Code of Ethics

Lecture 19
PROFESSIONAL
ETHICS
Codes of Ethics,
A Balanced Outlook on Law,
The Challenger Case Study
Code of Ethics
A Code of Ethics is a blueprint for developing a culture
of values in an organization. A code consists of a clearly
stated and written set of guidelines that managers,
employees, and agents of an organization must follow.
 A code of ethics is a reference tool that provides guidance
to both employees and managers on how to implement
and practice business ethics in the workplace.
 Code of ethics serves as a central guide to support day-to-
day decision making at work. It clarifies the cornerstones
of organization - its mission, values and principles –
helping the staff understand how these cornerstones
translate into everyday decisions, behaviors and actions.
CODES OF ETHICS
The ‘codes of ethics’ exhibit rights, duties, and obligations of the members of
a profession and a professional society. The codes exhibit the following
essential roles:
1. Inspiration and guidance. The codes express the collective commitment of
the profession to ethical conduct and public good and thus inspire the
individuals. They identify primary responsibilities and provide statements
and guidelines on interpretations for the professionals and the professional
societies.
2. Support to engineers. The codes give positive support to professionals for
taking stands on moral issues. Further they serve as potential legal support
to discharge professional obligations.
3. Deterrence (discourage to act immorally) and discipline (regulate to
act morally). The codes serve as the basis for investigating unethical
actions. The professional societies sometimes revoke membership or
suspend/expel the members, when proved to have acted unethical. This
sanction along with loss of respect from the colleagues and the society
are bound to act as deterrent.
4. Education and mutual understanding. Codes are used to prompt
discussion and reflection on moral issues. They develop a shared
understanding by the professionals, public, and the government on the
moral responsibilities of the engineers. The Board of Review of the
professional societies encourages moral discussion for educational
purposes.
5. Create good public image. The codes present positive image of the
committed profession to the public, help the engineers to serve the
public effectively. They promote more of self regulation and lessen the
government regulations. This is bound to raise the reputation of the
profession and the organization, in establishing the trust of the public.
6. Protect the status quo. They create minimum level of ethical conduct
and promotes agreement within the profession. Primary obligation
namely the safety, health, and welfare of the public, declared by the
codes serves and protects the public.
7. Promotes business interests. The codes offer inspiration to the
entrepreneurs, establish shared standards, healthy competition, and
maximize profit to investors, employees, and consumers.
NSPE CODE OF ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS
(NSPE: National Society of Professional Engineers)
Engineering is an important and learned profession. As members of this profession, engineers are
expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital
impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require
honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public health,
safety, and welfare. Engineers must perform under a standard of professional behavior that requires
adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct.
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:
1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. Avoid deceptive acts.
6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor,
reputation, and usefulness
7. Quality and safety in design should be fundamental in engineering concerns
Advantages of Codes of Ethics
 Set out the ideals and responsibilities of the profession.
 Exert a de facto regulatory effect protecting both clients and professionals.
 Improve the profile of the profession.
 Motivate and inspire practitioners, by attempting to define
their raison d’etre.
 Provide guidance on acceptable conduct.
 Raise awareness and consciousness of issues.
 Improve quality and consistency.
de facto: in fact but not necessarily by raison d’etre: the most
legal right; in fact, whether by right or not important reason or purpose
for someone or something's
existence
Limitations:
The codes are not remedy for all evils. They have many limitations, namely:
1. General and vague wordings. Many statements are general in nature and hence unable
to solve all problems.
2. Not applicable to all situations. Codes are not sacred, and need not be accepted without
criticism. Tolerance for criticisms of the codes themselves should be allowed.
3. Often have internal conflicts. Many times, the priorities are clearly spelt out, e.g., codes
forbid public remarks critical of colleagues (engineers), but they actually discovered a
major bribery, which might have caused a huge loss to the exchequer.
4. They cannot be treated as final moral authority for professional conduct. Codes have
flaws by commission and omission. There are still some grey areas undefined by codes.
They can not be equated to laws. After all, even laws have loopholes and they invoke
creativity in the legal practitioners.
Limitations cont….
5. Only a few enroll as members in professional

society and non-members can not be compelled.
6. Even as members of the professional society, many
are unaware of the codes
7. Different societies have different codes. The codes
can not be uniform or same! Unifying the codes
may not necessarily solve the problems prevailing
in various professions, but attempts are still made
towards this unified codes.
8. Codes are said to be coercive. They are sometimes
claimed to be threatening and forceful.
Examples from the past that represent the importance of law:
Babylon’s Building Code (1758 BC)

This code was set by Hammurabi, king of Babylon. It aimed at the builders of his time
wherein, they were forced to follow the code by law. He ordered them,
“If a builder has built a house for a man and has not made his work sound, and the house
which he has built was fallen down and so caused the death of the householder, that builder
shall be put to death. If it causes the death of the house holder’s son, they shall put that
builder’s son to death. If it causes the death of the house holder’s slave, he shall give slave
to the householder.
If it destroys property, he shall replace anything it has destroyed; and because he has not
made the house sound which he has built and it has fallen down, he shall rebuild the house
which has fallen down from his own property. If a builder has built a house for a man and
does not make his work perfect and the wall bulges, that builder shall put that wall into
sound condition at his own cost”.
The above portion of Babylon’s building code was respected duly. But the aspects find
only little approval today. This code gives a powerful incentive for self-regulation.
A Balanced Outlook On Law
 The ‘balanced outlook on law’ in engineering
practice stresses the necessity of laws, regulations
and also their limitations in directing and
controlling the engineering practice
 Laws are necessary because, people are not fully
responsible by themselves and because of the
competitive nature of the free enterprise, which does
not encourage moral initiatives.
 Laws are needed to provide a minimum level of
compliance(agreement).
 We look at engineering as social experimentation,
we find that the field of engineering develops
products and services for the public good.•
 Ifan experiment fails, causing damage to society in
many forms, one things of regulating the field of
engineering and its application so that such damages
do not recur
 To live in harmony in the society, one should learn
to maintain a balance between individual needs and
collective needs of the society.
 In order to live, work and play together in harmony as a
society, we need to carefully balance individual needs
and desires against collective needs and desires
 Ethicalconduct inculcates a strong element of humanity
which provides such a balance.
 Engineers should play an active role in establishing or
changing enforceable rules of engineering as well as in
enforcing them.
 At various times in history and in various countries
engineers have had less say in how rules affecting their
work were made or carried out except for a few who
were among a rulers trusted advisors
THANK YOU

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Lecture 19

5. Only a few enroll as members in professional

Babylon’s Building Code (1758 BC)

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