Professional Codes of Ethics in Professional and Public Life - Article Example

NAME: INSTITUTION: INSTRUCTOR: DATE: IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL CODES OF ETHICS/CONDUCT The most defining part of a profession or professional organization has been found to be the code of ethics/conduct or both. These are the personal, organization and corporate standard of behavior expected of professionals. Generally, Weckert and Lucas (2013) define ethic as a philosophical study of morality, a rational examination into peoples’ beliefs and behavior. It is this ethical conduct that professionals strive to achieve through their codes of conduct. A lot of controversy has, however, surrounded the idea of who exactly a professional is and what it takes to be one. A professional is anyone working in an acknowledged profession, exercise, specialist knowledge and skill. It is a vocational undertaking that requires a high level of education and practice in the field (Quinn 2014). There have been characteristics developed in an attempt to identify what a profession really is. A mature professional infrastructure should have the eight principles that have been developed overtime. According to Ford and Gibbs (1996), there must be initial professional education and accreditation for one to qualify as a professional. An individual should also have developed their skill and been certified. Professionalism also requires of one to be licensed, adhere to its respective code of ethics and develop the profession. Different professional bodies have come up with their own codes of ethics/conduct. This is a practical framework for moral decision making related to problems that members of that professional body may face. I will be discussing in relation to the Australian Computer Society (ACS) code of ethics. The ACS is an association for Information and Technology (IT) professionals with over 2000 members all over Australia. The AIS has therefore come up with a code of ethics that each member must uphold in a bid to advance the honor, dignity and effectiveness of being an ACS professional. These codes of ethics are developed in accordance with the societal values of that particular community. The ACS codes of ethics include the primacy of public interest. Members are required to place the interests of the public above those of personal, business or sectional interests. The enhancement of quality of life requires members to strive to enhance the quality of life of those affected by their work. Members are also required to be honest and competent. Honesty encompasses the representation of skills, knowledge, services and products. Competence, on the other hand, is the requirement to work competently and diligently for one’s stakeholders. The ACS codes of ethics also stipulate that members should enhance their own professional development, that of colleagues and staff, the integrity of society and the respect of its members for each other (ACS 2012). Another controversy has also been around the importance of codes of ethics/conduct. Critics have argued that codes of ethics, especially those adopted by ICT professionals are only limited to privacy, accuracy, property and accessibility as areas of concern (Pierce and Henry 2000). This makes them vague, selfish, inconsistent and unnecessary. They have also put forth the argument that violation of the codes of ethics are not meted with any punishment and these codes tend to conflict with each other at times. The basis of their argument is that professional codes of ethics are generally insensitive to differences in cultural and societal values. However, this should not be the case. Research has shown a great percentage of people having a positive efficacy of codes of ethics. When these codes are communicated to the members of the organization and they are made aware of the philosophy embedded in the codes, they can turn out to be very effective. These are the various ways in which professional codes of ethics/conduct are important. Reference is made to the Australian Computer Society (ACS) codes of ethics/conduct (2012). Codes of conduct motivate members of an association to behave ethically and inspire them because they provide a positive stimulus. Ideally, codes of ethics are used to challenge the ethical behavior of a professional and could provide grounds for complaint if the professional’s practice falls seriously short (Dublin City University 2000). The codes of ethics are embraced as a living document and a tool of education. They help a professional to define and redefine its values. Upholding codes of ethics is meant to be a lifelong process. Professionals, therefore, are constantly aware of ethical tensions in their profession. This way, they develop a principled way of resolving issues. The principle of enhancement of quality of life in the ACS codes of conduct requires members to recognize the roles of ICT in enhancing lives of those with disabilities and the disadvantaged (ACS 2012). It also requires them to protect and promote the health and safety of those affected by their work. This principle in the codes of ethics also gives ACS members an understanding of the perceptions of those affected by their work. It attempts to increase their feeling of personal satisfaction, competence and control of those affected by their work. These requirements by the principle of enhancing the quality of life in the ACS codes of ethics definitely provide a distinct positive stimulus in the life of any ACS members. The simple knowledge that one’s work leads to enhancement of another’s quality of work really motivates and inspires them beyond degree to abide by the given codes of ethics. Professional codes of ethics/conduct guide members through the ethical problems they face in their working lives. Any professional life comes with its challenges and setbacks. It is in the process of overcoming these drawbacks without going against the principles applicable that one’s stamina is really gauged. These principles are well inscribed in the respective body’s codes of ethics/conduct. While finding ways of solving such problems, the individual is educated about what is acceptable and unacceptable. When problems arise in a profession, codes of ethics assist the victim to examine the ethical issues present in the problem. The professional then identifies what principles need to be considered and how to prioritize them while arriving at a solution. Through the whole process of problem solving, professionals become aware of their own biases (Reile 2007). The ACS principle of primacy of public interest in its codes of ethics requires members to raise with stakeholders any potential conflicts between their professional and legal or other accepted public requirements (ACS 2012). This, in itself, already provides a complete framework of how to solve any of such problems that arise. There will not be need, therefore, to come up with any other comprehensive way of resolving a legal problem or any other that you may encounter in your professional life. Professional codes of ethics/conduct are used to discipline members Primarily, any professional codes of ethics/conduct have relevance to a professional standard regulation (Gregoire 2012). Failure to abide by the principles stated in these codes could be used as grounds for a claim of professional negligence. The relevant code may even be quoted by an expert witness giving an assessment of professional conduct (Quinn 2014). Failure to observe the principles in the codes could also lead to disciplinary action by the relevant body. Depending on the seriousness of the violation, one’s employment can even be terminated. The ACS principle of professionalism in the ACS codes of ethics/conduct gives members the provision of taking appropriate action against other members who engage in behaviors contrary to this principle (ACS 2012). Knowing that your colleagues are acting as watchdogs could compel anyone to avoid crossing the mark. This kind of discipline is really paramount in the professional circles. Professional codes of ethics/conduct improve ethical decision making. A study by Margaret Pierce and John Henry (1996 and 2000) revealed that 78% of their respondents used professional codes of ethics/conduct to guide them in ethical decision making. Adherence to professional codes of ethics means that professionals will use a common set of core values and ideals to serve as guidelines for ethical decision making (Corey 2014). This already is an improved way of making professional decisions. The ACS principle of honesty in its codes of ethics/conduct requires its members to, among other things, reject and not make any offer of bribery or inducement (ACS 2012). This principle also requires them not to knowingly mislead a client or potential client as to sustainability of a product or service. Another requirement under this principle is for the members not to attempt to enhance their reputation at the expense of another person’s reputation. These are typical ethical dilemmas that any professional individual encounters in their day-to-day working lives. With such stipulated codes of conduct, professionals will definitely go make choices that have little or no repercussions. Professional codes of ethics/conduct promote high standards of practice and ethical behavior. Generally, codes of ethics subdue the professional freedom of behavior and action. In essence, professionals are limited by these codes to doing only what will promote the profession. Codes of ethics/conduct compel professionals to only use behavior change practices that are evidence-based, appropriate to their preparation, and which respect the culture, dignity and basic human rights of everyone (Davis 2012). There is a refrain from using aversive techniques unless the target of the behavior change is vital, repeated trials of positive and less restrictive methods have failed. Such exceptions are allowed only after appropriate consultation with top authorities. Such restraints in a profession promote high standards of practice and ethical behavior. The principle of competence in the ACS codes of ethics requires members to endeavor to provide products and services which match the operational and financial needs of their stakeholders (ACS 2012). They should also advise their stakeholders when they believe a proposed project, product or service is not in their best interest. Such codes really ensure high standards of practice and ethical behavior. Professional codes of ethics/conduct enhance the trust and respect from the general public Any professional body that is well regulated and standardized gets exceptional admiration from the public. The public has a knack for quality. Quality only comes from setting standards and abiding by them. That is the primary mandate of codes of ethics/conduct. They are set standards that are meant to be abided by (Myers 2003). A professional body that does this gets respected and trusted by the public. The principle of professional development for instance, in the ACS codes of ethics requires members to continue upgrading their knowledge and skills (ACS 2012). Members also have to support education, training and professional development in ICT. This reflects the diverse needs of individual professionals in their various career paths. Once such standards are developed and upheld, the public ultimately trusts and respects the profession. Professional codes of ethics/conduct provide an evaluation benchmark Codes of ethics provide a benchmark to professional members for self-evaluation into their behaviors and responsibilities. According to the PRSA Detroit codes of ethics (2014), performance of a self-appraisal is meant to step up one in their areas of deficiency if any. Members therefore gauge themselves and their performance against the appropriate principle in the codes of ethics/conduct then endeavor to make the necessary improvements. The principle of honesty in the ACS codes of ethics/conduct requires its members not to misrepresent their skills and knowledge (ACS 2012). If a self-evaluation by a member reveals that, for instance, they may have in one way or the other misrepresented their skills and knowledge, this becomes an avenue for positive change and improvement. Conclusion In conclusion, professional codes of ethics/conduct are very important in both the professional and public life. Codes of ethics motivate, discipline and guide professionals through the ethical problems. In addition to this, they provide an evaluation benchmark, enhance trust from the public and promote high standards of practice and ethical behavior. Therefore, members of these professions have to act responsibly and uphold the codes of ethics that guide them. References Australian Computer Society (ACS) 2012, Codes of Professional Conduct, Vol. 2, P. 4-5 Corey, G., Corey, M. & Corey, C 2012, Issues and Ethics in Helping Professions, New York, Cengage Learning Davis, M 2012, Profession, Code and Ethics, New York, Snippet View. Dublin City University 2001, Professional Codes of Ethics, Available from http://www.computing.dcu.ie/wk5Bowyer-chapter o3 (Accessed 26th April 2014) Ford, G & Gibbs, N 1996, A Mature Profession of Software Engineering, Technical Reports, Carnegie Mellon University. Gregoire, J 2012, Counseling Ethics: Philosophical and Professional Foundation, New York, Springer Publishing Company Myers, B 2013, Ethical Principles + Professional Practice=Public Trust, ALADN Conference Pierce, M & Henry, J 2000, Computers Ethics: The Role of Personal, Informal and Formal Codes, Journal of Business Ethics, vol.15, No.4, pp. 425-37. PRSA Detroit 2014, Code of Ethics, Available from http://www.prsadetroit.org/about- us/prsaethics (Accessed: 26th April 2014) Quinn, M 2014, Ethics for the Information Age, 5th Edn. PEARSON. Reile, D 2007, NCDA Code of Ethics, Available from http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/asset_manager/get_file/33395 (Accessed: 26th April 2014) Weckert, J & Lucas, R 2013, Are Codes of Ethics Useful? Available from http://www.press.anu.au.apps (Accessed: 26th April 2014) Read More

Research has shown a great percentage of people having a positive efficacy of codes of ethics. When these codes are communicated to the members of the organization and they are made aware of the philosophy embedded in the codes, they can turn out to be very effective. These are the various ways in which professional codes of ethics/conduct are important. Reference is made to the Australian Computer Society (ACS) codes of ethics/conduct (2012). Codes of conduct motivate members of an association to behave ethically and inspire them because they provide a positive stimulus.

Ideally, codes of ethics are used to challenge the ethical behavior of a professional and could provide grounds for complaint if the professional’s practice falls seriously short (Dublin City University 2000). The codes of ethics are embraced as a living document and a tool of education. They help a professional to define and redefine its values. Upholding codes of ethics is meant to be a lifelong process. Professionals, therefore, are constantly aware of ethical tensions in their profession.

This way, they develop a principled way of resolving issues. The principle of enhancement of quality of life in the ACS codes of conduct requires members to recognize the roles of ICT in enhancing lives of those with disabilities and the disadvantaged (ACS 2012). It also requires them to protect and promote the health and safety of those affected by their work. This principle in the codes of ethics also gives ACS members an understanding of the perceptions of those affected by their work. It attempts to increase their feeling of personal satisfaction, competence and control of those affected by their work.

These requirements by the principle of enhancing the quality of life in the ACS codes of ethics definitely provide a distinct positive stimulus in the life of any ACS members. The simple knowledge that one’s work leads to enhancement of another’s quality of work really motivates and inspires them beyond degree to abide by the given codes of ethics. Professional codes of ethics/conduct guide members through the ethical problems they face in their working lives. Any professional life comes with its challenges and setbacks.

It is in the process of overcoming these drawbacks without going against the principles applicable that one’s stamina is really gauged. These principles are well inscribed in the respective body’s codes of ethics/conduct. While finding ways of solving such problems, the individual is educated about what is acceptable and unacceptable. When problems arise in a profession, codes of ethics assist the victim to examine the ethical issues present in the problem. The professional then identifies what principles need to be considered and how to prioritize them while arriving at a solution.

Through the whole process of problem solving, professionals become aware of their own biases (Reile 2007). The ACS principle of primacy of public interest in its codes of ethics requires members to raise with stakeholders any potential conflicts between their professional and legal or other accepted public requirements (ACS 2012). This, in itself, already provides a complete framework of how to solve any of such problems that arise. There will not be need, therefore, to come up with any other comprehensive way of resolving a legal problem or any other that you may encounter in your professional life.

Professional codes of ethics/conduct are used to discipline members Primarily, any professional codes of ethics/conduct have relevance to a professional standard regulation (Gregoire 2012). Failure to abide by the principles stated in these codes could be used as grounds for a claim of professional negligence. The relevant code may even be quoted by an expert witness giving an assessment of professional conduct (Quinn 2014). Failure to observe the principles in the codes could also lead to disciplinary action by the relevant body.

Depending on the seriousness of the violation, one’s employment can even be terminated.

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