Deliberations on and Suggestions for Revising Canon Four of the Code of Ethics for Engineers

Different organizations have different missions and goals. When these organizations hire personnel, they expect the employees to conduct themselves in a way that promotes the organizational objectives. Most organizations, however, are profit-oriented and therefore some of their practices may not be within the best interests of the people. Engineers, on the other hand, are obligated to abide by the engineering code of ethics. They also have a duty towards their employer which they cannot go against. In order to resolve the inter-role conflicts experienced by engineers, it is necessary to revise the fourth canon of the code of ethics. Professional autonomy is extremely important in the field of engineering because it allows them to exercise their duties for the greater good. In my view, revising the fourth of the code of ethics will enable engineers to carry out their duties to the full extent, reduce confusion, and protect their professional and organizational image.

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Currently, canon four of the engineering code of ethics prohibits engineers from using confidential information in a way that may hurt the interests of their employers or clients. By adhering to this code of ethics, engineers cannot act as whistle-blowers even when it is extremely necessary. Engineers mostly involve themselves with manufacturing processes of an organization. In some instances, engineers may realize that a company's processes lead to the releasing of pollutants into the environment. Most engineers report such incidences to their employers who may or may not act on the information. Some employers may deliberately refuse to act on the information and rectify the situation due to the costs involved in the process. The engineer may also not be able to take appropriate action since he is bound to carry out organizational objectives. In instances where such issues are exposed by third parties, both the organization and the engineer face the consequences. The engineer may lose his or her license to practice while the organization's public image may be completely ruined. However, in a situation where an engineer is empowered to protect the integrity of the profession as opposed to organizational goals, such incidences can be avoided.

Abiding by the fourth canon of the code of ethics may pose a risk to an engineer's professional life. It should be noted that organizational leaders such as managers and supervisors are not bound by strict ethical requirements as compared to professionals such as engineers. Such leaders assign greater value to the mission and objectives of an organization compared to the well-being of the general public. In an instance where it is discovered that an engineer put the needs of his organization above the well-being of the public, the engineer may be heavily penalized and his career could be completely ruined. Supervisors and managers, on the other hand, can easily reorganize themselves and continue with business. It is therefore very important to ensure that organizational goals are compliant with professional ethics and standards. Currently, the first and fourth canons of the code of ethics have brought about a lot of conflict for engineers. They are divided between being loyal to their organizations and their profession. As much as engineers should be trusted with conducting organizational business, it is necessary to ensure that their professional duties are not disregarded.

Currently, the fourth canon limits the extent to which engineers can protect the general public. As it is, engineers are not at liberty to disclose all the necessary information to the public. Professionally, they are however expected to protect the public from all kinds of hazards which may be caused by organizations. In order for them to fully carry out their duties to the public, they should be granted autonomous power. Professionals who are employed should be able to experience the same kind of autonomy as the one enjoyed by those serving in the private sector. The fourth canon greatly limits the extent of autonomy the engineering professionals experience. They are expected to act as faithful agents in the organizations they work with. In some circumstances, employers apply organizational pressure to their employees and force them to conform to organizational missions and objectives (Templin). For instance, most organizations require their employees to be "team players." This requirement is meant to ensure that employees only engage in activities which benefit the organization. Such organizational settings lead to the loss of professional decision-making powers and professions are reduced to ordinary people. When this occurs, these professionals cannot fully protect the public.

The provisions of canon four contradict with the provisions of canon one. The first canon of the code of ethics requires engineers to put the safety and welfare of the public above any other obligation they may have. However, the fourth canon also requires them to be faithful agents and to never divert confidential information which may hurt the public. As it has been shown in various cases, most profit-oriented companies put organizational needs above the welfare of the public. Engineers working with such organizations may be at a loss on what directive to follow as they are expected to abide by both canons. It also makes it difficult to handle public welfare. As long as canon four is not revised, it will be difficult to attain professional autonomy. This is because the canon is strongly linked to the traditional law of agency which requires subordination of employees. These two contradictory canons of ethics have forced engineers to use their own judgment in difficult situations. As the situations stands, the fourth canon is stronger than the first canon since it is also linked to agency law. The situation is made worse by the fact that engineers, just like other organizational employees are economically vulnerable and are therefore bound to conform to organizational goals. The current provisions of the fourth canon, therefore, do not promote professional autonomy.

Conclusion

From the information presented, it is evident that the fourth canon of the code of ethics for engineers has imposed certain limitations on how engineers can conduct their business. For instance, it has limited their ability to point out organizational ills. In so doing, it prevents engineers from fully protecting the public. It has also forced engineers to put the needs of organizations above the welfare of the general public. This also goes against the ethical obligations expected of engineers. Apart from preventing engineers to fully conduct their duty to the public, it has brought about unnecessary confusion as its provisions contradict the ones outlined in the first canon. The canon, therefore, needs to be revised so that engineers can attain professional autonomy and carry out their duties to the full extent.

Works Cited

Templin, Thomas. "Deliberations on and Suggestions for Revising Canon Four of the Code of Ethics for Engineers of the National Society of Professional Engineers." 4 Sept. 2015, Reading.