CONCEPT AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

1. Concept and development professional ethics

"Ethics is not a matter of the heart; it’s a matter of the head. It’s thinking logically about what’s right and wrong." — John C. Maxwell. 

1.1. Definition of Professional Ethics

Professional ethics can generally be defined as an established set of principles that guide how a professional interacts with clients, fellow professionals, and the wider community. Most professional fields today have their own codes of conduct.

Professional ethics is an essential part of a working professional's life. It fosters trust and reliability, cultivates integrity, promotes professionalism, encourages personal and professional development, and ensures compliance with laws and regulations.

At its core, professional ethics is concerned with the establishment of values, principles, and standards that underpin a profession's duties and conduct (Davis, 2003). To understand what a profession entails, it is helpful to compare it with the term "professional."

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Practical assignment 2.1. Find the hidden words that are essential for every working professional.

1.2. Origins of Professional Ethics

Around 1675, the term "professional ethics" was applied in a secular context and was associated with three professions: theology, law, and medicine. The term "professionalism" was also used at that time in relation to the military profession. Specialists and those working in recognized professions possess specialized knowledge and skills. How the use of this knowledge should be managed when providing services to the public can be considered a moral issue and is referred to as "professional ethics."
One of the earliest examples of professional ethics is the Hippocratic Oath, which doctors still adhere to today.

Here are key things that profession provides:

Practical assignment 2.2. Now play a memory game and try to refer to the key things which professions provides:

1.3. Profession and professionalism

Practical assignment 2.3. Take the test "Am I a professionally ethical?" 

For each statement, answer True or False based on your usual approach to professional ethics. This self-assessment test can help you reflect on your professional ethic patterns and identify areas for improvement.

Two different concepts 

A profession is a permanent occupation or type of activity that requires specific training and serves as a source of livelihood, such as a doctor, teacher, builder, driver, and other professions.

A professional is generally an individual with a higher level of education, a member of a professional organization, who must pass examinations that certify their ability to practice that profession. Specialized professional rules also apply to professionals.

Anyone can provide a good or service to the public, but a professional is typically associated with a group of individuals offering the same good or service who organize themselves to promote the welfare of society in a morally acceptable manner. For example, librarians organize the provision of information to the public, while doctors treat sick individuals. In literature, the concepts of work ethics and professional ethics are often described. 

Work Ethics vs. Professional Ethics

Work Ethics is a system of values, behavioral norms, and principles that define how employees should behave at work to achieve not only professional but also ethical goals.

Key principles of work ethics:

Professional ethics is a set of moral values and principles that define how professionals should conduct themselves in their work. It governs not only an individual’s responsibility for the quality of their work but also their behavior in relationships with colleagues, clients, society, and the organization. Professional ethics helps ensure high work standards, transparency, and fairness.

Key principles of professional ethics:

Practical assignment 2.4. Read the information above on Work and Professional Ethics and complete the test below:

The importance of professional ethics:

- Trust and reputation: adhering to ethical norms fosters trust among colleagues, clients, and the public, leading to a strong personal and organizational reputation.

- Organizational culture: ethics plays a vital role in shaping an organizational culture that encourages responsible and fair employee behavior.

- Decision-making: ethical principles guide managers and employees in making just and fair decisions in complex situations.

- Conflict reduction: following ethical standards can minimize the risk of conflicts by promoting fairness and integrity in workplace relationships.

1.4. The Importance of Professional Ethics for Professionals

An employee or professional is an individual whose career and ethics serve as guidelines and principles that should be practiced in life or within an organization.

Professional ethics is an important area of applied ethics that evaluates the moral aspects of human activities and professional status. It encompasses fields such as law, medicine, ministry, higher education, journalism, engineering, and management. Professional ethics relates to the moral behavior and standards governing a profession and its members.

Professional ethics assists individuals in making decisions when faced with challenges. It is designed to help choose and adopt an approach known as prescriptive professional ethics. Descriptive ethics can refer to the value of using reasoning processes, virtuality, rules, ethical theories, moral reasoning, moral explanation, and moral judgment.

Nowadays, professional ethics is increasingly relevant to organizations. This argument can be supported by the growing need for professional ethics, as professions become more specialized and ethical issues become more complex.

Practical assignment 2.4. Are these statements true or false?

Practical assignment 2.5. Analyse the situation. Read the questions. Think about the possible answers first and only then click to see the answer.

Practical task 2.6. (second situation). Analyse the situation. Read the questions. Think about the possible answers first and only then click to see the answer.

In essence, professional ethics serve as the foundation for integrity, accountability, and trust in the workplace. They guide individuals to make principled decisions, foster a culture of respect and fairness, and enhance collaboration among team members. By promoting ethical behavior, professional ethics empower individuals to act with honesty and transparency, ultimately contributing to the overall success and reputation of their organizations.

Practical assignment 2.7. Answer the following questions:

1.5. Key Principles of Professional Ethics

The key principles of professional ethics are the basic rules that help ensure people act with honesty, responsibility, and respect in their work. These principles guide how professionals make decisions and interact with others, making sure they follow high standards of behavior. Here are the main principles of professional ethics:

Why are they important:

Practical assignment 2.8. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word/words: