities typically include the following: o Store, retrieve, and integrate information for dissemination to staff and clients. o Serve as information and communication managers. o Plan and schedule meetings and appointments. o Organize and maintain paper and electronic files. o Manage projects. o Disseminate information through the telephone, email, regular mail, and Websites. An office professional may also perform activities such as the following in addition to the core responsibilities. o Provide training and orientation for new staff. o Conduct research on the Internet. o Troubleshoot problems with the office technologies. Continuing education is important for office professionals. Postsecondary education and various professional skills and qualities, membership in professional organizations are essential for success in office professional positions. e. Essential Skills and Qualities of Administrative Professionals ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS o Postsecondary education and various professional skills and qualities are essential for success in office professional positions. Some of the major workplace requirements needed to be a successful and product office professional are as follows: SKILLS. Skills needed in all office professional positions include the following: Communication (listening, reading, verbal presentation, and writing). Office professionals spend a major part of their time communicating with others. Communication takes the form of emails, letters, faxes, voice mail messages, telephone calls, written presentations, verbal presentations, and one-on-one conversations. Interpersonal relations--as an office professional, you will interact with many people. Within the company, you will work with coworkers, supervisors, and other executives. Contacts outside the company include customers and visitors to the workplace. The people you encounter will be of different cultures, races, ethnicities, and ages. Additionally, you will interact with who have diverse educational and professional backgrounds.. If you are to be successful in working with these individuals, you need to be sensitive and accepting of their needs, cultures, and diverse backgrounds. Time management. As an efficient office professional, you will need to organize your time, paper records, electronic files, and calendar so work flows smoothly and tasks are finished on time. Critical thinking. It is a unique kind of purposeful thinking in which a person systematically chooses conscious and deliberate inquiry. To think critically about an issue means to try to see it from all sides before coming to conclusion. As an office professional, you should think critically about the issues facing you. Doing so can save you time and make you more productive. These skills can also make you a valuable employee for your organization. As you are learning and practicing critical-thinking skills, a systematic process of asking appropriate questions will help you. A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  Decision making. In your role as an office professional, you will make decisions daily. If you are to be effective in that process, you must understand and implement proper decision-making steps. Creative thinking. Creativity means having the ability or the power to cause to exist. Creativity is a process. It is a way of thinking and doing. A creative person understands that multiple options exist in most situations and that he or she is free to choose from a variety of options. Creative individuals use more than one set of rules or one method for getting a job done. Teamwork. Teamwork skills are similar to interpersonal skills in that they demand that you understand, accept, and respect the differences among your team members. Teamwork also demands that you engage in the following behavior: o Treat all team members courteously o Build strong relationships with individual members of the team and the team as a whole o Learn collectively with the team. Start by developing self- knowledge and self-mastery; then look outward in developing knowledge and alignment with team members o Take responsibility for producing high-quality work as an individual team member and encouraging a high-quality team project. Technology. If you are to succeed in the workplace, you must be competent and current in your knowledge and skills of technology as it applies to your job. You must develop the following: o Proficiency with computers and current software o Proficiency in telecommunications o Capability in researching on the Internet o Competency in using printers, copiers, and scanners o Willingness to research and use new workplace technology Leadership. You can develop your leadership skills by seeking out and accepting opportunities that allow you to practice leadership. For example, you might accept a leadership position in one of your school’s organizations in your community. As you seek out and accept leadership opportunities, learn from each of them. Evaluate your performance or ask a close friend to evaluate your performance. Stress management. You live in a fast-paced world--one where you may find yourself dealing with work-related stress. Chronic stress can cause serious health problems and affect your work, not only in the way you perform when you are under stress, but also in the work you miss due to illness. Anger, stress, and time management are all closely related. If you experience deep- seated anger, you become stressed. In order to be effective in your work and personal life, you need to understand how to manage anger and your time so you do not become ill or chronically stressed. Success Qualities. In addition to the skills identified in the previous section, certain qualities are essential for the success of an administrative professional. These qualities include: Openness to change. Because change is constant in our society and all projections are that change will continue to be present in our world, you need to be able not only to cope with change but A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  to embrace it. To help you cope with change, see to understand your organization as well. Read the strategic directions for your organization; discuss these directions with your employer. Consistently learn new technologies and how you may be more effective in using them. Creativity as defined by the dictionary is having the ability to produce new ideas and being original and imaginative. For example, when dealing with a new situation or a new technology, a creative person will have the ability to: o Evaluate the situation o Determine what needs to be done o Establish guidelines for achieving objectives o Evaluate the effectiveness of the efforts Initiative and motivation. Initiative is the ability to not only begin but also to follow through on a project. You demonstrate initiative by taking the projects that are given to you and completing them successfully. You also seek out tasks being those that have been assigned to you. You consistently analyze what needs to be done and then follow through on doing it. Motivation is defined as an inducement to act--to get a task done. Motivation and initiative are closely related, with motivation providing the incentive to act and initiative providing the ability to get the task accomplished. Integrity and honesty. In the workplace environment, integrity and honesty mean that you engage in the following behaviors: o Adherence to a strict ethical code o Truthfulness o Sincerity Dependability is defined as being trustworthy. In action, dependability means that you perform in the following manner in the workplace: o You are productive and consistent in getting the tasks of your job done. o You are thorough and timely in producing your work. o You willingly put in additional time that is often needed for an important assignment. o You do what you say you will do and when you say you will do it. Confidentiality is defined as secrecy, privacy, or discretion. In the workplace, confidentiality means the ability to receive and keep private information that is secret. You may be made aware of information that, if exposed, may pose a threat to your organization or to people within the organization. You must have the ability to understand the importance of not leaking the information to others within or outside the organization. Commitment to observing and learning. With the workplace constantly changing and new technologies being developed, your task as an office professional is to commit to continual learning, these process are as follows: o Do I make an effort to understand the directions of my organization? o Do I understand what my employer expects of me? o Do I listen to others? o Do I live by a set of ethics and values? o Do I respect diversity of people and ideas? o Do I commit to learning new technologies? o Am I reliable? A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  o Do I plan my daily and weekly schedule well? o Am I flexible? o Do I handle pressure well? f. The Professional Image of an Administrative Professional Characteristics of a Professional. Appearance is only part of the equation when creating and maintaining your professional image. The impressions you make on others, your attitude toward your work and your coworkers, your work ethic, your professional dress, and your familiarity with business etiquette all work together to form your professional image. o First Impression. The power of a first impression is immeasurable. Think back to the day when your first set foot on your college campus. You are very likely to recall, no matter how long ago it was, exactly how you felt, even if you do not remember all of the details. Whether it was positive or negative, you remember the first impression that it made. Be on time or arrive early Be comfortable and confident with your skills and abilities Dress professionally Smile Be positive Be courteous o Positive Attitude. Attitude is defined as disposition, feelings, or moods toward things, circumstances, or people. Your attitude comes through in everything that you do, from answering the phone to working with others in the office. Although attitude can be positive or negative, it is something a person can control. Every day a person has a choice as to what attitude to have. Although there are things in life a person cannot change, individuals can change their attitudes and how they look at things. o Work Ethic. Work ethic is a set of values based on the merits of hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the benefit of work and its ability to build a person’s character. Coming to work on time, being prepared for meetings, and working cooperatively with others in your office says a lot about your work ethic. Exhibiting the right attitude, skills, and professional ethics is a positive start to developing an effective work ethic. If you wish to be successful, you must develop a positive work ethic. Think about the type of work ethic you currently convey. Are you loyal to your employer? Do you take your job responsibilities seriously? Individuals with a strong work ethic typically display the following characteristics: Arrive at work on time and stay until their shift is over Meet al deadlines (both scheduled and unscheduled) Exhibit a sense of integrity and trustfulness Follow established rules and procedures Make productive use of work time Be conscious of body language. o Work Characteristics. Your work area is another avenue for you to present a positive professional image because it is an extension of your professional appearance. Whether you work at a desk out in the open area of the office, a cubicle among many cubicles, or in a small, enclosed office, the appearance of that workplace says a lot to others about your professionalism and your attitude toward your work. Careful attention should be focused on both your workspace and your desk. Your Workspace. The area around your desk, or your workspace, says something about you. In most instances it is acceptable to personalize this area, but make sure to keep it professional. It is still a place of business, not an extension of your home. A few personal photos and a small plant demonstrate that you are an employee who takes pride in your A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  home and family, but does not make visitors feel as if they are an uninvited guest into your living room. Your Desk. A professional has an organized desk. Your work supplies, including staplers, paper, envelopes, paperclips, and pens should be organized and easily accessible. Keep current projects and completed projects organized as well. Being able to locate material quickly and efficiently demonstrates your professionalism. Your Daily Work. What does the quality of your work say about you? Are co-workers likely to come to you for assistance with a project or a problem? Their view of how you work is an excellent indicator of how customers and clients view the work that you have done. Attention to detail is very important. Documents that are proofread, names and titles that are spelled correctly and used correctly, and papers that are clean and folded evenly all indicate the level of professionalism that is appreciated by your employer and your clients. The way you complete small or routine tasks says a great deal about your attention to detail. YOUR PROFESSIONAL LOOK. People may think that the quality of a person’s work will match the quality of the person’s appearance. Your appearance may indicate your attention to detail, your level of motivation, and your sense of professionalism. What you wear and how you present yourself says a lot about you and can damage or even destroy your chances of success in business. o Dressing the Part. People often make judgements about others based on how they look. Remember that people establish their first impressions during the first 7 to 10 seconds of an initial meeting. Because not much is said in this short time, this early judgment is based strictly on appearance. In addition, your attitude and confidence level are also affected by the clothes you wear. If you dress more casually, you may tend to behave more casually as well. o Professional Business Attire. In the business world, professional business attire for women is typically a suit or tailored dress in a traditional color such as black, navy blue, brown, beige, or gray. The skirt should extend to the knee or below and should not have high slits or openings. A sleeved blouse in a light color that complements the color of the suit should be worn. Closed-toe, low-heeled, conservative pumps are also suggested. Women should avoid wearing spiked heels, sandals, and shoes with flashy beading or stitching. Hosiery should always be worn and should be neutral or skin-tone in color. Remember to make sure that your shoes and accessories are clean and polished. o Professional Business Attire. In the business world, professional business attire for women is typically a suit or tailored dress in a traditional color such as black, navy blue, brown, beige, or gray. The skirt should extend to the knee or below and should not have high slits or openings. A sleeved blouse in a light color that complements the color of the suit should be worn. Closed-toe, low-heeled, conservative pumps are also suggested. Women should avoid wearing spiked heels, sandals, and shoes with flashy beading or stitching. Hosiery should always be worn and should be neutral or skin-tone in color. Remember to make sure that your shoes and accessories are clean and polished. o Business Casual Attire. In the last several years, a new category of business dress has emerged. This new category, often referred to as business casual dress, has relaxed some of the conservative standards of the past. Although the business casual code allows an individual to dress in a more relaxed manner, it still means dressing professionally. Business casual is not a license to be sloppy or dress inappropriately; individuals are still required to have a neat and coordinated appearance. o Other Dress considerations. In addition to business standards or formalized dress codes, there are other variables that you may consider when deciding A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  what to wear. Points to keep in mind when purchasing your business wardrobe may include the following: Climate. Regional variations Business environment Type of occasion Appearance. Attention to personal appearance is just as important to your professional image as what you wear. In addition to selecting the right clothes, attention to personal hygiene is necessary. Jewelry. For women, jewelry should not be gaudy or appear overpowering, and it should not be noisy. Some women are more relaxed when asked to shake hands if they don’t have to worry about rings digging into someone’s fingers. An easy guide for women suggests wearing no more than six or seven pieces of jewelry (earrings, a watch, two rings, a bracelet, and a necklace). For men, a conservative watch and wedding ring are appropriate. Even for business casual dress, jewelry should be minimal. g. Business Etiquette Presenting a professional image also requires that individuals utilize appropriate etiquette. Etiquette is described as a code that governs acceptable behavior developed through customs and enforced by group pressure. Business etiquette is the special code of behavior required in employment situations. Although these standards of behavior may vary slightly from business to business, it is important to understand the main categories of business etiquette in order to enhance your professional image. Understanding appropriate business etiquette helps people become successful and productive employees. o General Courtesy and Manners. One of the most common ways we judge an individual’s grasp of etiquette is through his or her display of manners. Manners are the standards of conduct that show us how to behave in a cultured, polite, or refined way. Although there are no laws governing manners, social judgements are made based on whether or not we include courtesy and manners on our behavior toward others. Manners, then, are the general rules by which we need to live. They are the rules that guide us in our treatment of others. o Dining and Restaurant Etiquette. Much of today’s business takes place during business meals. If you want to make a positive impression in a dining situation, you must use appropriate table manners. Regardless of whether you are having lunch with a business associate or dinner with a prospective client, your dining etiquette speaks volumes about you as a professional. o Hosting a Business Meal. If you are hosting a business meal, it is your responsibility to extend the invitation to your guests. You may offer your guests a few date or time alternatives and allow them to make the final selection of date, time, and restaurant. If it is possible, select a restaurant that will allow you to make reservations. As host, you should arrive 10 to 15 minutes early so you can greet your guests. Arriving early also gives you time to make arrangements as to how the bill will be paid. o Attending a Business Meal. If you are the guest at a business meal, remember that the host should indicate the beginning of the meal by unfolding the napkin and placing it in his or her lap. The host should signal the end of the meal by placing the napkin back on the table. If the menu has not been preselected, the host will typically suggest that you order first. Avoid ordering the most expensive meal on the menu or making several changes to a menu item. Making Introductions Stand up (both men and women) when meeting someone Establish eye contact with the individual Shake hands firmly Repeat the other person’s name A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  Establish conversation with the person After the conversation is over, let the person know you enjoyed meeting him or her. Greeting Visitors When a visitor enters your office, greet the person graciously with a simple Good Morning or Good Afternoon Learn the visitor’s name, and address the person by name Determine the purpose of an unscheduled visit. Avoid blunt questions Be pleasant to a difficult visitor. Be wary of visitors who try to avoid your inquires with evasive answers Handle interruptions well. If you need to interrupt your employer with a message when a visitor is in his or her office, do so as unobtrusively as possible. You may call your employer on the phone or knock on the door and hand him or her a note. Let angry or upset visitors talk for a little while. Listen and try to understand the visitor’s viewpoint. Usually the anger will dissipate after you have listened. Then you can help the person with the concern. If the visitor continues with inappropriate behavior, ask him or her to leave or call security personnel for help. h. Effective Telephone Communications Prepare for the call. It won’t sound natural if you prepare a script, but consider what you want to say, with whom you need to speak, and whether there is any information that the other person may want from you. Are you likely to need any specific vocabulary that you don’t usually use? If so, you can look it up before you start the call. If you are speaking with people in other parts of the world, consider whether there is a time difference and when would be the best time to make the call. Try to find a quiet place to make the call so that you won’t be disturbed. Be clear about what you want to achieve. Before you make the phone call, think about the purpose of the call. For example, do you want to gather information, communicate information, negotiate, obtain agreement, make arrangements, sell something, or develop an idea? There are many reasons for making telephone calls. If you are clear about what you want to achieve, it will be easier to measure whether you were successful. Remember the other person has no non-verbal cues. Unless you are on a videoconference, the other person will have no idea if you are nodding, shaking your head, smiling or scowling at them! They have no visual cues, so you need to communicate everything verbally. Think about your tone of voice. People don’t just communicate with their words. Messages are also conveyed in the way that words are delivered. If you sound bored, angry or disinterested, the other person may well pick up on it and it will then be irrelevant how good your proposal is or how valid your arguments. It’s true that they can’t see you, but a lot can be communicated through your tone of voice, so make sure that it matches the message that you are trying to get across. You may feel unsure about speaking in English, but try not to let this come across in your tone of voice. Otherwise people may think that you are unsure about your message too. Make sure you listen carefully. Communicating is not just about speaking. You need to listen as well. Particularly if you aren’t speaking your native language, there is a tendency to focus too much on your own words because you want them to be right. However you are having a dialogue and the other person will also be making contributions, asking questions or directing the conversation, so you need to be A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  aware of these things as well. You don’t want the other person to think that you are not interested in what they have to say. Speak clearly and be succinct. Try to be clear. Long sentences don’t always show fluency. Sometimes they just result in the other person losing concentration or having no idea of the actual point. Throughout the telephone call, Try to bring your ideas across in a structured way. Don’t be tempted to hop from one subject to another as new ideas come into your head. If you don’t understand something, ask. This is actually a good idea in any situation. Especially if you are communicating on the telephone, or in another language, there will be times when you are not sure about something that the other person said. It could be because they have not been clear. Maybe there was background noise. It could be that they were speaking quickly or they have a regional accent. The reason doesn’t matter. It’s better to ask for clarification than to guess what the other person meant or to be unsure about what they think or are going to do. Don’t be tempted to do other things at the same time. Even if the other person can’t see you, they are likely to hear if you are walking around, answering emails, tidying up or doing other activities that take your attention away from the phone call. Give the other person your full attention. If you don’t, it can come across as disrespectful and they could think that you are not interested in them, or that you don’t think the conversation is important enough to give it your full attention. If something really urgent happens, offer to call them back. Try not to take other calls or allow other people to disturb you unless the matter is really important. Summarize the conversation so that everybody knows what’s expected of them. You could either do this at the end of the call or you could send an email afterwards. Either way, it’s good to be clear about what was agreed during the call, who is responsible for carrying out which tasks and whether you will get in touch again to check on progress, have a meeting or involve others. This gives everybody the same information and reduces the risk of misunderstandings. Voicemails – be clear and keep it short. Most of the other tips were about direct communication with people but voicemails are also a way of communicating information using the telephone. If you need to give a lot of information, an email is likely to be the better choice so that the recipient can refer to it easily without having to write down the details. i. Records Management System A record is data in forms such as text, numbers, images or voice that is kept for future reference. A records management system is a set of procedures used to organize, store, retrieve, remove, and dispose of records o IMPORTANCE OF RECORDS LIFE CYCLE The records management phase of the records life-cycle consists of creation, classification, maintenance and disposition. Creation occurs during the receipt of information in the form of records. Records or their information is classified in some logical system. As records are used they require maintenance. Disposition encompasses the destruction or transfer to an archive for future reference. This is then followed by a second, archival phase consisting of the selection or acquisition of the records by an archives, a description of the records in inventories, finding aids, and the like and the preservation of the records or, perhaps, the information in the records. Researchers and scholars may continue to reference and use of the information contained within the records. o Records are categorized according to their usefulness and importance: Vital Records are essential to the company. These records are often not replaceable. Examples include original copies of deeds, copyrights, and mortgages. Important Records are needed for the business to operate smoothly. These records would be expensive to replace. Examples include tax returns, personnel files, and cancelled checks. A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  Useful Records are convenient to have but are replaceable. Examples are letters, purchases order, and the name and addresses of suppliers. Nonessential Records have one-time or very limited usefulness. Examples include meeting announcements and advertisements. o The usefulness of each record has a beginning and an end. Therefore, each record has a life cycle: Creation or collection. The cycle begins when you create or collect the records. Distribution. During this phase, records are sent to the persons responsible for their use. Use. Records are commonly used in decision making, for reference, in answering inquiries, or in satisfying legal requirement. Maintenance. When records are kept for later use, they must be categorized and stored, retrieved as needed, and protected from damage or loss. Disposition. Records are disposed of either by destroying the records or by moving them to permanent storage, often at less expensive storage sites. 2. Personality Development I. Aspects of Personality and Definition This aspect of personality was taken from the “6 Aspects Of A Balanced Person: A Complete Picture of Well-Being” posted by Steven Handel, gives a clearer details that help us understand more of our personality. According to him, when it comes to life, happiness, and well being, there isn’t one single area of life that we need to focus on. Instead, life is multi-dimensional and dynamic. Different aspects of a balanced person include: ○ Physical The physical aspect of life includes our health and the way we take care of our bodies. This includes what we consume, how often we exercise, keeping our bodies clean, as well as our daily posture and how we carry ourselves. Our body is the most precious gift we have and without it we can’t exist. If we don’t stay healthy we certainly can’t enjoy all the other aspects of life. For that reason, taking care of our physical health is the very first step on the road to happiness. No matter what your current state of health is (or how old you are), it is never too late to start changing our habits, even if it’s just something small like taking a walk in the morning. A healthy body is a healthy mind, and by taking better care of ourselves we will feel more confident, more motivated, and more energized. ○ Mental If you don’t take care of your body, then it will slowly deteriorate. And the same is true for your mind. Reading books. Learning about new topics. Following the news. These are all ways to keep our minds sharp and continue to update our knowledge and beliefs. Learning is something that is a lifelong endeavor. And studies show that continuing to exercise your brain is a great way to improve cognitive abilities and maintain mental health into an old age. ○ Emotional Under the “Mental” section I covered how to keep our brains active and be more intelligent thinkers, but there is also a whole other side of our psychology that we need to pay attention to as well: our “Emotional” side. Emotions can often seem like something that we have limited power over, but being a more emotionally intelligent person A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  means becoming more self-aware and learning how to better regulate our emotions and behavior. ○ Social Healthy relationships are an essential ingredient to happiness and well-being. There used to be a time when I believed “I don’t need people to be happy, all I need is myself.” But over the years I’ve learned more and more that having a social life and a sense of belonging is a basic human need that can’t be avoided. You can be the most introverted person in the world, but you still need a couple good friends to give you a sense of purpose and meaning. ○ Work/Financial Another aspect of a balanced person that cannot be ignored is our material needs, this includes food, shelter, healthcare, and other basics to living a healthy and dignified life. For most people, this means having a job/career that both supports your material well-being, as well as your psychological well-being. While we don’t always get a choice in what we do for a living, there are important ways to give ourselves more power over both our work life and financial life. Here are a few important pieces of advice. ○ Spiritual Spirituality can sometimes be the most overlooked aspect to life. I define it as a “search for meaning and purpose.” For many people, religion is their main source of spirituality and meaning, but we don’t necessarily need religion to find a larger purpose to life. Art, culture, philosophy, relationships, introspection, and creativity can all play a role in creating more meaning in our lives and living more purposefully. II. Most Admirable Personal Qualities of a Person Here is a list of the most admirable personal qualities posted by Barrie Davenport on January 13, 2019. These are the qualities or characteristics you will likely admire when you see them in others. When you meet someone who exemplifies one of these qualities, it might remind you of situations where you sometimes exhibited the opposite quality. The good news is that if you don’t yet see these qualities in yourself, it’s not too late to cultivate them. Once you get started, there’s no longer any point in comparing yourself to others; just work on putting the following characteristics into practice – every day, and one at a time – until they become part of who you are. ○ Kindness is love in action, and love is connection. When you realize you’re connected to every living being, you want to do them good, because you share in their joys and in their sufferings. You want to bring more good into their lives and do what you can to alleviate their sufferings because in doing so for them, you’re doing the same for yourself. ○ Humility manifests as a quiet understanding of your self-worth and competence. Learning how to own who you are and what you are good at. ○ Integrity is when your words and actions agree with your beliefs and when others can depend on you to act in accordance with what you say you believe. You honor your commitments and you do what you believe is right, even when no one is looking. ○ Equanimity you accept the present moment and all its challenges without reacting negatively or trying to escape it. Equanimity makes temperance and patience possible. Whatever happens, you remain open to what it can teach you. ○ Forgiveness is about the decision to let go and choose compassion over revenge or resentment. Practicing letting go of the things you can’t control or change. ○ Gratitude / Joyfulness a grateful heart finds joy everywhere and is more resilient than negative thinkers and people who are too busy to appreciate the good in their lives. Make a gratitude list every morning. A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  ○ Courage those who exhibit courage do what needs to be done — or what they believe needs to be done — in spite of fear. Whatever they fear (criticism, rejection, death), they do or say what they believe they must. ○ Calmness / Serenity a calm person doesn’t react emotionally to every provocation (deliberate or otherwise). With true serenity, you feel an undisturbed peace of soul. Practice taking a deep breath (or three) when you’re starting to feel agitated. ○ Discipline / Focus the disciplined person commits to doing something and gets it done, even when he’d rather be doing something else. When it’s time to work, the disciplined focus on the task at hand in order to give it their full attention and finish it in a timely manner. ○ Wisdom and Prudence Wisdom is the ability to know the right thing to do or to say, while prudence is wisdom plus good timing. A variant of wisdom — discernment — helps you know what risks are worth taking and which are not, as well as who deserves your trust and whom you should steer clear of. ○ Trust whether you place your trust in God/a higher power, in yourself, or in someone else, your trust makes it possible to hope for a satisfying outcome for you and the people you care about. Treat others as you want to be treated, and honor your commitments to them. Be trustworthy. Learn to trust others by collaborating with them on something you both care about. III. Types of Individual Differences Physical differences shortness or tallness of stature, darkness or fairness of complexion, fatness, thinness, or weakness are various physical individual differences. Differences in intelligence there are differences in intelligence level among different individuals. We can classify the individuals from super-normal (above 120 I.Q.) to idiots (from 0 to 50 I.Q.) on the basis of their intelligence level. Differences in attitudes individuals differ in their attitudes towards different people, objects, institutions and authority. Differences in achievement ○ it has been found through achievement tests that individuals differ in their achievement abilities. These differences are very much visible in reading, writing and in learning mathematics. ○ These differences in achievement are even visible among the children who are at the same level of intelligence. These differences are on account of the differences in the various factors of intelligence and the differences in the various experiences, interests and educational background. Differences in motor ability there are differences in motor ability. These differences are visible at different ages. Some people can perform mechanical tasks easily, while others, even though they are at the same level, feel much difficulty in performing these tasks. Differences on account of sex. McNemar and Terman discovered the following differences between men and women, on the basis of some studies: ○ Women have greater skill in memory while men have greater motor ability. ○ Handwriting of women is superior while men excel in mathematics and logic. ○ Women show greater skill in making sensory distinctions of taste, touch and smell etc., while men show greater reaction and conscious of size- weight illusion. ○ Women are superior to men in languages, while men are superior in physics and chemistry. ○ Women are better than men in mirror drawing. Faults of speech etc. in men were found to be three times of such faults in women. ○ Women are more susceptible to suggestion while there are three times as many colour blind men as there are women. ○ Young girls take interest in stories of love, fairy tales, stories of the school and home and day-dreaming and show various levels in their play. On the other hand boys take interest in stories of bravery, science, war, scouting, stories of games and sports, stories and games of occupation and skill. Racial differences there are different kinds of racial differences. Differences of environment is a normal factor in causing these differences. Karl Brigham has composed a list on the basis of differences in levels of intelligence among people who have migrated to United States from other countries. On the basis of these average differences between the races, the mental age of a particular individual cannot be calculated since this difference is based on environment. Differences due to nationality individuals of different nations differ in respect of physical and mental differences, interests and personality etc. ‘Russians are tall and stout’; ‘Ceylonese are short and slim’; ‘Germans have no sense of humour’; ‘Yellow races are A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  cruel and revengeful’; ‘Americans are hearty and frank’; Indians are timid and peace-loving’ and the like observations enter into our common talk. Differences due to economic status differences in children’s interests, tendencies and character are caused by economic differences. Differences in interests factors such as sex, family background level of development, differences of race and nationality etc., cause differences in interests. Emotional differences individuals differ in their emotional reactions to a particular situation. Some are irritable and aggressive and they get angry very soon. There are others who are of peaceful nature and do not get angry easily. At a particular thing an individual may be so much enraged that he may be prepared for the worst crime like murder, while another person may only laugh at it. IV. Factors that give rise to personality differences Why do people differ from each other. Sometimes we cannot help but compare ourselves with others and draw a lot of questions. Here are some of the factors and causes that give rise to personality differences. Causes/Determinants of Individual Differences: Some of the main causes of individual differences are as under: ○ Heredity refers to factors that are determined once an individual is born. An individual’s physique, attractiveness, body type, complexion, body weight depend on his/her parents biological makeup. ○ Environment to which an individual is subjected to during his growing years plays an important role in determining his/her personality. The varied cultures in which we are brought up and our family backgrounds have a crucial role in shaping our personalities. ○ Our Experiences these consists of everything we do or get in touch with, everywhere we got, in short, everything that we are exposed to in out lifetime, whether physical, emotional, or social experiences. V. Personal Attributes and Components Attributes of Personality Development The development our personality should be focusing on the whole personality of an individual. All the attributes must be included in the development as discussed hereinbelow: Physical Development - is the process that starts in human infancy and continues into late adolescent concentrating on gross and fine motor skills as well as puberty. Physical development involves developing control over the body, particularly muscles and physical coordination. Motor Development - is the step to step ability of an infant to carry out various human skills. The skills include: movement control, flexibility, dexterity, exploration and understanding motor skills. Motor Skills as basis of Personality Intellectual Development -is all about learning. It is about how individuals organize their minds, ideas and thoughts to make sense of the world they live in. The two main areas of intellectual development are: Language development – helps us to organize thoughts and make sense of the world around us. Cognitive development – is about how we use our minds and organizes thinking to understand the world around us. ○ Emotional Development the development of a full range of emotions from sad to happy to angry, and learning to deal with them appropriately. Emotional development is the emergence of a child's experience, expression, understanding, and regulation of emotions from birth through late adolescence. ○ Social development is a process that results in the transformation of social structures to improve the capacity of a society in order to fulfill its objectives. It aims specifically in developing power to elevate expansion of human activity. ○ Moral and Spiritual Development Spiritual development involves the growth of their sense of self, their unique potential, their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and their will to achieve. As their curiosity A. Bonifacio Street, Poblacion 2, Sto. Tomas, Batangas 4234 Direct Line: (043) 7783885 Website: www.pup.edu.ph | Email: [email protected] THE COUNTRY’S 1st POLYTECHNICU  about themselves and their place in the world increases, they try to answer for themselves some of life's fundamental questions. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to foster their own inner lives and non-material wellbeing. Components of Personality When we examine our own personality, we will discover the different components of personality that only the person itself will tell its strength and needs improvement; ○ Habits - actions so often repeated at regular intervals until they become fixed characteristics ○ Attitudes - A predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitude influences an individual's choice of action, and responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards (together called stimuli). ○ Character - Behavioral trait of a person. It is the description of a behavior that is distinct and specific about an individual ○ Temperament - refers to those aspects of an individual's personality, such as introversion or extroversion that are often regarded as innate rather than learned ○ Interest - is the natural inclination to focus ones concern on a specific area of work ○ Principles - a moral rule or belief that helps you know what is right and wrong and that influences your actions. ○ Values - guides to a person in making decisions. Individual is consistent in his application of these principles which are in consonance with his norms of morality. VI. Importance of Good Health and Good Posture Importance of Good Health Proper