Professional-Client Relationship and the Problem of Confidentiality

What should professional service providers do when they are under pressure, perhaps compelled to make a choice of where their loyalty should lay between the third party (whistle-blower, court of competent jurisdiction, the public, security agents, etc.) and the service receivers? The response to this question is a derivative of the fear that the future clients could be dissuaded from releasing their treasured information to the professional service providers, which in turn has grave implications on professional service provision. Hence, the need to protect the consultational relevance of the work which professional service providers do. Nevertheless, it is argued that the need to protect the consultational relevance of professional service providers could help build a stronger Professional Confidential Alliance between professional service providers and clients. It is conceded that a robust future professional-client relationship is possible when service providers do not divulge the treasured information of service receivers (i.e., clients) but holds them to heart.

Autorentext

OYEDOLA David A. is a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy. He specializes in ethics, and has interest in African philosophy, History of Philosophy (Greek and British Empiricism), and Philosophy of the Social Sciences.