also indicated that when an act was perceived as
more unethical, participants, irrespective of their level,
tended to rate themselves as more ethical compared
with their peers. Specifically, for three unethical acts
in the survey list, namely, not keeping up to date
with the latest developments in engineering, taking
extra personal time, and using organization services
for personal use, a notable statistical significant difference was observed between the ethical perception
of the individual and their perception of their colleagues’ beliefs. It is concluded that participants in
this study rated themselves consistently and significantly more ethical than their peers. The findings from
this study will be useful to the following institutions:
EBK, IEK, Schools of Engineering, among others.
The study recommends the need for engineering students and practicing engineers to be people of integrity
to withstand the force to do wrong. Further, there is
a need to emphasize ethical lessons in engineering
education and cultivate the change in attitude in practicing engineers. Areas for further research identified
are promoting professional identity and persistence in
engineering.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks go to the engineering students and practicing engineers involved in this study. The authors
are also grateful for the support received from
the Associate Dean, School of Engineering, Moi
University.
REFERENCES
Bairaktarova, D., & Woodcock, A. (2017). Engineering Student’s Ethical Awareness and Behaviour: A New Motivational Model. Sci Eng Ethics, 23:1129–1157.
Balakrishnan, B., Azman, M. N.A. & Indartono, S. (2020).
Attitude towards Engineering Ethical Issues: A Comparative Study between Malaysian and Indonesian Engineering Undergraduates, International Journal of Higher
Education, 9(2): 63–69.
Barakat N. (2015). Engineering ethics and professionalism
education for a global practice, QScience Proceedings
(Engineering Leaders Conference) http://dx.doi.org/10.
5339/qproc.2015.elc2014.5.
Barry, V.E., (1979), Moral issues in business, Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Bowen, P., Akintoye, A., Pearl, R., & Edwards, P. J. (2007).
Ethical behaviour in the South African construction
industry, Journal Construction Management and Economics, 25(6): 631–648.
Chonko, L.B., (1995), Ethical decision making in marketing,
Newbury Park CA: Sage Publications.
Colby, A., & Sullivan, W. M. (2008). Ethics Teaching in
Undergraduate Engineering Education. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(3):327–338.
EBK (2016). Code of Ethics and Conduct for Engineers,
Engineers Board of Kenya, Nairobi. Retrieved from
https://ebk.or.ke/download/code-of-ethics-for-engineers/
EBK (2017). Continuous Professional Development (CPD),
Guidelines for Professional Engineers, Engineers Board
load/engineers-continuous-professional-developmentcpd-guidelines-for-professional-engineers/
Ferrell, O.C., Skinner, S.J., (1988), Ethical behaviour and
bureaucratic structure in marketing research organizations, Journal of Marketing Research, 25(1):103–109.
Fisher, C., (2001), Managers’ perceptions of ethical codes:
dialectics and dynamics, Business Ethics: A European
Review, 10(2):145–156.
Harris, C. E. Jr., Pritchard, M. S., Rabins, M. J., James, R., &
Englehardt, E. (2013). Engineering ethics: Concepts and
cases. Cengage Learning.
Harris, C. E. Jr., Davis, M., Pritchard, M. S., & Rabins,
M. J. (1996). Engineering ethics: What? Why? How?
and When? Journal of Engineering Education, 85(2):
93–96.
Hickman, G. R. (1998).Transactional and transforming leadership leading organizations perspectives for a new era
(First ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Humphries-Smth, T., Blount, G, & Powell, J. (2014). Ethics –
Research, Engineering, Design…They are all the same
aren’t they? International Conference on Engineering and
Product Design Education, University of Twente, The
Netherlands.
Hunt, S.D., Chonko, L.B., & Wilcox, J.B., (1984), Ethical
problems of marketing researchers, Journal of Marketing
Research, 21 (3): 309–324.
Kuczenski, J.A. (2013). Student Ethics in Engineering: A
Comparison of Ethics Survey Results from Undergraduate Engineering Students at Three Different Engineering
Programs and Institutions. 120th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering
Education.
Li, J., & Fu, S. (2012). A Systematic Approach to Engineering Ethics Education. Science & Engineering Ethics,
18(2):339–349.
Loui, M.C. (2005). Ethical Development of Professional
Identities of Engineering Students. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(4): 383–390.
Marnburg, E., (2000), The behavioural effects of corporate ethical codes: Empirical findings and discussion,
Business Ethics: A European Review, 9 (3): 200–210.
O’Clock, P. & Okleshen, M. (1993). A comparison of ethical
perceptions of business and engineering majors. Journal
of Business Ethics, 12(9):677-687. http://dx.doi.org/10.
1007/BF00881382.
Oliver, G., Kearins, K., & McGhee, P., (2005), Professional
codes of ethics: a New Zealand study, New Zealand
Journal of Applied Business Research, 4 (1): 97–116.
Passino, K.M. (1998). Teaching professional and ethical
aspects of electrical engineering to a large class. IEEE
Transactions on Education, 41(4): 273–285.
Rest, J. (1986). Moral Development: Advances in Research
and Theory. New York, New York, USA: Praeger.
Schlegelmilch, B.B., Houston, J.E., (1989), Corporate codes
of ethics in large UK companies: an empirical investigation of use, content and attitudes, European Journal of
Marketing, 23 (6): 7–24.
Segal, M.N., Giacobbe, R.W., (2007), Ethical issues in Australian marketing research services: An empirical investigation, Services Marketing Quarterly, 28 (3): 33–53.
Sethy, S.S. (2017). Undergraduate engineering students’
attitudes and perceptions towards ‘professional ethics’
course: a case study of India, European Journal of
Engineering Education, 42(6): 987–999.
9
more unethical, participants, irrespective of their level,
tended to rate themselves as more ethical compared
with their peers. Specifically, for three unethical acts
in the survey list, namely, not keeping up to date
with the latest developments in engineering, taking
extra personal time, and using organization services
for personal use, a notable statistical significant difference was observed between the ethical perception
of the individual and their perception of their colleagues’ beliefs. It is concluded that participants in
this study rated themselves consistently and significantly more ethical than their peers. The findings from
this study will be useful to the following institutions:
EBK, IEK, Schools of Engineering, among others.
The study recommends the need for engineering students and practicing engineers to be people of integrity
to withstand the force to do wrong. Further, there is
a need to emphasize ethical lessons in engineering
education and cultivate the change in attitude in practicing engineers. Areas for further research identified
are promoting professional identity and persistence in
engineering.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks go to the engineering students and practicing engineers involved in this study. The authors
are also grateful for the support received from
the Associate Dean, School of Engineering, Moi
University.
REFERENCES
Bairaktarova, D., & Woodcock, A. (2017). Engineering Student’s Ethical Awareness and Behaviour: A New Motivational Model. Sci Eng Ethics, 23:1129–1157.
Balakrishnan, B., Azman, M. N.A. & Indartono, S. (2020).
Attitude towards Engineering Ethical Issues: A Comparative Study between Malaysian and Indonesian Engineering Undergraduates, International Journal of Higher
Education, 9(2): 63–69.
Barakat N. (2015). Engineering ethics and professionalism
education for a global practice, QScience Proceedings
(Engineering Leaders Conference) http://dx.doi.org/10.
5339/qproc.2015.elc2014.5.
Barry, V.E., (1979), Moral issues in business, Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Bowen, P., Akintoye, A., Pearl, R., & Edwards, P. J. (2007).
Ethical behaviour in the South African construction
industry, Journal Construction Management and Economics, 25(6): 631–648.
Chonko, L.B., (1995), Ethical decision making in marketing,
Newbury Park CA: Sage Publications.
Colby, A., & Sullivan, W. M. (2008). Ethics Teaching in
Undergraduate Engineering Education. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(3):327–338.
EBK (2016). Code of Ethics and Conduct for Engineers,
Engineers Board of Kenya, Nairobi. Retrieved from
https://ebk.or.ke/download/code-of-ethics-for-engineers/
EBK (2017). Continuous Professional Development (CPD),
Guidelines for Professional Engineers, Engineers Board
load/engineers-continuous-professional-developmentcpd-guidelines-for-professional-engineers/
Ferrell, O.C., Skinner, S.J., (1988), Ethical behaviour and
bureaucratic structure in marketing research organizations, Journal of Marketing Research, 25(1):103–109.
Fisher, C., (2001), Managers’ perceptions of ethical codes:
dialectics and dynamics, Business Ethics: A European
Review, 10(2):145–156.
Harris, C. E. Jr., Pritchard, M. S., Rabins, M. J., James, R., &
Englehardt, E. (2013). Engineering ethics: Concepts and
cases. Cengage Learning.
Harris, C. E. Jr., Davis, M., Pritchard, M. S., & Rabins,
M. J. (1996). Engineering ethics: What? Why? How?
and When? Journal of Engineering Education, 85(2):
93–96.
Hickman, G. R. (1998).Transactional and transforming leadership leading organizations perspectives for a new era
(First ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Humphries-Smth, T., Blount, G, & Powell, J. (2014). Ethics –
Research, Engineering, Design…They are all the same
aren’t they? International Conference on Engineering and
Product Design Education, University of Twente, The
Netherlands.
Hunt, S.D., Chonko, L.B., & Wilcox, J.B., (1984), Ethical
problems of marketing researchers, Journal of Marketing
Research, 21 (3): 309–324.
Kuczenski, J.A. (2013). Student Ethics in Engineering: A
Comparison of Ethics Survey Results from Undergraduate Engineering Students at Three Different Engineering
Programs and Institutions. 120th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, American Society for Engineering
Education.
Li, J., & Fu, S. (2012). A Systematic Approach to Engineering Ethics Education. Science & Engineering Ethics,
18(2):339–349.
Loui, M.C. (2005). Ethical Development of Professional
Identities of Engineering Students. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(4): 383–390.
Marnburg, E., (2000), The behavioural effects of corporate ethical codes: Empirical findings and discussion,
Business Ethics: A European Review, 9 (3): 200–210.
O’Clock, P. & Okleshen, M. (1993). A comparison of ethical
perceptions of business and engineering majors. Journal
of Business Ethics, 12(9):677-687. http://dx.doi.org/10.
1007/BF00881382.
Oliver, G., Kearins, K., & McGhee, P., (2005), Professional
codes of ethics: a New Zealand study, New Zealand
Journal of Applied Business Research, 4 (1): 97–116.
Passino, K.M. (1998). Teaching professional and ethical
aspects of electrical engineering to a large class. IEEE
Transactions on Education, 41(4): 273–285.
Rest, J. (1986). Moral Development: Advances in Research
and Theory. New York, New York, USA: Praeger.
Schlegelmilch, B.B., Houston, J.E., (1989), Corporate codes
of ethics in large UK companies: an empirical investigation of use, content and attitudes, European Journal of
Marketing, 23 (6): 7–24.
Segal, M.N., Giacobbe, R.W., (2007), Ethical issues in Australian marketing research services: An empirical investigation, Services Marketing Quarterly, 28 (3): 33–53.
Sethy, S.S. (2017). Undergraduate engineering students’
attitudes and perceptions towards ‘professional ethics’
course: a case study of India, European Journal of
Engineering Education, 42(6): 987–999.
9