Professional/Client Relationship and Morality
Brian Ho
The Professions and Public Interest in American Life
Professor Willard/ T.A. Schmitt
Tuesday Session
2007 December 5
• Carefully distinguish between the “contract” and “covenant” understanding or model of the professional/client relationship. Which understanding makes a greater demand on the good moral character of the professional? Why? Take a reasoned position on whether or not the “covenant” understanding is more appropriate to the overall nature of that relationship.
Since the beginning of complex societies, the public has always been intrigued by the very broad idea of professionalism. And over the course of American history the age of information and computerization has paved the way for the public to gain a better understanding of what the professional title entails. However this understanding has served only to fuel the increasing interest in not just professions themselves, but the relationships between those professionals and their clients. In order to analyze this relationship, one must ask themselves if a professional should merely respond to the social investment in his training, the fees paid for his services, and the terms agreed upon between the professional and the client as in the contractual model, or instead on some willingness to not only trust the client but to go beyond expectations to serve the clients interests as in the covenants model.[1] It is the answer to this question that fully defines the differences between a contract and covenant model, and draws upon a greater demand for a good moral character in the covenant understanding which is appropriate in the professional client relationship. One of the most common understandings in the professional/client relationship is that of a contractual nature. Essentially a contract is an informed agreement where both the professional and client know exactly what they want in return for their service. In that sense, there is no necessity for trust in the relationship between
The Professions and Public Interest in American Life
Professor Willard/ T.A. Schmitt
Tuesday Session
2007 December 5
• Carefully distinguish between the “contract” and “covenant” understanding or model of the professional/client relationship. Which understanding makes a greater demand on the good moral character of the professional? Why? Take a reasoned position on whether or not the “covenant” understanding is more appropriate to the overall nature of that relationship.
Since the beginning of complex societies, the public has always been intrigued by the very broad idea of professionalism. And over the course of American history the age of information and computerization has paved the way for the public to gain a better understanding of what the professional title entails. However this understanding has served only to fuel the increasing interest in not just professions themselves, but the relationships between those professionals and their clients. In order to analyze this relationship, one must ask themselves if a professional should merely respond to the social investment in his training, the fees paid for his services, and the terms agreed upon between the professional and the client as in the contractual model, or instead on some willingness to not only trust the client but to go beyond expectations to serve the clients interests as in the covenants model.[1] It is the answer to this question that fully defines the differences between a contract and covenant model, and draws upon a greater demand for a good moral character in the covenant understanding which is appropriate in the professional client relationship. One of the most common understandings in the professional/client relationship is that of a contractual nature. Essentially a contract is an informed agreement where both the professional and client know exactly what they want in return for their service. In that sense, there is no necessity for trust in the relationship between