ABSTRACT
This chapter will articulate why there needs to be ethical principles for those professionals working in the construction industry and will explain the importance of such principles. It will also highlight the challenges for ethical teaching, given that there are no universal standards around the world and standards vary between different professional institutions on what constitutes good ethical practices. It will explain codes of conduct in regulating professional ethics, what these comprise and how they are applied to improve practices and behaviours. In this regard, it will discuss the benefits of having codes of conduct and how they vary between different professional bodies and institutions. Penalties and sanctions for non-adherence and breaches of professional codes of conduct will be covered, alongside the implications for public trust and confidence of violations of ethical regulations. Also, the importance of maintaining public trust will be discussed, given that the construction industry traditionally has been regarded as poorly performing in the past with low levels of client satisfaction. Finally, several professional bodies will be compared in their approaches to professional ethics, standards and behaviours, and the differences between their codes of conduct explained.
