ETHICS - What a concept

[mpallamary]

As best I can tell, CLSA has not updated its Ethics and Canons for nearly a third of a century. Perhaps it is time we update them.

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CLSA Code of Ethics

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

Professional Surveyors uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the surveying profession by:

I. Using their knowledge and skill for the advancement of human welfare;
II. Being honest and impartial, serving with fidelity the public, their employers, and clients;
III. Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the surveying profession; and
IV. Supporting their professional and technical societies.

THE FUNDAMENTAL CANONS

Professional Surveyors shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties.
2. Perform services only in the areas of their competence.
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
5. Build their professional reputation on the merit of their services.
6. Act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of their profession.
7. Continue their professional development throughout their careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those surveyors and mapping scientists under their supervision.

Adopted July 27, 1991

[Peter Ehlert]

old is not always bad

what do you perceive needs to be changed?

[LS_8750]

Need to uphold incompetence as virtue. Need to add that. Yeah.

[mpallamary]

Maybe a little more meat. The topic is open for discussion. With the extraordinary influence of computers, the Internet, social media, etc., times are different. The last time CLSA appears to have touched this, the Dow Jones topped 3,000. Today it hit 36,993. George Bush Senior was president.

https://www.plsc.net/docs/PLSC_Code_of_Ethics.pdf
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.tsps.org/reso ... ORS_-_.pdf

Perhaps ethics should be an element of enforcement. Ethical conduct should be determined by a peer group and NOT by the state board.

Virtually every other state requires ethics as a mandatory continuing education requirement as do all other professions. Darn it, I said Continuing Education.

[CBarrett]

Professional development can be an ethical issue.

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-s ... ve-4150386

[PLS7393]

Section 476 of Board Rules touches on some common relative issues, but doesn't break it down in the same manner.

[CBarrett]

[Ric7308]

Section 476 of Board Rules touches on some common relative issues, but doesn't break it down in the same manner.

Nor will it. Board Rules 475 and 476 are NOT ethics. Those are the responsibility of the professional community to establish.

[mpallamary]

Thanks Ric! I hope your new year is going well and that you are safe. It would be great if the professional community steps in and steps up.

be safe!

[PLS7393]

Section 476 of Board Rules touches on some common relative issues, but doesn't break it down in the same manner.

Nor will it. Board Rules 475 and 476 are NOT ethics. Those are the responsibility of the professional community to establish.

Thanks Ric, but I wasn't saying they are the same, just my opinion that some subsections can be interpreted to have similarities.
The Board Rules clearly do not address ethics. Ethics and Board Rules 475 & 476 are clearly the responsibility of all individual professionals.
Maybe a good question is to ask how is one proven to be unethical if there are no regulations, just guidelines?

It would be great if the professional community steps in and steps up.

Wouldn't that include the local chapters as the beginning steps to correct any issues within the professional community?

[CBarrett]

Chapters should step up, companies need to step up, mentors need to step up, supervisors need to step up, etc. It takes the entire village to reinforce ethics. This is why Mike wants to have a CLSA sponsored seminar about Ethics (ok, I am guesstimating here). It doesn't only educate people about ethics and encourage discussion, it sends out a message by the professional organization, that we need to care about ethics. That message is a lot stronger when it is backed by a professional organization.

Ethics is not a concept where we police and punish people who don't follow. We inspire and educate and put a little bit of peer pressure so people have many good reasons to conduct their business in ethical manner, and a small dose of feeling anxious about what happens if they don't.

I am glad Ric chimed in, I've been scratching my head all morning over statements I've seen in last few weeks, that indicate that a good number (too many) of people are interested in legislating ethics.

Ethics can start with making your bed in the morning.... the consequences of not making your bed in the morning are felt in the evening, when you are tired and you still have to make your bed. Actions and their consequences.
If we don't conduct our businesses in an ethical manner, we drag each other down. Discussions about ethics remind everyone how to avoid dragging each other down.

[PLS7393]

Chapters should step up, companies need to step up, mentors need to step up, supervisors need to step up, etc. It takes the entire village to reinforce ethics.

Well said!!!

[CBarrett]

Obligations to the client
Obligations to your business partners
Obligations to your employer
Obligations to your employees
Obligations to the public
Obligations to the profession

[LS_8750]

Professional development is ethical. Agreed. Good points Ms. Barrett!

Development, growth, progress, striving toward betterment. Ethical. Good.
Anything else is bad, willful negligence.

[CBarrett]

Thank You gentlemen.

Every time I look in here, I end up writing 12 new paragraphs of ruminating thoughts.... I think I need an outline and editor instead of posting it here.

[mpallamary]

How about we work together on a draft outline to work from. You have made a good start. I am onboard!

[CBarrett]

I just pulled the outline from my ethics class handouts and internet research. Some of it was from I think Wisconsin, or Indiana paperwork. I scanned through a dozen or so articles as I was falling asleep, lol.

Where I start ruminating is thinking of examples that I witnessed in practice. For example, he behaviors of some of the opposition to continued education, that I witnessed in my early career days (1991-ish) then running those through the ethical lens. For example, I don't see a lot of people who were opponents of the measure in the name of 'how do you structure and enforce it' participating in any kind of continued education efforts. The attitude was, yes, we struck that one down with an appearance of a valid argument - where's my beer? Duty to profession (strike) Duty to employees (strike) duty to.... more strikes. Personal interests (bingo). [please follow the flowchart arrows to emotional intelligence learning materials]

People who were interested in education, continued to teach and learn, without additional support and validation.

Former attitude seems more prevalent.

That leads us to the difficulty of balancing ethics too. You have two patently conflicting interests. Needing to have more peer pressure towards people who are not likely to self police to a very high standard, and the need to be cordial and professional in one's behaviors, and respectful of other professionals. Before I fall into a false dichotomy trap, let me point out that I am aware that reality is more complicated than this simplistic example.

(ok, my time is up, I have to get back to work)

[mpallamary]

I would also like to add some comments about male - female relationships, a topic you touched on.

That invokes ethical conduct.

[CBarrett]

A review of many implicit biases should be included in ethics (I don't know if we have it in materials you posted I haven't gone through it yet).

[mpallamary]

Sounds good!

[mpallamary]

https://www.fordham.edu/info/21412/ethi ... mBEALw_wcB

[mpallamary]

Indicted Former City Club President Fined $75K by Ethics Board for Violating Lobbying Rules

“The Chicago Board of Ethics fined the indicted former head of the City Club of Chicago $75,000 for violating the city’s Governmental Ethics Ordinance by failing to disclose that he lobbied city officials on behalf of three clients, officials announced Tuesday.”

Outside Ethics Group Says 7 House Lawmakers Didn’t Disclose Stock Trades

“One of the members of Congress — Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York — failed to file required reports on approximately 300 transactions, according to the complaint from the Campaign Legal Center. Five of the seven lawmakers sit on the powerful House Financial Services Committee. It’s the latest example of a bipartisan trend that has emerged almost 10 years after Congress overwhelmingly passed a law to provide transparency and show lawmakers aren’t profiting from their jobs: Members of Congress are ignoring the disclosure law.”

Why Culture And Ethics Are More Important Than Ever

“…But a report out this week suggests that organisations could go a long way to dealing with the lack of a sense of fairness or belonging by being more explicit about living up to an ethical culture.”

Ethics of Supervision: Supervisor and Student Relations

“A supervisor has to demonstrate a commitment to ethical conduct…not only in terms of how they conduct their research, but also, how they conduct their supervision,” Fisher explains. In terms of physical and biological sciences, she recommends ethical practices such as taking accurate notes and not modifying material or data to fit hypotheses, as well as appropriate care for animal subjects. Ethical conduct in the social sciences, Fisher continues, looks like demonstrating respect for human participants through informed consent and through a study design that minimizes risk and maximizes benefit. Additionally, Fisher says, professors and research supervisors must take “responsibility for mistakes that are made” and demonstrate the skills necessary to correct them to their research team. Lastly, she recommends establishing a “timely and specific process for providing guidance and feedback to students and supervisees.”


Students’ Broken Moral Compass

With the advent of the Common Core curriculum, subjects and topics related to character, morality, and ethics have been virtually removed from classrooms. Numerous research and studies indicate that these disciplines are necessary if we want to build a well-rounded workforce in society.


https://ethicsandsociety.org/2021/11/05 ... ions-more/

[mpallamary]

What is a code of ethics?
A code of ethics is a set of principles for employees to adhere to when conducting business to comply with company standards. A business code of ethics, usually based on the core values of the business, outlines the company mission statement, how professionals should approach dilemmas and the standards to which they hold their employees. An individual’s code of ethics can include their beliefs, values and background.

While codes of ethics are unique to every individual or organization, they commonly reflect an overall idea of what the general population considers “right” and “wrong” behavior, and many are based upon societal expectations, such as those that teach us not to steal from others.

Having a code of ethics holds a different level of importance for people, but there are clear advantages to creating a personal code of ethics. Since personal beliefs are usually the foundation for an individual’s code of ethics, they may refer to it when they are morally unsure about a situation. Their code of ethics can guide to steer them toward an action or opinion that aligns with what they believe on a fundamental level. A code of ethics reinforces individual values and can provide clarity and strength to follow the path they believe is best.

[CBarrett]

I can't find where I heard this quote, or even if it is a quote of some specific body of work, but it got my attention so I am sharing it.

It says "If we don't self regulate, we will be regulated by law."