Professionalism: More Than Just Knowing Your Job
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The following article is extracted from Military Professionalism in Asia -- Conceptual and Empirical Perspectives by Muthiah Alagappa and deals with the concept of military professionalism.
WHAT IS PROFESSIONALISM?
Ask anyone and he or she will probably say that it means knowing your job and doing it well.
In dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster and Longman, professionalism is defined as the conduct, skills, standards or qualities that characterise or mark a profession or a professional person.
A profession is more than a vocation, which refers to a personÂ’s regular work occupation in general. A profession is a career or occupation that requires specialised knowledge and skills, and often long and considerable training and academic preparation.
WHAT ABOUT MILITARY PROFESSIONALISM?
The concept of military professionalism was first put forward in 1957 by Samuel Huntington, a professor at Harvard University, and is widely accepted today. While it is hard to specifically define military professionalism, there are certain distinctive characteristics to it. According to Huntington, the three characteristics of military professionalism are Expertise, Social Responsibility and Corporateness.
The first characteristic of a professional is expertise. As Huntington asserts, the peculiar skill of a military professional is in “the direction, operation and control of a human organisation whose primary function is the application of violence”. This is a complex intellectual skill that requires comprehensive and continuous education, research and training. To develop the high level of expertise required, military personnel need to devote their working life almost exclusively to this purpose. The military skill to manage violence is universal. Military professionals all over the world are united by their common possession of this skill.
The second characteristic of a professional is social responsibility. The professionalÂ’s client is the society, and he performs a role that is essential to the functioning of society. Material reward is not the main consideration when he conducts his duties. For the military professional, his primary responsibility is to protect the society and the state. This motivation, together with a code of ethics or core values grounded in custom and tradition rather than financial reward, are the driving force of his conduct and set him apart from a mercenary.
The third characteristic is corporatenes - unity and consciousness among members that they belong to a distinct body which has formal standards of professional competence and the authority and means to enforce them. Military professionals belong to such a distinct body that comprises not just the formal armed bureaucratic units but also a vast complex of associations, schools, journals, custom, and tradition. With their own principles, structure, and institutions, the armed forces establish and enforce professional standards and codes of behaviour. Failure to conform results in punishment and may even lead to discharge. The highly-valued attributes of honour, courage, and service to country are rewarded through awards and recognition that do not usually carry a monetary value.
It is not the satisfaction of any one of the three criteria, but the combination of expertise, social responsibility, and corporateness that makes the military profession a professional calling.
-- army news interactive -
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Originally posted by wuming78:
i like this part best----->
The following article is extracted from [b]Military Professionalism in Asia -- Conceptual and Empirical Perspectives by Muthiah Alagappa and deals with the concept of military professionalism.
WHAT IS PROFESSIONALISM?
Ask anyone and he or she will probably say that it means knowing your job and doing it well.
In dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster and Longman, professionalism is defined as the conduct, skills, standards or qualities that characterise or mark a profession or a professional person.
A profession is more than a vocation, which refers to a personÂ’s regular work occupation in general. A profession is a career or occupation that requires specialised knowledge and skills, and often long and considerable training and academic preparation.
WHAT ABOUT MILITARY PROFESSIONALISM?
The concept of military professionalism was first put forward in 1957 by Samuel Huntington, a professor at Harvard University, and is widely accepted today. While it is hard to specifically define military professionalism, there are certain distinctive characteristics to it. According to Huntington, the three characteristics of military professionalism are Expertise, Social Responsibility and Corporateness.
The first characteristic of a professional is expertise. As Huntington asserts, the peculiar skill of a military professional is in “the direction, operation and control of a human organisation whose primary function is the application of violence”. This is a complex intellectual skill that requires comprehensive and continuous education, research and training. To develop the high level of expertise required, military personnel need to devote their working life almost exclusively to this purpose. The military skill to manage violence is universal. Military professionals all over the world are united by their common possession of this skill.
The second characteristic of a professional is social responsibility. The professionalÂ’s client is the society, and he performs a role that is essential to the functioning of society. Material reward is not the main consideration when he conducts his duties. For the military professional, his primary responsibility is to protect the society and the state. This motivation, together with a code of ethics or core values grounded in custom and tradition rather than financial reward, are the driving force of his conduct and set him apart from a mercenary.
The third characteristic is corporatenes - unity and consciousness among members that they belong to a distinct body which has formal standards of professional competence and the authority and means to enforce them. Military professionals belong to such a distinct body that comprises not just the formal armed bureaucratic units but also a vast complex of associations, schools, journals, custom, and tradition. With their own principles, structure, and institutions, the armed forces establish and enforce professional standards and codes of behaviour. Failure to conform results in punishment and may even lead to discharge. The highly-valued attributes of honour, courage, and service to country are rewarded through awards and recognition that do not usually carry a monetary value.
It is not the satisfaction of any one of the three criteria, but the combination of expertise, social responsibility, and corporateness that makes the military profession a professional calling.
-- army news interactive[/b]
[color=orange]Material reward is not the main consideration when he conducts his duties.For the military professional, his primary responsibility is to protect the society and the state.[/color] -
yeah! its the pride and honour and prestige attached to the profession!Originally posted by NathanG5:i like this part best----->
Material reward is not the main consideration when he conducts his duties.