THE SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL F THE QUANTITY SURVEYING PROFESSION DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS ASSIGNMENT TYPE QUESTIONS The questions listed below would typically be provided to candidates ir extended research and response which would not be done under Exam Conditions. Candidates are to be provided with two exercises and may choose to answer any one of those provided. EXERCISE 1 In the article by Lawson (2004) entitled Professionalism: The Golden Years, the author discusses the attributes of knowledge, organisation and the ethic of professional service. Within these areas, he identifies aspects such as : a. Body of theory b. Professional authority c. Education d. Professional associations e. Monopoly and licencing f. Professional autonomy g. Service ideal h. Regulative Code of Ethics EXERCISE 2 A definition from Molander (1987: 619), is that a code of ethics is a written expression of the principles of right and wrong conduct which guide the members of a group, profession, or society. Codes of conduct generally require that members maintain a higher standard of conduct than that called for by law (Greenhalgh, 1997). One of the functions of codes is to influence the decisions which individuals make so that the resulting behaviour is considered acceptable (Ferrel and Fraedrich, 1991). Further, the use of a code of conduct assists the profession in its ongoing relationship with society and its desire for self-regulation (Cohen and Dent, 1991). The code is therefore a vehicle which assures the public, clients and colleagues that members are competent, have integrity and that the profession intends to maintain and enforce high standards (Ward, 1993). However, since codes should be brief to be effective, and because it is not possible to foresee the potential range of moral problems that can arise, they contain mostly general guidance. It is the opinion of Wotruba et al (2001), that codes of ethics can serve three major purposes in organizations, namely: 1 of 5
1. Demonstrating a concern for ethics by the organization 2. Transmitting ethical values of the organization to its members 3. Impacting the ethical behaviour of those members. An alternative view of the primary objectives to be met by codes of ethics is that of Oldenquist and Slowter (1979). They state that core concepts in professional codes, in order of significance, deal with : (1) the public interest, (2) qualities of truth, honesty, and fairness, and (3) professional performance. As part of the course activities in this module, you were required to study the typical composition and structure of the code of conduct / ethics relating to your specific professional discipline. Critically discuss the relevant clauses which comprise this code in the context of the issues listed above, commenting on their potential to meet these specific criteria. EXERCISE 3 Stevens (1999) noted that ethics codes are managerial tools for shaping change. To achieve this purpose, ethics codes must affect how people act by influencing them to behave in a prescribed manner in situations with ethical implications. Therefore, to review the ethical base of the professions (particularly that relating to health and safety issues), we need to review the codes of conduct, which have been drawn up in terms of the professional statutes. As part of the course activities in this module, you were required to study the typical composition and structure of the codes of conduct / ethics and Professional Acts relating to a number of professional disciplines within the built environment. Critically discuss the relevant clauses in these documents which describe your profession s attitude to health and safety issues, commenting on their potential to meet these specific criteria, and comparing this with similar documentation used in the international built environment community. You may describe the approach adopted by any one of the constituent bodies of the Council Built Environment, as an alternative to your own profession if you so wish. The specific profession chosen must be clearly identified. EXERCISE 4 The literature studied in the module indicated that a framework for moral analysis which may be appropriate compilation of a professional code of ethics should take into consideration the following aspects: Integrity Respect 2 of 5
Justice Compassion Beneficence / non-maleficence Responsibility Discuss these features in detail, providing examples of how they may be applied in practice by a professional person in the built environment. EXERCISE 5 Consider the Code of Ethics for your profession. If you are uncertain about your discipline, choose a code from any of the other built environment professions studied in this module. You should clearly state which code / professional discipline your answer refers to. a) Is there an explicit or implicit appeal to integrity contained in the code? Explain, using examples. b) Define integrity, relative to the way it is used in the code of ethics for your chosen discipline. of integrity? d) Are these requirements too extensive, or not extensive enough? Does this code include the specific requirements of integrity, such as honesty and promise keeping and loyalty and dependability? e) For the professionals covered by this code, do you foresee any potential problems or conflicts they may face in acting out the value of integrity? Give three examples and explain each. EXERCISE 6 Evetts (2005) argues that the focus of recent sociological analysis has shifted away from the concepts of profession (as a distinct and generic category of occupational work) and professionalization (as the process to pursue, develop and maintain the closure of the occupational group) and towards the concept of professionalism. The paper goes on to consider some of the consequences of the expansion of organizational forms of professionalism for aspects of trust, discretion and competence in professional work. She further suggests that in contemporary societies we seem to be witnessing the development of two different (and in many ways contrasting) forms of professionalism in knowledge-based, service-sector work: organizational and occupational professionalism. Discuss the nature of these forms of professionalism, particularly as it relates to potential changes in the views of society regarding trust, discretion and competence in terms of your own professional discipline. 3 of 5
EXERCISE 7 Describe how products or processes in an engineering field of interest to you can damage the environment, including human beings. Then describe how pertinent legislation and codes of conduct / ethics of the various professions studied in the module deal with this. Discuss ways in which the codes can be improved to provide greater environmental protection. Environmentalists are often accused of being elitists who wish to preserve the environment for their own enjoyment without regard to the needs of others. Granted that environmental controls may be necessary to preserve our habitat in the long run, do rich people (or nations) have the right to impose such controls now when they may harm poor people (or nations) more in the short run than they harm the rich? EXERCISE 8 Brincat (2000) distinguishes professional ethics from general ethics because of differences in audience, content and method. Give an example of a way in which the following concerns are relevant to us generally and to your own particular profession. That is, for example, give an description of a way in which justice is a concern to everyone (general ethics) and then how justice is a concern in your profession, by means of discussing justice relative to audience, content, and methodology (professional ethics). 1. Integrity 2. Respect for persons 3. Justice 4. Compassion 5. Beneficence and non-maleficence 6. Responsibility EXERCISE 9 Take the code of ethics / conduct for your occupation / profession. Consider the following: a) Is there an explicit or implicit appeal to responsibility contained in the code? Explain, using specific examples. b) Define responsibility relative to the way it is used in the code of ethics for your proposed profession. Does it have a global sense? Does it have a local sense? Is the more prevalent definition of responsibility to someone or something, or a responsibility for someone or something? of responsibility? Are these requirements too extensive or not extensive enough? Does this code include any specific requirements of responsibility or any sanctions for when the requirements of responsibility are not met? d) For the professionals covered by this code, do you foresee any potential problems or conflicts they might face in acting out the value of responsibility? Give two examples and explain each. 4 of 5
EXERCISE 10 Take the code of ethics / conduct for your occupation / profession. Consider the following: a) Is there an explicit or implicit appeal to justice contained in the code? Explain, using specific examples. b) Define justice relative to the way it is used in the code of ethics for your proposed profession. Does it have a global sense? Does it have a local sense? Is the more prevalent definition of justice to someone or something, or justice for someone or something? of justice? Are these requirements too extensive or not extensive enough? Does this code include any specific requirements of justice or any sanctions for when the requirements of justice are not met? d) For the professionals covered by this code, do you foresee any potential problems or conflicts they might face in acting out the value of justice? Give two examples and explain each. 5 of 5