Professional Responsibility

Learning about Professional and Ethical Expectations

What is a “Professional”?

• Professional– noun: “a person who belongs to one of the professions, esp. one of the learned professions” Source: dictionary.com

– adjective: “appropriate to a profession: professional objectivity” Source: dictionary.com

• Professional Responsibility = ?Practices and behaviors appropriate to the professional environment in which you work

Who Defines Acceptable Practices?

Sources

a. Professional societies

b. Local communities

c. Government

d. Business entities

e. God

Types of Practices

1. Social norms

2. Moral codes

3. Codes of ethics

4. Business policies

5. Regulatory codes

Professional Responsibility

• Areas of Professional Responsibility– Financial responsibility– Health, safety, well-being– Honest communication – Property ownership– Social responsibility– Sustainability– Work competence

Professional Responsibility

Financial responsibility

Deliver products and services of realizable value and at reasonable costs

Health, safety, well-being

Minimize risks to safety, health, and well-being of stakeholders

Honest communication

Report work truthfully, without deception, and understandable to stakeholders

Property ownership Respect property, ideas, and information of clients and others

Social responsibility Produce products and services that benefit society and communities

Sustainability Protect environment and natural resources locally and globally

Work competence Perform work of high quality, integrity, timeliness, and professional competence

NSPE Code of Ethics (handout)

• Cite NSPE Rule/Practices/Obligation for:– Financial responsibility– Health, safety, well-being– Honest communication – Property ownership– Social responsibility– Sustainability– Work competence

Professional Responsibility in Projects

• Identify example of each in your project:– Financial responsibility– Health, safety, well-being– Honest communication– Property ownership– Social responsibility– Sustainability– Work competence

Ethics Cases

Apply Your Understanding

EthicalDilemmas

“Accepting Gratuities” Ethics Case

Adapted from: The Boeing Ethics Challenge

Scenario #18

Accepting Gratuities from a Supplier

• Situation:You are a machine operator in a manufacturing line. One day, a supplier visiting your company gives you and other machine operators windbreakers with the supplier’s name boldly printed on the back. Each is valued at $50.

• Question:What should you do?

Potential Answers

A. Take the jacket. There is no way you can influence business with the supplier.

B. Accept it -- just don’t wear it to work.

C. Ask first. Ask your manager if you can accept the jacket.

D. Just say “No.” Tell the supplier it doesn’t seem right to accept something from a supplier.

Recommended Action

C. Ask First. Ask your manager if you can accept the jacket.

Your manager has the ability to assess the appropriateness of accepting the gift based on the value and perception.

D. Just say “No.” Tell the supplier it doesn’t seem right to accept something from a supplier.

Politely rejecting the jacket lets the supplier know you personally can’t accept that expensive a gift.

Less Desirable Actions

A. Take the jacket. There is no way you can influence business with the supplier.

Even though you have no influence, it’s still a gratuity, and company policy prohibits acceptance where other suppliers might feel obligated to provide similar business courtesies.

B. Accept it -- just don’t wear it to work.

Choosing this answer shows you think it’s wrong and are going to hide it.

“Proprietary Information” Ethics Case

Adapted from: The Boeing Ethics Challenge

Scenario #30

Accepting a Company’s Proprietary Information

• Situation:As a company employee, you frequently work with technical representatives from other companies. At a recent meeting, one of these representatives offers to give you technical drawings and other materials related to something your company is interested in.

However, the drawings are marked with the other company’s proprietary legend, and someone suggests that a proprietary information agreement may be needed to cover the materials.

• Question:What should you do?

Potential Answers

A. Take the drawings and remove the legends.

B. Sign the other company’s proprietary information agreement and take the drawings.

C. Accept the drawings on the spot without an agreement, and take them back to your company.

D. Decline the offer, and contact your company’s Law Department or your manager for advice and an appropriate agreement.

Recommended Action

• Decline the offer, and contact your company’s Law Department or your manager for advice and an appropriate agreement. – Receipt of the drawings must be carefully handled

so that there is clear agreement between the parties regarding what restrictions apply. Also, appropriate steps must be taken by your company to ensure its compliance with these restrictions.

Less Desirable Actions

A. Take the drawings and remove the legends.The legends provide notice that the owner expects the information contained in the drawings to be treated in confidence and has placed limitations on their use. Using the drawings, with or without the legends, may subject your company to a claim of trade secret misappropriation, and removing the legends will mean that others at your company won’t know about possible restrictions.

B. Sign the other company’s proprietary information agreement and take the drawings.Only a limited number of your company’s managers have authority to sign such agreements. Those authorized managers must use a company form, which is available from the your Law Department.

C. Accept the drawings on the spot without an agreement, and take them back to your company.Accepting drawings with legends, even in absence of a proprietary information agreement, may cause costly obligations for your company..

Ethics Cases

Apply Your Understanding

HomeworkAssignment

(completed individually)

ASSIGNMENT #14:Professional Responsibility Formation

Application of Professional Practices to Your Project:

Financial responsibility

Deliver products and services of realizable value and at reasonable costs

Health, safety, well-being

Minimize risks to safety, health, and well-being of stakeholders

Honest communication

Report work truthfully, without deception, and understandable to stakeholders

Property ownership Respect property, ideas, and information of clients and others

Social responsibility Produce products and services that benefit society and communities

Sustainability Protect environment and natural resources locally and globally

Work competence Perform work of high quality, integrity, timeliness, and professional competence

ASSIGNMENTProfessional Responsibility Formation

• A. Importance and Level– Identify importance of each responsibility to project success– Identify your performance level for each in this project

• B. Professional Responsibility Demonstrated– Select a responsibility that is important and fulfilled proficiently– Describe your understanding, your practices, and their impacts

• C. Professional Responsibility Opportunity– Select a responsibility that is important but at low level of performance– Describe opportunity, impacts, and steps for you to take

ASSIGNMENT ScoringProfessional Responsibility Formation

Novice Beginner Intern Competent Expert

Understanding responsibility

Misunderstood or unable to explain any

elements of it

Little understanding; few elements fit

responsibility

Moderate grasp; some relevant

detail

Credible grasp; good definition

& examples

Impressive grasp; great description &

examples

Effective demonstration

Strength not used or not

used well; no impacts cited

Strength used casually, passively; obscure impacts

Strength used fairly well; not purposeful; some good

impacts

Strength used well,

purposefully; clear positive

impacts

Strategic use of strength; impressive documented

impacts

Scoring of Responsibility Demonstrated

ASSIGNMENT ScoringProfessional Responsibility Formation

Novice Beginner Intern Competent Expert

Understanding of opportunity

Vague description of opportunity; does not see

benefits

Weak description of opportunity;

implies benefits

Okay description of opportunity;

vague benefits

Good explanation of opportunity;

good definition of benefits

Superb explanation of opportunity; insightful on

benefits

Plans to capitalize on opportunity

No plan or unclear;

unreasonable to implement

Vague plan or weak plan; difficult to implement

Reasonable plan; may be possible to implement

Clear, strong plan;

reasonable to implement

well

Impressive plan; likely

embraced by all and

implemented

Scoring of Responsibility Opportunity