Module 1 - Part 01-2019

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KE37703 ENGINEERS IN SOCIETY

Module: 1 :
Ethics in professionalism and Code of Ethics
CO 1 - To explain the importance of professionalism
and Code of Ethics in engineering practices.
KE08803

Introduction
ETHICS
Ethics is the study of the characteristics of morals. Ethics
also deals with the moral choices that are made by each
person in his or her relationship with other persons.
PERSONAL ETHICS
• Individual morality usually implies a set of internally held
values;

• focus on what are held to be intrinsic or universal


values - truth, honesty, or other measure of goodness;

• may guide our personal beliefs and actions.


PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
• Usually connected to a shared understanding of proper
conduct

• Guidelines among a group of people associated by means


of their profession

• Allows diverse, multidisciplinary, and multicultural teams


to work in unison toward common goals.
• Overlap between professional and personal ethics.

• Professional ethics more restrictive than Personal ethics.


ENGINEERING (PROFESSIONAL) ETHICS

Rules and standards governing the conduct of engineers in their


role as professionals.

Applies specifically to situations involving engineers in their


professional career.

Body of philosophy indicating the ways that engineers should


conduct themselves.

Issue of ethics arise because of the specialist knowledge of the


professional, and how the use of this knowledge should be
governed when providing a service to the public.
ENGINEERING (PROFESSIONAL) ETHICS

• With knowledge & skills, engineers have the


capability to do services to the public.

• With this capability, engineers have a tremendous


responsibility to clients, individuals and society.

• Ethics help engineers to guide their decisions to


ensure they act responsibly.
ENGINEERING (PROFESSIONAL) ETHICS
• The hallmark of PROFESSIONALISM.

• Systematic method for resolving complex engineering issues/dilemma


through ethical guidelines.

• Engineer possess specialist knowledge and training.

• Client places trust in the engineer that the services provided will be to
the client’s best interest.

• Engineer must not use the specialist knowledge and training to exploit
the client.
Adhering to the Code of Ethics, the engineering profession
will benefit in promoting its reputation, credibility and
respect. The result: the engineering profession will maintain
its attractiveness as a rewarding and respectable profession.

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s (ABET)


identifies engineering as “the profession in which knowledge
of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study,
experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop
ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of
nature for the benefit of mankind.”
• The Engineer’s Code of Ethics is a constellation of noble ideals binding
the following into a virtuous paradigm of what a Professional Engineer and
his upright bearing should be. Ethical obligations do not stop at any
country’s border; they are global.

• Wherever engineers practice, they should hold paramount the health,


safety, and welfare of the public.

• How an engineer fulfills those obligations may depend on the social and
economic context of engineering practice.
CODE OF ETHICS
• Express the rights, duties, and obligations of the members of the
profession.

• Provides framework for arriving at good ethical choices.

• May not be comprehensive, but all inclusive.

• Who has them?


– Professional Societies, Corporations
– Government & Academic Institutions
– Others
Engineer as a Profession
PROFESSION: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
NOT simply
Requires sophisticated Extensive
practical training
and specialized skills and regulated
or apprenticeship
formal education

Special societies
Profession Judgment /

or organizations discretion.

Contributes Work is not routine


(cannot be automated)
significantly So, is engineering
to public benefit a profession?
Registration of Engineers Act, 1967
THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA

The main function of the IEM is to encourage, support and promote the theory and
practice of various engineering disciplines. Towards this end, it has organized
various conferences both local and international, conducted
numerous seminars, talks and forums.
Registration of Engineers Act 1967

LATEST AMENDMENT IN 201?


Registration of Engineers Act 1967
Registration of Engineers Act, 1967

Any person who wants to take up employment as an engineer must be registered as


a Graduate Engineer with Board of Engineers (BEM). BEM recognizes the experience
gained by an engineering graduate only after he has registered as a Graduate
Engineer. As such, it is prudent for an engineering graduate to register as a
Graduate Engineer at the very beginning of his engineering career.
Regulation of Engineers in Malaysia

Registration of
Engineers Act 1967
(Act 138)

The REA was amended in 1972, 1973 1974, 1987, 2002, 2007 and 201? for the betterment of local engineering
practice.
ENGINEERING IS MANAGING THE UNKNOWN

In engineering practices, many questions need to be answered.

 How well does it work?


 How will it affect people?
 What changes will this lead to in society?
 How well will this work under all of the conditions that it will be exposed to?
 Is it safe?
 If there are some safety concerns, how bad are they?
 What are the effects of doing nothing?

The answers to these questions are often only partly known.


ETHICS AND THE LAW

•The practice of engineering is governed by many laws on the


international, federal, state, and local levels. Many of these laws are
based on ethical principles, although many are purely of a practical,
rather than a philosophical, nature.

•There is also a distinction between what is legal and what is ethical.


Many things that are legal could be considered unethical.
Conversely, just because something is illegal doesn’t mean that it is
unethical.
Ethical Problem Solving

•Although there will be no unique correct solution, there


will be a range of solutions that are clearly right, some of
which are better than others.

•There will also be a range of solutions that are clearly


wrong.

•There are other similarities between engineering ethics


and engineering design.
SUMMARY

Engineering ethics is the study of moral decisions that must be made by


engineers in the course of engineering practice.

• Be prepared to respond appropriately to ethical challenges during their


careers. Often, the correct answer to an ethical problem will not be obvious
and will require some analysis using ethical theories.

• Engineering ethics problems will have multiple correct solutions, with


some solutions being better than others.

• Adhering to virtuous paradigm of what a Professional Engineer and his


upright bearing should be - projects the professionalism of the individual.
THE MALAYSIAN
CONTEXT
(AS OUTLINED BY BEM/IEM)
What Is a Profession?
1. Work that requires sophisticated skills, the use of judgment, and the
exercise of discretion. Also, the work is not routine and is not capable of
being mechanized.

2. Membership in the profession requires extensive formal education, not


simply practical training or apprenticeship.

3. The public allows special societies or organizations that are controlled


by members of the profession to set standards for admission to the
profession, to set standards of conduct for members, and to enforce
these standards.

4. Significant public good results from the practice of the profession.


 The essence of engineering design is judgment: how to use the
available materials, components, and devices to reach a specified
objective.

 Discretion is required in engineering: Engineers are required to keep


their employers’ or clients’ intellectual property and business
information confidential.

 Primary concern of any engineer is the safety of the public that will
use the products and devices he designs. There is always a trade-off
between safety and other engineering issues in a design, requiring
discretion on the part of the engineer to ensure that the design
serves its purpose and fulfills its market niche safely.
CODES OF ETHICS
 Provides a framework for ethical judgment for a
professional.

 Serve as a starting point for ethical decision making.

 Express the commitment to ethical conduct shared by


members of a profession.

 Define the roles and responsibilities of professionals.


Not a recipe for ethical behavior; as previously stated, it is
only a framework for arriving at good ethical choices.

Never a substitute for sound judgment.

Not a legal document. One can’t be arrested for violating its


provisions, although expulsion from the professional society
might result from code violations.

Not new moral or ethical principles, these principles are well


established in society.
The Engineer’s Code of Ethics is a constellation of noble
ideals binding the following into a virtuous paradigm of
what a Professional Engineer and his upright bearing
should be:-
A code helps the engineer to apply moral principles to the
unique situations encountered in professional practice.

First, a code of ethics helps create an environment within a profession where


ethical behavior is the norm.

It also serves as a guide or reminder of how to act in specific situations.

A code of ethics can also be used to bolster an individual’s position with regard to
a certain activity: The code provides a little backup for an individual who is being
pressured by a superior to behave unethically.

A code of ethics can also bolster the individual’s position by indicating that there is
a collective sense of correct behavior; there is strength in numbers.

Finally, a code of ethics can indicate to others that the profession is seriously
concerned about responsible, professional conduct.
• The Profession: An Engineer shall at all times uphold the
dignity, standing and reputation of the profession by his
behaviour, actions and words.
KE08803 BOARD OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA (BEM)

Five (5) Main sections for CODE of ETHICS:

 A Registered Engineer shall at all times hold paramount the safety, health and
welfare of the public.
 A Registered Engineer shall undertake assignments only if he is qualified
by education & experience in the specific technical fields in which he is
involved.
 A Registered Engineer shall issue public statements only in an objective and
truthful manner.
 A Registered Engineer shall act for each employer or clients as faithful
agent or trustee.
 A Registered Engineer shall conduct himself honourably, responsibly,
ethically and lawfully so as to enhance the honour, reputation and usefulness
of the profession.
• With Colleagues: An Engineer shall not maliciously or
recklessly harm or attempt to harm whether directly or
otherwise the professional reputation of another engineer,
but shall however foster the reputation of colleagues for the
advancement of the profession.
• Towards Employers and Clients: An Engineer shall serve
employers and clients with honesty, loyalty and integrity in
conforming to the highest standards expected of their
respective community.
• The Public: An Engineer in providing his services shall at all
times be governed by the paramount interest of the public,
in particular their welfare, health, safety and environment.
• Oneself: An Engineer shall maintain and enhance his
health and competency in subscribing to self and
continuing professional development.
OTHER EXAMPLES:
THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS
ENGINEERS (IEEE)
1. to accept responsibility in making decisions consistent with the safety,
health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that
might endanger the public or the environment;

2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to


disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on


available data;

4. to reject bribery in all its forms;

5. to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application,


and potential consequences;
6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological
tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of
pertinent limitations;

7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and
correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others;

8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability,
age, or national origin;

9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or


malicious action;

10.to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support
them in following this code of ethics.

Approved by the IEEE Board of Directors, February 2006


NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
(NSPE)
Code of Ethics for Engineers
Preamble

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.
Fundamental Canons

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 of the
profession.
Corporate codes of ethic

Individual circumstances and unique mission of the company tend to be relatively


long and very detailed, incorporating many rules specific to the practices of the
company.

company policies on business practices,


relationships with suppliers,
relationships with government agencies,
compliance with government regulations,
health and safety issues,
issues related to environmental protection,
equal employment opportunity and affirmative action,
sexual harassment,
and diversity and racial/ethnic tolerance.
These codes give employees ready access to guidelines
and policies of the corporations. But, as with professional
codes, it is important to remember that these codes
cannot cover all possible situations that an employee
might encounter; there is no substitute for good judgment

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