Define Professionalism in the Work Environment

Working is the primary means by which people support themselves financially. Each workplace can be vastly different, yet nearly all workplaces, at one point or another, require workers to adhere to a level of professionalism. For this reason, getting ahead on the job means understanding what professionalism entails.

Do these people appear professional to you?

Definition

Professionalism is a way of acting in the work environment. It usually refers to the ability to act in a respectful, educated and understanding manner while on the job.

Description

Professionalism commonly is defined through the use of adjectives or adverbs that describe actions or attributes. For example, a professional might be described as trustworthy, loyal, hardworking or creative. The fact that such positive descriptions are used with the term implies that professionalism itself has positive connotations.

How It Is Judged

There are many ways to judge professionalism because there are many ways or styles of behavior people can adopt on the job. The level of professionalism can be measured by a person's attitude toward work and others, how a person communicates with other employees, how well the individual is familiar with required information or tasks, the person's appearance and how she resolves problems or approaches tasks. Yet, deficiency in one or more of these does not necessarily mean that a person is unprofessional. For instance, in the corporate world, nice clothes generally are considered "professional." However, a mother who works from home and conducts business remotely in her bathrobe may still produce just as good a result with flawless "professional" business communication etiquette.

Subjectivity

Because of the way professionalism is judged, the term is subjective. What is considered professional in one culture may be considered unprofessional in another. For example, while workers in one social subset might view bringing gifts to negotiations as a professional gesture of good will, workers in another subset might view the bringing of gifts as an unprofessional attempt to bribe.

Benefits and Conflicts

Adopting the standards of professional conduct generally works to improve employee relationships, business efficiency and company revenue. However, professional behavior can be misunderstood or perceived in a more negative light. Because it places behavioral expectations on individuals that might stifle true personalities and styles, some may suspect that time that could be devoted to production and getting the job at hand done is wasted in "red tape" or appearances, or that unethical practices on the part of management are being foisted upon them under the guise of professionalism. In this argument, there is a danger of losing individuality in the name of respect, profit and production.

References

• Professionalism in the Workplace

Resources

• The Case Against Professionalism