Ethics Regulation Across Professions

Abstract

Gifting, a private act of friendship and charity among individuals that has deep cross-cultural roots, is increasingly seen as a morally problematic practice in many professions. Gifting done within the context of employment is now the subject of regulation in many professions as part of a broader effort to promote independence, impartiality, and objectivity. Based upon a survey of more than twenty professional associations and fields of employment, this commentary examines the historical roots of gifting, why it poses an ethical problem, and how many organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors are adopting policies to address this practice. Overall, three conclusions are reached. First, because gifting creates a sense of dependency, reciprocity, or indebtedness, its practice within a professional setting causes potential or real conflicts of interest, regardless of the size or type of the gift. Second, because of the problems that gifting poses, many professions have already recognized the need to address the practice. Finally, the field and practice of public administration needs to address the problem of gifting more directly and explicitly in its research, its training, and the professional development of model rules and codes of ethics.