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Introduction
Ethics are moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the
conduct of an activity. Also known as moral philosophy ethics is
the branch of philosophy that involves Recommending of Right or
wrong Behavior.
Behavior means the way in which one acts or conducts oneself,
especially towards others. So Ethics is a philosophy that shapes
what's wrong or right as a behavior.
Etymologically the word ethics was derived from the Ancient
Greek word ēthikós (ἠθικός), meaning "relating to one's character”.
Which itself comes from the root word êthos (ἦθος) meaning
"character, moral nature". This word was transferred into Latin as
ethics and then into French as éthique, from which it was
transferred into English.
The essence of professional ethics is an astonishing notion to
develop and engineer a developing and fruitful working
environment with the motto of professionalism.
Historically, the word professionalism originally applied to vows
of a religious order. By no later than the year 1675, the term had
seen secular application and was applied to the three learned
professions: divinity, law, and medicine the term professionalism
was also used for the military profession around this same time.
Professional ethics
Definition and historical background
Professional Ethics is the moral principles Exercised in a certain profession
along with professionalism. Historically it is stated that Socrates is the father of
professional ethics while some argue The famous Trio of Greek philosophers
namely Aristotle, Socrates, Plato are the Enlightened minds behind this conduct
Governing philosophy known as professional ethics.
One of the pillars in professional ethics is professionalism which can be defined
as Professionalism is the conduct, behavior and attitude of someone in a work or
business environment. Etymologically the word professionalism comes from the
word profession, referring to one's occupation and what one does for work. The
root of all these words is the Latin professiō, meaning “public
acknowledgment.”
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components of professionalism
Honesty/integrity :- simply defined as the quality of being honest. It is the
consistent regard for the highest standards of behavior and the refusal to
violate one's personal and professional codes.
Reliability/responsibility:- Reliability/responsibility means being
responsible for and accountable to others, and this must occur at a
number of levels. Inherent in responsibility is reliability in completing
assigned duties or fulfilling commitments. There must also be a
willingness to accept responsibility for errors.
Respect for others :- it is the substance of humanism, and humanism is
central to polished skill. This respect extends to all circles of contact,
counting but not constrained to understudies, families, managers, and
professional colleagues. One must treat all people with regard and respect
for their personal worth and dignity. One must be reasonable and
nondiscriminatory and be mindful of passionate, individual, family, and
cultural influences on understudy. It is additionally a proficient
commitment to regard fitting understudy secrecy.
Altruism/advocacy:- alludes to unselfish respect for and dedication to the
welfare of others and may be a key element of polished skill. Self-interest
or the interface of other parties ought to not be meddled with work.
Self-awareness/knowledge of limits:- incorporates acknowledgment of
the requirement for direction and supervision when faced with unused or
complex duties. One must moreover be shrewd with respect to the effect
of one's behavior on others and cognizant of fitting proficient boundaries.
Dress code:- A dress code is a well-written set of rules regarding the
dress code of a group of people. Dress codes are created from social
cognition and norms and vary by purpose, situation and opportunity. For
instance, a banker is obliged to wear a suit and a formal dress code as a
student is obliged to wear a uniform.
punctuality:- The fact that it's not too late to arrive at the scheduled time
or the right time and do something or happen. Punctuality is one of the
attitudes a certain professional must fulfill in the working environment.
punctuality is something that should be developed into a culture of
professionalism. This particular specific professionalism component is
one of the key areas in which our country should Develop.
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8. transparency:- is defined as the degree of openness within a professional
organization. It is an attribute of corporate culture that is revealed through
the behaviors of an organization's leaders, employees, and stakeholders.
9. accountability:- it is defined as the readiness to give an explanation or
justification to stakeholders for judgment, intention and actions within a
certain professional organization.
10.confidentiality:- it is defined as a professional ethics that constitutes a
restriction of information to those authorized to have access to it.
The strictness of confidentiality normally increases with the degree and
sensitivity of the information to be kept, and with the degree of
vulnerability of the research subject.
Consequences of absence of professional ethics
A lack of ethics has a negative effect on employee performance. In some cases,
employees are so concerned with getting ahead and making money that they
ignore procedures and protocol. This can lead to additional paperwork and
careless errors that result in the task having to be completed again.
Benefits of Professional ethics
The benefits of a proficient code of morals include;
● Farness; everybody follows the same rules since they are aware.
● Improved deals; moral things to customers.
● The control to talk the truth;
● Readiness to report moral side steps.
Implementation of professional Ethics
Most professionals have internally enforced codes of practice that members of
the profession must follow to prevent exploitation of the client and to preserve
the integrity and reputation of the profession. This is not only for the benefit of
the client but also for the benefit of those belonging to that profession.
Disciplinary codes allow the profession to define a standard of conduct and
ensure that individual practitioners meet this standard, by disciplining them
from the professional body if they do not practice accordingly. This allows
those professionals who act with a conscience to practice in the knowledge that
they will not be undermined commercially by those who have fewer ethical
qualms. It also maintains the public’s trust in the profession, encouraging the
public to continue seeking their services.
❖ Internal regulations
In cases where professional bodies regulate their own ethics, there are
possibilities for such bodies to become self-serving and fail to follow their own
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ethical code when dealing with renegade members. This is particularly true of
professions in which they have almost a complete monopoly on a particular area
of knowledge. For example, until recently, the English courts deferred to the
professional consensus on matters relating to their practice that lay outside case
law and legislation.
❖ statutory regulations
In some countries there is some statutory regulation of professional ethical
standards such as the statutory bodies that regulate nursing and midwifery in
England and Wales alongside Scotland. Failure to comply with these standards
can thus become a matter for the courts.
Types and Examples of professional Ethics
● Media and their professional ethics: - journalists or anyone related to
media has a vast responsibility for transparency. No one in the media
should be biased regarding any happenings around the world. The job of
a journalist needs an enormous amount of care and responsibility. So
journalists should be honest and unbiased while reporting news. Any
news that is about making people aware of their surroundings. Therefore,
ethics in the media is crucial and is about sticking to the facts instead of
presenting their opinions.
● Politicians and their professional Ethics: - politics is one of the pioneer
areas of study which needs a vast amount of responsibility from its
officials. The responsibilities include Maintenance of Public order,
Respect the rule of law, Respect dignity of Humans, Respect for freedom,
Liberty and rights of citizens and mainly as an obligation Politicians have
the mandatory to combat against Corruption.
● Students and Their Professional Ethics: - Namely there are various
responsibilities for a student as an Ethical conduct. These are:1. Autonomy:-Is the quality of being sovereign and self-governing
towards a certain goal and vision of ours as a student. it's the
freeness from external force
2. Prevent Harm: - is the act of avoiding oneself as a student from any
harmful acts that may harm the learning environment or oneself as
an individual.
3. Fidelity:-is defined as Faithfulness to a cause, belief demonstrated
by continuing loyalty and support
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Summary
Professional Ethics is the moral principles Exercised in a certain
profession along with professionalism.
Etymologically the word professionalism comes from the word
profession, referring to one's occupation and what one does for work. The
root of all these words is the Latin professiō, meaning “public
acknowledgment.”
A lack of ethics has a negative effect on employee performance.
most experts have inside implemented codes of hone that individuals of
the calling must take after to avoid misuse of the client and to protect the
astuteness and notoriety of the calling
In cases where professional bodies regulate their own ethics, there are
possibilities for such bodies to become self-serving and fail to follow
their own ethical code when dealing with renegade members.
In some countries there is some statutory regulation of professional
ethical standards such as the statutory bodies that regulate nursing and
midwifery in England and Wales alongside Scotland.
Journalists or anyone related to the media has a vast responsibility for
transparency. no one in the media should be biased regarding any
happenings around the world
Politics is one of the pioneer areas of study which needs a vast amount of
responsibility from its officials. The responsibilities include Maintenance
of Public order, Respect the rule of law, and Respect dignity of Humans,
Respect for freedom, Liberty and rights of citizens.
Autonomy:-Is the quality of being sovereign and self-governing towards
a certain goal and vision. It’s the freeness from external force.
Fidelity:-is defined as Faithfulness to a cause, belief demonstrated by
continuing loyalty and support.
Reference
Collin L. Soskolne,Lee E. Sieswerda.2013.,Implementing Ethics in the Professions:
Examples from Environmental Epidemiology. Ontario: Thunder bay District Health unit.
Vladimir DURCIK. 2017. The ethics of politicians as professional Ethics. Slovakia: Matej Bel
University
R.S. Naagarzan. 2006. Professional Ethics and Human values. New Delhi: New Age
International (p) limited Publishers
National Association of School Psychologists. 2010. Principles for Professional Ethics.
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