A Brief Study and Discussion on the Electronics
Engineering Code of Ethics
Ramon Benedict L. Lapina
School of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering
Manila, Philippines
rbllapina@mymail.mapua.edu.ph
Abstract—This paper discusses the ECE Code of Ethics which
respectively involves the Code of Ethics to be followed by
practicing Electronics Engineers. The presentation of Group 4 is
first being thoroughly discussed through a reaction piece;
followed by the thorough discussion of the Ethics Code. Case
Analyses were also demonstrated to show the application of the
Ethical Code to the dail Electronics Engineering practice.
Keywords— Ethics; Code of Ethics; ECE; Deontological;
Teleological
I. REACTION TO GROUP 4’S PRSENTATION
The group has explained and expounded the meaning of the
ECE Code of Ethics in a thorough and effective discussion.
Compared to all the groups who have presented their topics,
their video ran on a lesser time. Despite that, they were able to
deliver their piece well.
The discussion is comprised of the eight articles being
written in the COE for Electronic Practitioners. They have
discussed each articles well and thoroughly. Insights were
made from each of the articles based from the group’s report:
ARTICLE I - purpose of the written code of ethics of
Electronics Practitioners.
ARTICLE II – The interconnecting relationship of the ECE
and the state in terms of serving the country.
ARTICLE III – ECE’s duty on public safety and welfare
when on practice.
ARTICLE IV – Relationship established among an
Electronics Engineer and its client.
ARTICLE V – Electronics Engineers code of ethics in the
workplace.
ARTICLE VI – Electronics Practitioners omission to
undesirable and wrong acts based on morals.
ARTICLE VII – penalties to be met when the code is being
violated.
ARTICLE VIII – the separability clause of the code.
II. ECE CODE OF ETHICS
The Electronic Engineer’s code of ethics are written
codes that are mandated to be followed by every licensed
PECE, ECE and ECT as they practice their profession. The
purpose of providing the following provisions of this code is
to encourage a fair, honest and competent practice of the
profession alongside with other PECE, ECE and ECTs.
Electronics Engineers will never be exempted in exercising
the human vision of the common good and welfare in the
society. Every practicing ECE, PECE and ECT are obliged to
retain the integrity of their work by following the code of
ethics written.
III. DISCUSSION OF THE CASE ANALYSES GIVEN
1) XYZ Case
X the supervisor, informed Y the technician, that the
computer system crashed due to a power surge. After
sometime, Y reported back to X that repairs can be made for
P20,000. X reported the same to the Chief Finance Officer
who then instructed Y to dig up all the underground and
building cabling before the insurance adjuster appears.
P500,000 could then be claimed from the insurance company.
Y refused.
When later Z – the newly hired manager and X’s boss,
heard about it he congratulated Y for his integrity. Y said that
it doesn’t matter because X earlier instructed him to do it.
There is no confidential mechanism in place for reporting
wrongdoings internally, and no legal protection for
whistleblowers. The company is also losing business and have
to refund some of its customers. There are rumors that this is
not the first time that the company has made spurious
insurance claims.
Assume you are Z, an ECE Engineer. What are your
possible courses of action, citing consequences for each one?
Classify if deontological and teleological and explain. What
will you do and why?
a) Analysis
First of all, since the allegations of the company on
which they have made spurious claims have surfaced,
they can be in violation with the Article 4, Section 20 of
the Code of Ethics, since through this act, it might show
that they are not dealing with contract of their insurance
companies with fairness
Article 4, Section 20 of the Code of Ethics -“He/She
shall exercise fairness and justice when dealing with
contracts between his/her clients or employers and the
contractors.”
The act that the company did was also an exhibit of a
fraudulent act. Thus, it can be considered that their act is
criminally inclined.
b) Final Answer
Deontological
Z should report the fraudulent act to the authority
since it is his duty to report to the authority regardless.
He should be not be afraid of whether their company
might get disbanded nor his colleagues such as X and Y
to get threatened by the CFO for reporting the act. As an
ECE Engineer, it also his duty to exercise the Article 4,
Section 20 of the Code of Ethics, and this is why he
needs to report it.
Teleological
Before Z will report to the authorities and the board
of trustees, he should first. The safety and anonymity of
his colleagues X and Y. He could atleast investigate
fraudulent acts other than the once committed by the
CFO in order to pinpoint who is at fault and then
propose that these workers should be ousted as they
have been a factor of the company’s degradation of its
integrity. And also, the integrity of company will also
be given a chance to redeem itself. In this way, he can
protect X and Y’s whistleblowing act in which has
made him abide Sec. 17 of the Article 4 Code of Ethics.
I believe that this act will be of his company’s best
interest.
Article 17, Section 17 of the Code of Ethics -“He/She
shall act in professional matters as a faithful agent or
trustee, and treat as confidential all matters and
information concerning the business affairs, technical
processes etc. of his clients and/or employees.
2) Bayani Case
Jose Bonifacio, the majority stockholder and chairman of
the board of directors of Bayani Company, was dissatisfied
with the top executives of the company, a manufacturer of
LED screens. The stockholders had invested P50 million and
the return on their investment had been poor for the past 3
years. In the last meeting of the Board at the start of the year,
Bonifacio fired the chief executive officer and (with Board
approval) appointed himself as the new CEO.
At the first management meeting, he asked two of the
managers to stand up and then fired them on the spot. At the
budget review meeting that followed, he ripped up the
departmental budgets that had been submitted for his review
and yelled at the managers for submitting weak targets. He
then ordered everyone to submit new budgets calling for at
least a 13% increase in sales and announced that he would not
accept excuses for results that fell below target.
Andres Mabini, an ECE engineer working for the
production manager, discovered toward the end of the year
that his boss, Manuel Aguinaldo, had not been scrapping
defective LED screens that had been returned by customers.
Instead, he had been shipping them (repaired) as new to
customers to avoid booking losses and increase production
output. Quality control had deteriorated during the year
because of the higher production rate and returns of defective
screens were running as high as 17% (previously 3%) of the
new screens shipped. Mabini even managed to derive an
equation showing linear relationship between production
volume and returns.
When he confronted his boss with his discovery, Manuel
told him to mind his own business. And then, in the way of a
rationalization for his actions, Manuel said, “Lahat kaming
manga managers ay ginagawa lahat nang paraan para
maabot ang target”.
Manuel Aguinaldo and Bonifacio are both ECE engineers,
Rizal from MIT and Bonifacio from the other MIT. Bonifacio
also has an MBA from Ateneo. STATE THE CORE ETHICS
PROBLEM THEN SOLVE, List different possible answers to
this one question, cite consequences.
Stakeholders and Analysis
Bonifacio is the new CEO of the company which on the
first day of his seating made him fire staffs and managers and
increase the quality of sales in such impossible rate. Mabini
and Aguinaldo are both on the employee’s circle.
Final Answer
 Bonifacio has created an atmosphere of fear and chaos.
Things became organized due to the firing of the staffs. The
outnumbering of the members of the company can result to the
failure of reaching the target sale 13%. In his case, he should have
been more patient and tried to tackle the most pressing issue in
regards to studet’s accommodation.
As for Aguinaldo,it has been showed that he never followed
protocol due to desperation. It has been paying back on him as they
try to grow on you white leaves. This has created more of a large gap
in their association.