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Engineering Ethics

Emine Atasoylu, Asst. Prof. Dr.

EMU Department of Industrial Engineering


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1. W hat is Engineering Ethics?(Professional Ethics)

2. Ethics and law !

3. Aim s of Studying Ethics

4. Professional Code of Ethics

5. Honesty on Campus

6. Understanding Ethical Concepts

7. Case Analysis

Engineering Ethics


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Engineering Ethics is about how we have to actand live as engineers. What we have to considerwhen making decisions. According to whichstandards are these actions right or wrong.Shortly Engineering ethics is how engineersmorally act.

Engineers (apart from other professionals) havefurther responsibility to the society in generalbecause of their expertise and capability of designand production can either harm or benefit people.

1. W hat is Engineering Ethics?


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Engineering ethics is the study of the moralvalues, issues, and decisions involved in

engineering practice.

Engineering ethics: a code or system of rulesdefining moral behavior for a particular society

1. What is Engineering Ethics? (contd.)


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Engineering ethics is part of thinking likean engineer. Teaching engineering ethics

is part of teaching futu re engineers howto practice the profession.

~M ichael Davis


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How are ethics and lawrelated?

Legal & Ethical

I llegal & Ethical

I llegal & Unethical

Legal & Unethical


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Personal Morality: Personal Ethics is a set of ones ownethical commitments, which are usually acquired in earlyhome or religious training and often modified by laterreflection.

Common M orality: Common morality is the set of moralideals shared by most members of a culture or society.

Professional M orality: Professional ethics is the set of standards adopted by professionals in so far as they seethemselves acting as professionals.

2. Why Professional Ethics is Important?


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Engineering Ethics should give same answers in similarsituations all over the world!! Common Morality and PersonalEthics can produce non-standard or biased judgments.

The three types of morality often they overlap butthere are situations in w hich professional standardsmay differ from those of personal morality andcommon morality.

Examples: Taking bribe is obviously against professional and common

morality. It can be OK for a certain individuals own moral

values.

2. Why Professional Ethics is Important?(contd.)


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If an engineer refuses to design military

hardware because she believes war isimmoral. This refusal is based on:

a) Professional Moralityb) Personal Moralityc) Common Morality


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What conflicts can you think of between personal morality and professional morality for Doctors? For Lawyers?

a) think of a doctor against abortionb) think of a lawyer that has a murderer asa client


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If an engineer insists on completehonesty in the reporting of technicalinformation to his client or employer.This insistence is based on:a) Professional Morality

b) Personal Moralityc) Common Morality

Many moral ideas such as honesty andfairness are part of all three. But not always!This is why we study engineering ethics!


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Examples: An engineer refuses to design military hardw are

because she believes that w ar is imm oral. W hat isthis refusal based on?

This refusal is based on personal morality not professionalor common morality.

An engineer insists on complete honesty in thereporting of technical information to his client of employer.

This insistence is (could be) based on personalprofessional and common morality.

2. Why Professional Ethics isImportant? (contd.)


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A common characteristic of a profession points outregulation by eth ical standards, usually embodied in a code of ethics.

Professional ethics should be distinguished from

personal and comm on ethics and from the ethicalobligations that one may have as an occupant of othersocial roles.

Engineering ethics is concerned w ith the question of w hat the standards in engineering ethics should beand how to apply these standards to particularsituations.

2. Why Professional Ethics is Important?(contd.)


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Actually preventive ethics

Preventive ethics contains tw o dimensions:

Engineers must be able to think ahead in order toanticipate possible consequences of their actions asprofessionals especially consequences that m ay havean important ethical dimension.

Engineers must be able to think effectively about

those consequences and decide what is ethicallyright. (by applying the correct technique)

3. Aims of Studying Ethics


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Im proving Moral I magination: To minimize thechances of being taken by surprise, engineers mustexercise great imagination in considering possiblealternatives and their likely consequences.

Recogniz ing Ethical (moral) issues Analyz ing Concepts

Eliciting a sense of responsibility

Addressing un-clarity, un-certainty, anddisagreement

Education to become a responsible engineer.

3. Aims of Studying Ethics (contd.)


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4. Professional Code of Ethics

ABET Code of Ethics the code from the engineeringcollege accreditation boardAIChE Code of Ethics for Chemical EngineersASCE Code of Ethics for Civil EngineersASME Code of Ethics for Mechanical EngineersIEEE Code of Ethics for Electrical Engineers,etc.

NSPE Code of Ethics for all engineers


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Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties,shall:

Canon 1: Hold, paramount the safety, health and welfareof the public in performance of their professional duties.Canon 2: Perform services only in areas of theircompetence.Canon 3: Issue public statements only in an objective andtruthful manner.Canon 4: Act in professional matters for each employer orclient as faithful agents or trustees.Canon 5: Avoid deceptive acts.Canon 6: Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly,

ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor,reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

4. Professional Code of Ethics (contd.)


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The NSPE Code of Ethics helps us understandour obligations and responsibilities

As a professional engineer it is ourobligation / responsibility to obey the code of ethics.

Codes comprise of very basic principles, rules,and guidelines for engineers.

Codes do not provide step by step answers toethical issues and questions.

Engineers should be able to use analytical toolsand creativity to resolve some ethical issues.


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NSPE III.4Engineers shall not disclose

confidential information concerningthe business affairs or technicalprocesses of any present or formerclient or employer without hisconsent.

4. Professional Code of Ethics (contd.)


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Public Health, safety and welfare

Conflict of interest Bribery Extortion

Confidentiality Trade Secret Loyalty

5. Understanding Ethical Concepts


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NSPE Code of Ethics III.5:

Engineers shall not be influenced in theirprofessional duties by conflicting interests.(a) Engineers shall not accept financial or other

considerations, including free engineering designs,from material or equipment suppliers forspecifying their product.

(b) Engineers shall not accept commissions or

allowances, directly or indirectly, from contractorsor other parties dealing with clients or employersfor the Engineer in connection with work forwhich the Engineer is responsible.


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Universalizability : Whatever is right (or wrong)in one situation is right (or wrong) in anyrelevantly similar situation. (it requires us to beconsistent in our thinking)

Reversibility : Treat others as you would have

them treat you. What would you thing if the roleswere reversed?

Two Key Concepts:


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Honesty on Campus

What students experience in engineering school is

a training period for his or her professionalcareer.Since dishonestry is detrimental (harmful) to

engineering professionalism part of engineeringeducation should be in professional honesty.If it is morally permissible to cheat on exams,

misrepresent data on laboratory reports anddesign projects, why isnt it permissible tomisrepresent data to please the boss, get

promotion or keep a job??


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Forms of Dishonesty in Science andEngineering

Trimming is the smoothing of irregularities tomake the data look extremely accurate andprecise Cooking is retaining only those results that fitthe theory and discarding others Forging is inventing some or all of the researchdata Plagiarism is the use of intellectual property of others without proper permission or credit


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Protecting Intellectual Property

Trade secrets, patents, trademarks andcopyrights are ways of protecting intellectualproperty.

Copyrights are rights to creative products such asbooks, pictures, graphics, music, movies and

computer programs. (TRNC Law?)What do you think about copying text books??


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Steps to follow:

State the Ethical problem(s) or consideration(s)

Identify the R elevant Facts

Identify the Ethical Concepts (relate w ith NSPEcode of ethics)

Resolve factual and conceptual issues (if any)

Analyze the case by using the technique ortechniques that suits best. ( line draw ing, creativemiddle way, Utilitarian and Respect for persons approaches )

Decide on what to do (Select the best option).

6. Case Analysis


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Case 1:Mary discovers that her plant (factory) is discharging

a substance into the river that is not regulated by thegovernment. She decides to do some reading about thesubstance and finds that some of the studies suggest that it iscarcinogen. As an engineer, she believes she has an

obligation to protect the public, but she also wants to be aloyal employee. The substance will probably be veryexpensive to remove, and her boss advises, Forget about ituntil the government makes us do something. Then all theother plants will have to spend money too, and we will notbe at a competitive disadvantage. What should Mary do?(Ethical Concepts: Health and Safety, loyalty)

6. Case Analysis (contd.)


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How are ethics and lawrelated?

Legal & Ethical

I llegal & Ethical

I llegal & Unethical

Legal & Unethical


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Case 2a :Tom is designing a new chemical plant. One

of his responsibilities is to identify the valves to beused in a certain portion of the plant. Before hemakes his final decision, a salesperson for one of the firms that manufactures valves invites Tom toa golf game at the local country club. Should Tom

accept the offer?

Ethical concept: Conflict of Interest

6. Case Analysis (contd.)


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Case 2bValCo valves are inferior to traditional ones. Before Tom decidesto purchase a large number of valves from ValCo, Jim (Valcosalesman and former classmate of Tom) visits Tom and offers to

sponsor him for an all-expenses-paid trip to Bahamas. ShouldTom accept the offer?

Feature Positive Test Case Neg.Gift Timing After ------------------------------------------X Befo.Prod. Quality High ------------------------------------------X LowGift Cost Low ------------------------------X---------- HighGift giver is No ------------------------------------------X Yesa friend


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Canon 1: Hold, paramount the safety, health andwelfare of the public in performance of theirprofessional duties.

Canon 4: Act in professional matters for eachemployer or client as faithful agents or trustees.(Brads obligation to his employer conflict with

obligations to public)Ethical Concepts: Health, Safety and Loyalty


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Case 4:Suppose an engineer James inspects a building for a clientbefore the client puts the building up for sale. Jamesdiscovers fundamental structural defects that could pose athreat to public safety. James informs the client of thesedefects in the building and recommends its evacuation andrepair before it is put up for sale. The client replies I amnot going to evacuate the building, and I am certainly notgoing to spend a lot of money on the building before I putit up for sale. Furthermore, if you reveal the information tothe authorities or to any potential buyer, I am going to takewhatever legal action I can against you. I will also pass theword around and you will lose a lot of business.Ethical Concept: Confidentiality (client professional

confidentiality)


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NSPE code II.1.c:

Engineers shall not reveal facts, data orinformation obtained in a professionalcapacity without the prior consent of the

client or employer except as authorized orrequired by law or this Code.

NSPE Canon 1:Hold, paramount the safety, health andwelfare of the public in performance of their

professional duties.


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Competing obligations towards the clientand the public. Obligation to publicsurpasses the moral obligation to client.

An engineer can break client-professional

confidentiality: When a higher obligation to public or otherpeople exists.


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THANK YOU !

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