Professional_Values_and_Ethics

Professional Values and Ethics Learning Team C Gen 200 Shazia Ali February 1, 2010 Professional Values and Ethics Values and ethics are the framework of how an individual live their life. They affect our career choices, our family, and the choices we make. Values is the ideals, customs, institutions, etc., of a society toward which people of the group have an effective regard (Dictionary.reference.com, 2010). These values may be positive, as cleanliness, freedom, or education, or negative, as cruelty, crime, or blasphemy (dictionary.reference.com). Ethics are rules or standards governing the conduct by which we live our lives and the decisions we make. Professional values and ethics are learned by various sources like family, our social environment, and school. Professional values and ethics is our main source of learning how to act and be successful in both our personal and professional lives. Our first source of values and ethics is family. A family who has a strong solid bond set the foundation in which we learn our values and ethics. According to Chris M. Bell and Justin Hughes-Jones, “Legitimate power related to structure and position can carry moral weight but may not influence the power holder’s perceptions of rules and general norms” (Bell and Hughes-Jones, 2008). Values and ethics are important for families to teach their children so that as adults they make the right decisions in life, whether it is in school or in their professional career. Ultimately the family or parents are the ones who instill values and ethics in their children. A second source of professional values and ethics is social environment. These individuals may help their friend find their way through life by helping him or her overcome obstacles they may encounter. They are people in our lives who genuinely care for us. When an individual surround his or her self around individuals who are doing positive things, he or she will start doing the same thing, whether it be community service, helping a neighbor, doing good in school, or just being a well rounded person. This may help him or her to become a positive individual and will eventually lead to becoming a successful person. These qualities show employers they are a hard worker, dedicated individual who doesn’t mind helping others. The third source of professional values and ethics is the school system. Education has huge affect on how we develop into adulthood and become productive and successful in our careers. Education gives individuals tools that they can use the rest of our lives. According to the National Education Association, “The educator strives to help each student realize his or her potential as a worthy and effective member of society” (NEA, 2002-2010, par. 4). The education system teaches us to respect the privilege of learning, set higher standards for personal achievement, and to have respect for school authorities, teachers, and other students. Education paves the way of success and not just based on the size of a paycheck, but success in understanding and thinking in an intellectual manner. When, we apply what we have learned in school to our professional career, it leads to us being successful. Professional values and ethics can affect career success in many ways. Ethics and values in business are focused on how ethics and accountability in organizations can be the foundation for great things (Glenn Martin, 2007). Most organizations, groups, or businesses provide a written code of ethics, or code of conduct which, intends to serve as a guide in the workplace that set acceptable behavior for their members, employees, and clients. If a business owner treats employees, customers, and competitors in a fair and honest manner and suitably penalizes those who do not perform in a similar fashion, he or she is far more likely to have an ethical workforce of which he or she can be proud of. When an employer hires people, he or she look for individuals who possess certain qualities. The individuals in which they hire must have good morals, values, and possess a strong sense of ethics. A person’s lack of ethics and values can have detrimental affect on the company it represents. Any business or organization must have some type of ethical or moral rules in which their employees must follow, and if they have that, there is a good chance for their business or organization to run smoothly. The first example of professional values and ethics would be teachers. More teachers are becoming involved with their students outside of the schools. If a student starts to show interest in his or her teacher in a sexual manner, it is up to the teacher to be the responsible adult and do the ethical and moral thing and inform the child’s parents of what is going on with his or her child. Because of the importance of education and the responsibilities of teachers in the education and development of students and families, colleagues, the profession, the teacher’s employer and the community (Ethical Standards for Teachers, 2009). A second example would be health care workers. Doctors and nurses are held at standards because they are entrusted with the lives of their patients. The doctors and nurses ethical and moral duty is to provide the best care to their patients. It would be unethical for any medical profession to refuse care to an individual because he or she does not have medical insurance. A physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights. The medical profession has long subscribed to a body of ethical statements developed primarily for the benefit of the patient (American Medical Association, 2001). Family, social environment, and the educational system are major factors in one’s professional values and ethics. The family is important because, as children we need our parents to teach us right from wrong and good and bad, so that we can make the right decisions in life, whether they are in our personal lives, school, or career. Our social environment is important because, if we have friends in our lives who are doing positive things for the community, their neighbors, or in school that will intern make them want to do well and be productive in their lives. The educational system is important because it teaches important values and ethics to use outside of school. Without values and ethics there is no way for a business or organization to succeed. Reference Answers.com. (2009). Business Ethics. Retrieved January 31, 2010, from http://www.answers,com/topic/business-ethics Bell, Chris M. and Justin Hughes-Jones. (2008). Power, Self-regulation and Moralization of Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 83 (3), 503-514. Retrieved January 28, 2010, from ABI/Inform Global. http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com Dictionary.reference.com. (2010). Retrieved January 21, 2010 from http://dictionary.reference.com/ American Medical Association. (2001). Retrieved January 31, 2010, from http://www.cirp.org/library/statements/ama/ Ethical Standards fro Teachers. (2209). Retrieved January 31, 2010, from http://www.qct.edu.au/PDF/Publications/BTREthicalstandardsforTeachers-% Full_Revised09%20041%_2.pdf Martin, G. (2007). Ethics and Values in Business. Retrieved January 21, 2010, from http://www.ethicsandvalues.com.au/index.htm National Education Association: Code of Ethics. (2002-210). Retrieved January 21, 2010 From http://www,nea.org/home/30442.htm