Professional Codes and Standards - Essay Example

Reflective Pieces Student’s Name Institution Date Reflective Piece 1 Introduction Ethics is an important part of my life and it has a big influence on the way I interact with other people. I always feel that I have an ethical responsibility to perform good deeds that bring happiness to other people. As a university student, I feel that I need to observe integrity in all dealings I engage in to ensure that I set a positive example which can be emulated by other people. There are codes of conduct which are observed in different societies and organisations, which all people need to abide by. It is always necessary for people to take time to think about the consequences of their actions and how they are likely to affect other people (Cowton 2009). I believe that every human being needs to have a strong moral foundation that allows him to choose between what is right and what is wrong. Argument Professional codes and standards are vital in making people understand their moral responsibilities in different environments they are active in. In my university, I am exposed to different sources of knowledge which equip me with effective skills that guide me on how I need to behave in my society. In essence, these skills help me understand how I need to interact with other people to create positive relationships with them. Ethics is a feature that needs to be observed and practiced everyday. My university is a centre of learning where people from different backgrounds come to acquire knowledge and skills to help them become better citizens. I appreciate the time I spent in the university because it makes me understand the expectations I need to fulfil after completing my course to make me stand out in my career. I have managed to realise that time is a very important factor in life and it influences the way different processes are conducted (Cowton 2009). Two years ago when I was still a freshman in university, I experienced a certain unpleasant incident that made me question the essence of professionalism and ethics. My close friend was involved in academic malpractices which tainted his character. He tried to copy my work after we had been given assignments in class, but I declined which made him copy another classmate’s assignment. This was a blatant case of cheating and even though I knew about it, I did not report him to our course tutor. Later on, I thought about what I had done and I felt very guilty and confused. I felt I had failed to safeguard the integrity of my university because I had not reported my friend’s involvement in academic dishonesty to our tutor. Later on, my friend was expelled from university for failing to attend 90% of all lectures in the following semester. This made me feel bad because I knew that if I had reported his malpractices to school authorities, disciplinary measures would have been taken against him. I felt that these disciplinary measures would have made him a better person (Cowton 2009). Conclusion The above personal experience shows the importance of personal integrity and professional conduct. People need to be more involved in promoting openness, honesty and transparency in different environments they are active in to ensure other people live happily. Every human being needs to set for himself high moral standards to ensure that he does not take part in practices that are likely to harm other people. Moore (2006) argues states many people are interested in advancing their economic and social interests to enable them live better lives in future. However, in their pursuit of these goals, they tend to forget the importance of humility, kindness and honesty. These virtues are very important and they have an impact on the way a person relates with other people in the society. Therefore, people should not be motivated by their own individual goals at the expense of collective societal goals. They need to have strong moral convictions that help them recognise what they are expected to do in different societies they are living in. Reflective Piece 2 Introduction Attitudes towards social and environmental sustainability in Australia have changed in the last 40 years. More people have become aware of different issues that affect social and environmental wellbeing in different parts of the country. Australia has experienced an increase in the number of economic developments in the last century, which have put a lot of pressure on settlements and scarce natural resources. In a quest to improve living conditions for many Australians, the government has allowed large business concerns to conduct their operations in different parts of the country. At times, the operations of these business firms have had serious environmental and social effects. However, attitudes towards environmental issues in the country have been changing in the last four decades because people have become more aware about dangers posed by unsustainable environmental and social practices. It is estimated that more than half of all Australians feel that the natural environment is in decline and it is not as pristine as it was forty years ago (Stanley, Prior & Richardson 2005). Main Argument Many commodities which are exported out of Australia are produced in rural areas. Some of these commodities are consumed locally and the surplus is exported. In many rural areas, agricultural and mining are the main economic activities done there. As a result, the environment in many rural parts of Australia has been subjected to a lot of strain because natural resources which were abundant a few decades ago are becoming scarce. This has had a significant impact on the lives of many people in different areas across the country. People have become more aware about the dangers of unsustainable economic practices in the country and are participating actively to ensure valuable natural resources do not get depleted. For instance, many small town councils are involving their residents in plans meant to revitalise their wellbeing to ensure they do not become redundant. Residents in such towns are more willing to conserve water resources to ensure they do not get depleted due to unnecessary wastage by domestic and industrial concerns (Stanley, Prior & Richardson 2005). Bush fires, ground water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have become issues of concern to many Australians. Bush fires that occur in dry seasons have always caused many people to flee from their homes to other safe areas in the country. Bush fires destroy a lot of vegetation and they displace a lot of wild animals from their natural habitats. Many people are also concerned about ground water pollution done by some mining companies in remote areas of New South Wales. Mining companies have been accused of depleting and polluting water resources in different parts of the country, which has led to conflicts with communities living in such areas. This has made the government to compel mining firms to use sustainable mining methods which do not deplete important natural resources in areas where mining is done. Business firms also understand that they need to use modern, technological equipment in their operations to reduce emissions of toxic substances into the atmosphere. Environmental auditing has become a crucial part of business regulations enforced by the government. All business firms are expected to observe these regulations before they engage in any commercial activities (Cervero 2001). Conclusion There are other social issues which are experienced in the country. Indigenous communities have always faced difficulties in accessing crucial social services from the government because they live in remote areas of the country. The government has taken more steps to improve their living standards by allowing them to live their life in a way that conforms to their cultural practices. There has been a decrease in the number of people who are employed in the traditional economic sectors of agriculture and mining. It is estimated that more than 70% of people in Australia live in urban centres which are located in different states. Young people have migrated to cities and towns to look for employment opportunities and better living conditions. The government has initiated several population strategies that respond to unique challenges faced by various Australian demographic groups. This has allowed more people to get involved in nation building in different parts of the country (Cervero 2001). Reflection Paper 3 Introduction The careers workbook guides professionals to help them make good choices in all professional activities they intend to involve themselves in. As a result, professionals are able to improve the way they approach their professional dealings to ensure they achieve positive results in their work. The careers workbook allows professionals to understand the implications of their decisions in societies they are living in. Professionals are able to understand their responsibilities and what they need to do to ensure their employers value their output in their workplaces. The career workbook encourages professionals to look for ways through which they can improve their performance at work. This helps them attain goals which have been set by their employers. It allows employees to take care of their employers’ interests whenever they are performing their responsibilities to enable the firm stand out in the industry it is operating in. A professional should understand values observed at his place of work to enable him perform his duties more diligently (Harris & Sukhbir 2013). Main Argument The career workbook shows important aspects of performance which every employee needs to observe. During my internship, it made me more willing to help employees who were working for the organisation I had been posted. The book made me realise the importance of assisting other people to achieve positive outcomes. It helped me build strong relationships with my other workers in the firm and they were able to influence me positively. Professionals need to understand the value of teamwork at the workplace to enable them to interact with their peers effectively. The book made me realise that teamwork enables all employees to learn from each other to improve the quality of tasks they are performing at the workplace. I also learnt that teamwork makes all workers understand their contribution to crucial organisational processes and what needs to be done to make internal organisational functions more innovative. The book has made me realise that innovation allows a firm to improve the quality of its products, which enables it compete effectively with other firms in the industry it operates in (Harris & Sukhbir 2013). As a professional, I have realised that I need to set personal objectives to help me achieve my career expectations. The book has made me understand what I seek to achieve in my future career in the next five years. I have managed to take decisive measures regarding my professional life, which has given me an opportunity to constantly improve my skills. The book has made me realise the importance of following different trends in my line of work to understand what I need to do to be more competitive. As a professional, I am willing to work in an environment that has people from diverse cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds to improve my cross-cultural skills. This has made me realise the importance of building strong relationships with people from diverse backgrounds in the firm to help me achieve positive outcomes in all activities I do. I have also learnt to tolerate other people’s views to help me expand my knowledge on different workplace processes (Coffee 2006). Conclusion The career workbook outlines plans which a professional need to follow to ensure his plans have achieved positive results. It has guided me to participate in activities that are likely to give me inner fulfilment to appreciate what I do at my place of work. In essence, this book has given me an opportunity to look for happiness in different things I do. The book has made me understand the importance of making sacrifices to balance the time I allocate to my professional as well as personal engagements. I have understood that I need to take appropriate actions to achieve good results in all activities I involve myself in. I have understood the importance of observing integrity in my place of work to enable my employer maintain a good corporate reputation in the industry (Coffee 2006). The career workbook allows me to put in motion my future plans to help me succeed in my career. References Cervero, R 2001, Efficient urbanisation: economic performance and the shape of the metropolis, Urban Studies, vol. 38, no. 10, pp. 1651-1671. Coffee, JC 2006, Gatekeepers: the professions and corporate governance, Oxford University, Oxford. Cowton, C 2009, ‘Accounting and the ethics challenge: remembering the professional body’, Accounting and Business Research, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 177-189. Harris, H & Sukhbir, S 2013, Career Planning Workbook, University of South Australia. Moore, G 2006, ‘Managing ethics in higher education: implementing a code or embedding virtue?’, Business Ethics: A European Review, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 407-418. Stanley, F, Prior, M & Richardson, S 2005, Children of the lucky country?, Macmillan Australia, Melbourne. Read More