PROFESSIONALISM AND ENGINEERING CODES OF ETHICS

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PROFESSIONALISM AND ENGINEERING CODES OF ETHICS

• John W. Poston, Sr.
• Department of Nuclear Engineering
• Texas AM University

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Readings and References

• C. E. Harris,Jr., M. S. Pritchard M. R. Rabins,
  Engineering Ethics Concepts and Cases, 2nd. Ed.,
  Chapters 1 and 11.
• C. B. Fleddermann, Engineering Ethics, Chapter 2.
• P. A. Vesilind A. S. Gunn, Engineering, Ethics
  and the Environment, Chapter 3.

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TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT

• JOB low-skill level required
• TRADE manual skills, apprenticeships, often
  unionized
• SELF-EMPLOYED non-professional or professional
• KNOWLEDGE WORKER specifically educated or
  trained
• PROFESSIONAL regulated knowledge worker

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PROFESSIONALS

• Doctors Dentists
• Veterinarians Pharmacists
• Lawyers Accountants
• Architects Teachers
• Engineers Journalists
• Stock Brokers Athletes (?)

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WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL?

• Originally, one who professed adherence to
  monastic vows of a religious order.
• a free act of commitment to a specific way of
  life
• allegiance to high moral standards
• skill, knowledge, practice of an art

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WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL?

• Today, it is one who is duly qualified in a
  specific field
• special knowledge or education
• appropriate experience
• knowledge and skills vital to the well- being
  of a large potion of society
• special sanction

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MODELS OF PROFESSIONALISM

• Business Model
• professional status provides economic gain
• monopoly provides for high pay
• self-regulation avoids government regulation

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MODELS OF PROFESSIONALISM

• Social Contract Model
• professional are guardians of public trust
• an implicit, unstated agreement exists
  between professional and society
• society may subsidize training of
  professionals

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THE IMPLICIT AGGREEMENT

• Professionals agree to
• provide a service
• - for the public well-being
• - promote public welfare, even at own
  expense
• self-regulation
• - enforce competence
• - enforce ethical standards

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THE IMPLICIT AGGREEMENT

• Society agrees to
• allow a certain autonomy
• - freedom of self-regulation
• - freedom to choose clients
• social status
• - respect from society, titles
• high remuneration
• - reward for services
• - attract competent individuals

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ATTRIBUTES OF A PROFESSION

• Requires sophisticated skills, use of judgment,
  and exercise of discretion
• Requires extensive formal education not simply
  practical training
• Public allows the control, admission, standards
  of conduct, and enforcement
• Results in significant public good

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PROFESSIONAL TRAITS

• Extensive intellectual training (education)
• Specialized knowledge
• Skills vital to society
• Monopoly on service provided
• Autonomy, self-regulated
• Privilege/prestige
• Governed by a code of ethics

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IS ENGINEERING A PROFESSION?

• Engineering meets all the definitions of a
  profession.
• A commonly held view, is that engineering is a
  profession.
• Engineers do not always hold the same status in
  society as that of lawyers or doctors.

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ENGINEERING

• A profession that put power and materials to work
  for the benefit of mankind.
• In ancient times, there was no formal engineering
  education.
• Engineers built structures by trial and error.
• Engineering advances were made by learning from
  mistakes

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ENGINEERING - HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Engineering is an very old activity
• Engineers provided ways to improve the quality of
  life
• Engineers were responsible for much of ancient
  construction
• Engineers were responsible for many machines of
  war

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THE QUALITY OF LIFE

• Examples
• power and energy sources
• water supplies
• cranes and hoists
• ships and sea transport
• land transport
• ancient baths

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ANCIENT CONSTRUCTION

• Examples
• Great wall of China
• The pyramids in Egypt
• The coliseum in Rome
• Hadrians wall in the U.K.
• The Pont du Gard in France
• The dikes in the Netherlands

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MACHINES OF WAR

• Examples
• bows and cross-bows
• catapults
• assault towers battering rams
• ships of war
• rockets
• Greek fire

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WHY A CODE OF ETHICS?

• Define ideal behavior for the purpose of
  enhancing the pubic image
• Establish rules of conduct for policing its own
  members
• Encourage value-laden decisions for the public
  good

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CODES OF ETHICS THEIR DEVELOPMENT

• Not much known about early professional codes
• Medieval guilds codified their rules of conduct
• Underlying purpose of guild codes
• enhance the power of the guild
• provide job stability for members
• provide wealth for members

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Example ASCE Code of Ethics

• ASCE founded in 1852, some members interested in
  a code of ethics
• considered a matter of honor
• In 1893, proposed that a code of ethics be
  developed again no action
• In 1912, new efforts to develop a code
• In 1913, Board appointed a committee

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Example ASCE Code of Ethics

• Code is representative of most codes
• One of the earliest codes
• Adopted in 1914, based in spirit on the Code of
  Hammurabi (about 1750 B.C.)
• interactions between engineers and their
  clients
• interactions among engineers

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Example ASCE Code of Ethics

• Has been modified frequently
• In 1963, modified to include statements about the
  engineers responsibility to the public
• No enforceable provision addressing the
  engineers responsibility toward the environment

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Example ASCE Code of Ethics

• Has three parts
• The Fundamental Canons
• - there are 7 canons dating back to
  the original code
• The Guidelines to Practice
• - first published in 1961
• - clarify and add detail to Canons
• The Fundamental Principles
• - appeared in 1975 politically motivated
• - verbatim from ABET Code of Ethics

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Example ASCE Code of Ethics

• Fundamental Canon
• Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,
  health, and welfare of the public in the
  performance of their professional duties
• Fundamental Principle
• Engineers uphold and advance the integrity,
  honor and dignity of the engineering profession
  by using their skill for the enhancement of human
  welfare.

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Example ASCE Code of Ethics

• About 2 million civil engineers in the U.S.
• About 100,000 members of the ASCE
• membership in the ASCE is not required to
  practice engineering
• ASCE has no legal or moral significance to
  some engineers
• many graduates do not become licensed or
  join the ASCE

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MYRIAD SOCIAL ROLES

• Professional
• Parent
• Responsible child
• Responsible citizen
• Member of religious organization
• Member of civic organization
• Member of a political organization

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Professional Ethics vs. Personal Ethics
Personal Ethics
Professional Ethics
Pro
Per

• Overlap between professional and personal ethics
• Professional ethics more restrictive
• Personal ethics more restrictive

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PROFESSIONAL CODESInteraction Rules
Increasingly severe consequences
Courtesy/Etiquette
Morals/Ethics
Professional Codes
Laws

• Indicate dedication to professional behavior
• Recognition of professional responsibilities
• Create ethical environment
• Guide in specific circumstances
• Serve as an educational tool

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COMAPRISON OF CODES
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WHY SUPPORT THE CODES?

• Implicit contract with society
• Articulates engineers responsibilities
• Framework for proper behavior
• Increase responsibility of the profession
• Gives weight to ethical decisions
• Condition of membership

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LIMITATIONS OF THE CODES

• The codes are not a recipe for making decisions
• The codes cannot be used as a substitute for good
  judgment
• The codes do not cover every possible situation
• The codes are not a legal document

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ASSIGNMENT

• Read
• Auditory Visual Tracker (3)
• Borrowed Tools (4)
• Employment Opportunity ( 14)
• Fire Detectors (18)
• Moral Beliefs in the Workplace (31)
• TV Antenna (45)