Professionalism and

Organisations

MN501

Week 1: Professionalism and Business

Assoc. Prof. Nalin Sharda

Prepared by Dr Belal Chowdhury Updated by Dr Deepani Guruge and Assoc. Prof. Nalin Sharda
 This Weeks Lecture
Week 1: Professionalism and Business

Professionals
Professionalism
Career Development
Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Types of Business Organizations
Business Structure
Ref: Chapter 1, A pocket guide to business for engineers and
surveyors, H. E. Bergeron.
 What is Engineering ?
Engineering explained
Mobile phones
Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building),
Computer games
Toothpaste
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Airplanes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bipTWWHya8A
 What is Engineering ?
Engineering is an occupation with extremely wide
reach. The term 'engineering' covers many fields
and skills.
Engineering skills include:
the scientific method
social, cultural and economic awareness
mathematics
biology, chemistry, physics and other areas of
science
creativity
teamwork
https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/career-development-centre/what-engineering
 What is Engineering ?
Engineers are:
scientists, inventors,
designers, builders and
great thinkers.
They improve the state of the world, amplify
human capability and make people's lives safer
and easier
Reference: Engineers Australia
https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/career-development-centre/what-engineering
 What is Engineering ?
Engineering disciplines cover:
Mechanics and the construction of
tools and machines of all sizes, from
nano scale to entire mega manufacturing facilities.
The creation of:
cars, trains, ships, boats, aircraft.
The design and production of:
Chemical compounds
Entertainment industry
Transport
Healthcare
Defence, and
Networks
What is a Professional Engineer?
Any act of planning, designing, composing,
evaluating, advising, reporting, directing or
supervising (or the managing of any such
act)
Requires Specialised skills and knowledge to
apply engineering principles, and
Concerns the safeguarding of life, health,
property, economic interests, the public
welfare or the environment.
 Who is a Professional?

A professional is a member of a
profession or any person who
earns their living from a specified
professional activity.
 Professional?
A profession is who you are,
not just what you do
not what you look like, e.g., is this clown a good
engineer?
not a contract
Professional require advanced training and
experience
They must implement their decisions and make
correct judgements in the course of their work
Requires to contribute to the society
 Attributes of a Profession ?
In 1957, Prof. Ernest Greenwood
Described 5 attributes of a Profession.
Foundation for most recent Publications
 Attributes of a Profession (PMBOK)
1. A Unique Body of Knowledge
- Implies the existence of principles and concepts that
are unique to the profession
- Is taught in graduate or professional schools; e.g., the
specialized body of knowledge for the engineering
profession is taught in engineering schools.
2. Standards of Entry
Minimum standards for entry into the profession imply
progression in a career
Typically involve formal education leading to an
academic degree; several years of experience, as in
an apprenticeship program or as a beginner in the
profession
7
Attributes of a Profession (PMBOK)
3. A Code of Ethics
- Ethical standards, or a code of ethics,
are common to most professions
- Avoiding or limiting the necessity for legal
controls on the profession
Ethics describes:
Standards / codes of behaviour
expected of an individual by a group
(nation, organisation, profession) to
which an individual belongs.
Attributes of a Profession (PMBOK)
4. A Service Orientation to the Profession
Reflects an attitude of the members of the
profession
Reflects an attitude by which members are
committed to bettering the profession itself
5. Authenticating body or Sanctioning Organization
- Sets standards and acts as a self-policing
agency
- Promotes publications and the exchange of
ideas, encourages research, develops and
administers certification programs, and
sponsors and accredits education programs
- Moreover, is to administer the profession.
 Professional?
Person formally certified by a professional
body of belonging to a specific profession by
virtue of having completed a required course of
studies and/or practice.
Has specialized skills and knowledge that
required independent effort on their part to attain
A professional is passionate, motivated, and
punctual
Personal competencies can usually be measured
against an established set of standards.
 IT / Networking Professionals
Many IT / Networking workers have duties,
background and training that qualify them to be
classified as professionals, e.g.
Programmers
Systems Analysts
Database administrators
Network administrators
Chief Information Officer
Fibre Optic Designers
 Professional associations
Professional associations usually specify a
code of conduct for their members.
Consider Australian Computer Society
(ACS), Australian Interactive Media
Industry Association (AIMIA), and Design
Institute of Australia (DIA)
IEEE: The Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers, Piscataway, New
Jersey, USA.
Join at least one relevant organisation
 Professional Relationships
Professional relationships to be managed
-Typically professionals are involved in multiple
relationships Such as:
Professional employer
Professional client (internal or external)
Professional suppliers
Professional other professionals
Professional system users
Professional wider community
Professional to professional -Relationships
Professional often feels a degree of loyalty to
the other members of their profession.
Help each other and
Slow to criticize each other in public.
Serve as mentors help new members of the
profession
Should prevent ethical problems such as
Resum inflation lying on experience and knowledge
Should not share confidential corporate
information about customers, suppliers, project plans, budgets -
accidental and deliberate
 Relations with the community
Establish and maintain professional standards
that protect the public -Safety standards to protect
users and the wider public
E.g. When a system analyst design a computer based system to
monitor chemical manufacturing process he has to consider
residents near the plant and should maintain the pollution
standard to protect the public.
Eliminate potential harm or risk to wider
community
There are number of professional organizations
that provide Professional code of Ethics to
protect the public
Characteristics of professionals
Knowledge/expertise established body of
knowledge
Knowledge applied for clear purpose perform
a recognized service to the community.
Membership formal process to join
profession.
Reliable general accepted that all members
are properly trained and capable
Characteristics of professionals
Control access to (membership of) the
profession apprenticeship, license, on-going
qualification, withdrawal of license, expulsion

Acquisition of knowledge direct instruction and

learning for membership candidates e.g. University courses

Codes of Conduct establish acceptable standards of

business operation and personal and public behaviour
 Power of Professionals
Community leaders people look for proper
guidance and advice from professionals in matters
they are expert in
Respected the professional operations and
behaviour of members is monitored and judged by
peers
Services sought considered the best people to do
a particular type of job
Reliable maintain quality control over members
services, provide a mechanism for client complaints
in respect of members business operation
 Professional Bodies
Universities provide licenses to practice
professionally
Colleges and Societies created to administer
standards and control training e.g.
EA: Engineers Australia,
ACS: Australian Computer Society
IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
ACM: Association for computing Machinery
CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate. IT
certification from Cisco at associate level for IT
Career.
 Professional Standards
Are maintained by
Training formal practical instruction, approved
school, University, College; TAFE courses, or
apprenticeships
Licensing require proof from candidates of level of
knowledge and agreement to adhere to standards of
behaviour and business practice
Legislate judicial and disciplinary mechanisms and
review panels to investigate and punish members who
violate standards
Ethical codes enforced through published codes and
membership agreements
 Australian standard 8015
AS8015-2005 - Australian Standard for Corporate
Governance of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT)
AS8015-2005, was published in January 2005.
It is a brief and concise, 12 page guide to effectively
governing the use of ICT.
"Corporate Governance of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) is the system by which the current and future
use of ICT is directed and controlled. It involves evaluating and
directing the plans for the use of ICT to support the organization
and monitoring this use to achieve plans. It includes the strategy
and policies for using ICT within an organization." -
AS8015:2005
 Australian standard 8015
The AS8015 framework provides a model, vocabulary and
six Principles for Good Governance of ICT
http://www.ramin.com.au/itgovernance/as8015.html

1. Establish Clearly Understood Responsibilities for ICT

2. Plan ICT to best support the organisation
3. Acquire ICT validly
4. Ensure that ICT performs well, whenever required
5. Ensure ICT conforms with formal rules
6. Ensure ICT respects human factors
 Career Development
Career Options
Public sector
Work/life balance
Secure job
Make a difference to the community
Private sector
Job satisfaction
Provide more opportunity for quick advancement

8/15/2017
 Career Development
Career Options
Self employed
40% of you will start your own businesses
Freelance work
Contract jobs
Networking
Research
Opportunities for honours / masters and post-grad
What is the difference?
What are the benefits?
What do I do? How do I get involved
 Career Development
On average
A person will change jobs six times in their
lifetime
The self employed will have at least 7 failed
businesses before they get it right
Contracts are the future of the IT and
engineering sectors

8/15/2017
 Career Development
Engineering - Career Path
 Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Networking with the key people
Determination to succeed/single-
mindedness whatever it takes
Taking more risks than others
Looking very active and fast-moving
Insist that your team only provide a high-
quality work product
Take on unpopular or difficult
assignments joyfully and accomplish
them successfully

8/15/2017
 Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Communicate frequently with your boss
and co-workers regarding your clients,
projects
Develop a leadership style that earns
respects from your clients and other team
members.
Keep learning - explore educational
opportunities or professional developments,
Obtain an advanced degree
Go back to the profession through
participation in professional bodies, e.g.,
Engineers Australia, ACS, IEEE etc.
33
8/15/2017
 Professionalism
A specific style of behavior in the workplace.

Professionalism is in the eye of the observer.

 Professionalism
Professionalism is indeed a question of how
we do things, rather than what we do.
Professionalism is an attitude which
influences standards, ethics and processes.
It defines what we stand for and what we
stand against - Len Warwick

True professionals create positive experiences for

their clients

8/15/2017
 Professionalism
Professionalism comprises the
personally held beliefs about ones own
conduct as a professional.
Its often linked to the upholding of the
principles, laws, ethics and conventions of
a profession as a way of practice.
-Professional standard council Australia
http://www.psc.gov.au/what-is-a-profession

36
8/15/2017
Updated by Dr Deepani Guruge 2016
Types of Business Organizations
Sole trader
Partnership
Private Limited Company (Ltd)
Public Limited Company (plc)
Co-operatives (member-owned business
organisation)
Franchises (e.g.,McDonalds)
Public sector
Association (charities and hobbyists)
 Business Structure
One of the key decisions need to make
when starting a business is
which legal structure to use
get advice from a qualified independent
business, financial or legal advisor.
Depends on the size and type of
business
Business Structure - Legal Structure
 Organizational Chart

8/15/2017
Updated by Dr Deepani Guruge 2016
Organizational Chart
 This Weeks Summary
Professionalism
Career Development
Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Types of Business Organizations
Business Structure
References
Bergeron, E. (2009), A Pocket Guide to Business
for Engineers and Surveyors, Wiley
H.T.Tavani: Ethics and Technology: ethical issues
in an age of information and communication, John
Wiley and Sons, Inc.
http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writling/professio
nal/TechWrite/8-1/rhodes/index.htm
http://zdubpost.com/2012/09/06/performance-
punishment-the-flaw-that-bleeds-talent-from-all-
companies/