5. Ethics
Ethics is an integral part of both eProfessionalism and Professionalism. It important for both our professional and personal lives. Each work area will have a set of ethics that are similar but not necessarily identical.
Personal ethics
The basic principles and values that govern interactions among individuals. Sound personal ethics are typically those that positively impact the experience of others when used to govern an individual’s social or business-related behaviour, and at the very least, such ethics should not have a negative impact on others.
Professional ethics
Professionally accepted standards of personal and business behaviour, values and guiding principles. Codes of professional ethics are often established by professional organisations to help guide members in performing their job functions according to sound and consistent ethical principles.
Business ethics
Business ethics is the study of appropriate business policies and practices regarding potentially controversial subjects including corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility, and fiduciary responsibilities. The law often guides business ethics, but at other times business ethics provide a basic guideline that businesses can choose to follow to gain public approval. Business ethics are meant to ensure a certain level of trust between consumers and corporations, guaranteeing the public fair and equal treatment (Investopedia).
Academic integrity
In 2021, the Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) commissioned scholars to share research, develop and deliver a suite of workshops and create a toolkit to assist integrity practitioners with promoting academic integrity.
In Australia, there are codes of ethics produced not only by the government but also by professional accreditation boards such as the Medical Board of Australia, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and state Departments of Education. Many organisations have written codes of conduct which embody the principles of ethical practice.
What does this mean in the online environment to you as an eProfessional?
- Understand what and how you post information online. The Confidentiality and Use of images sections explain more on this topic.
- Before sharing information check that it is accurate and reliable e.g. don’t share Facebook posts or tweets without checking them.