Hindrances to Sustainability of Professional Ethics in Nigeria
1Solomon Michael Ojo, 2Esther Olufisayo Odunsi, 3Olusola Solomon Akinleye
Department of Quantity Surveying,
Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Following a conscientious fight against corruption and perception that the built environment and its professional are vulnerable to unethical practices, and the need for robust empirical study, there is need to sample the opinions of the professionals in the industry. This study therefore elicits the views of Nigerian Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Builders, Engineers, Town Planners, Estate Surveyors and Valuers and Land Surveyors as key players in land use, development, management of shelter, rural and urbanized environments on their acceptability of established global ethical standards. Examined and evaluated the likely causes of unethical behavioral contagion pattern among professionals and proffered reliable recommendations for curbing these social menace that undermines applicability and sustainability of ethical standards among professionals in the built environment during services delivery and interpersonal relationship. Structured Questionnaire was distributed to 350 professionals and only 247 were retrieved and used for the analysis. The results of the survey indicated that all the professionals are in agreement with the concept of global ethical standards which stipulate that all professionals must; act with responsibility, always provide a high standard of service, act in a way that promotes trust in the profession, treat others with respect and take responsibility. Professional negligence and fraud ranked 1st, followed by refusal to pay for services rendered by other professional colleagues and being bias ranked 4th. The study recommends that to sustain professional ethics in Nigeria, All professional must; be trust worthy at all time, not give and take bribe, open and transparent in their dealings, treat others the way they like to be treated, be polite, act with care, at all times uphold ethics of their profession and act within the scope of their professionalism.
Key Words: Ethical Standards; Global; Hindrances; Nigeria; Professionals; Sustainability.
