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REGULATORY FRAMES: PROFESSIONAL

DEONTOLOGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL ETHICS

Objectives of Unit #6:

Understand the value of Professional & Organizational
Codes of Ethics
Analyze the structure and procedures to produce
Codes of Ethics
Understand the concept of Organizational Ethics
Analyze the concept and different approaches to
Business Ethics

Engineering codes of ethics

Guidelines and principles for evaluation
of ethical conflicts
Not laws but often basis for laws
Developed for most engineering
disciplines
Formally accepted by professional
engineers

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Big picture
Codes of ethics are not a law
Ethical behavior is not always protected by law
Frequently ethical behavior may be perceived as
disloyalty
Many companies realize that ethical behavior is essential
for their long term prosperity
Ethically aware companies provide
o Provide help to employees facing ethical conflicts
o Allow employees to rise ethical concerns anonymously
o Explicitly prevent any forms of retaliation for reporting
unethical behavior

Professional Codes of Ethics

National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE)
Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME)

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National Society of Professional

Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics
. 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.
(More extensive Rules of Practice follow in the Code)
http://www.nspe.org/ethics/eh1-code.asp

IEEE Code of Ethics

We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the
importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of
life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal
obligation to our profession, its members and the
communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to
the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:
1. to accept responsibility in making engineering 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;

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IEEE Code of Ethics (cont.)

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;

IEEE Code of Ethics (concl.)

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.
http://www.ieee.org/portal/index.jsp?pageID=corp_level1&p
ath=about/whatis&file=code.xml&xsl=generic.xsl

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ASME Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics of Engineers
from The American Society of Mechanical Engineers

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and
dignity of the Engineering profession by:
I. using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement
of human welfare;
II. being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity
the public, their employers and clients, and
III. striving to increase the competence and prestige of
the engineering profession.

ASME Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics of Engineers From ASME
THE FUNDAMENTAL CANONS
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in
the performance of their professional duties.
Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.
Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their
careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of
those engineers under their supervision.
Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as
faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
Engineers shall build their professional reputations on the merit of their
services and shall not compete unfairly with others.
Engineers shall associate only with reputable persons or organizations.
Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful
manner.

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Some cases of ethical decisions facing engineers

Acknowledging mistakes (IEEE CoE Cannon 7)
Conflict of interest (IEE CoE Cannon 2)
Safety of products (IEEE CoE Cannon 1)
Environmental safety (IEEE CoE Cannon 1)
Responsibility arising from what others do (IEEE CoE Cannon 10)
Discrimination in the work place (IEEE CoE Cannon 8)
Whistle blowing (IEEE CoE Cannons 1, 2, 3, 4, 9)
Issuing non-expert statements (IEEE CoE Cannon 6)