Chapter 1- Lesson 3 Notes.pdf
- 1. 1 Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards| Module University of Antique LESSON 3- PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT WHAT DO YOU UNDESTAND BY PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT? It is a professionally accepted standards of personal and business behavior, values and guiding principles. Codes of professional ethics are often established by professional organizations to help guide members in performing their job functions according to sound and consistent ethical principles. WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT? Professional conduct is the field of regulation of members of professional bodies, either acting under statutory or contractual powers. Historically, professional conduct was wholly undertaken by the private professional bodies, the sole legal authority for which was of a contractual nature. These bodies commonly established codes of conduct and ethical codes for the guidance of their members. In certain areas, where the public interest is considered to be heavily engaged, legislation has been enacted, either replacing professional regulation by statutory legislation, or by a form of supervision of the professional body by a statutory body. What would you do if you saw someone cheating on a test? What if that person was a teacher? Most of us would agree that a teacher who cheats does not belong in the classroom, right? That’s a pretty clear act of unethical, or morally unacceptable behavior. What if a teacher promoted a student to the next grade when the student did not meet the requirements for promotion? We would likely say that this is not professional conduct for teacher. Professional conduct is behavior that meets or exceeds ethical expectations for a given profession. Teaching is a field in which professional conduct is extremely important. After all, teachers serve as role models for youth. Most states have published principles of professional conduct for teachers. Professional conduct is the accepted manner in which a professional will act. Example: Lawyers are held to strict ethical standards and rules of professional conduct enforced by state and local bar associations. Professional conduct translates into a functional work environment. Civility and mutual respect, commitment to organization, job satisfaction, productivity, synergy,
- 2. 2 Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards| Module University of Antique minimal absenteeism, minimal turnover, communication. All of these qualities that you present at your workplace will help you build a positive reputation. Making yourself reliable and trustworthy will give your employers a good vibe about you, which can result in earning greater responsibilities with the company. IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT Professional conduct involves ethics, morals and standards of behavior. Being a professional, it is necessary for the person to maintain his/her ethical behavior and to have good professional conduct. Professionalism is the conduct, aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or professional person; it implies quality of workmanship or service. Every organization knows that a professional reputation is the difference between success and failure and they seek to keep their most professional staff. 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 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 undetermined commercially by those who have fewer ethical qualms. 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. 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. The limitations of professional codes are that they have restricted powers as they are voluntary and only apply to members. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN WORKPLACE? Professional behavior is a form of etiquette in the workplace that is linked primarily to respectful and courteous conduct. Being conscious of how you treat co-workers and clients, and ensuring a positive workplace attitude can help you to improve your productivity and effectiveness in the workplace. TWELVE (12) PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR TIPS Professional behavior is a form of etiquette in the workplace that is linked primarily to respectful and courteous conduct. Many organizations will have a formal code of professional conduct in place, but many do not. Believe it or not, professionalism and ethical behavior can benefit your career and improve your chances of future success.
- 3. 3 Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards| Module University of Antique Being conscious of how you treat co-workers and clients, and ensuring positive workplace attitude can help you to improve your productivity and effectiveness in workplace. In general, professional behavior comes down to ethics and dedication. Although possessing necessary skills to do your job effectively is essential, having an understanding of what constitutes professional behavior will help you develop your own high standard of work habits that could contribute to future career success. 1. Honesty: always act openly. Never share confidential privileged or client information unnecessarily, and don’t tolerate or justify dishonest conduct by others. Report any conflicts of interest immediately. 2. Respect: maintain a respectful attitude to others at all times, even during stressful times. Don’t lash out at colleagues or disrespect anyone (senior or otherwise). Always use appropriate language (verbally and in writing) and don’t swear. Apologize for errors or misunderstandings, and keep your personal opinions private. 3. Meetings: arrive on time and be prepared by reviewing the agenda or meeting notes in advance. Make contributions to discussions where appropriate, and don’t take over when someone else is trying to talk. Respect the meeting convenor or chair, follow the appropriate format, and ask considerate questions. 4. Communication: speak clearly and in language others can easily understand, act courteously and use good manners when engaging with others. Follow any company guidelines regarding content, read information provided before asking questions, listen to others when they are talking or explaining, and don’t engage in office gossip. Be careful of language and tone in written communications, and don’t copy in others unnecessarily when emailing (but don’t intentionally exclude others either). 5. Time Management: don’t be late to work, instead arrive a few minutes early to settle, get your coffee and greet co-workers. Follow lunch and break schedules by leaving and returning on time. At the beginning of every day, review your schedule so you know what time you have to be where, and what workload you have on that day. 6. Integrity: act ethically and do the ‘right’ thing at all times, always report suspicious people in the office, misconduct, or other violations of company policy. Remain impartial keeping any personal bias and intolerances out of the workplace. 7. Safety: understand the company safety policy and report any maintenance or other hazards immediately. 8. Corporate Goals: have an understanding of your company’s missions, goals and objectives and the role that you play in achieving those.
- 4. 4 Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards| Module University of Antique 9. Dress: dress in clean, appropriate clothing. Follow any dress code standards or guidelines and if there aren’t any, avoid clothing that is revealing, provocative, or includes offensive language or pictures. 10. Accountability: take responsibility of your work and actions, do what needs to be done, and don’t leave it for others. Be honest if things go wrong, or you don’t finish something on time, then work out an effective resolution to move forward. Seek help early if you need it. 11. Teamwork: you often need to work with people that you may not necessarily like. Set aside differences to work well with others since teamwork sometimes even outweighs performance- with people who work well with others often advancing based on that aspect. 12. Commitment: dedication and a positive action to your role and the organization can carry you a long way. Plus, dedication from employees is often contagious with others being inspired to go the extra effort themselves. Essentially, being professional is about giving your best at all times. Think about how your behavior will be perceived by others and make sure to understand and follow company codes of conduct where they exist. TEN GOLDEN RULES OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN WORKPLACE Professionalism is the conduct, aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or professional person, it implies quality of workmanship or service. Every organization knows that a professional reputation is the difference between success and failure and they seek to keep their most professional staff. Professionalism is all about success and influence; having a reputation for excellence and being thought of as someone who exhibits professionalism under any circumstances can open doors for you either in the workplace or in your personal ambition. Following are ten golden rules to being professional in service to your organization: 1. Always strive for excellence 2. Be trustworthy 3. Be accountable 4. Be courteous and respectful 5. Be honest, open and transparent 6. Be competent and improve continually 7. Always be ethical 8. Always be honorable and act with integrity 9. Be respectful of confidentiality 10. Set good examples
- 5. 5 Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards| Module University of Antique Professionalism is highly valued by every organization today and professionals are hardly out of work. Apply the ten golden rules of professionalism and enjoy a wonderful, professional and prosperous career. Personal ethics refers to the ethics that a person identifies with in respect to people and situations that they deal with in everyday life. Professional ethics refers to the ethics that a person must adhere to in respect of their interactions and business dealings in their professional life. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONAL ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Personal ethics refers to the ethics that a person identifies with in respect to people or situations that they deal with in everyday life. Professional ethics refers to the ethics that a person must adhere to in respect of their interactions and business dealings in their professional life. In some cases, personal and professional ethics may clash and cause a moral conflict. For example: A police officer may personally believe that a law that he is required to enforce is wrong. However, under the Code of Conduct for the Police, he is required to obey all lawful and reasonable instructions to enforce that law unless there is good and sufficient cause to do otherwise. A doctor may not personally believe that the course of medical treatment chosen by a patient is the right one. However, under the Code of Ethics, he must respect the rights, autonomy and freedom of choice of the patient. Note: More often than not people at work resolve moral conflicts by drawing a line between their professional and individual roles. In other words, they separate their work from their personal life and follow their professional code of conduct.