Professional and Ethical Responsibility
Micaela EismanShaun Raj
Overview
Introduction Definitions Professional Applications General Professional & Ethical
Standards Whistle-blowing Case Study Summary
What is ethics?
“The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.” [1]
‘NUFF SAID!
How does that relate to a professional environment? Respecting others’ intellectual
property by giving due credit. Avoiding conflicts of interest. Rejecting bribery. Honesty and realism in stating
claims and estimates. Etc.
General Engineering Professional and Ethical Standards
IEEE: Seek, accept, and offer honest criticism. Improve the understanding of technology. Avoid injuring others, their property,
reputation, or employment by false or malicious actions.
General Engineering Professional and Ethical Standards
ABET: Ability to apply knowledge of math,
science, and engineering. Design and conduct experiments as well
as analyze and interpret data. Effective communication.
General Engineering Professional and Ethical Standards
ASEE: Enhancement of human welfare with
application of skills. Undertake professional responsibilities only
in areas of competence. Treat all people fairly, regardless of
ethnicity, gender, age, religion, profession, etc.
Whistle-blowing
“One who reveals wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority.” [2]
Examples 2006: Thomas Drake
Executive at NSA, worried about post 9-11 surveillance. Reported to the newspaper – indicted for obstruction of justice and espionage.
1996: Jeffrey Wigand VP for R&D at Brown and Williamson Tobacco,
admitted the company doctored nicotine content to make their product more addictive.
1972: W. Mark Felt Gave information to bring down Nixon during
Watergate.
Examples in Public Media
Ethical Implications?
Should he have blown the whistle? Should he have placed the welfare of
others over his career? Did the Energy Department manage
the concern properly? Should the Defense Nuclear Facilities
Safety Board have gotten involved?
Case Study – Paradyne Computers (1980) SSA requested new
computers for field offices – gave contract to Paradyne for $115 million for 1800 computers Provide access to central database for
processing claims and issuing new SSN’s Computers failed initial testing, so
the SSA relaxed specifications After delivery, many malfunctioned
Case Study – Paradyne Computers Paradyne proposed selling P8400
computer with P105 OS, which was not built yet RFP prohibited prototypes Parts were not tested before integration Bid was written as though the OS was
already in existence Paradyne demoed a different
computer system, not the one they intended to sell to the SSA
Case Study – Paradyne Computers Results:
Put secure information at risk Took 2 years to resolve, wasting
government resources and time:▪ Justice Department▪ Health and Human Services
Case Study – Paradyne Computers Ethical Issues:
Company lied about the state of the product
Adequate testing was not performed Should the SSA have relaxed
requirements after initial testing? Should the SSA reopen bids after
requirements were relaxed?
Summary
Introduction Definitions Professional Applications General Professional & Ethical
Standards Whistle-blowing Case Study Summary
Questions?
Derivation
Recall: and = and Recall =
Citations http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics [1] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/whistle-blowing [2] http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/06/nation/la-na-adv-
nuclear-whistleblower-20110705 http://www.onlineethics.org/Education/instructessays/
herkert2.aspxhttp://www.onlineethics.org/Education/instructessays/herkert2.aspx
http://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/governance/p7-8.html http://www.asee.org/member-resources/resources/
Code_of_Ethics.pdf http://www.ele.uri.edu/courses/ele400/f12/cases.pdf http://www.troll.me/2011/07/08/philosoraptor/is-it-ethical-to-
question-the-ethics-of-your-ethics-professor/ http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/05/30/10-whistleblowers-
heard-around-the-world/