Practically every professional engineering organization has developed a code of ethics. Codes of ethics are formal declarations of an engineer’s professional obligations, and it is important to know expectations for oneself before pursuing and committing to a course of action. This paper is also a great opportunity to practice researching and writing skills which are necessary to almost every career.
The following pages contain the central elements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) code of ethics and several key comparisons between ASME’s code of ethics and the National Society of Professional Engineers’ (NSPE) code of ethics. The last two pages are a copy of the ASME’s code of ethics. Please read the subsequent paper, grade appropriately and accurately, and provide feedback and comments with advice on how to improve. To the ASME, improving the general welfare of society through the utilization of the specialized skills of engineers is highly stressed. One must consider the possible consequences of actions and decide the best course of action to benefit the safety and health of the public. The ASME
…show more content…
For instance, ASME’s code declares that it is a mechanical engineer’s duty to advance and develop themselves and fellow coworkers professionally throughout their careers unlike the NSPE’s code which merely mentions “enhance honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession” as stated in their sixth fundamental canon. Additionally, ASME’s code states that an engineer must be wary of the impact of a project prolonged development on the environment. The addition of these lines sets the ASME’s code of ethics apart from the NSPE. While the NSPE’s code of ethics is lengthier and more specified, the ASME’s short, concise code manages to include the key elements of engineering ethics and ethics in
The competency codes of ethics in ACS and Clients and Employer codes of ethics in IEEE/ACM is the same as Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their client and employer consistent with the public interest.
Ethics also plays a huge part in making a decision that yields a more positive outcome. Ethical Codes provides a framework and guidance for maintaining obligations to different stakeholders (Follari, 81).NAEYC and NEA both created a code of ethics. The national education association (NEA) code of ethics has two main principles: commitment to the student and commitment to the profession. NAEYC also developed a code of ethics with the intent to “give practitioners a research-based framework for making sound decisions in their work, especially when faced with ethical dilemmas” (Follari , 72). NAEYC code set a framework of professional responsibilities in four sections that address professional relationships that include: children, families, colleagues, and community and society; and in which each section is divided into ideal and principles. (NAECY 2011, pg 2)
This paper will explore the perspectives of five engineers who use their skills in different fields to assess their views of the link between ethics and technology as well as determining how to place blame.
The field of engineering is a field in which collaboration is essential to solve problems, which is what engineering is, solving problems in which the solutions advance our society. The organization of ASME provides just that bridge that allows professional engineers to collaborate together in solving complex problems. Not only are professional members able to connect with each other in
Virtue ethics, an ethical system formulated by Aristotle thousands of years ago, has shown promise as a vehicle for describing the full range of engineers’ goals and responsibilities beyond the prohibitive and preventive ethics found in engineering codes (Harris). This theory incorporates aspirational ethics, the positive and
Engineering is the application of science and mathematics which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people (Engineering, n.d). The key concept in this definition is the basis of humanity is the underlining tone throughout engineering. The entire purpose of the profession is to drive innovation in the scientific community and create a more peaceful coexistence with nature and technology. The code of ethics here in Canada holds emphasis on the overall safety of the people and environment. However, even with the collaboration of the world’s greatest minds there is a margin of error. The error comes from a fault in mechanical or human negligence. The lines of truth become blurred and it is difficult to
With the constant discovery of scientific principles and new engineering designs, the responsibility often lies in the hands of engineers to decide what is in the best interest of the public. Millions of people around the world use products and structures developed by engineers, every day. Before accepting work from a client, it is important that engineers have a good understanding of their own personal limitations. If work is accepted that they are “not competent to perform by virtue of [their] training and experience” , there is a clear disregard for public welfare and potential for a serious safety hazard. It is again evident that the
The whole point of mechanical engineering at a glimpse is to make life easier and better for the human race, and ASME share that point of view as stated on the ASME website“ASME develops voluntary standards that enhance
Lebanese International University School of Engineering Department of Electrical Engineering Spring 2012 IENG300 – Engineering Project Management Assignment 4 Solution Instructor: Dr. Bassam Hussein Due Date: Week 11 Exercise 10.2: Codes of ethics are pretty instrumental in providing guidance to the members of particular professional society. PMI is one of those societies and its members are professional project managers. Codes of ethics play the following roles in general:
As mentioned above, it is very important for engineers to understand their own responsibilities. In 1960, the Conference of Engineering Societies of Western Europe and the United States of America defined "professional engineer" as follows:1 “A professional engineer is competent by virtue of his/her fundamental education and training to apply the scientific method and outlook to the analysis
Ethics is the moral behavior that guides our actions; it motivates us in our personal behavior and is relevant in a business setting as well. Many organizations have set forth a set of guidelines known as a “Code of Ethics”. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, being one of these organizations, has set forth their code as a requirement for students and engineer members to adhere to. Heading towards a career in electrical engineering I choose this organization to elaborate on for my ethics project.
Engineering has been one of the top demand professions of all time. Nevertheless, the awareness of an engineer’s responsibility is still vague in the society. In this concurrent era of technological revolutions, it has become highly relevant to give a definition to this. The question, ‘whether engineer should remain within the limitations/ guidelines of the organizations they work for or not’ finds high relevancy and importance. There are ongoing strong debates on this matter, with a large group arguing engineering is a profession, where one has to make his skills ready to be available for whosoever pays him, as far as that falls within law (Deborah G, 1989). I personally support the contrary to this version, i.e., the
Both the IEEE and the NSPE code of ethics are worded similarly, nevertheless IEEE code seems to be based off of the NSPE code of ethics. In contrast, the NSPE code is descriptive and longer than IEEE. The NSPE code of ethics is specific and offers solutions to some common ethical circumstances that engineers encounter on a day to day basis. IEEE codes are shorter than NSPE they are left open to the interpreter nevertheless they don’t specify a certain course of action for different circumstances that happen. Unfortunately the IEEE codes are left open for interpretation that could be read by people, like myself, as unhelpful because they lack the experience and know-how of what to do in
This guide is available as an abridged published document, and as a full set of case studies available online, including an in-depth discussion of the place of ethics in engineering. It is our intention to update and add to the case studies over time, reflecting the changes in technology and society that affect engineering ethics. Ethics, like engineering, is a practical subject, and its exercise is in debate and discussion. We hope that these case studies are used to stimulate discussion between engineers, to help individuals, and the profession as a whole, to advance their understanding of the ethical issues in engineering. How to use this guide The purpose of this guide is to supplement the SEP with discussions, clarifications and illustrative personal experiences that will bring the ethical issues in engineering to life. The guide is also intended to
Civil engineers play a massive role in building society as we know it they are responsible for our quality of life. Civil engineers plan, design, maintain and construct infrastructure such as railways, dams and water systems. This report will touch upon a few of the important day to day responsibilities that civil engineers face and highlight the importance of these responsibilities. This report will also mention a few of the key attributes of being a professional civil engineer taken from the ICE (institute of civil engineers). Other attributes that haven’t been mentioned in the report include: a technical and practical application of engineering, independent responsibilities and independent judgement, professional commitment, interpersonal skills and communication and commercial ability.