The Purpose Of Code Of Ethics

Question 4: The purpose of a code of ethics may depend on the person or scholar you ask. However, a code of ethics is a way for an association or organization to convey a certain set of standards or values to the public and to those that are part of the organization itself. An organization’s code of ethics drive and guide personnel to make sound ethical decisions that are proportionate to the mission and goals of the organization. As this is just a start to a response, there will be a much more in depth analysis of codes of ethics which is explained further in the next sentence. During the course of this response, there will a further explanation of the purpose of a code of ethics, there will be a discussion of the criticisms of a code of

Moreover, the purpose of a code of ethics can be examined from three dimensions. The first dimension of the purpose of a code of ethics is that the code of ethics can constrain, guide, and inspire through positive and negative approaches. In other words, depending on the nature of the statements made in the code, there are ways to help professionals and personnel to make sound ethical decisions in their everyday work environment or when facing a large ethical dilemma. Sometimes these codes are simple three word inspirational mechanisms, while others are much longer lists. The mechanisms that are implemented are taken from the different dimensions of the ethical triangle, but the best codes balance all three dimensions. The second dimension of the purpose of a code of ethics is that a code of ethics can be utilized as a way to implement the shared standards of a profession. Enforcement can be an issue in codes of ethics, as will be described later, but standards within a profession must be implemented and enforced by some means. By building the standards that guide a profession, such as social work or medical field related work, into a code of ethics there is a way to reinforce the