Important Concepts about Professionalism and Professions

In our previous sections, we explored various aspects of understanding ethical conflicts. Now, let’s establish a clear understanding of what we mean by the terms “profession” and “professionalism.” These concepts are frequently at the center of moral and ethical discussions in engineering.

Profession

A profession is more than just a job that allows an individual to earn a living; it is an occupation that requires specialized knowledge and serves a higher societal purpose. The primary criteria of a profession include:

• Advanced Expertise: A profession requires sound knowledge in both technical disciplines and human sciences. For engineering, this means continuing education and constantly updating your skills are critical.

• Self-Regulation: Professional organizations play a significant role in setting admission standards, drafting codes of ethics, enforcing conduct, and representing the profession to the public and government agencies.

• Public Good: Every profession is expected to serve the public welfare, either directly or indirectly, by maintaining strict moral and ethical standards.

Professionals

A professional is an individual who is compensated for applying their specialized skills while strictly adhering to the ethical laws of their discipline. Various industry experts define a professional in slightly different ways:

• “Only consulting engineers who are fundamentally independent and have freedom from coercion can be called professionals.” − Robert L. Whitelaw

• “Professionals need to meet the expectations of clients and employers. Professional controls are to be imposed only by laws and government regulations, and not by personal conscience.” − Samuel Florman

• “Engineers are professionals when they achieve standards of excellence in education, job performance, or creativity in engineering, and accept the most basic moral responsibilities to the public as well as employers, clients, colleagues, and subordinates.” – Mike Martin and Roland Schinzinger

Models of Professional Engineers

A professional engineer performs various roles depending on the challenges they face. These functional roles can be categorized into several working models:

• Savior: Someone who rescues a person, group, or organization from imminent technical danger. For example, the engineers who remediated the Y2K computer bug acted as saviors for global networks.

• Guardian: An engineer who understands the direction of technological development and guides an organization toward a better future. They provide innovative ideas for sustainable, forward-thinking development.

• Corporate/Bureaucratic Servant: A loyal problem-solver who uses their specialized skills to navigate organizational challenges. Management heavily relies on their technical decision-making abilities for future corporate growth.

• Social Servant: An engineer working strictly for the benefit of society, without selfish interests or commercial bias. They often take on government or public works projects, executing tasks that directly address community needs.

• Social Enabler (or Catalyst): A professional who helps both the company and society understand their mutual needs. They facilitate strategic growth and maintain a healthy, productive environment within the organization.

• Game Player: An engineer who operates efficiently within the economic “rules of the game.” Neither a strict servant nor an independent master, this engineer successfully delivers projects on time and under budget, expertly managing the economic realities of the business.

Professionalism

Professionalism encompasses all areas of practice within a specific discipline. For engineering, it requires a distinct set of skills, obligations, and attitudes.

True professionalism means making the right choice regardless of personal feelings. It is an active commitment to the ethical standards and conduct required by the field. According to Aristotle, virtues are “acquired habits that enable us to engage effectively in rational activities that define us as human beings.” Thus, ethical principles and virtues are highly desirable character traits that shape an engineer’s motives, attitudes, and emotions.

Professional Ideals and Virtues

Virtues represent excellence in core moral behavior. To excel in the engineering profession, one must master behavior, skills, and knowledge. The behavior of an engineer demonstrates their underlying moral ideology.

These professional ideals define an individual’s character and drive their ethical decision-making. We can break these down into four core categories:

Public-Spirited Virtues

An engineer must always prioritize the public good and the well-being of their clients, intentionally avoiding harm. The professional code of conduct explicitly requires engineers to protect and promote public health, safety, and welfare. Engineers uphold these virtues by maintaining a sense of community, volunteering time or expertise to professional societies, and ensuring justice and fairness in all corporate and economic practices.

Competence Virtues

These virtues relate directly to an engineer’s technical intellect and capabilities. The core components are competence (being successful and highly skilled in your specific discipline) and diligence (taking meticulous care and calculating risks). Creativity and innovation are also essential virtues for successfully solving complex engineering problems.

Teamwork Virtues

These virtues represent the vital coordination and collaboration among colleagues. This includes demonstrating loyalty and respect toward the organization, which helps experienced engineers mentor and motivate team members to achieve productive, shared goals.

Self-Governance Virtues

This mindset focuses on the moral responsibilities that reflect an individual’s personal integrity. Integrity encompasses the actions, attitudes, and emotions maintained throughout an engineer’s career. Core self-governance virtues include accountability, courage, self-discipline, perseverance, and transparency. Ultimately, the honesty and trustworthiness an engineer displays are the most critical virtues in establishing a reputable career.