Professionalism In Information Technology

Professionalism In Information TechnologyProfessionalism may be considered as behaving in an enchant manner and adhering to accepted principles and practices. It is non only vital in the field of Information Technology but it is also very important in different handle. Some of the key aspects of IT Professionalism ar competence in IT, knowledge, various skills such as soft skills, ethical behaviour and certification. Professionalism and moral philosophy must be taught and expert at the secondary level of schooling. Professionalism is required not only in the field of Information Technology but also in other fields in order to bring about reputation, ethical behaviour and add valuate to any face.This paper discusses about IT Professionalism and Ethics and how professionalism is applicable in IT manufacture. With the do of class discussions, case study and literature review, ethics and professionalism in IT and other fields are discussed. In this paper, an effort has been ma de to answer some of the questions infraWhy IT professionalism is needed and why is it important?What is ethics?Why Ethics is needed? function of ethics in Information TechnologyDiscussionIT professionals should not only have severe technical knowledge and have sex but also have counterbalance attitude with good soft skills such as communication, interpersonal, analytical, statistical, managerial, leadership skills etc.Nowadays, businesses require professionalism in order to provide best quality service to the customers and to satisfy their requirements. Professionalism also provides a platform for ethical trade. It greatly increases profits, productivity and high market value in an organization. It greatly benefits the individuals who follow it and clashs society in a arbitrary manner.Let us look at some of the qualities which describe a professional (ACM, 2000)Trustworthiness Professional trusts himself in whatever he does and trusts other people.Honesty Professional is hon est when working and follows right code of conduct.Punctuality It is one of the most important aspects of professionalism.Responsibility Professional is responsible towards his work and handles work effectively.Leadership Professional has good leadership skills and is a good team player.Confidentiality Maintains confidentiality of information in an organization.Competency Professional is technically competent in his field.What is Ethics?Ethics may be considered as regulations which set between right and wrong. It also aims to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.Why Ethics is needed?Ethics helps people to respect and value themselves as well as others. It is based on core values such as Trust, simplicity, integrity, excellence, success and reputation. Ethics in an organization helps in retaining the talent and minimizes corrasion rate of jobs. It aims to improve profits and increases productivity among the employees in an organization.Why IT professionalism is needed and why is it important?In order to enhance the growth and add value to an organization.It helps to provide better services to clientsIt increases trust with employers and employees deep down an organizationCreate companys own brand valueIT professionalism forms the pillar for companys own vision and missionIt improves customer satisfactionThey should be aware of the various types of educational programs, different job titles and functions, and some aspects of the employment supply and demand. They should be aware of the need for each compute worker to have professional responsibility for their work, and an awareness of the importance of appropriate ethical behaviour in the group. They must also have an awareness of the impact of information technology on society as a whole and on individuals, and be prepared to handle a variety of issues arising in the workplace. (Little, J. C. and Granger, M. J., 1999)Role of Ethics and Professionalism in Information TechnologyIT has m odernized the living standards of mankind. In IT, professionalism plays a major power in bringing the changes to an organization and to the humanity. Technology advise be rehearsed as a benefit or for destruction. Ethics play a major role in determining the right use of technology. There is a very fine line between professional and non-professional. IT professional must have seemly code of conduct, right attitude and good moral values and should not misuse the technology.Nowadays, due to the rapid advancement in technology there has been a widespread misuse of technology. With the rise of profit there has been unethical and unprofessional behaviour which have led to severe problems such as computer viruses, Spamming and hacking.In IT education, ethics should be taught and allowed to be full in all schools and institutions. Students must be made aware of the consequences which result due to unethical behaviour. It is in the early stage that these values should be inculcated with in them which will lead a long way later in life. There has been an increase in cyber crimes due to the misuse of Internet. Many a time, students are unaware of ethics and professional behaviour. Professionalism must be strictly followed in schools and institutions and should be practised at an earlier stage. In universities, plagiarism is unethical. Copying others ideas and work, without proper acknowledgement to the original author it is unfair and severe action is observed and implemented.Case Study and personal experiencePersonally, it has been a wonderful learning experience studying the importance and role of ethics and professionalism in IT. As goes the famous quote, Character, not circumstances, makes the man. (Booker T. Washington), professionalism and ethics helps in making use of science and technology for terrible purposes.In our case study (Digital Artefact on IT Professionalism by Trailblazers, 2010), we discussed about non-professional behaviour and some of the reaso ns causing it. Non-professional behaviour mainly results due to lack of ethics and lack of soft skills.Let us look at some of the differences between professional and non-professionalProfessionalHas self respect and treats others with respectHas honesty and performs his/her duties responsible and dedicated towards workSkilled, knowledgeable and experienceTeam player and has good vigilance skillsGood communicatorRight attitude and sound characterNon professionalDoes not respect othersLacks honesty and does not perform his dutiesNot responsible or dedicatedLack of knowledge, skills and experienceNot a team player and lacks management skillsNot a good communicatorDoes not have right attitude, bad characterThe difference between a professional person and a technician is that a technician knows everything about his job except its ultimate purpose and his place in the scheme of things (Livingston, 2010)An example of unethical behaviour in an organizationIf an employee in an organization fails to follow the right code of conduct and does not follow ethics, he/she will be penalized. An individual will not be successful in his field if he does not have moral values.An example of how atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima was completely unethical. People were not educated about the endangerment and the extent of damage that would be caused by atomic bombs. Had they been imparted proper knowledge and safety measures during the war, many peoples lives would have been saved (Matloff, 1966).How IT professionalism is applicable to me?IT professionalism helps me to advance in the IT industry and my aspiration is to become network support engineer. In order to be a professional in the networking field, developing a career development mean is useful. As change is rapid in IT industry, I need to constantly update my skills and knowledge to be proficient and successful. Certifications play a major role in the IT industry (Steven Philip, 2010) and by proper planning and managemen t of daily activities, I will be able to obtain higher certifications and get hands-on-experience in networking field.Network professionals provide and enforce security of confidential information over the Internet. They must adhere to ethics when performing their duties and also provide suitable advice to fashion plate employees or clients. (NPA, 2007)Some of the important guidelines and practices for network professionalsTechnical expertise and knowledgeConfidentiality to be maintained within an organization and with clientsFollowing proper ethical codes fastening to principles and practicesConclusionIn the present world the role of an IT professional is vital. IT professionalism is not just about acquiring skills, knowledge, experience and certifications but also giving mates importance to core moral values, principles and ethical behaviour (Jide, 2010). This will have a huge impact on ones personal life brings about positive changes in an organization and benefits the society. A true professional is a combination of excellent knowledge and skills with fine character and virtues. Government and organisation must uphold IT professionalism and penalize the employees or workers who do not follow it. Professionalism and ethics is clearly defined in other professions such as doctors, advocates, engineers etc. IT professionalism is more bear on with technical skills, knowledge, expertise and certifications and no clear guidelines on ethical behaviour are defined. Professionalism is best learnt when one practices than by merely studying it.