Chapter 9

The Professional Ethics

A nation of professionals — products of the many colleges and universities (public and private) across the country, with even an oversupply of professionals, some pressured to work abroad.

According to the chapter, what kind of nation is the Philippines?

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

What government body screens graduates and potential professionals before they practice?

That professionals be qualified to deliver quality service to the public they serve.

What does the State aim for by regulating professionals through the PRC?

Eight (8).

How many "concerns of professional ethics" are listed in the chapter?

Any of: a clear notion of the basic concept of professions; awareness of the basic principles as a guide for conduct; awareness of respective rights and duties of professionals and clients; clear knowledge of the professional–client relationship; ensuring quality and efficient service; minimizing/preventing graft and corruption; knowing what to do when faced with ethical problems; and knowing one's rights and duties toward the profession, fellow professionals, and associations.

Name at least three concerns of professional ethics.

Graft and corruption in the exercise of their professions.

According to the concerns, what should be minimized or even prevented among professionals?

Three (3).

According to Bayles (1981), how many areas/categories of concern does professional ethics have?

The goal of making professional services equally available to all — raising questions about the legitimacy of advertising, the cost of services, and restricting certain services to particular professions.

What is Bayles' first area of concern?

The relationship between clients and professionals — where problems like taking advantage of client dependence, withholding information, and disregarding confidentiality can arise.

What is Bayles' second area of concern?

The effect on others of professional conduct on behalf of clients — e.g., a physician warning a patient's spouse of a venereal disease, or a lawyer's client committing perjury (a crime against the legal process).

What is Bayles' third area of concern?

First, he is a human person — conscious of right and wrong (the dictates of his conscience). Second, he is a learned person — he has acquired knowledge of ethical principles and laws.

Why is a professional "basically an ethical person"? Give the two reasons.

Graft and corruption — from habitual tardiness and absenteeism to diverting millions of pesos of public funds — plus sexual harassment and work inefficiency in agencies.

What kinds of wrongdoing among public officials show the need to study professional ethics?

The beautiful Filipino moral values.

Studying the ethical and moral principles helps in the restoration of what?

1) It sensitizes one to the ethical dimensions of practice and helps one think clearly about ethical problems;

2) It helps one develop general principles for difficult or unusual cases;

3) It helps one understand the social/political role and importance of professionals in society.

Give Bayles' three reasons why knowledge of professional ethics is important.

1) Facets of obligations to the public good;

2) Professional maturity and moral responsibility;

3) Professional adherence to clients;

4) Code of professional conduct.

What are the four (4) FEATURES of the professional discussed in the chapter?

Three (3) ways.

In how many ways can a professional realize his obligation to the public good?

1) Social leadership;

2) Improvement of professional knowledge, skills, and tools;

3) Preservation and enhancement of the role of the profession.

What are the three ways of realizing responsibility to the public good?

A tool for acquiring professional work and earning a living, while also gaining social status in the community.

What is a college degree described as, in relation to becoming a professional?

The maximum development of the professional in terms of knowledge, skills, and competence in one's field of specialization.

What is professional maturity?

No — it is only a foundation to start on. The professional must keep growing and updating himself, regardless of biological adulthood or chronological age, even without pecuniary motivation.

Is graduating a four-year college degree the same as professional maturity?

Continuing education, research and reform, and legacy to the profession.

Through what three means is professional maturity enhanced?

In-service trainings — scholarships, seminars, and trainings the professional undergoes — that enhance his growth and development and, in turn, improve the profession.

What is "continuing education"?

Not being content with the status quo — undergoing research activity. Through professional research, modern machines (e.g., computers) have been invented to facilitate human work and information.

What is "research and reform" as a feature of professionalism?

Moral accountability for a designated and accepted task — implying liability for which one is answerable, usually stipulated in a legal contract.

What is "moral responsibility"?

The nature of the work, the official day and time limits, the physical presence in the workplace, and the amount, date, and time of payment.

What does the legal contract prescribe (the external aspects of accountability)?

Between the morally good and the immoral, between what is morally right and morally evil, and between "what is" and "what ought to be" — and be able to justify them.

What distinctions must a mature and responsible professional be able to make?

Pay for an occupation pursued as a livelihood. For a professional it is of secondary importance (he is service- and "other"-oriented), whereas a craft worker works primarily for monetary profit.

What is "financial remuneration" for a professional, and how does it rank?

"No pay, no work" and "Equal work, equal pay."

Complete the common workplace expressions about pay.

Loyalty to clients — maintaining a relationship with them and showing concern for their welfare.a

What is "professional adherence to clients"?

Without clients to patronize the professions, professional practice would cease to be. Well-cared-for clients multiply in number.

Why is loyalty to clients vital to professionals?

Because his well-cared-for clients will spread the news — they become his advertisements.

Why does a professional known for competence and integrity not need advertisements?

They are likely to be disloyal to their clients and eventually lose them — because clients have sensitive feelings and will give up if they feel uncared for.

What happens to professionals who lack honesty, integrity, and dedication?

Client loyalty, as a professional responsibility.

What do most codes of ethics include to minimize professional–client conflict?

A set of ethical principles and rules governing the attitude, conduct, and behavior of professionals.

What is a Code of Professional Conduct?

No — ethical conduct is developed through long years of education and training; the professional grows with it. Codes of ethics are written based on professional experience.

Does a professional need to wait for a written code of ethics before behaving ethically?

Society holds them in much esteem and expectation (golden social values). In return, professionals must live and abide by professional standards in the eyes of society.

How does society regard professionals, and what must they do in return?

"An occupation requiring special education — such as law, medicine, teaching, or the ministry — by which a person habitually earns his living."

According to Barnhart and Barnhart, what is a profession?

How does Louis D. Brandeis (1979) view a profession?

The required interest, aptitude, health, and intellectual capacity — without these, practice would be impossible.

What qualities must a person possess to acquire and practice a profession?

Superior — respect, trust, inferiority, obedience.

Peer — respect, equality, camaraderie, trust.

Subordinate — respect, trust, authority, superiority.

Office mate — respect, equality, camaraderie.

In the "Concept of a Profession," what does a professional share with a superior, peer, subordinate, and office mate?

The Consulting professions and the Scholarly professions.

What are the two (2) basic types of professions?

A profession practiced on a fee-for-service basis with a personal, individual relationship between the client and the professional — the client approaches the professional's office.

What is a consulting profession?

Any of: Law, Medicine, Psychiatry, Accountancy, Engineering services, Architecture, Guidance Counseling, Scientific Research.

Give at least four examples of consulting professions.

No — as much as possible he must get the client's consent. A lawyer cannot force a client to testify against his conscience; a physician cannot coerce surgery; an architect cannot force a design.

In a consulting profession, can the professional simply dictate the solution?

When refusing would harm the public good — e.g., a client whose testimony is vital to the public cannot refuse to testify, and a patient cannot refuse treatment needed to save his life.

When may a consulting professional NOT give in to the client's wishes?

By the nature and extent of the problem/service — usually a standard fee set by organized professionals and sanctioned by government. It may be reduced if the client is poor, or the client may give more if rich.

How is a consulting professional's fee set, and how may it be adjusted?

One in which the professional has a more-or-less fixed task at a definite time, designated by a proprietor, institution, or corporation (e.g., teaching a group of students, caring for patients).

What is a scholarly profession?

A college teacher, a researcher, or a nurse.

Give examples of scholarly professionals.

Through contractual services (like projects), paid periodically — every 15–30 days or monthly — per contracts/agreements between employer and employee.

How are scholarly professionals paid?

No — a consulting professional can also be scholarly (e.g., a lawyer can become a law professor; a college professor may advise theses), though each still remains basically his own profession.

Is the distinction between consulting and scholarly professions absolute?