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ACCA Strategic Professional · Strategic Business Leader · Professionalism, ethical codes and the public interest

Marta, a finance director at Orlen Foods, is asked to advise the board on whether to close a loss-making plant that employs most workers in a small town. She considers the commercial case, the effect on the local community and whether her advice would be defensible if made public. Which characteristic of professionalism is she primarily demonstrating?

Marta is exercising professional judgement with regard to the public interest. She weighs commercial, community and reputational consequences and asks whether her advice is defensible publicly, which goes beyond serving shareholders or the employer alone.

  1. AExercising professional judgement with regard to the public interestCorrect
  2. BMaximising short-term returns for shareholders
  3. CFollowing the rules-based approach of a detailed code only
  4. DDelegating the decision to the chief executive to avoid personal liability

Explanation

Professionalism involves applying skill and judgement while weighing the interests of wider stakeholders and the public interest, not only the employer's financial interest. Marta tests her advice against public scrutiny, which reflects this. Maximising short-term returns ignores the public interest dimension.

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