Professional Ethics

Professional Ethics and Values

Team B

GEN/200

February 12, 2010

Sheila Johnson

Professional Ethics and Values

Professional ethics and values are a unique set of principles that motivate a person to behave appropriately and make sound decisions. Professional ethics are codes of conduct that guide people in what they should or should not do in the workplace environment. A person’s ethics are based on values of respect, trust, and honesty. Ethics are the principles that help us determine the action to be taken in the face of conflict or diversity. Professional values are a person’s beliefs that dictate the main principles that guide a work related decision. Professional values are normally an extension of our personal values instilled within us by parents, communities, and organizations.

Professional values and ethics are a set of moral principles and standards of conduct, supporting the moral prestige of professional groups in society (Newman, 2010). To maintain professional values one must have morals, beliefs, and values of their own. Values are the rules by which one can maintain morality through beliefs, cultural upbringing, and professional standards. Following the code of conduct and expressing and adhering to these values allows one to maintain professionalism.

Without integrity we sometimes make reactive decisions based on irrational thinking. In many instances this leads to career and business failure. For instance, a prominent political figure, Bill Clinton was caught in a compromising situation with a mistress. This violated a majority of people’s core values and more important, violated the professional code of conduct of elected leaders, which caused Clinton to endure further negative public scrutiny.

Another example is in the article from NY Daily News (2008). Facebook chat gets 12 Virgin Airline employees fired. According to Danielski (2009), 12 Virgin Atlantic Airline employees were fired for inappropriate...