Introduction to Ethics and

Excellence in Profession
Introduction
 A person can be called as a professional based on the standards of
education, training, specific knowledge and skill he possesses in
order to fulfil the requirements of a particular task assigned to him.
Engineering is an important and learned profession as it has direct
and dynamic impact on the quality of life of people. Professional
Ethics can be considered as the personal, social, organizational and
corporate ideologies of behaviours expected from a professional.
Ethics is considered as a mandatory competency for a professional
and as a standard of performance and service the general public can
expect to receive from a professional practitioner. Ethics
distinguishes professionals from others in the marketplace.
 Ethics has been defined as the study of morality. In a professional
environment ethics is all about development of reasonable
standards for deciding between what is right and wrong or
goodness and badness, an established set of moral beliefs,
normative rules of conduct, and a description about what one
should do instead of what one will do in any particular instance.
 Ethics is not merely associated with abiding by the law instead a
code of behaviour which goes beyond usual compliance with law.
Two basic theories developed by philosophers include Ethical
Absolutism and Cultural Relativism. Ethical Absolutism explains the
core ethical values such as honesty, fairness, integrity,
accountability, and respect for others etc. as global principles and
applicable for any individual professional whereas Cultural
Relativism speaks about the ethical values that are specifically
formed according to the characteristics of the society in which we
live.
Professional Ethics

 Professional ethics is a continuous process; it is a

way of reviewing behaviour against constantly
changing standards. What may be ethical today, in a
particular society may be viewed differently by
others at another time. This can be influenced by a
lot of parameters such as codes of conduct, legal
systems, wider public interests etc
Professional and Ethical Standards
 Internationally established professional certification bodies such as
Project Management institute, Royal institution of Chartered
Surveyors, Chartered institution of Building, Institution of
Engineers, Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering
have prepared and follow their own developed professional and
ethical standards. The fundamental principles they address through
their standards are more or less similar.
 It is advised that all professionals must be able to demonstrate that
they act with integrity. They shall be honest, straightforward and
trustworthy in all their dealings. Professional shall be conveying
appropriate and necessary information in a way that is
understandable to the recipient.
 Confidential information shall not be divulged to unintended
receivers at the same time they have to be open and transparent to
the concerned parties in all their works. A professional shall act
impartially, without any bias and in the event of any conflicting
interest or any potential conflict of interest; the same shall be
informed to the relevant parties. Public interests need to be taken
care prior to making any decisions and a professional shall not
accept a gift if it may create an improper obligation
 A professional shall always provide the best possible service within
the context of scope of engagement. They should clearly understand
the employer’s requirements. An efficient and effective
communication system shall be in place. Always try to provide a fair
and reasonable treatment.
 Not only the professional life but the activities in personal life of a
professional are also equally important. Always try to keep
promises; do what is said and say only what can be done.
 Treat others with courtesy, politeness, consideration and respect
immaterial of their race, religion, size, age, gender, disability,
country of origin, cultural differences etc. Never discriminate
against anyone for whatever reason. Always try to provide a fair and
respectful treatment as part of business culture.
 A professional shall be accountable for all their actions; they have to
take responsibility whether it is right or wrong. They are supposed
to act with skill, care and diligence. A proper Complaints handling
mechanism shall be established and all the complaints are to be
attended to and resolved in a constructive and professional manner.
Code of Conduct
 These are basically the relevant specific behaviour codes for
professionals such as keeping all of their own actions under review,
maintaining a level of knowledge, understanding and training
appropriate to their area of work through continuous learning
process, following advices on ethical behaviour, and helping the
organization to develop ethical ways of working. There is a need for
the development of clear and objective professional and corporate
code of conduct based on the ethical principles.
 Organizations employing professionals need to develop a set of
code of conduct such as establishing an organization-wide ethics
management, auditing and improving systems continuously,
specifying a person responsible for ethical compliance, making sure
a complaint handling system exist in the organization which can
also assess unethical practices.
 As a part of continuous developments, every professional and the
organizations have to review existing codes of conduct and develop
activities to educate other staffs in their respective responsibilities,
conduct periodic assessments, conduct audits, provide ways to support
staffs in managing ethical dilemmas and strive for proper
administration of all dealings on a regular basis.
 The code of conduct is applicable to all professionals as they are
responsible and accountable in their professional lives. Main points of
code of conduct for professionals can be summarized as proportionality,
accountability, consistency, targeting and transparency. The codes
usually address the interpretation of terms, modes of communication,
professional behaviour, required competencies, requirement of
continuous learning through professional development, co-ordination
with authorities etc.
 Ethical guidelines may include particulars regarding the principle of
accepting gifts/ hospitality, health and safety regulations to be
adhered to, dealing with issues related to conflicts of interest,
procedures to be followed in money transactions, authorities of
disclosing confidential information of the organization, alcohol and
drug abuse, protection of intellectual property rights, protection of
environment, harassments, cultural issues, diversities in work
place, Anticorruption procedures, communication with local
communities and political and social behaviour. It may also include
matters related to the standards of advertising, internal audit
process, offering fair competition between other competing
organizations, equal opportunity rights, discrimination etc
Ethical Dilemma

 Ethical dilemmas are issues that require usage of an ethical value

system to determine a course of action that cannot be satisfactorily
determined by the use of facts and technical rules alone. Ethical
dilemma can be considered as a situation whereby you have to
choose between different rules or there are no specific rules or case
history to follow or a situation which may require more than one
course of action to conclude.
 Whenever any matter related to ethical dilemma is assigned to a
professional for evaluation; the first step is to prioritize them and
check whether there are sufficient data and facts on the matter is
available or not and always try to separate the facts from emotional
responses. If the sufficient data are made available check whether
they are legal or not and try to get more information or seek advice
from peers or seniors. If it can be established that the data available
are sufficient and legal verify if they are in line with the professional
and ethical standards. If they are in accordance with the ethical
standards assess the risk factors involved and consider the options
available. Weigh and balance between different options and
recommend the best option for which clear reasoning as regard to
reaching to a conclusion can be provided. If any of the answers to
any of these questions are not satisfactory it is not advisable to pass
any recommendations.
Conflict of Interest
 The definition of Conflict of Interest is used to describe the
situation in which an official, contrary to the obligation and
absolute duty to act for the benefit of the designated task,
exploits the relationships for personal benefit, typically
pecuniary.
 The examples for potential conflict of interest can be a
financial interest on any supplier, direct or indirect
partnership in a subcontract agency, immediate family
members or relatives working under the supervision of a
professional, or any other activity that may adversely affect
the interest of the organization.
 Managing Conflict of Interests requires integrity and trust. In
the event of any potential conflict of interest, the professional
shall disclose immediately to the concerned authorities and
try to refrain from attending to the particular task.
 There shall be conflict of interest policy in an organization
clearly defining the goal to identify potential conflict of
interests. Conflict of interest situations do not necessarily
involve offenses on the other hand avoiding actual, potential
and perceived conflicts of interest is fundamental to ensuring
the highest level of integrity and trust.
Ethics and Compliance Program

 Professionals and professional organizations shall maintain a

regular ethics and compliance program and communicate
their commitments to integrity, values, so as to ensure
compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. Such
program shall include educational and awareness to provide
job specific compliance and sensitivity to key issues. Such
program and code of conduct shall be designed to recognize
and resolve any ethical and compliance issues which may
arise in daily activities of a professional.
 Organizations may employ an Ethics compliance officer who
shall be responsible for formulating policies and procedures,
providing guidance, assistance and instructions, ensuring
strict compliance through proper monitoring and controlling
processes. He may deploy an audit committee who shall be
responsible for conducting periodic audits, ensuring fairness
in decisions; generate reports and helping to maintain an
effective ethics compliance program. Compliance to Ethical
standards is a key underpinning to maintaining high standard
of service, increasing confidence and reputation of the firm in
the market place.
Conclusion

 The rules governing ethics shall stipulate explicitly the

accepted policies on practices, compliance with laws, rules,
regulations and other statutory obligations. Professionals
shall have an understanding of their professional and ethical
responsibility, maintain and improve their expertise by
continuing professional developments and encourage others
to follow updates in the industry. Ethical guidelines shall
assist the professional in making appropriate decisions,
particularly in the situations of ethical dilemma
 References

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