Profession

Any occupation, job or career Professional vs Amateur The new sense certain attributes

The Attributes of a Profession

A systematic body of theory Professional Authority Sanction of the Community Professional Culture Regulative Code of Ethics

Systematic body of theory

Body of theoretical knowledge and practical skills associated with it Practical skills flow out of theory Academic trainingmore rigorous than mere practical understanding Advancement through research Theoretical and practical developments reinforce each other Advancement creates new areas of specialisation Professionals have to keep learning to maintain competence and effectiveness

Professional Authority
Due to specialised knowledge and experience, professionals have authority over clients/ patients Laymen dont understand the particular field, and their decisions are based on professionals advice Thus the client has to have faith in the professional Moral obligation of the professional to honour this trust and render best professional service to the client Using professional authority and trust to exploit the client for personal gains is the worst kind of professional immorality

Sanction of the Community

Professions serve the society and satisfy some indispensable social need They help realise certain values which are cherished by the societyjustice, health, material prosperity Community grants them considerable autonomy to regulate and manage their professionsgranting licenses, deciding educational standards etc. Special privileges to professionalssuch as protection of confidentiality of professional communications Respect for professional judgment on technical matters affecting the life of the community

Professional culture
Feeling of oneness, cohesion Professional societies
> platform for sharing technical advances > raising collective voice to influence govt. policies > resolving intra-professional conflicts > deciding norms of professional service > formulating and enforcing code of ethics

Regulative code of ethics

Code of ethics to regulate professional practice and conduct of members Indicate/ remind to the members their professional duties and obligations Helps in resolution of moral conflicts

Profession
A calling in which the special knowledge and skills are used on distinctly intellectual plane in the service of mankind.
The pursuit of a learned art in the spirit of public service.

Professional Ethos
The spirit of doing professional work. Constituents: > Striving for excellence > Motivation of service
(Primacy of client-orientation over personal gains)

> Sense of responsibility

(Towards clients, profession itself, society)

Corporate Social Responsibility

Not just an economic entity, the corporation is also a social entity Transition from Economic Model to Socioeconomic Model Shift from Ethics costs to Ethics pays Rationale for the shift > improves public image and reputation > improves organisational culture and trust

Corporate Social Responsibility

Employee Welfare Programs
>> housing, healthcare, schools, creche, flexi-timing, Counseling

Community Development Programs

>> for communities around: adult literacy, primary education >> Cause-related Marketing percentage of profits will go to xyz

Corporate Philanthropy(charity)
>> Strategic Philanthropyfuture benefits anticipated!!

Corporate Citizenship
>> Pay taxes, obey laws, preserve environment, heritage >> Promote economic growth of the country

Trusteeship Concept

Societal values enshrined in the Preamble of our Constitution

SOVEREIGNTY SOCIALISM SECULARISM DEMOCRACY REPUBLIC JUSTICE LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY

Sovereignty
Self-rule Absolute and supreme power; not subject to any external control or authority e.g. India, under British rule, was not sovereign

Socialism
Means of production and distribution are in public hands Broader meaning: Social equality, freedom from all sorts of exploitation social, economic and political Elimination of inequality in income, status and standard of living

Secularism
Freedom of religion State does not promote or interfere with any religion. There is no state religion The vision: to have a nation transcending all diversities of religion, caste and creed

Democracy
Demos + Kratos Rule of the people

Republic
Head of state is an elected representative of people and not a hereditary ruler
All public offices are open to all without any discrimination and there is no privileged class

Justice
Legal (Enforced in courts) Social (All citizens are treated equally) Economic
(Rich and poor are treated alike) (Efforts are made to bridge the gap between them) (See that all secure livelihood) (There is no concentration of wealth) (Equal pay for equal work)

Political

Equal share to all citizens in the political process without any distinction

Liberty
Basically means freedom thought, expression, belief, faith, worship

Equality

Of status and of opportunity

Fraternity

Brotherhood (Cordial relations with each other)