Week 4

Codes and Cases

Alan Featherer
Timothy
Capparella
James Tuckowski
Thad Kumar

The Role of
Professional Codes of
Ethics
And The National Society of
Professional Engineers

Use of Engineers Creed

Use of Engineers Creed Cont.

Unethical.

Reason:
o

In no way was the creed necessary in the

advertisement. The creed should only be
applied in situations of engineering.
Ex.

He/ She could have used examples from his/

her personal engineering experiences without
making a direct reference to the code.

Supplanting Another Engineer

Scenario
o

A public agency needed a design for an unusual, complex

structure. They obtain a contract with an out-of-state engineering
firm familiar with this type of design.

Problem
o

A local engineering firm requested the contract be terminated on

account of their being able to arrange an experienced staff to
handle the problem.

Public Agency: Ethical or Unethical?

Local Firm: Ethical or Unethical?

Supplanting Another Engineer Cont.

Public Agency: Ethical

o

Reason:
Chose the agency with they deemed best qualified

for the job.

Local Firm: Unethical

o

Reason:
Attempted to supplant a firm which had been

retained for the work.

National Society of Professional

Engineers Code of Ethics

Codes

Advantages
o

o
o

Codes help us to examine the feelings engineers have about their

ethical or professional responsibilities.
Assist engineers in behaving in socially responsible ways.
Engineers may point to the professional code to support their
decisions.

Disadvantage
o

In following one code, it is possible another code may be broken.

Engineers Creed

As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge

and skill to the advancement and betterment of human welfare.
o I pledge:
To give the utmost of performance;
To participate in none but honest enterprise;
To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest
standards of professional conduct;
To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the
profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare
above all other considerations.
In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge.

ADOPTED BY NATIONAL SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, JUNE, 1954

Code of Ethics for Engineers

FUNDAMENTAL CANONS
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the
performance of their professional duties.
Perform services only in areas of their competence.
Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful
agents or trustees.
Avoid deceptive acts in the solicitation of professional employment.

Code of Ethics for Engineers Cont.

PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS
1.

2.
3.

4.

5.
6.

7.

Engineers shall be guided in all their professional relations by the highest standards of
integrity.
Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest.
Engineers shall avoid all conduct or practice which is likely to discredit the profession
or deceive the public.
Engineers shall not disclose confidential information concerning the business affairs
or technical processed of any present or former client or employer without his
consent.
Engineers shall not be influenced in their professional duties by conflicting interests.
Engineers shall uphold the principle of appropriate and adequate compensation for
those engaged in engineering work.
Engineers shall not attempt to obtain employment or advancement or professional
engagements by untruthfully criticizing other engineers, or by other improper or
questionable methods.

Code of Ethics for Engineers Cont.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Engineers shall not attempt to injure, maliciously or falsely, directly or indirectly,

the professional reputation, prospects, practice or employment of other
engineers, nor untruthfully criticize other engineers work. Engineers who
believe others are guilty of unethical or illegal practice shall present such
information to the proper authority for action.
Engineers shall accept responsibility for their professional activities; provided,
however, that Engineers may seek indemnification for professional services
arising out of their practice for other than gross negligence, where the Engineers
interests cannot otherwise be protected.
Engineers shall give credit for engineering work to those to whom credit is due,
and will recognize the proprietary interests of others.
Engineers shall cooperate in extending the effectiveness of the profession by
interchanging information and experience with other engineers and students,
and will endeavor to provide opportunity for the professional development and
advancement of engineers under their supervision.

National Society of Professional

Engineers

Background:
o
o

o
o

Founded in 1934
Serves 54,000 members over 53 states and territorial
societies
More than 500 chapters
Promotes ethical practice of engineering

To Become a Member:
o
o

Must have an EIT or Professional Engineer Certificate

Payment of $220.00

Developing an
Ethical Code for
Engineers: The
Discursive Approach
J. Felix Lozano

Introduction to Ethical
Codes
Early code of conduct - Hammurabis
Code; first ethical document Hippocratic Oath.
Complexity of society calls for the need of organizations and
professional associations to develop specific codes which are more
suited to the area of expertise.

Functions

Regulato
ry
Guiding
Directs
conduct,
avoids
conflicts
between
morality
and self
interest

Contract
ual
The tie
between
profession
al
obligation
s and
social
legitimacy

Legal
Organize
s
punitive
element
s so
principle
s are
followed

Ideologic
al
Set of ideas used by a group
to present its status as a
profession; beyond basic
duties, refers to essential
element of legitimacy,
commitment, and personal
fulfillment

Approaches, Values vs.

Norms
Compliance Approach establishes a system of incentives and
punishments to encourage people to comply with norms.
Integrity Approach encourages voluntary commitment to shared
values.
Lozano believes both approaches should complement each
other but prefers the Integrity Approach (value-oriented) because:
1. Strengthens voluntary commitment
2. Provides the necessary freedom for productive performance
3. Difficult to control professionals so Compliance Approach
Norms really
rules;isstatements
not feasiblethat permit action
Values several attempts to define them:
Qualities of the real which human beings discover creatively
and use to equip reality. (A. Cortina)
Moral values are prescriptive or guiding beliefs as to what is
good and fair.
Serve to legitimize, orient or judge ways of actions and facts.
(German Society of Engineers)

The Process of
Developing
a
Code
Development requires a logical, hermeneutical (interpretive
methodology to provide explanation) process:
Step 1 Analysis of the institution and its environment
Identify ethical problems
Desk research and interviews
Survey of literature engineering associations
Step 2 First proposal
Identify values associated with problems
structure information with fine detail
Step 3 Final formulation
Explicit, precise listing of values and commitments
Consulted experts in ethics with knowledge of engineering
Following this method, a code of ethics was created for the Official
Association of Industrial Engineers in Valencia, Spain.

The Study and Results

Detailed study of the associations documents and publications,

which were compared with documents of other similar organizations
such as ABET, IEEE, ASME.
In-depth, 3-part interviews with 10 people from association with
long careers and recognized prestige:
General ideas on ethics
Identifying ethical problems
Opinions and proposals on solutions to problems
Group Dynamics Sessions make association members aware of
the project, refine ethical problems discussed and develop more
accurate ethical values.
Consultation of experts in ethics and submittal of a document to
the board of the association for final amendments.
Scientific/hermeneutics approach valued and appreciated by
participants. Not as many participants as expected and while those
interviewed had great careers, they generally lacked ethical training.
Recommends more emphasis on ethical training, both
professionally and academically.

Highlights from the

Ethical Code
Seven section headings:
Integrity put the publics and our clients welfare before our
own particular interests
Commitment work to improve the professions image and
legitimacy
Respect treat colleagues and collaborators fairly
Responsibility accept our own errors and any criticism given
in good faith
Safety put the safety of people before any other professional
criterion
Efficiency inform clients of best technical and financial
options

George Carlin on
the 10
Commandments
vs.

George Carlin, stand-up

comedian

Its always kind of bugged the shit out of

methe 10 commandments GC

Says about 5000 years ago a bunch of

religious/ political hustlers got together to
figure out a way to control people.

Says they knew people were basically

stupid and would believe anything they were
toldso they said God gave them the
commandments.

Says they picked 10 only because it

sounded officialpsychologically
satisfying number, just like the
decimal system.

Calls it a bullshit list, a political

document artificially inflated to sell
better.

Why are there 10?

You dont need 10.

First 3
I am the Lord your God,
you shall not have
strange gods before me.
You shall not take the
Lords name in vain.
Keep holy the Sabbath.

Carlin says the first

three can be summed
up as pure bullshit,
spooky language
meant to scare and
control primitive
people. He says none
of the first 3 apply to
modern people.

Honor your father

and mother.

10

You shall not covet

your neighbors
goods.

Carlin says honor should

not be automatic but
instead based on the
parents performance.
He crosses this one off
the list along with the
first 3.
Carlin says coveting
your neighbors goods
is what keeps the
economy going.

6,7,8,9
You shall not commit
adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear
false witness against
your neighbor.
You shall not covet
your neighbors
wife.

Carlin says all four of

these can be combined
into one new
commandment: Thou
shall be honest and
faithful.

You shall not

kill.

Carlin says more people

have been killed in the
name of God than for any
other reason, in reference
to the Crusades, the Middle
East, 9-11, etc.

In Summary

Carlin reduced the 10

Commandments into 2 new
Commandments.
(1) Thou shall be honest and faithful.
(2) Thou shall try real hard not to kill
anyone, unless they pray to a different
invisible man than you do.

Questions to Consider

Are Carlins commandments as good

as the original 10?

Is the effectiveness of a code really

determined by the number of codes?

References

"National Society of Professional Engineers -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Wikimedia Foundation Inc. 13 July 2009
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_society_of_professional_engineers>.

"Membership, Join Now." National Society of Professional Engineers. 13 July 2009

<http://www.nspe.org/JoinNow/index.html>.