MANUKAU INSTITUTE of TECHNOLOGY Faculty of Engineering & Trades
New Zealand Diploma in Engineering (NZDE)
115.610 ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
Essay on Professional Ethics
By
Se Zhang
130012461
Introduction
Ethics by definition are defined as a set of moral rules of conduct that are accepted by general public and should be obeyed by everyone. Ethics are essential to the architecture of a modern dynamic society and play a vital part in engineering or any other businesses. Ethics provide guidance to humans to pursue a course of action correctively in specific situations, and prevent us from the ones that would have negative or drastic consequences. Ethics clarifies what is good and bad on the basis of moral principle or values. Regardless of which particular field the engineer is in (e.g. civil, electrical or mechanical), their main liability and responsibility are to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of the public are protected to the highest level possible. Since almost the work done by engineers can have great impact on almost all aspects of our daily life, any design schemes or implementations that are made by engineers must meet the highest standard to ensure that no damages or potential damages to any resource, people, organization or environment will exist. Many organizations, like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) have established a set of code of ethics to
My personal ethics have been formed through family influence, religious beliefs, life experiences, my internal reflection and the culture in which I was raised.
Ethics are of a special importance to practicing professionals. Professions such as lawyers, teachers, doctors and engineers have a bigger responsibility as to making sure there jobs are done right and ethically. Though in order to achieve this goal individuals must understand what ethics really means. Ethics is basically the rules of conduct which is recognized in respect to a particular group, culture, or class of human actions. The decision to behave ethically is a moral one.
My personal code of ethics is Equality and Sensibility. I believe in a predictable system that assures the well-being of all, especially those without power, is a just system. As a wife, mother, nurse and a member of a community, I strive to do the best I can in every aspect of my life. As a mother, I strive to be a good role model to my children and teach them the fundamentals of life. I strive to be able to give a solid foundation and an easy path to life whether it be school, finding who they want to be as they grow older and for a productive future. As a nurse, I strive for equality of care for every patient and to be able to be their voice when they are not
Nurses demonstrate this value by protecting the client’s privacy. Designs care with sensitivity to individual client’s needs. Provides competent and sensitive care according to there
Barker, R. A. (1997). How can we train leaders if we do not know what leadership is? Human Relations, 50(4), 343-362. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/231429531?accountid=458
Having a personal code of ethics is very important to me since it defines who I am and what my beliefs are. My ethical code symbolizes who I am as an individual as a result of my moral, religious, intellectual and cultural upbringing. One of my greatest wishes is for my personality and actions to clearly define my code of ethics, without me verbalizing or someone else reading it on a document. Some questions that I would like others to ask and come up with their own answers without being doubtful and uncertain are: Is she an honest person? Is she a leader or a follower? Does she practice what she preaches? Does she exercise a love for God? These are the questions and answers that should reflex my
Although many things about engineering are positive there is a dark side. We depend on them and while engineers are making innovations for us, and maintaining life as the way we know it they also struggle with ethical issues such as plagiarism, confidentiality, and whistleblowing. Just like the list of golden rules we learned as young children, engineers uphold a list of ethical rules to guide them to make the ethically correct decision when one of these situations arise. Bribery the act of receiving or giving a gift with something required in return is another example of an ethical issue that can entice engineers to break the code (“Gifts and Bribes”, 2006). Unfortunately this was the case for a former manager of the Army Corps of Engineers whose greed caused him to break the ethical canons to “avoid deceptive acts”, to “conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, and lawfully as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession”, and finally to “hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public” (“Code of Ethics”). His misconduct is an example of the unethical decisions some engineers make.
Guido describes ethics as “a process of determining right conduct from wrong” (para 2, p. 3). My personal view of ethics is along the same lines as this and has been instilled in me my entire life. My code of ethics includes respect for myself and others; honesty in my endeavors, graciousness in both my personal and professional lives, and accountable for my actions. I use nonmaleficence and beneficence in every aspect of my life. I also strive to honor the proverbial do unto others as they would do unto me.
On top of this, they also make sure that their staff is culturally competent. PROFESSIONAL ETHICAL FRAMEWORK Working in the healthcare organization, professional behaviour is a must especially when it comes to the treatment and management of patients. This segment will discuss the Professional Ethical Framework in the Healthcare Institutions and that in Geneva Healthcare. Goals
First adopted in 1914, the code of ethics for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is the model for professional conduct for all ASCE members. The code of ethics is an excellent model as it is broken down into eight canons for further understanding. The purpose of each canon is to serve as a guide and reminder for professional engineers that they are to have the moral and ethical integrity the profession calls for at all times while holding safety paramount. The ASCE code of ethics is very informative and insightful because although each canon does not go into great depth, the canons leave room for interpretation under different situations.
My personal Code of Ethics includes Respect, Integrity, Fairness and Caring. Some situations in life may be subjective, but what matters is making sure the results are fair for all parties. Through the years I have found identifying and setting personal values to be increasingly difficult since the right decisions aren’t always appeasing to all that are involved. Every decision made or not made is definitive of myself, and in believing so removing the need to conform to standards imposed by society.
As I enter my junior year in college I can see my career right ahead of me. I am attending Grand Valley State University to become a Physician Assistant. This makes me think about my involvement in people 's health. This also makes me think about the responsibilities I have my patients and their well being. To be prepared for all of the challenges I will need to focus my attention on biomedical ethics. There are morals that have been engrained into my character. These include what is right or wrong and how I will behave in certain situations. I will compare my personal and professional ethics in order to be ready for my healthcare career. My personal ethics are deeply implemented into my professional ethics. This could make conflicts arise between my professional workplace and personal ethical view because of differing perspectives on issues. My personal ethics govern how I behave and help me to navigate through ethical dilemmas. My professional ethics could be restricted however, because of a code of conduct put in place by my employer. A code of conduct states principles expressing responsibility, and defines rules expressing duties of professionals to whom they apply. (Pozgar, 2016) I rely on ethical theories including virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics and principles of ethics to make my judgements.
The autonomy of a competent patient is an issue not often debated in medical ethics. Refusal of unwanted treatment is a basic right, likened to the common law of battery, available to all people capable of a competent choice. These fundamental rules of medical ethics entered a completely new forum as medical technology developed highly effective life-sustaining care during the 20th century. Several watershed cases elucidated these emerging issues in the 1960’s and 70’s, none more effectively than that of Karen Ann Quinlan. Fundamentally, this case established that a once-competent patient without the possibility of recovery could have their autonomy exercised by a surrogate in regard to the
When talking about engineering, people would probably have pictures in their mind of engineers using machines producing parts, drawing and sketching designs, or even doing some mathematical calculations. A more general answer to what engineers actually do would be that they solve social problems through the use of machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. They are all absolutely correct. But in reality, both the job and the role of an engineer are more complicated. They do not only have to work with machines and designs. Engineers are often involved in communications and negotiations. They have to work with different people and the responsibility that they have is massive. Important decisions are made by them and they have to use their own judgement. And very often, ethical considerations are already built into the decisions they make. In order to make the best decisions, they have to be understood in the context of their role in society and, moreover, they need to develop good ethical awareness and be able to deal with the dilemmas that they have to face every day.
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.