Quantity surveyors' background and training, and their ethical concepts, conceptions and interests considerations

In this paper, general and specific hypotheses concerning quantity surveyors' ethical perceptions as well as their personal background and professional training are derived from previous research studies (Fan et al., 2001a, 2001b). More rigorous statistical tests, such as Multivariate ANalysis Of VAriance (MANOVA) and Hierarchical Regression Analysis (HRA), are used to test these hypotheses and thus verify findings of the previous research. Salient discrepancies in ethical perceptions of professional quantity surveyors are found to exist among professional quantity surveyors of different ages, membership levels and work experience. In predicting ethical perceptions, it is confirmed that the more experienced and the higher the education level of quantity surveyors, the more optimistic they are concerning recent declines in ethical standards. This group of quantity surveyors (QS) is more willing to sacrifice its self-interest when facing ethical dilemmas. However, results of this study show also that 'background' variables are indeed moderating each other, which are contingent upon the specific ethical perceptions concerned. As a first step for the development of a knowledge base for future professional training and socialization, findings of this study suggest two directions for further research study. Firstly, a case study approach would elicit decisions made in the face of ethical dilemmas. Secondly, extensive surveys in reconciling professional service quality with the expectations of clients and the general public will further enrich the field.