Professionalism and Ethics Flashcards
Define professionalism
Acting to the best of your ability, presenting personal integrity and commitment to each task
What does professionalism involve?
Person acts, works, talks, dresses and conducts work life with enthusiasm and commitment
What are the values and ethics of the organisation?
What is regarded as acceptable and professional
What is the values and ethics of an organisation in?
Code of conduct
What will acting in a professional and ethical manner do?
Take into account what consequences of actions and decisions will be
Why is taking consequences into account before action, not guarantee acceptable behaviour?
What is acceptable will be prescribed by values of person and organisation
Why is it important that a business specifies what behaviour is acceptable and not?
Diverse society from a variety of different backgrounds
How does the business establish a set of common values?
Build professional behaviour into organisation culture
What will create a certain image of the business?
The way an employee acts
What should all behaviour be aligned with?
Values and code of ethics - clearly communicated to stakeholders
When does interaction in a business take place?
Employees + management, peers, suppliers, customers
How will the ideal at look like?
A manner that builds relationships that on to the mutual benefit of all parties
How can a mutual benefit be achieved?
Moments of truth call based on acceptable behaviour that is in line with our expectations
Which levels of the organisation should the employees learn to be professional?
All levels of the
What does Paul employees acting professional contribute to
Overall goals of the business through personal effectiveness and excepting accountability
What may result in differences in perceptions?
Differences in interpretation of the message
What does differences in perception is consist of?
Dress code, tone, time management, social etiquette
What does a multicultural business need in order to maintain the required level of professionalism?
Documentation and policies to guide management and employees
What should happen to the documentation between the management and employees?
Openly discussed and copies signed by employees as proof as they are aware
Name the two most important documents?
- Code of ethics
- Code of conduct
What is the code of ethics?
A document which to know it’s the basic morals, principles and values that a company in braces
What are examples of code of ethics?
Honesty, transparency and care of the environment
What is the code of conduct?
Looks at specific behaviour that is expected from employees
What should the code of conduct address?
- Image
- Communication
- Actions
- Working environment
- Respect
What should the employee look like in image?
Well groomed, neat and dressed appropriately
What is the difference between image between different companies?
Well maybe acceptable in one industry is not acceptable in the other
What is an important method to communicate?
Communicate in a clear matter what is appropriate to the situation
Why should you communicate in a clear matter?
To ensure that the message is transmitted by an employee is the same one received by the manager
Guidelines for communication?
Book
How should you always behave?
Always behave in a professional manner
What do you all employees and colleagues deserve and expect in actions?
Respect
What should a professional person have a thorough understanding of?
Theoretical aspects of their job and their ability to apply theory to practical situations
What does applying theory to practical situations require?
A person to adopt an attitude of lifelong learning
What is a professional person in their field?
An expert in the field and is capable of working independently without constant supervision
What does being able to work without constant supervision mean?
They should have superior knowledge and understanding of work and the needs of the customers
What is the behaviour of professional people governed by?
A code of conduct prescribing how one should act in an ethical manner that message it’s a professional
What does the code of conduct in for size?
A professional person may not put their own interests 1st but always the interest of the client
How will a professional person achieve a high quality service?
Act with honour and integrity
Why does a professional person not give up?
Perseveres until success is achieved
What does success mean to a professional person?
The best quality at all times because the professional person takes pride
Where is the only way to be professional?
Make a commitment to yourself to be professional
What must all businesses strive to create in a working environment?
And environment that is free from prejudice and discrimination
What should a working environment physically be?
Needs and help the business promote an image of professionalism
What should staff members make sure customers feel?
Comfortable to discuss issues in an environment of confidentiality
Why is it important to respect people in South Africa?
Rainbow nation
Why should they be respect for culture, beliefs, values, gender and qualifications?
Create a safe environment for everyone to feel free to discuss ideas and be themselves
What is ethics?
Human values that describe how want to live – what is seen as the correct behaviour
What is ethical behaviour when deciding what is right?
One decide what is right and wrong and chooses the right thing
Name the two different ethical theories
- Moral absolutism
- Moral relativism
Define moral absolutism
States that there is only one ethical solution to any problem
Define moral relativism
They can be more than one solution to a problem, depending on different cultures
What will guide your norms and values?
Your actions
What are your norms and values?
Your own set of rules that you would apply across the board to all situations
What is the consequence based theories?
The consequence of an action determines whether the action is right or wrong
What is according to your principal based theories?
Once principles or values determine whether the action is right or wrong. The consequence has no influence
What is narrative based theories?
Different stories are used to complement each other in order to lead an understanding of the difference between right or wrong
What is the utilitarian theory?
States whatever is done should always be for good of the greater number of people
What do the owners or management have the responsibility of?
To formulate policies regarding ethics in the working environment
What does the employees have the responsibility of?
To make sure they do the right thing
What must be done to make sure employees act in an ethical manner?
Management make sure organisational culture underpins ethical behaviour and punishes unethical actions
Where must business ethics be manage?
In the workplace
What speak louder than the policy is put on paper?
The example they set
What is true ethical behaviour?
How someone acts when they know nobody else will find out what they have done
What happens when an employee does not comply with legislation?
The media will find out and it may cause embarrassment when it gets negative publicity
When was the King code IV formulated?
Resume for 2017
What does the King code IV do you?
To providing the business with strategies to run ethical and professional business
What is ethical and professional business regarded as?
Good corporate governance
What happens to directors under the companies act?
They take direct responsibilities for areas under their control. Essential to say the policies and strategies
What happens to directors in breach of requirements?
Can no longer claim ignorance and have to apply and explain if they follow a good business practice principles
How would unethical behaviour impact others?
Book
What do people confuse business ethics with?
Social responsibility
What can unethical behaviour lead to?
Loss of profit, bad publicity and violation of human rights of customers or employees
What actions can lead to an ethical behaviour?
- Financial misconduct
- Misrepresentation
- Employee related issues
- Stealing
eg in book
Steps to introduce more ethical business practices
- Define ethical expectations and expected behaviour and conduct
- Ensure employees are aware of codes and have necessary
- Ensure employees are aware of codes and have necessary
- Identify causes and look for possible solutions
- Procedures - dealing issues
- Paise + reward good behaviour
- New employees introduced - orientation
Name the advantages of ethics
- Helps business stay with him Boundry of the law
- Help the business not a no issues that may involve illegal activities
- Improve teamwork and productive ability – employees understand what is acceptable and consequences
- Improve relationships within business and with stakeholders
- Adherence to King code – in Hance ethical culture

What is research ethics?
Important aspect of doing research not only due to plagiarism issues
What must you ensure when extracting and using information about people and businesses?
You treat them well and the information you gather with respect
Name the guidelines to consider when you’re collecting data
• No fake survey forms
• Record data meticulously and accurately
• Check the transfer and manipulation of numerical data
• Avoid leading questions does prejudiced the respondents answer
• Identify and avoid miss using subjective data
• Respect intellectual property – proper citation and referencing
• No manipulate data to skew results 
Name ethics with respect to respondents
• Attain permission
• Handle delicate issues with care
• Protect the identity of respondent
• Ask permission before taping interview
• Do you not miss interpret answers 
Name ethics with respect to sources used
• Analyse to ensure authenticity and availability for use
• obtain permission to use sources 
• Open educational resources are valuable – freely accessible and openly licensed
• Creative Commons licensing – anyone create material to grant public permission 
