Ethics and Professionalism, Professional code, Professional impediments while taking responsibilities

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UNITED INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Course Code: SOC 101
Course title: Society, Technology and Engineering Ethics
An assignment on: Profession
Submitted to:
Prof. Dr. Jasim Uddin
Submitted by:
Sharif Ahmed
ID: 021 121 111
Sec: C
Date of submission: 29-11-2015

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Abstract: This assignment will give us an overview of profession. In the first section, it is
argued that a professional activity involves systematic knowledge and proficiency, a form of
continuous improvement of the related bodies of knowledge and proficiency. The second section
is devoted to professional code of ethics and the rules of practice. Engineering code of ethics is
discussed as an example of professional code of ethics. The third section draws impediments to
professional responsibilities as well as concluding remarks.
What is a profession?
The word “profession” means different things to different people. But at its core, it’s meant to be
an indicator of trust and expertise. Traditionally, a “professional” was someone who derived
their income from their expertise or specific talents, as opposed to a hobbyist or amateur. This
still carries through to the fields today, such as sport. But given today’s fast-changing
environment of knowledge and expertise, it’s now generally understood that simply deriving an
income from a particular task might make you an “expert” or “good at your job” – but if you’re a
“professional”, this has a broader meaning. There’s a long history of attempts to clarify this
meaning, and to define the functions of professions. These attempts typically centralize around
some sort of moral or ethical foundation within the practice of a specific and usually established
expertise.
Profession referred to a free act of commitment to a particular way of life. Profession means a
vocation in which professional knowledge of some branch of learning is used in its application to
the affairs of others.
A profession is a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to ethical standards. This group
positions itself as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognized body of
learning derived from research, education and training at a high level, and is recognized by the
public as such. A profession is also prepared to apply this knowledge and exercise these skills in
the interest of others.
Key definitions related to the profession:
Professional: A professional is a member of a profession. Professionals are governed by codes
of ethics, and profess commitments to competence, integrity and morality, altruism, and the
promotion of the public good within their expert domain. Professionals are accountable to those
served and to society.
Professionalism: It comprises the personally held beliefs about one’s own conduct as a
professional. It’s often linked to the upholding of the principles, laws, ethics and conventions of
a profession as a way of practice.
Professionalization: It is the pattern of how a profession develops, as well as the process of
becoming a profession.

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Professional Ethics:
Professional ethics encompass the personal, organizational and corporate standards of behavior
expected of professionals. Professionals and those working in acknowledged professions,
exercise specialist knowledge and skill. How the use of this knowledge should be governed when
providing a service to the public can be considered a moral issue and is termed professional
ethics.Another definition can be “It is the set of standards adopted by professionals insofar as
they view themselves acting as professionals.” Every profession has its professional ethics:
engineering, medicine, law, architecture, pharmacy, and so forth. Engineering ethics is that set of
ethical standards that applies to the profession of engineering. A civil engineer refuges to design
a project he believes will be contrary to the principles of sustainable development. This refusal
could be based on a provision regarding sustainable development in the ASCE (American
Society of Civil Engineers) professional code of ethics.
1. Characteristics of a
Profession:
The following characteristics will be helpful in distinguishing professions from non professional
occupations.
A specialized body of knowledge and expertise: A profession bases its work on a particular
body of knowledge and specialized skills that are required to meet the individual needs of clients.
This knowledge is based on theory and on research relevant to the discipline and is not normally
possessed by others in the society (for example, a surgeon has unique knowledge of the
physiology of the body). The knowledge is accompanied by skillful application (a structural
engineer applies mathematical knowledge to the design of buildings that can resist earthquakes).
A profession also has a collective obligation to conduct and make use of new research that will
further its mission.
Prolonged training: A profession requires its practitioners to acquire systematic knowledge by
participating in prolonged training that leads to a degree. The training is based on principles that
are drawn from research, theory, and practice and involve judgment about their application, not a
precise set of procedures that apply in all cases. The training is rigorous and involves both study
and practical experience. It is delivered in institutions that have been accredited by a board of
examiners in order to ensure uniformity of training across institutions and to determine that the
program meets established standards. Many professions require continuing professional training.
Rigorous requirements for entry to training and eligibility to practice: Admission to training
programs for established professions like medicine, law, and engineering is generally quite
competitive, and is based to some extent on scores from standardized entrance exams.
Graduation from an accredited program is necessary, but professionals may not be authorized to

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practice until they take a required examination to make sure that they possess the requisite
knowledge and skills, and go through screening procedures required for licensure. The license to
practice is generally issued by states.
Standards of practice: Professions have agreed-on standards of practice (sometimes referred to
as standards of performance). These are recommended procedures that are considered
appropriate for dealing with situations that are regularly encountered in the workplace (for
example, in dealing with a broken bone, a physician is expected to x-ray, put the bone in position
to heal properly, and then immobilize it with a cast or splint). A professional must be aware of
and guided by standards of practice, but the decision about how to act will be based on the
specifics of a situation. Professionals are not expected to follow a predetermined recipe for
action (in the case of the broken bone there may be several acceptable ways to set the bone and
to treat the accompanying discomfort).
Commitment to serving a significant social value: An essential attribute of every profession is
that it has a commitment to serving a significant social value. It provides a service that is
essential to a society and has as its primary goal meeting the needs of others. Professionals are
dedicated to the public interest and are altruistic and service oriented rather than profit oriented.
Recognition as the only group in the society who can perform a function: A profession provides
a social benefit and acknowledges its duties and responsibilities to its clients and to the society.
Based on its important function and the specialized knowledge and skill of its practitioners, a
profession gains recognition as the only group in the society that can perform a particular
function.
Autonomy: Professions are characterized by autonomy—self-governance that results in internal
control over the quality of the services provided. Professions regulate themselves based on the
claim that others in the society do not have the technical knowledge required to oversee their
work. Most professions have a national organization to develop standards for entry, oversee the
admission of candidates into membership, create and enforce ethical guidelines,investigate
reports of incompetent or unethical behavior, and provide continuing education.
Code of ethics: A profession’s code of ethics is a document that spells out its moral obligations
to society and its guidelines for moral behavior. Because a profession is the only group in a
society that can perform an important function, it must demonstrate a strong moral commitment
and instill confidence that it will serve the public good. In order to ensure that moral
commitments are upheld, professions establish and enforce standards for professional practice
through their codes of ethics and hold their members accountable to these standards.
CORE QUALITIES: Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness,
etc... are the core qualities of a professional.

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2. Professional code of
ethics:
Every profession has some code of ethics. Here are the code of ethics and the rules of practice
for the engineer by NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers)
Fundamental Canons
1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the
performance of their professional duties.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
5. Avoid deceptive acts in the solicitation of professional employment.
Rules of practice:
1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the
performance of their professional duties.
a. Engineers shall recognize that the lives, safety, health and welfare of the general public are
dependent upon engineering judgments, decisions and practices incorporated into structures,
machines, products, processes and devices.
b. Engineers shall not approve nor seal plans and/or specifications that do not conform with
accepted engineering standards and are not design safe, as it would endanger public health and
welfare.
c. If the Engineers’ professional judgment be overruled under circumstances where the
safety, health, and welfare of the public are endangered, the Engineers shall inform their clients
or employers of the possible consequences and notify other proper authority of the situation, as
may be appropriate.
d. If Engineers have knowledge or reason to believe that another person or firm may be in
violation of any of the provisions of the Guidelines, they shall present such information to the
proper authority in writing and shall cooperate with the proper authority in furnishing such
further information or assistance as may be required.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.
a. Engineers shall undertake to perform engineering assignments only when qualified by
education or experience in the specific technical field of engineering involved.

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b. Engineers may accept an assignment requiring education or experience outside of their own
fields of competence, but only to the extent that their services are restricted to those phases of
the project in which they are qualified. All other phases of such project shall be performed by
qualified associates, consultants, or employees.
c. Engineers shall not affix their signatures and/or seals to any engineering plan or document
dealing with subject matter in which they lack competence by virtue of education or experience,
nor to any such plan or document not prepared under their direct supervisory control.
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
a. Engineers shall endeavor to extend public knowledge, and to prevent misunderstandings of
the achievements of engineers.
b. Engineers shall be completely objective and truthful in all professional reports, statements,
or testimony. They shall include all relevant and pertinent information in such reports,
statements, or testimony.
c. Engineers shall issue no statements, criticisms, nor arguments on engineering matters which
are inspired or paid for by an interested party, or parties, unless they have prefaced their
comments by explicitly identifying themselves, by disclosing the identities of the party or parties
on whose behalf they are speaking, and by revealing the existence of any pecuniary interest they
may have in the instant matters.
4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents
or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
a. Engineers shall avoid all known conflicts of interest with their employers or clients of any
business association, interests, or circumstances, which could influence their judgment or the
quality of their services.
b. Engineers shall not knowingly undertake any assignments, which would knowingly create
potential conflict of interest between themselves and their clients or their employees.
c. Engineers shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one party
for services on the same project, nor for services pertaining to the same project, unless the
circumstances are fully disclosed to, and agreed to, by all interested parties.
d. Engineers shall not solicit nor accept financial or other valuable considerations, including
free engineering designs, from material or equipment suppliers for specifying their products.
3. IMPEDIMENTS TO PROFESSIOAL
RESPONSIBILITIES
What attitudes and frames of mind can contribute to less than fully responsible actions, whether
it be intentional, reckless, or merely negligent? Here are some impediments to responsible action
OF professionals.

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Self-Interest:
Professionals are not simply professionals. They are, like everyone else, people with personal
hopes and ambitions that are not restricted to professional ideals. Sometimes concern for our
own interests tempts us to act contrary to the interests of others, perhaps even contrary to what
others expect from us as professionals. Sometimes concern for self-interest blocks us from seeing
or fully understanding our professional responsibilities. This is a major worry about conflicts of
interest—a problem standardly addressed in professional codes of ethics. Taken to an extreme,
concern for self-interest is a form of egoism—an exclusive concern to satisfy one’s own
interests, even at the possible expense of others. This is popularly characterized as ‘‘looking out
for number one.’’ Whether a thoroughgoing egoist would act at the expense of others very much
depends on the circumstances. All of us depend to some extent on others to get what we want;
some degree of mutual support is necessary. However, opportunities for personal gain at the
expense of others do arise—or so it seems to most of us. Egoists are prepared to take advantage
of this, unless they believe it is likely to work to their long-term disadvantage. But it is not just
egoists who are tempted by such opportunities: All of us are, at least occasionally.
Self-Deception:
One way to resist the temptations of self-interest is to confront ourselves honestly and ask if we
would approve of others treating us in the same way we are contemplating treating them. This
can have a powerful psychological effect on us. However, for such an approach to work, we
must truly recognize what we are contemplating doing. Rationalization often gets in the way of
this recognition. Some rationalizations show greater self-awareness than others, particularly
those that exhibit self defensiveness or excuse making. (‘‘I’m not really doing this just for
myself.’’ ‘‘Everyone takes shortcuts once in a while—it’s the only way one can survive.’’) Other
rationalizations seem to betray a willful lack of self-understanding. This is called self-deception,
an intentional avoidance of truths we would find it painful to confront self-consciously. Because
of the nature of self-deception, it is particularly difficult to discover it in oneself. However, open
communication with colleagues can help correct biases to which we are susceptible—unless, of
course, our colleagues share the same biases.
Fear:
Even when we are not tempted to take advantage of others for personal gain, we may be moved
by various kinds of fear—fear of acknowledging our mistakes, of losing our jobs, or of some sort
of punishment or other bad consequences. Fears of these sorts can make it difficult for us to act
responsibly. Most well-known whistle-blowing cases are instances in which it is alleged that
others have made serious mistakes or engaged in wrongdoing. One form of fear is the fear of
retribution for objecting to actions that violate professional standards. The fear of retribution can
be a factor inhibiting the expression of minority opinions. As such, it can be a powerful
impediment to responsible professional behavior.
Ignorance:
An obvious barrier to responsible action is ignorance of vital information. If a professional, for
instance, an engineer does not realize that a design poses a safety problem, for example, then he
or she will not be in a position to do anything about it. Sometimes such a lack of awareness is

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willful avoidance—a turning away from information in order to avoid having to deal with the
challenges it may pose. However, often it results from a lack of imagination, from not looking in
the right places for necessary information, from a failure to persist, or from the pressure of
deadlines. Although there are limits to what engineers can be expected to know, these examples
suggest that ignorance is not always a good excuse.
Egocentric Tendencies:
A common feature of human experience is that we tend to interpret situations from very limited
perspectives and it takes special efforts to acquire a more objective viewpoint. This is what
psychologists call egocentricity. It is especially prevalent in us as young children, and it never
completely leaves us. Although egocentric thinking is sometimes egoistic (self-interested), it
need not be. It is actually a special form of ignorance.
It is not just self-interest that interferes with our ability to understand things from other
perspectives. We may have good intentions for others but fail to realize that their perspectives
are different from ours in important ways. For example, some people may not want to hear bad
news about their health. They may also assume that others are like them in this respect. So, if
they withhold bad news from others, this is done with the best of intentions—even if others
would prefer hearing the bad news. Similarly, an engineer may want to design a useful product,
but fail to realize how different the average consumer’s understanding of how to use it is from
those who design it. This is why test runs with typical consumers are needed.
Uncritical Acceptance of Authority:
Professional codes of ethics emphasize the importance of professionals exercising independent,
objective judgment in performing their functions. This is sometimes called professional
autonomy. At the same time, the codes of ethics, insist that engineers have a duty of fidelity to
their employers and clients. Independent consulting professionals may have an easier time
maintaining professional autonomy than the vast majority of professionals, who work in large,
hierarchical organizations. Most professionals are not their own bosses, and they are expected to
defer to authority in their organizations. To overcome the problems associated with the uncritical
acceptance of authority, organizations must establish a culture in which dissent is accepted and
even encouraged.
Conclusion: Maintaining professional standards is a costly venture, although professionalism
helps us in pursuing our own and society’s goal. Leniency allows for certain situations to be
addressed more suitably for the circumstances; adhering to a strict professional policy for the
sake of compliance can create tension where it doesn't have to exist. Whether mandated to follow
rigid dress codes, interpersonal relations or decorum, employees may feel so constrained by such
stringency that the work environment becomes staid and dispiriting. Professionalism is a
prestigious and respecting job, although it faces some impediments while taking professional
responsibilities. If a professional manages to avoid those barriers he will be succeeded in his
professional life.

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