PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANAGERS CHAPTER 11 potx

In the history of ethics there are three principal standards of conduct, each of which has been proposed as the highest good: happiness or pleasure; duty, virtue, or obligation; and perf

Chapter 11

ETHICS

Ethics (Greek ethika, from ethos, “character,” “custom”) are principles

or standards of human conduct, sometimes called morals Ref

"Ethics," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2003 Microsoft Corporation All Rights Reserved

© 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation All Rights Reserved

From the Encarta, we find that:

Philosophers have attempted to determine goodness in conduct according to two chief principles, and have considered certain types of conduct either good in themselves or good because they conform to a particular moral

standard The former implies a final value, or summum bonum, which is

desirable in itself and not merely as a means to an end In the history of ethics there are three principal standards of conduct, each of which has been proposed as the highest good: happiness or pleasure; duty, virtue, or obligation; and perfection, the fullest harmonious development of human potential

Many companies, and most organizations, subscribe to a code of ethics For example the codes for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and for the Project Management Institute (PMI) are shown

Project Managers are responsible for determining the ethics that are to be used by the project team, for ensuring that all team members are aware of these rules, and then ensuring that everyone acts in a totally ethical manner

at all times during the project This is obviously a challenging assignment,

216 Ethics

but it is critical that the PM assumes this responsibility, and that all team members act in an ethical fashion at all times

PMI MEMBER ETHICAL STANDARDS MEMBER CODE OF ETHICS

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a professional organization dedicated to the development and promotion of the field of project

management The purpose of the PMI Member Code of Ethics is to define

and clarify the ethical responsibilities for present and future PMI members

Preamble:

In the pursuit of the project management profession, it is vital that PMI members conduct their work in an ethical manner in order to earn and maintain the confidence of team members, colleagues, employees, employers, customers/clients, the public, and the global community

Member Code of Ethics

As a professional in the field of project management, PMI members pledge to uphold and abide by the following:

I will maintain high standards of integrity and professional conduct

I will accept responsibility for my actions

I will continually seek to enhance my professional capabilities

I will practice with fairness and honesty

I will encourage others in the profession to act in an ethical and professional manner

Also from the Encarta, we learn that through history morals and ethics have developed because they were necessary for the well being of the group Why would projects be any different?

For as long as people have been living together in groups, the moral regulation of behaviour has been necessary to the group's well being Although the morals were formalized and made into arbitrary standards of conduct, they developed, sometimes irrationally, after religious taboos were

Ethics 217

violated, or out of chance behaviour that became habit and then custom, or from laws imposed by chiefs to prevent disharmony in their tribes Even the great ancient Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations developed no systematized ethics; maxims and precepts set down by secular leaders, such

as Ptahhotep, mingled with a strict religion that affected the behaviour of every Egyptian In ancient China the maxims of Confucius were accepted as

a moral code The Greek philosophers, beginning about the 6th century BC, theorized intensively about moral behaviour, which led to the further development of philosophical ethics Ref: Encarta

The team must be clear about the ethical standards to be applied in the project work, and to subscribe to these Particularly in the technical areas, but also on the project as a whole, engineers must ensure that their own behaviour and in fact all behaviour of project personnel is ethical Some projects are multi-company, and even multinational In these projects, teams may find themselves dealing with people who subscribe to different ethical codes Most of the basic standards will be the same everywhere, but there can be deviations which must then be identified, understood and resolved as much as possible This can cause stress and problems for the team members

in both areas If this is the situation on a project, the project manager should

be aware of the situation, and may need to clarify for the team which standards are to be followed for the project As long as the standards do not conflict, the team should honour both sets If there is a conflict, the PM must decide which to follow, and this should be done with input from the team, and discussion This can be one of the more challenging aspects of project management on such projects

218

We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our

technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, its members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:

1 to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;

2 to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and

to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

3 to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data;

4 to reject bribery in all its forms;

5 to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences;

6 to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations;

7 to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others;

8 to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin;

9 to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action;

10 to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics

Approved by the IEEE Board of Directors, August 1990