Place of Engineering Ethics in Engineering Professional Competencies

The main objective of the present paper is to study the place of engineering ethics in engineering professional competencies. The engineering professional competencies model was first obtained by qualitative research through Delphi Method with the participation of 50 experts, which was confirmed by experts of this field through an opinion poll. Finally this model was analyzed through a survey of the sample consisting of accessible graduates of the Sharif University. Thus the final model was obtained (consisting of 4 major competencies, 7 main competencies and 28 secondary competencies). The present research in the first place considered 8 main engineering professional competencies. The first and second competencies of this list were: having motivation and being active as well as being ethical and accountable. Quantitative research indicated that segregation of the above mentioned two professional competencies did not serve the desirable model. Hence the said two competencies were integrated and a new professional competency called “having exalted motivation” was formed and the eight professional competencies were reduced to seven. The findings of the present paper indicate that the place of having “exalted motivation” as a professional competency is not at par with other competencies, rather it is the core and engine of other 6 professional competencies. Meanwhile, exalted motivation for professional activity of an engineer should not be independent of his other motivations in his life, rather a desirable engineer with regard to motivation is the one who has chosen a single mission in his entire individual and social life and the very single mission provides the exalted motivation of that role in different roles in life.