The word ethics derives from the ancient Greek “ethos”, which means character, behavior, custom. Ethics understood as that branch of philosophy that studies the behavior of human beings and the criteria based on which behaviors and options are evaluated was born in ancient Greece.
Ethics today is a doctrine that reflects on human behavior in various fields. In the last two centuries, thanks to Karl Marx, we have come to speak of work ethics and, from then on, of the concepts of alienation in and of work. Ethical has been defined as work that offers the subject the possibility of expressing his personality in what he does at work.
More recently, a whole series of good behaviors that workers must maintain in the workplace have entered into work ethics and a code of professional conduct has been developed. In this Psychology-Online article, we will see What is professional ethics, its importance and some examples about.
What is professional ethics
Professional ethics is understood as the set of convictions and moral norms that regulate the exercise of the profession and that, in a given society, are considered universally binding for those who practice said profession.
The idea that the exercise of a profession, as well as many other sectors, such as family, sexuality and social life, is subject to ethical standards, has been present in society since professions were established. The famous Hippocratic Oath can be considered the first testimony of a true code of professional ethics.
The definition of professional ethics is based, therefore, on the idea that all professionsregardless of your branch or activity, should be developed in the best possible waywithout causing harm to third parties or seeking exclusively the own benefit of those who practice them.
In some cases, professional ethics has to do with specific actions of each profession. In this sense, a lawyer, a psychologist or a doctor has as confidential values of professional ethics the confidentiality of the information received, efficiency, since in some cases these are situations that involve danger to life, etc.
The principles of professional ethics
The principles on which professional ethics are based are diverse and They are distinguished by individual profession and work reality in which they are applied. When we talk about professional ethics, we enter a field that has strong individual connotations: what for a person or a company turns out to be an essential value, for example, may not be so for another person or for another work reality.
However, beyond personal ideas, there are a series of values that should never be missing, in any professional field. Let’s see what the principles of professional ethics are:
- I respect: Whatever your role or profession, respect is a basic characteristic to successfully fit into a work environment.
- Communication: whether we like it or not, it is the basis of any relationship and work communication is no exception. In this article we talk about.
- Cooperation: an essential element in the workplace, especially in cases where the task itself foresees a continuous exchange with other professional figures or different modalities of group work.
- Professionalism: one of the most important qualities of so-called professional ethics.
The importance of professional ethics
There are different professional ethics for each profession. It is not the same for a magistrate as a lawyer, teacher, journalist, doctor, nurse. If the doctor reveals my secrets or if a teacher abuses his role by being rude and offensive towards my son or daughter, I know that he will be disqualified and condemned. Based on this certainty, I will estimate the power that each of them exercises to interfere in the lives of other people or provide resources and services to other people.
Thus, when we talk about the importance of professional ethics we are referring to the set of rules and behaviors that condition and limit power that each of us can exert on others and on ourselves in the exercise of a profession. Here, then, are the 10 main ethical behaviors that should be respected within each work organization:
- Presence.
- Honesty.
- Teamwork. In this article you will find more information about it.
- Appearance.
- Attitude. Discover .
- Productivity.
- Organizational capabilities.
- Communication.
- Cooperation.
- I respect.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Barca, L. (2009). Professional ethics. Retrieved from: https://www.eticaeconomia.it/letica-professionale/