INGENIEUR
will appear to be more professional in performing
their role in the interest of public safety.
What then is a code of conduct? “It is
usually much more developed than a code of
ethics, making more specific statements which
apply ethical principles to situations which may
commonly arise in the practice of the profession
in question” Rodger [28]. A code of conduct
essentially instrumentalises a code of ethics,
making clear the applications of ethical concepts in
everyday professional practice — it outlines “how to
be professional”. Therefore, it elevates an individual
from expert level into the professional level.
Chadwick [29] remarked that: “A code is one
way of making explicit the values implicit in the
idea of service”. This buttresses public confidence,
helps professional accountability and makes clear
the core values of a profession. Particularly as a
certifying LAME, a high level of accountability is
involved by nature of the profession. However,
Chadwick [29] also cautioned that a code can be
just a cosmetic exercise to reassure the public,
or it can be a “socialising” mechanism for new
members of the profession, a recognised tool for
enhancing the profession’s status or even a type
of professional manifesto. Nevertheless, there
seems little doubt that a code of professional
conduct provides a strong central defining function,
contributing to the overall discrete identity of the
profession. Though there may be some LAME
experts that may be comfortable with the status
quo, as the profession evolves, a declaration of
a professional code of conduct and ethics will
become the yardstick of a professional identity.
The purpose of a CoC and its allied code
of ethics is primarily one of protection such as
protection of the client (e.g. aircraft users) from
malpractice and other harm. Thus the general
public is reassured of the competence and
probity of the professional, and the Government
can take a non-interventionist approach, having
in effect delegated the “watchdog and regulatory
function ”to the professional body [29]. Also, the
professional can use the code’s existence to resist
pressures from employers to engage in unethical
and unprofessional ways. This applies to the case
of LAMEs who may be subjected to commercial
pressure to certify an airplane as “go” despite
detailed analyses of discrepancies requiring more
grounding time. This is even more critical when the
profession involves public safety. A CoC maintains
the boundary of safety and professionalism in a
particular profession.
Professional membership can assist in
enforcing ethical behaviour through guidance such
as a code of ethics described by Ziegenfuss and
Singhapakdi [30]. This may also be applicable to
LAMEs who are registered with BEM. Likewise,
Douglas et al., [31] reported that understanding
a professional CoC was positive and significantly
associated with high moral intensity situations. It is
important to note that within the industry, LAMEs
who are registered as a category C LAME (GE) are
already well accepted as experts in the field of
practice in airworthiness certifications. However,
a GE performs a similar role to a production line
manager, but works on even more complicated
situations which require higher management
competencies. A professional CoC may benefit
them morally.
Bia & Kalika [32] further suggested that a
code therefore clarifies the rights, duties and
responsibilities of technology stakeholders
particularly from the individual perspective. By
specifying that a monitoring and disciplinary
system exists if users fail to comply with the
rules, a code can help to deter abuse [33][34].
In addition, formalising a CoC can be a means of
coping with an ambiguous legal environment [35]
[36]. It is therefore, complying with the code of
conduct and ethics protects the individual, public
and organisation.
Continuous Professional Development
As a statutory body responsible for the engineering
related profession in Malaysia, Act 138 (4)(1)(ec)
[2] states that one of the functions of BEM is to
provide facilities for the promotion of learning
and education and to hold or cause to hold or
cause to be held professional development
programmes, including continuing professional
development programmes, for registered persons
to further enhance their knowledge in the latest
developments relating to that profession. This
indicates that if one wants to be a professional,
continuous professional development (CPD) is very
important to remain relevant as a professional to
the industry.
Jones and Fear [37] stated that CPD is
becoming increasingly recognised by professional
60 VOL 81 JANUARY-MARCH 2020