1.
Inspiration and Guidance:
v
Codes provide positive stimulus for
ethical conduct and helpful guidance by using positive language.
v
Codes should be brief to be
effective and hence such codes offer only general guidance.
v
Supplementary statements or
guidelines to give specific directions are added by a number of societies or
professional bodies.
2.
Support:
v
Codes give positive support to
those seeking to act ethically.
v
An engineer under pressure to act
unethically can use one of the publicly proclaimed codes to get support for his
stand on specific moral issues.
v
Codes also serve as legal support
for engineers.
3. Deterrence
and discipline:
v
Codes can be used as a basis for
conducting investigations on unethical conduct.
v
They also provide a deterrent for
engineers to act immorally.
v
Engineers who are punished by
professional societies for proven unethical behaviour by revoking the rights to
practice as engineers are also subjected to public ridicule and loss of respect
from colleagues and local community.
v
This helps to produce ethical
conduct even though this can be viewed as a negative way of motivation.
4. Education
and mutual understanding:
The codes can be used
for discussion and reflection on moral issues and thereby improve the
understanding of moral responsibilities among all engineers, clients, public
and good organizations.
5.
Contributing to the profession’s public image:
Codes present the
engineering profession as an ethically committed society in the eyes of the
public thus enhancing their image.
6.
Protecting status quo:
Codes establish ethical
conventions, which can help promote an agreed upon minimum level of ethical
conduct.
7.
Promoting business interests:
Codes
can place unwarranted restraints of commerce on business dealings.
