Ethics in the Engineering Profession
Papers and reports | read time: 1 min
Published: 8 June 2023
This report, produced by GoodCorporation for the Royal Academy of Engineering, examines ethical culture and practice across the UK engineering profession.
Based on surveys of engineers and technicians, engineering firms and professional engineering institutions, alongside in‑depth interviews, the research provides a detailed picture of how ethics is understood and applied in practice across the profession. It identifies areas of relative strength, particularly in relation to health, safety and environmental responsibility, while also highlighting persistent challenges, including pressures on ethical decision‑making, barriers to speaking up, and uneven levels of support across organisations of different sizes.
The report offers insight into:
- how engineers and technicians experience ethical issues in their day‑to‑day work
- the extent to which practice aligns with the Statement of Ethical Principles
- differences in ethical culture across firms, sectors and organisation sizes
- the role and effectiveness of professional engineering institutions
It concludes with practical recommendations to help strengthen ethical culture across the profession, including improvements to training, whistleblowing arrangements, engagement between employers and professional bodies, and support for small and medium‑sized enterprises.
Download the report below.
