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Themes of social responsibility: A survey of three professional schools

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Abstract

Criteria distinguishing the professions from ordinary occupations have traditionally stressed the notion of commitment to a service ethic which implies social responsibility. In this survey of 223 students and faculty of three university professional schools in Canada (Business, Engineering, and Forestry), the extent to which students exhibit awareness of the ethical component in their future work is examined. Particular attention is paid to the structural contradictions inherent in the work context of the salaried professions, especially the ethical dilemmas that arise out of bureaucratic demands to serve organizational goals rather than broader social ends.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Lakehead University, P7B 5E1, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

    Jan Mayer

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  1. Jan Mayer
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Additional information

Jan Mayer (Ph.D. Carleton University, Ottawa Ontario) has taught Sociology at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario since 1980, and has conducted extensive empirical research on whitecollar work since 1978. Recent publications include ‘Schooling Never Ends: A Study of Job Promotion among Corporate Office Workers’ (with Randle Nelsen), in Human Affairs, Vol. 10, 1986.

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Mayer, J. Themes of social responsibility: A survey of three professional schools. J Bus Ethics 7, 313–320 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381837

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381837

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