Communication and Ethics-

TT2404
Lecture 3:
Code of conduct: professional codes and corporate codes,
Possibilities and limitation of ethics, Local and global codes of
ethics.
 What is ethics?
• Ethics. It’s not an easy word to define. Almost everyone wants to live an
ethical life, but knowing what that means is not as simple as it sounds!
• Ethics is concerned with standards, rules or guidelines for morally or
socially approved conduct, such as being honest or trustworthy or acting
in the best interest of a society.
 What is ethical?
• Not all standards or values are ethical standards.
• For example, personal preferences and values, such as individual choices
of food or clothing, are not important enough to qualify as ethical values
or choices.
• Ethical standards apply only to conduct which has some significant effect
on people’s lives.
• For example, if an engineer used a substandard grade of steel in the
construction of a bridge, he or she would definitely have violated ethical
standards because of the potential safety hazards to society.
 Everyday personal ethics examples
• Copying of Videos or CDs.
• Plagiarism.
• Software Piracy.
• Copying homework or tests.
• “Borrowing” school supplies from friends and teachers and never
returning them.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
Engineers should follow their professional ethics code because
a. It helps them avoid legal problems, such as getting sued.
b. It provides a clear definition of what the public has a right to
expect from responsible engineers.
c. It raises the image of the profession and, hence, gets engineers
more pay.
d. The public will trust engineers more once they know engineers
have an ethics code.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
Engineers should follow their professional ethics code because
a. It helps them avoid legal problems, such as getting sued.
b. It provides a clear definition of what the public has a right to
expect from responsible engineers.
c. It raises the image of the profession and, hence, gets engineers
more pay.
d. The public will trust engineers more once they know engineers
have an ethics code.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
Engineers should act ethically because:
a. If they do not, they risk getting demoted or fired.
b. The boss wants them to.
c. It feels good.
d. That is the way responsible engineers behave.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
Engineers should act ethically because:
a. If they do not, they risk getting demoted or fired.
b. The boss wants them to.
c. It feels good.
d. That is the way responsible engineers behave.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
Engineers should act ethically because:
a. If they do not, they risk getting demoted or fired.
b. The boss wants them to.
c. It feels good.
d. That is the way responsible engineers behave.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
The first and foremost obligation of registered professional
engineers is to:
a. The public welfare.
b. Their employer.
c. The government.
d. The engineering profession.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
The first and foremost obligation of registered professional
engineers is to:
a. The public welfare.
b. Their employer.
c. The government.
d. The engineering profession.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
Registered professional engineers should undertake services for
clients only when:
a. They really need the fees.
b. Their own bid is the lowest one.
c. They are fully technically competent to carry out the services.
d. Carrying out the services wouldn’t involve excessive time or
effort.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
Registered professional engineers should undertake services for
clients only when:
a. They really need the fees.
b. Their own bid is the lowest one.
c. They are fully technically competent to carry out the
services.
d. Carrying out the services wouldn’t involve excessive time or
effort.
 Professional and cooperate codes
Corporate Code: Code of conduct that is formulated by a company
Professional Code :Code of conduct that is formulated by a
professional association
 Cooperate code of ethics
Corporate Code: Corporate codes of conduct are more often
disciplinary. In such cases, their objective is to achieve that all
employees act according to certain guidelines.
 Cooperate code of ethics
Example: Corporate Code of Intel Company:
• Employees must follow the law wherever they are around the world and
• in all circumstances.
• Do not engage in behavior that harms the reputation of Intel or yourself. If you
wouldn’t want to tell your parents or your children about your action, or would be
embarrassed to read about it in a newspaper, then don’t do it.
• Employees must avoid both actual and perceived conflicts of interest.
• Customers and suppliers must be dealt with fairly and at arm’s length.
• Employees must never attempt to bribe or improperly influence a
• government official, customer or supplier.
 Professional code of ethics
• Professional codes have been formulated for a variety of
professions like doctors, nurses, lawyers, priests, the police, and
corporate managers.
• Also engineers have professional codes of conduct.
• Most professional codes for engineers are advisory.
 Professional code of ethics:
Engineering
• Engineers must perform under a standard of professional behavior
which requires adherence to the highest principles of ethical
conduct.
• There are several codes of engineering ethics introduced by
different professional engineering associations in the world.
• Most of them are similar in the fundamental meaning.
 Codes of ethics for engineers
What is code of ethics? Can codes and professionals
How important is adopting protect employees (other
code of ethics ? codes of ethics)

Objections to codes What are the codes available

for engineers
 What is code of ethics
• It’s an aspect of professional societies and it expresses the
rights, duties and responsibilities of a member in these
societies.
• These codes are not limited to professional organization, it can
also be found in corporations and universities as well.
1. provides a framework for ethical judgment
2. no code can cover all possible ethical situations that
professional engineer will face it in his career. Rather it serves
as starting point for ethical decision making
 What is code of ethics
3. defines the roles and responsibilities of professionals.
4. It doesn’t create a new ethical principles, they simply repeat
principles that are already accepted as responsible engineering
practice
5. is not recipe for ethical behavior
6. is not a substitute for sound judgment.
7. is not legal document
 Engineering code of ethics
• The Institution of Incorporated Engineers Sri Lanka (IIESL)
• The Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL)
• Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• European Federation of National Engineering Associations
(FEANI)
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
 History of the Engineering Codes of
Ethics
Although codes of ethics are widely used by many organizations,
there are many objections to codes of ethics:
1. Relatively few practicing engineers are members of
professional societies and so don’t necessarily feel compelled
to abide by these codes
2. Many engineers are not aware of the existence of the society’
code, or if they aware of it , they have never read it.
3. Engineering codes often have internal conflicts , but don’t give
a method of resolving the conflict .
 How important is adopting a code
of ethics?
1. helps create an environment within a profession where ethical
behavior is the standard.
2. Serves as a guide or reminder of how to act in specific
situations.
3. Can also strengthen the individual ‘s position by indicating
that there is a collective sense of a correct behavior
4. Can indicate to others that the profession is seriously
concerned about responsible and professional conduct.
 Objections to codes
Although codes of ethics are widely used by many organizations,
there are many objections to codes of ethics:
1. Relatively few practicing engineers are members of professional
societies and so don’t necessarily feel compelled to abide by these
codes
2. Many engineers are not aware of the existence of the society’ code, or
if they aware of it , they have never read it.
3. Engineering codes often have internal conflicts , but don’t give a
method of resolving the conflict .
4. Code of conduct sometimes amount to window-dressing