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Construction Ethics Guide

Ethics in construction involves principles that guide behaviors and conduct. At a professional level, lawyers, engineers and surveyors have ethical codes, and organizations also have ethics measured by trustworthiness. Some large contractors have faced fines for breaches like bribery and modern slavery. A company's ethics are reflected in its culture and leadership. The Society for Construction Law identified principles like honesty, fairness, and integrity that organizations should follow to be ethical. These principles aim to be applicable to all industry professionals.

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484 views2 pages

Construction Ethics Guide

Ethics in construction involves principles that guide behaviors and conduct. At a professional level, lawyers, engineers and surveyors have ethical codes, and organizations also have ethics measured by trustworthiness. Some large contractors have faced fines for breaches like bribery and modern slavery. A company's ethics are reflected in its culture and leadership. The Society for Construction Law identified principles like honesty, fairness, and integrity that organizations should follow to be ethical. These principles aim to be applicable to all industry professionals.

Uploaded by

Mali Mao
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ethics in construction

Ethics is a branch of moral philosophy that involves the principles of guiding and
recommending behaviours and conduct. Stemming from the Ancient Greek
philosophers, ethics is based on the central questions of ‘what is the best way for
people to live?’ and ‘what actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances?’ As
a means of trying to answer these questions, ethics considers issues of good and
evil, virtue and vice, justice and crime, and so on.

In a business, and construction, regard, ethics has developed both at a professional


and organisational level. Professionals such as
lawyers, engineers and surveyors have ethical codes to uphold as befits their
profession, as do organisations. Ethical behaviour is often measured by the degree
of trustworthiness and integrity with which companies conduct business.

Some of the largest construction contractors in the world have faced multi-million


fines for significant breaches of ethics and compliance, on issues from bribery and
collusion to modern slavery. A high profile recent example was in the case
of contractors having blacklisted workers.

Ethics are a key facet of a companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) which


they must endeavour to fulfil. An increasing emphasis on sustainability and
environmental aspects of construction, further applies ethical standards to
organisations and their activities.

Personal ethics are a reflection of beliefs, values, personality, and so on; while an


organisation’s ethics must be instilled by its culture and leadership. Ethical failure in
an organisation can often be the result of inadequate leadership promotion of ethical
practices, as an individual’s ethics become subsumed among the wider non-
observance of professional ethics.

In 2003, the Society for Construction Law considered the question of ethics in


the construction industry. They published a report which highlighted that
organisations should comply with the following ethical principles:
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 Honesty: Acting honestly and avoiding conduct likely to result, directly or


indirectly, in the deception of others.
 Fairness: Not seeking to obtain a benefit which arises directly or indirectly
from the unfair treatment of others.
 Fair reward: Avoidance of acts likely to deprive another party of a fair reward
for work.
 Reliability: Only provide services and skills within areas of competence.
 Integrity: Regard for the public interest.
 Objectivity: Identify potential conflicts of interest and disclose this to the party
who would be adversely affected by it.
 Accountability: Provide appropriate information so effective action can be
taken where necessary.

The intention was that these principles were applicable to the work of all industry
professionals. The Code identified unethical conduct as deliberate or reckless
disregard for the ethical principles, as they would apply to the ordinary standards
applicable to the activity being undertaken by reference to the recognised practice in
that profession.

In December 2016, International Ethics Standards (IES) Coalition published the first


set of ethics principles for professionals in land,
property, construction, infrastructure and related professions.

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