Reaction Paper: Research Journal of Dr. Eugenio F.

Santiago’s III The Battle of

Who’s: Battling the Professional Rivalry and Promoting the Culture of
“Professional Ethical Collaboration”
Increased trade, increased revenues, and increased innovation and technological
advancements were all facilitated by the rise of professional collaboration. In addition,
with information exchange being possible and resources being available worldwide,
many professionals have access to a far wider scope of information than ever before.
Professional collaboration enabled the globe to enter new markets, expand operations,
and provide better solutions to the emerging problems of the world. Consider the
COVID-19 response: in addition to those in the medical field, engineers used artificial
intelligence and machine learning to assist scientists in the rapid development of
therapeutics and vaccines, teachers participated in informing students about the virus,
and the police participated in regular policing methods of enforcing lockdown through
random police patrols and checkpoints. In other words, professional and expert
collaboration allows for a broader reach in assisting and improving the community.

However, there are existing challenges that result from professional differences.
As stated by the author, professional rivalry is not a new scenario or case in our society.
Because each human mind is unique, there will inevitably be conflict, disagreement, and
bias among different professionals. To fight this, we should have deeper insight into the
profession and its needs to form a deeper understanding between different professional
fields and specialists.

One of the causes of professional rivalry is intellectual arrogance—believing that

your profession is far superior to others. This mindset can be traced back to the
professional training received from a higher educational institution, including the
institution's norms, values, and culture; the curriculum or program; the method of
teaching; and the person's interaction with other students during academic training,
among other factors. In addition, the refusal to acknowledge the existence of rivalry is a
cause of professional rivalry because individuals tend to misunderstand other
professions' aspirations and can develop a sense of contempt for other professions. The
race for numbers in such fields will always be present because any person always
wants to find relevance in a group and a sustainable livelihood. Lastly, the author has
also shown how competition between the social and natural sciences leads to
professional rivalry. The assumption is that the natural sciences are said to have taken
the lead through years of research in the fields of medicine, architecture, and the
natural, physical, and other sciences, whereas the social sciences have lagged behind
in producing knowledge for a long time. Such an assumption has influenced the race for
numbers between the two professions.

Rivalries can not only impede one's own career advancement, but they can also
be a hindrance to aspiring professionals gaining a deeper understanding of the
importance of diversity. As a result, every effort should be made to foster mentoring
relationships between experienced professionals. Adapting to change and accepting
new ideas and practices often provides experts with a better understanding of other
careers, leading to a highly productive and beneficial relationship between each
profession.
Summary:

Once a professional rivalry has been established, both parties are more
motivated to win, pushing themselves to try harder. However, it also worsens biases
and conflicts, reducing the amount of creativity, teamwork, and cooperation present. To
mitigate rivalries between other professions, we must expand contacts between parties
through cooperative projects and by educating professionals on the vital importance of
cooperative ventures. There is also a need to change the structure of institutions and
training programs, shifting away from a strict division of labor based on very narrow
fields of expertise and toward broad training that teaches interdisciplinary skills in real-
world situations.
Aspiring professionals should be encouraged to form mentoring relationships
with experienced professionals in order to gain a better understanding of the value of
diversity. Accepting new ideas and practices and adapting to change frequently
provides experts with a better understanding of other professions, resulting in a
productive and beneficial relationship between each. Professional collaboration allowed
the world to enter new markets, expand operations, and provide better solutions to the
world's emerging problems. Organizations should strongly encourage interdisciplinary
professional relationships to ensure that industries and the world as a whole can
continue to reach new heights.
As a Civil Engineer and a Professor:
Having two professions as a civil engineer and an educator for future engineers,
I've witnessed a number of issues involving professional rivalry throughout my career. In
my class, I frequently heard debates among my students about which fields they would
choose as engineers and which type of engineer was superior. As an approach to this,
and based on my experience in the civil engineering industry, I frequently tell them that
every career path is as important as what you choose, and how you make career
decisions will determine whether or not you succeed. And as I read this journal, I gained
a deeper understanding of the importance of respecting other professions as well as the
importance of seeking job satisfaction first rather than jumping into a new profession for
the sole purpose of making money.
Some of my previous trainings did not explicitly address competition between
engineering and other professions. I am grateful to have learned so much from reading
the journal. I agree that organizations should strongly encourage interdisciplinary
professional relationships in order for industries and the world as a whole to reach new
heights. In order to gain a better understanding of the value of diversity, aspiring
professionals should be encouraged to form mentoring relationships with experienced
professionals. To counter the current emphasis on professionals limiting their vision and
making narrow-minded decisions, organizations and professionals should develop more
awareness of people from other professions, cultures, ethnic backgrounds, genders,
and age groups.