Question

The Professions – Trust versus Profits?

reflecting on whether the professions are about trust or profits.  

• First, describe the purpose(s) of codes of ethics for the professions such as accounting or law.
• Second, which ethical lens(es) are you relying on to support your perspective on the purpose(s) of codes of ethics?
• Third, are codes of ethics effective at promoting ethical behavior with the professions?

Answer 1

Trust is believing like child develop trust if the mother cares for him during his early year of life, it is a relation people have with other, confidence \reliability and feel safe physically and emotionally, this is a central part of any human relation, that can be family relation political relation or professional relation.

Trust is essential to it brings two entities together; all the professions require trust between the clients and the professionals.

Accounting and Law are the two professions that deal with the economy and justice. The professionals have to adhere to various professionals ethics an accountant/lawyer have to show integrity, objectivity, professional competence, care, and confidentiality, and his responsibilities towards the public interest, demonstrate honesty and fairness, and should not show the undue influence of others to override professional. A lawyer or attorney deals with the varieties of clients and for the various reason, it can be business transactions, claim liability, business transactions, legal rights, and obligations, the advisability of prosecuting, they help in interpreting laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.

The code of ethics and professional conducts are the two that gives about the ethical principles that a professional have to follow, it gives an outline and guidance of how one should behave while handling different issues.

A code of ethics encompasses various professions, professional practice and an employee code of conduct. There are numbers of professional ethics these are 1.Meta ethics that govern the specification of right and wrong behavior.2.Descriptive ethics: it is the moral beliefs of the people, 3.Normative ethics, 4. applied ethics that contains medical ethics and legal ethics.

To scrutiny that the professions are about trust or profit, one has to see it through various angles, like if we see Metaethics that deals with the right and wrong behavior that debates that the ethical principles are eternal truths or created by the humans. If the behavior is eternal truth then all the professionals have to act in a just way, but these ethical values are created by man and have its values based on belief, reasons, integrity, and morals of a person, a person to be faithful to his profession should show high regard for honesty, and that he should cheat with the clients.

But today the business whether it is medical professional/ accountant or law all are depending upon the profit, a lawyer or accountant charges higher fees for their consultancy, irrespective of the economic condition of the client, an accountant makes balance sheet that can save a business or professional from income tax, thus they help in cheating with the government. There are very few lawyers or accountant who stick to honesty and do their business.

Code of ethics is the guideline a professional has to follow because they are formulated with an intention to motivate the professionals and inspire them it contains positive stimuli, it provides an evaluation benchmark, it provides professionals to self-assess themselves that whether are they following the guidelines or not, codes of ethics improve ethical decision-making that promotes high standards of practice and ethical behavior. If the professional lawyer or an accountant follows the ethical code it helps in building trust with the client and the general public.