LSHM N243

Learning Outcome #3 Describe How Professional Ethics Can Be Applied

Feb June, 2011

Sub-Outcomes
S01 Explain the meaning of professional ethics. S02 Present a code of professional standards for a relevant profession or industry (e.g. Accounting, IT, Advertising, Health and Medicine, etc. S03 Investigate a range of ethical issues and dilemmas that may arise in an industry or profession, giving relevant examples and applied principles.

Feb June, 2011

Professional Ethics
To discuss professional ethics, we must first understand what a profession is.
A profession is defined by: 1. A specialized body of knowledge. Professionals do not merely have valuable skills, like those of a plumber, but possess a highly developed, technical body of knowledge that requires years of training to acquire.

Feb June, 2011

Professional Ethics
A profession is defined by: 2. A high degree of organization and self-regulation.
Professionals have considerable control over their own work, and, largely through professional organizations, they are able to set standards for practice and to discipline members who violate them.

http://www.iso14000-iso14001-environmental-management.com/

Feb June, 2011

Professional Ethics
A profession is defined by: 3. A commitment to public service. The knowledge possessed by professionals serves some important social need, and professionals are committed to using their knowledge for the benefit of all.
Ethics and the Conduct of Business, John R. Boatright, Sixth Edition, 2009

Feb June, 2011

These three features of a profession are related to each other:

Organization and Selfregulation (control)

Specialized Knowledge

Public Service
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Professional Ethics
So now that we know what a profession is and does, what are professional ethics?

Feb June, 2011

The concept of Professional Ethics is partly comprised of what a professional should or should not do in the work place. It also encompasses a much greater part of the professionals life. If a professional is to have ethics then that person needs to adopt that conduct in all of his dealings. Computer Societies around the world such as the IEEE and national bodies in Australia, Singapore, the UK and other countries have on their websites professional codes of ethics to consider and adopt in the way professionals conduct themselves in and out of the work place. Things that are included are concepts like: professional respect, avoidance of dishonest or fraudulent activity such as plagiarism and the professional development of the individual. Another aspect of this is the enhancement of the profession and the industry within which the professional works. This concerns a professional's conduct and behaviour while carrying out their professional work. This then, is work for the good of the community and mankind.
http://it.toolbox.com/wiki/index.php/Professional_Ethics

Feb June, 2011

Things to Do Do return value to your customer (internal and external) in all business decisions Do return value to your community locally and globally Do deliver quality in a timely fashion Do be honest in your work by telling the client, customer, or boss that the task or project you are working on will not meet the target date. Do ask for help in order to meet the project or task deadline. A professional will not feel slighted if he or she acknowledges that he or she needs help. When you accept an assignment, Do start using words like we, us and ours. A professional never works at crosspurpose with the employer. If the employer wants respect from employees, he/she should treat all employees as professionals in their own right. Remember, if you treat someone as a professional, they will (hopefully) treat you like one too. Promote your profession i.e. Information Technology Do things for the good of yourself, the customer and the profession. You are not a true professional if you don't deliver outcomes that satisfy all three of these areas. Do provide respect to others. This means truly thinking of their beliefs and desires, and the contribution they make to the organization, however small.
http://it.toolbox.com/wiki/index.php/Professional_Ethics

Feb June, 2011

Principles of Professional Ethics

Individuals acting in a professional capacity take on an additional burden of ethical responsibility. For example, professional associations have codes of ethics that prescribe required behavior within the context of a professional practice such as medicine, law, accounting, or engineering. These written codes provide rules of conduct and standards of behavior based on the principles of Professional Ethics, which include: Even when not written into a code, principles of professional ethics are usually expected of people in business, employees, volunteers, elected representatives and so on. Impartiality; objectivity Openness; full disclosure Confidentiality Due diligence / duty of care Fidelity to professional responsibilities Avoiding potential or apparent conflict of interest

Feb June, 2011

http://www.ethics.ubc.ca/papers/invited/colero.html

Principles of Global Ethics

Global ethics are the most controversial of the three categories, and the least understood. Open to wide interpretation as to how or whether they should be applied, these principles can sometimes generate emotional response and heated debate. Principles of Global Ethics include: Global justice (as reflected in international laws) Society before self / social responsibility Environmental stewardship Interdependence & responsibility for the whole Reverence for place

http://www.ethics.ubc.ca/papers/invited/colero.html

Feb June, 2011

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