ETHICS vs PRACTICE

Oniovo,

This means “my friend” in Urhobo language of Delta State. It is a great week for me as I had a great weekend; my church became a local autonomous church amongst many other challenges that is preparing me for the years ahead. Every challenge, to me, is a springboard to greater heights.

If you will not agree with me that virtually all professions have ethics, you will accept that Lawyers, Doctors and Accountant jealously guard their professions. As such, erring members are punished publicly to serve as deterrent to others. However, it burdens my heart to make discuss this topic because many people do not abide by the ethics of their job when it comes to practice. Let’s think together.

Ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics, for example, refers to those standards that impose the reasonable obligations to refrain from rape, stealing, murder, assault, slander, and fraud. Ethical standards also include those that enjoin virtues of honesty, compassion, and loyalty. And, ethical standards include standards relating to rights, such as the right to life, the right to freedom from injury, and the right to privacy. Such standards are adequate standards of ethics because they are supported by consistent and well-founded reasons.

Ethics have typically included such phrases as 'the science of the ideal human character' or 'the science of moral duty’.  Ethics investigates what is the best way for humans to live, and what kinds of actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances. Business ethics (also corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment, including fields like Medical ethics. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)

Practice is the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again, for the purpose of improving or mastering it, as in the phrase "practice makes perfect". Practice also is the customary, habitual, or expected procedure or way of doing of something. The business dictionary sums it up, A method, procedure, process, or rule used in a particular field or profession; a set of these regarded as standard.

If we are practicing what is not ethical; it behooves us to stop all these traits that are not professional. What makes someone a professional is the adherence to the ethics of one’s job. We know that the situation of Nigeria does not allow professional ethics but it is important to stand out. In fact, people who are governed by ethics are seen as “Over-sabi people, I too know, Self-righteous” among many other nicknames.

I will do my best to keep to the ethics of my profession.

Have a nice week ahead.

Cheers!