Engineering Ethics – Section 7

This is a headway of Kohlberg’s hypothesis. It had been seen that Kohlberg’s hypothesis was proposed dependent on the ethical considering advantaged white men and young men. Henceforth this hypothesis was promoted by considering both male and female reasoning capacities.

 

Hymn Gilligan, a mental scholar was conceived on Nov 28, 1936 in the New York city. She sought after her doctorate certificate in Social Psychology from the Harvard University. Gilligan was an examination right hand for Lawrence Kohlberg, however she inevitably ended up autonomous and censured a portion of his hypotheses.

 

Gilligan’s Theory

 

Ditty Gilligan opines that Kohlberg’s hypotheses are one-sided upon the male reasoning procedure. As indicated by Gilligan, Kohlberg appeared to have examined just special men and young men. She accepted that ladies face a great deal of mental difficulties and they are not good gadgets. The ladies’ perspective on good advancement includes minding which demonstrates its impact on human connections.

 

Subsequently she proposed a hypothesis which has a similar three phases of Kohlberg however with various phases of good improvement. Give us a chance to comprehend the phases in detail.

 

Gilligan’s Theory

 

Despite the fact that the names of the stages are the equivalent, the stages contrast in this strategy. The ethical improvement in Gilligan’s hypothesis depend on expert social practices, for example, Altruism, mindful and helping and the attributes, for example, trustworthiness, reasonableness and regard.

 

Pre-customary Level

 

An individual in this stage thinks about oneself to guarantee endurance.

 

In spite of the fact that the individual’s frame of mind is narrow minded, this is the progress stage, where the individual finds the association among oneself as well as other people.

 

Customary Level

 

In this stage, the individual feels mindful and shows care towards other individuals.

 

Tune Gilligan accepts that this ethical reasoning can be distinguished in the job of a mother and a spouse. This occasionally prompts the numbness of oneself.

 

Post-customary Level

 

This is, where the guideline of consideration for self just as others, is acknowledged.

 

In any case, a segment of individuals may never arrive at this level.

 

As indicated by the Carol Gilligan’s hypothesis of good improvement, changes happen because of the difference in self instead of the basic reasoning. It was expressed that the post-regular degree of Kohlberg isn’t achieved by ladies. In any case, Carol Gilligan looked into and found that the post-traditional degree of reasoning isn’t by and large simple for ladies to experience since they care for the connections.

 

Levels of Thinking

 

Song Gilligan states that the post-traditional degree of good reasoning can be managed dependent on the two sorts of reasoning. Gilligan’s hypothesis depends on the two primary thoughts, the consideration based ethical quality (typically found in ladies) and the equity based profound quality (normally found in men).

 

Levels of Thinking

 

Care-based Morality

 

Care-based ethical quality is the sort of intuition found in ladies. This depends on the accompanying standards.

 

More accentuation is given to between associated connections and all inclusiveness.

 

Acting evenhandedly centers around evasion of brutality.

 

Ladies with this are normally keen on helping other people.

 

Progressively regular in young ladies due to their associations with their moms.

 

Since young ladies stay associated with their moms, they are less disposed to stress over issues of decency.

 

Equity based Morality

 

Equity based profound quality is the sort of deduction found in men. This depends on the accompanying standards.

 

They see the world as being made out of independent people who cooperate with each other.

 

Acting evenhandedly means staying away from disparity.

 

People with this are generally keen on ensuring independence.

 

Thought to be increasingly normal among young men on account of their need to separate among themselves and their moms.

 

Since they are isolated from their moms, young men become increasingly worried about the idea of imbalance.

 

The Carol Gilligan’s hypothesis can be better comprehended whenever clarified with a model.

 

Case of Gilligan’s Theory

 

So as to comprehend Gilligan’s hypothesis, a mainstream model is generally considered. A gathering of moles offer safe house to a porcupine. Be that as it may, they are in effect constantly cut by the porcupine’s plumes. Presently, what would it be advisable for them to do?

 

Case of Gilligan’s Theory

 

The Pre-regular degree of reasoning states that to think to benefit oneself, either the moles or the porcupine just can live there. Different needs to leave the spot.

 

As per the Conventional degree of reasoning, which brings a progress, from self to the benefit of other people and which may even prompt penance, either the moles or the porcupine needs to forfeit and again this prompts a phase where just moles or the porcupine can live in the tunnel.

 

As indicated by the Post-ordinary degree of reasoning, which expresses that the benefit of both the gatherings must be considered, both the moles and the porcupine go to an understanding that both will have separate places in a similar tunnel, where they point of confinement to maintain good manners and won’t raise any ruckus to other. This encourages them two to live in a similar spot with harmony.

 

Gilligan’s Post-regular Level

 

The specialists found that the answer for this situation is distinctive with various people; sexual orientation additionally assumes a significant job. The masterminds were watched seeing the issue in two alternate points of view, the consideration based and the equity based.

 

In a Justice-based point of view, the answer for the issue is seen as a contention between two individual gatherings. Just one of them can have the property. Either moles or the porcupine will get the spot in the tunnel. Henceforth the answer for the predicament, isn’t a goals of the contention, it is a decision.

 

In a Care-based viewpoint, the methodology varies. The issue is seen as a troublesome circumstance looked by both the gatherings together, as opposed to a battle between them two. Henceforth the arrangement is looked for in a manner around the issue or to evacuate the issue totally. The arrangement may sound trading off yet not harming. The relationship will at present be the equivalent, after the goals.

 

Specialists found that Justice-based viewpoint is pre-predominant among guys while Care-based forthcoming is among females.

 

Accord and Controversy

 

The ethical judgment may prompt clashes on the off chance that they are not conveyed appropriately without offending  of the people in question. There are two phases after the judgment. The stages are depicted beneath −

 

Accord

 

This is state where individuals come into concurrence with the judgment given by getting persuaded with the ethical reasons. This will leave the people with a vibe that equity has been done, the decision may support any gathering.

 

Debate

 

This is state where the people engaged with an issue are not fulfilled by the decision and might feel that it was chosen halfway interests. This will leave the individuals with a feeling of disappointment that equity was not done, which may prompt another contention.

 

What Is Engineering Ethics

Every profession has ethics that guides its members. Engineering as a profession has its ethics that are laid down rules to protect engineers and the public at large. One cannot underestimate the importance of engineering ethics in the society in regards to its welfare, health and protection.

Engineers require a balance of moral thinking, legal importance, costs, safety, standards, risk investigation and benefits. Engineering Ethics comprises a body of ethical rules that apply to the study of engineering.

Ethical Problems Faced By Practicing Engineers

The ethical problems experienced by practising engineers are not quickly resolved, and they are of different types. Ethical Problems influence a large scale of engineering custodians and decisions about doing what is right, frequently fall into an uncertain area that is best unclear and disastrous at worst.

It is good to understand the minor distinctions of many approaches to ethical testing and essential decision making. Most times, the right decision taken by a vast majority of engineering stakeholders always have some negative influence on the majority.

The principle of ethical utilitarianism states that the right decision is that which leads to the highest good for the most considerable number of engineering stakeholders is not the best moral decision made.

Other ethical principles like respect for colleagues and moral ethics may produce better ethical decisions resolving severe problems. It is important to note that immediate cognition is not the best way of making ethical decisions.

Engineering Codes of Ethics

Engineering Codes Of ethics are laid down rules of practice that give a framework for making ethical decisions in respect to historical research, where wrongly decisions made have led to negative results. Even though engineer codes of ethics are alike across disciplines, they have their different historical background.

The primary principles published on the National Society of Professional Engineers website are worthy of comparison with the codes of ethics written by Individual Professional Society. They include;

1. Hold the highest importance of safety, health and welfare of the public.
2. Carryout services only in areas of specialization.
3. Give public statements only in an objective and sincere manner.
4. Work for every employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. Abstain from deceptive acts.
6. Carry themselves honourably, responsibly, lawfully and ethically to ensure and improve the honour, reputation, and effectiveness of the profession.

The Importance of Engineering Ethics to the Society

Engineering, as a profession, has a culture and set of practices of their own. Engineers have developed a set of ethics to guild them whenever their services are needed in society. Just like every other craftwork, there are a lot of engineering standards to consider when providing services to a client. The most important duty of an engineer is to protect the well being of the public. That is, be sure of any services provided and carryout appropriate testing to ensure the safety of any project, even when the engineer has chances to offer low-quality services for his/her benefits.

The Takeaway

Conclusively, all engineers have the right to report any fault notice during production or construction to the appropriate government regulatory body, if the organization they work for fails to adhere to the right ethics. This may sometimes cause them their job, but they should always remember that protecting the interest of the public is their first-ever responsibility as an engineer.

Important Concepts about Professionalism and Professions

In our past parts, we talked about the various parts of understanding a contention. Give us now a chance to comprehend what do we mean by calling and polished methodology. The words “Calling” and “Polished methodology” are regularly noted in the ethical issues.

Calling

Calling implies a vocation or an occupation that enables an individual to win his living. The primary criteria of a calling include the accompanying.

Propelled aptitude − the criteria of a calling is to have sound information in both specialized angles and human sciences also. All in all, proceeding with instruction and refreshing learning are additionally significant.

Self-guideline − An association that gives a calling, assumes a noteworthy job in setting principles for the admission to the calling, drafting codes of morals, upholding the norms of direct and speaking to the calling before the general population and the legislature.

Open great − any occupation serves some open great by keeping up high moral guidelines all through a calling. This is a piece of expert morals where every occupation is expected to serve for the welfare of people in general, legitimately or in a roundabout way partially.

Experts

An individual who is paid for getting involved in a specific calling so as to procure a living just as to fulfill the laws of that calling can be comprehended as a Professional. The meaning of an expert is given contrastingly by various specialists in the field. Give us a chance to see the accompanying definitions −

“Just counseling designers who are fundamentally autonomous and have opportunity from compulsion can be called as experts.” − Robert L. Whitelaw

“Experts need to meet the desires for customers and managers. Expert controls are to be forced by just laws and government guidelines and not by close to home still, small voice.” − Samuel Florman

“Designers are experts when they accomplish norms of accomplishment in training, work execution or inventiveness in building and acknowledge the most fundamental good duties to the general population just as managers, customers, associates and subordinates.” – Mike martin and Ronald Schinzinger

Models of Professional Engineers

A designer who is an expert has a few undertakings to perform by which he goes about as any of the accompanying, which can be named as Models of Professional Engineers.

Guardian angel − an individual who spares a person or thing from any risk is known as a Savior. A specialist who spares a gathering of individuals or an organization from a specialized threat can likewise be known as a Savior. The Y2K issue that made issues for PCs and PC organizes the world over was understood by designers who were the rescuers.

Watchman − an individual who knows the heading towards a superior future is known to be the Guardian for the equivalent. A designer who knows the heading wherein there is degree for the innovation to create can likewise be known as a Guardian. This designer furnishes the association with imaginative thoughts for innovative improvement.

Bureaucratic Servant − an individual who is steadfast and can tackle issues when they happen utilizing his very own abilities, is a Bureaucratic hireling. An architect who can be a steadfast individual to the association and furthermore the person who takes care of the specialized issues the organization experiences, utilizing his extraordinary aptitudes can be named as a Bureaucratic hireling. The organization depends on his basic leadership ability for the future development.

Social Servant − an individual who works to support the general public with no egotistical intrigue and doesn’t chip away at any business grounds, is known as a Social worker. A specialist who gets an undertaking as a feature of the administration’s anxiety for the general public considering the mandates laid by the general public and achieves the allotted errands can be named as a Social Servant. He realizes what the general public needs.

Social Enabler or Catalyst − an individual who causes the general public to comprehend its welfare and progresses in the direction of the advantages of the individuals in it, is a Social Enabler. A designer who assumes an essential job in an organization and helps organization alongside society to comprehend their needs and supports their choices in work can be named as a Social Enabler or Catalyst. This individual revives the technique and keeps up great condition in the organization.

Game Player − an individual who plays a game as indicated by the standards given is a Game player when all is said in done. A designer who goes about as neither a hireling nor an ace, however gives his administrations and plans his works as indicated by the monetary game guidelines in a given time, can be named as a Game player. He is shrewd enough to deal with the monetary states of the organization.

Polished skill

Polished skill covers thoroughly all zones of routine with regards to a specific calling. It requires abilities and obligations associated with building calling. Polished skill infers a specific arrangement of frames of mind.

The craft of Professionalism can be comprehended as the act of making the best choice, not on the grounds that how one feels yet paying little mind to how one feels. Experts cause a calling of the particular sort of movement and lead to which they to submit themselves and to which they can be required to adjust. Moral standards indicate goodness, i.e., attractive component of character. Ideals are alluring methods for identifying with different people, gatherings and associations. Excellence includes thought processes, demeanors and feelings.

As indicated by Aristotle, ethics are the “gained propensities that empower us to connect successfully in levelheaded exercises that characterize us as individuals.”

Proficient Ideals and Virtues

The ethics speak to greatness in center good conduct. The fundamentals for any expert to exceed expectations in the calling are conduct, aptitudes and information. The conduct demonstrates the ethical philosophy of the expert.

The ethical goals determine the excellence, i.e., the attractive character characteristics that discussion a great deal about the thought processes, frame of mind and feelings of a person.

• Open energetic ideals
• Capability ideals
• Cooperation ideals
• Self-administration ideals

The ideals referenced above demonstrate the expert obligation of a person. Subsequently, the demonstrable skill that comes in with these ethics is called Responsible Professionalism. Give us now a chance to see every prudence in detail.

Open lively Virtues

An architect should concentrate on the benefit of the customers and the general population everywhere, which intends no damage, ought to be done purposefully. The code of expert lead in the field of building incorporates staying away from mischief and ensuring, too advancing the open wellbeing and welfare.

Keeping up a feeling of network with confidence and expectation inside the general public and being liberal by broadening time, ability and cash to proficient social orders and networks, a designer can keep up the open energetic ideals. At last, equity inside companies, government and monetary practices turns into a fundamental temperance that a designer ought to consistently have.

Capability Virtues

These allude to the ethics followed in the calling as per the ability and acumen of an architect. The virtues that incorporate this excellence are skill and perseverance. The skill is being fruitful in the activity being done and the constancy is taking consideration and having readiness to threats in the activity. Inventiveness ought to likewise be available in achieving the appointed undertaking.

Cooperation Virtues

These ideals speak to the coordination among colleagues which means working effectively with different experts. These incorporate agreeable nature alongside faithfulness and regard towards their association, which causes the specialists to rouse the group experts to progress in the direction of their profitable objectives.

Self-administration Virtues

This mindset is worried about good duties which speak to uprightness and confidence of the individual. The respectability really implies the ethical trustworthiness which alludes to the activities, disposition and feelings of the individual worried during his expert period.

The self-administration temperance focuses on responsibility, fortitude, self-restraint, tirelessness, confidence and honesty. The honesty and dependability which speak to his genuineness are the critical virtues to be kept up by an expert.

Definition of Ethics Management

Ethics Management, when done correctly, is a comprehensive program that continuously improves underlying ethics processes (thinking and behavior patterns), not just some high visibility issues and ethics policies.  Many organizations spend enormous sums on training and quality improvement initiatives from TQM and ISO-9000  to Six Sigma, along with countless other programs as well, without ever addressing the leading constraints to quality or performance improvement, which are ethics failures within the operating culture.

After the easy fruit is gleaned from a new technology or process, all that is left to improve is the people themselves.  But people are more than just a collection of skills and capabilities.  People are also a “people system” with a process capability of their own.  This people system is also referred to as the social system or the organizational culture of the firm.  This culture normally is so powerful that it ultimately has more impact than management regarding what, where, and when things get improved.  Hence the key to significant improvement has been and always will be the supportive capability of the culture to manage the improvement. This culture component has a unique relationship to ethics.  It not only benefits from ethics management, but is utterly dependent on it!

Some Specifics

Ethics management, when approached in a quality manner, identifies the ethics needs before training or policy adjustments ever begin. The arbitrary imposition of an ethics policy without regard to the specific ethic’s needs of the organization is considered by many ethicists and social scientists as a very low probability strategy for improving ethics or preventing poor ethics.  Business organizations must go beyond ethics policies and embrace real ethics management at the organizational level, using professional management methodologies, to have any reasonable expectation of improving ethical behavior. Just about anywhere one goes one will find most ethics policies are at best jokes among the employees, and at worst trip wires – or pretexts to shoulder blame. This is generally the result of such an arbitrary approach.

Ethics Management, when done right, accomplishes more than just improving ethical behavior on some issues.  Ethics management addresses the underlying root causes of unethical behavior.  Since things that cause unethical behavior also constrain organizational performance, solving internal ethical issues directly benefits operating performance as well.  Ethics, utility and successful human interaction are closely interrelated.  In fact they are so closely interrelated it may be impossible to consider either one in isolation of the other two. Therefore, in order for any of these factors to improve, they must all improve, and if any do not improve, chances are neither really improved.

How Can You Implement Ethics Management

A common sense question could be asked: “Is it possible to improve ethical behavior and not improve utility and successful human interaction?”  The answer is: “Maybe, but not likely.”  There are instances where there may be an ethical imperative, such as obeying the law, that appears to constrain both utility and the needs of the group.  However, when looked at more closely, unless it is clearly a bad or unjust law, it can be argued that the law protects and prevents social failures, for society at large and for the group, hence the group itself is better off following the law.  Perhaps, in limited cases, in the short run, and without regard to an ongoing social system, this question can be argued successfully at the metaphysical level by highly trained philosophers.  But because most business ethics issues arise in an ongoing social system, it is highly probable that any improvement in ethics will positively affect utility and successful human interaction as well. Therefore, in managing business ethics, the odds bet will be “against” this question.  United (with utility and successful human interaction) -ethics stands- divided it falls.

Our Ethics Quality approach to ethics management seeks to prevent ethical failures by addressing their root causes.  The causes of ethical failures typically are not isolated events (or special causes) as most ethics policies would label them.  Instead they generally are systematic (common cause) failures that arise from patterns of reasoning and behavior that are embedded in individual and organizational routines.  And since operating culture patterns are significantly more powerful and more influential than individual values, the best logical way to permanently fix unethical reasoning is to address it at the operating culture level first, and at the individual level second.  This should be the objective of ethics management.

Conclusion

Our Ethics Quality approach uses diagnostics to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the organization’s ethics system and directs training and corrective action resources precisely to those areas where the needs are the greatest.  By focusing on the organizations needs, and not just on a policy, ethics management removes constraints to performance, creates a more supportive operating culture, and reduces risks of large scale ethics failures in the process.

What Can You Do

Despite my being a supporter of marriage equality, it is vitally important in the long run for there to be resistance to it. I would say that for any social change issue, we need to rethink our tolerance for resistance, because it is in the resistance itself that real change happens.

A number of years ago I was living in Queensland when Pauline Hanson made her famous debut on the political stage. It was a remarkable time to be there. I remember how friends, almost overnight, started to express what was to me the most vile racism. I was shocked by not only what was said but the fact that people I knew, really good people, were all of a sudden speaking in such fearful and hurtful ways

What Pauline Hanson did was dredge up and fuel dormant racism. She exposed a part of Australia’s social consciousness and collective karmic psyche that was to me repulsive. Despite my judgements of it at the time, the fact of the matter is that it was there and it needed to be dealt with.
Of course along with bringing to the surface this previously unacknowledged fear within the society, it also brought to the surface those people and ideas that were pursuing the opposite. I remember 40,000 people showing up for a Reconciliation March in Brisbane, an attendance and purpose that would have been unimaginable only a couple of years earlier. It was an exciting time in Australia actually, because there was such an increase  in civic activity, social consciousness and the dissolving of outdated views.

Change Agents

Social change requires both the dark and the light.

Despite the discomfort at the time, and the pain that was caused to people through her words and the communities actions, it was all necessary for the social change process. In the end Pauline Hanson lost nor did her party survive. On the contrary, Australia was able to face up to the darker aspects of its culture. In looking back on it now though, it was necessary. And to perhaps go one step further (or at risk too far), Pauline Hanson was an important figure in Australian changemaking.

A more recent issue that has divided views is that of marriage equality. The last four years have been incredible in terms of the amount of legislation change that has affected people who identify as same sex attracted. The Government has changed a lot of laws affecting this part of the community, yet a lot of it went unrecognized by the mainstream media or society.
It has been the issue of marriage that has evoked such fierce resistance. There are a bunch of reasons for this including political, personal and religious, but that is not my focus here. What I do suggest is that this resistance is the most crucial aspect in this change journey. If same-sex marriage was legislated without resistance, homophobia could potentially lay dormant, unexamined and potentially grow further.

You cannot bring darkness into a lighted room, but bring light into darkness and the darkness will no longer exist. So if resistance is important, how do we deal with it?

What Do Others Think

I wrote a piece on the Gacaca process and how forgiveness went viral in Rwanda. This process has been a classic example of how a community can have the courage to face up to the darker aspects of its culture or history, without it needing to be a battle between light and dark. One of the beautiful things that Gacaca recognizes is that the real change is not about righting wrongs, but about rewriting stories.

The genocide in Rwanda was not simply a 100-day event in 1994. This cultural story of difference and misuse of power was embedded deep in the psyche of that country since the colonial powers divided the country by ethnicity in the 19th century. Many attempts had been made to correct these karmic wounds over that time, but none of them worked. This was because they denied the significance of facing the internal dimensions of the problems. Real change required the courage and compassion to face the deep cultural wounds
So what can Australia or other nations learn from Rwanda?Most importantly, we need to recognize that change operates on many levels, the least of which being legislative. Many of the ‘outer’ or tangible challenges we witness are driven by unresolved and unexamined cultural, karmic and outdated thinking.
Change must be both internal and external. I would suggest that without the internal change (personal beliefs and cultural stories), external change will never work or be sustainable. On the other hand, if you change the internal, this cannot help but flow through to external change. As above, so below.

My Best Ideas

As changemakers, we need to be able to stand in the face of resistance with compassion and courage. It is how the forces of light and dark meet that will actually create the change.

So to resistance, I say bring it on!

Introduction

Last week I wrote a short post titled Now Hiring: Systems Diplomats and had a most surprising reaction. My niche little blog with its humble readership suddenly swelled, at least momentarily. There was something in this post that seemed to resonate for people very strongly.

It might have been not much more than the first two words “Now Hiring” which gave the reader some false hope that in this post was an intriguing new job available, only to realize that it was a fake ad. But the comments and feedback I received on twitter showed something more.

Some Context

Firstly, to be clear, the meme explored in this post or even the name is not original. I first came across this about a year ago in conversation with a friend, colleague and fellow knowmad @edwardharran. At the time we used the term Ecosystems Diplomat. Eddie subsequently chatted with @katemural who wrote a stellar post on ecosystems diplomacy. Kate also explored the idea of a kind of Ecosystems Diplomacy Corp. While I have been mostly unaware until recently, there have been others exploring these meme from different angles all over the world, blending it with other memes like open space technology and collective impact.

The collective impact meme was made publicly known and accessible by the team at FSG who have diligently mapped a bunch of collective impact initiatives, and created a framework for how these work. While systems diplomacy is not limited to multi-institutional collaboration, there is definite correlation with the qualities required to facilitate collective impact projects. FSG have focused very heavily on the importance and contribution of backbone organisations in these processes. Systems diplomacy can shed some light on the qualities and approaches of the people who are doing this work.

What Happened

However one talks about this emerging field, the collective consciousness is clearly picking up on the need for and designing a new kind of change making. There is a remarkable convergence around these memes, how they are developing and being discussed.

For me the job post and it’s descriptions were not plucked from thin air. Systems diplomacy is now a core part of my work, along with a bunch of colleagues in Australia and across the world. When I wrote about the role of systems diplomat I was conjuring up stories, observations and insights gathered from this collective experience. Some of it comes from hearing the qualities that are required, while others are what I perceive as needed responses to the challenges that are often faced by people engaged in systems diplomacy.

We are living in the era of Social Entrepreneur as King (or Queen), and the world seems obsessed with the individual and institution as the most eloquent force for change. In this light, collective and systems change may seem quite a leap to some. Of course given my pedigree, I am not going to jump to dismissing social entrepreneurship as redundant or on the ‘way out’. On the contrary, I suspect that it will keep growing and morphing. Indeed many changemakers I know who have started out with an entrepreneurial approach have blended systems diplomacy with their work as they know they cannot achieve change without tackling challenges associated with the systems.
Notwithstanding this morphing and blending, there are some clear distinctions between social entrepreneurship and systems diplomacy. For one, entrepreneurship usually denotes a quality of institution building as opposed to systems building. A colleague and serial social entrepreneur @JanOwenAM has been working on systems change for many years. While Jan may not use the term systems diplomacy to describe her approach, she strives for many of the qualities I perceive are required. What more, Jan is a strong advocate for using institutions as a foundation for creating systems change – the institution is the vehicle through which innovation can occur to change a system.
This philosophy resonates with the work of Ashoka who have been tirelessly promoting the idea that social entrepreneurs change systems. Indeed, Ashoka and organizations like Echoing Green and the School for Social Entrepreneurs have some powerful examples of how that has worked. So perhaps systems diplomacy is growing out of the social entrepreneurship movement as much as being a new force.

Regardless of its origin and lineage, I perceive some distinct differences between the entrepreneurial and systems approaches. While the two approaches to changemaking may be compatible and interdependent, the approach of the systems diplomat is distinct in a few ways.
The first is that which I have already mentioned – systems diplomats work with institutions but they do not represent particular institutions. From personal experience as a social entrepreneur, I find that within a short time of building an institution your role as Director or CEO is to ensure its survival, growth and perpetuity. While you may start with an intention to change a system, you invariably end up serving the institution ahead of the system in the SocEnt Hierarchy of Needs. I don’t suggest this as a criticism, it is just a reality.

The second is this idea of independence – real and perceived. Independence from the constrains of meeting the needs of the institution is important, but also independence in thinking. The systems diplomat needs to be able to hear multiple views and not accepts them as truth. Maintaining a level of clarity and detachment in thinking is critical. As the saying goes …if you want truth to stand clearly before you, do not be for or against anything (Buddhist Zen Master Sent-ts’an).

Are We Independent

Perceived independence is also important in building trust. Facilitating a more collaborative system will not immediately dissolve competition. Players in any system may hold multiple roles and relationships with each other including competitor, collaborator, funder, supplier, client or others. Entering a collaborative approach does not dissolve existing power differentials. Each role and relationship has different power dynamics that need to be understood and navigated. If these players perceive a lack of independence or having bias, this may impact the effectiveness of the diplomat.

While I am yet to do any particular research around the area of personality and motivation, I suspect that there are also strong differences between those who would take an institution building approach from a systems diplomacy approach. The types of people who are drawn to building institutions will not necessarily be drawn to systems diplomacy and vice versa.

I have written and spoken on the need for systems diplomats to posses humility and not make themselves the focus. While entrepreneurship is often falsely equated with Ego, I dismiss this idea (click here to read more on my thoughts about Ego and entrepreneurship). I perceive that Ego can become a trap in almost any field, including potentially systems diplomacy. In social entrepreneurship it is not so much the institution approach that feeds the Ego, rather it is fed by the recognition and elevation of the individual as cause of change by both the individuals themselves and the collective. If a systems diplomat believes that they are the one creating the change, then they too could fall into this trap.

My Thoughts

As you can see this field is still so emergent, that the research and understanding needed around it is considerable. I am really interested in hearing from people out there who are working in this field to help capture some collective learning around systems diplomacy. Please leave a comment or blog about this yourself – happy to link to your stuff. Or get in touch as I would love to have a conversation.

The Importance of Competency

It is a basic ethical standard in most professions and industries for one to operate within their field of competence. This is true in law, medicine, psychotherapy, financial advice and more. Professional bodies will often dictate what the minimum standards of competence are, and codes of ethics require or suggest that professionals operate within the individual’s level of competence.

In the first instance, it is up to the individual professional to self-regulate and operate to their level of competence. It is generally accepted that if a professional comes up against the limits of their competence, they refer to the matter to a colleague or someone with the competence to handle the situation.

Competency Withing Your Profession

Professional competence and minimum standards are important ethically in order to protect both the industry from ‘dodgy operators’, and also to protect clients and customers from harm caused by poor practice. This is interesting for the field of ‘doing good’, which is neither regulated nor has suggested minimum standards of competence. It is an area with very low barriers to entry. Basically, anyone can start a charity, community service or business. One does not need a particular set of skills or competence; all they need is an idea. There are bodies like the Australian Community Workers Association that promote and support community workers, including outlining codes of ethics and providing ongoing professional development. Being a member of this body is not a legislated prerequisite for employment in the community sector however.

Role in Society

As a social entrepreneur and long-term do-gooder, I have found myself in numerous situations where I was pushed beyond my level of competence. This was particularly so when I served in the role of CEO. While I had previously built a strong level of competence in service delivery, in taking a leadership and management role there were areas in which I simply had little to no formal experience. As a CEO or entrepreneur, your role is not simply in designing or delivering a service. You engage in financial management, fundraising, governance, people management, conflict resolution and more. Many of the situations one faces in leadership roles can have an ethical dimension to them. In these roles, there are bound to be experiences where one does not know how to respond.

In situations where I was pushed beyond my level of competence, I would in most cases seek out advice from others on how I should approach as situation. In some situations I sought advice from lawyers, in which of course their advice would be almost purely legal in orientation, rather than acknowledge human psychological dimensions to a situation. In other cases I sought advice from other CEO’s. While I could relate to their experience and their advice was generally more rounded, it was still most often informed by and limited to their own past experience. Knowing where to go for sound advice in facing ethical challenges was and can be difficult. It was important to me to have a wide network of people I could turn to, which represented diversity of thinking and experience.

Social entrepreneurship and the community service sector have some particularly interesting ethical dimensions that make this even more significant as an issue. As a lot of community services either explicitly or implicitly focus on improving peoples lives, this can easily cross into areas of vulnerability for both staff and clients.  I have met a number of people in my work who either as staff or clients are seeking to heal aspects of their past. In a workplace, it is easy to find situations whereby people require friends, managers, counselors, mentors or therapists. It is important to understand the complexity of roles that one may be called to take on in a workplace or social service, and to operate within the bounds of one’s competence. Playing dual or multiple roles for people can be very confusing and ethically tricky. Indeed, many codes of ethics explicitly advise against playing dual roles.

To take a common example, if you come back from a holiday to Cambodia and want to start an orphanage, perhaps you could consider what experience and skills you have that make you competent to do that. What roles might be required of you in operating such a service? What skills or competences would be required to create, operate and deliver a service to children in often vulnerable situations? How might you respond if you find yourself in a situation where you are operating beyond your level of competence? How might you need to have in your team or network to support in situations like this?

My Suggestions

I’m not necessarily suggesting that entrepreneurship becomes a regulated industry. It is the openness and freedom to operate which allows a certain dynamism. Being conscious of the limits of our competence is important however, and having strategies in place to be able to refer to others is critical. Above all, as Plato says (and often quoted by @uncompromise) “Know Thyself”. Give some thought to your skills and their limitations. Self-knowledge is essential to all ethics.

 

Engineering Ethics

Every profession has ethics that guides its members. Engineering as a profession has its ethics that are laid down rules to protect engineers and the public at large. One cannot underestimate the importance of engineering ethics in the society in regards to its welfare, health and protection.

Engineers require a balance of moral thinking, legal importance, costs, safety, standards, risk investigation and benefits. Engineering Ethics comprises a body of ethical rules that apply to the study of engineering.

Ethical Problems Faced By Practicing Engineers

The ethical problems experienced by practicing engineers are not quickly resolved, and they are of different types. Ethical Problems influence a large scale of engineering custodians and decisions about doing what is right, frequently fall into an uncertain area that is best unclear and disastrous at worst.

It is good to understand the minor distinctions of many approaches to ethical testing and essential decision making. Most times, the right decision taken by a vast majority of engineering stakeholders always have some negative influence on the majority.

The principle of ethical utilitarianism states that the right decision is that which leads to the highest good for the most considerable number of engineering stakeholders is not the best moral decision made.

Other ethical principles like respect for colleagues and moral ethics may produce better ethical decisions resolving severe problems. It is important to note that immediate cognition is not the best way of making ethical decisions.

Engineering Codes of Ethics

Engineering Codes Of ethics are laid down rules of practice that give a framework for making ethical decisions in respect to historical research, where wrongly decisions made have led to negative results. Even though engineer codes of ethics are alike across disciplines, they have their different historical background.

The primary principles published on the National Society of Professional Engineers website are worthy of comparison with the codes of ethics written by Individual Professional Society. They include;

1. Hold the highest importance of safety, health and welfare of the public.
2. Carryout services only in areas of specialization.
3. Give public statements only in an objective and sincere manner.
4. Work for every employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. Abstain from deceptive acts.
6. Carry themselves honorably, responsibly, lawfully and ethically to ensure and improve the honor, reputation, and effectiveness of the profession.

The Importance of Engineering Ethics to the Society

Engineering, as a profession, has a culture and set of practices of their own. Engineers have developed a set of ethics to guild them whenever their services are needed in society. Just like every other craft work, there are a lot of engineering standards to consider when providing services to a client. The most important duty of an engineer is to protect the well being of the public. That is, be sure of any services provided and carryout appropriate testing to ensure the safety of any project, even when the engineer has chances to offer low-quality services for his/her benefits.

The Takeaway

Conclusively, all engineers have the right to report any fault notice during production or construction to the appropriate government regulatory body, if the organization they work for fails to adhere to the right ethics. This may sometimes cause them their job, but they should always remember that protecting the interest of the public is their first-ever responsibility as an engineer.