Download Engineering ethics

Readiness Assessment Test #1
Chapter 1 Reading
1. Where do most engineers work after
2.
3.
4.
5.
graduation?
What type of engineer would design a
pacemaker?
What does “engineer” mean?
What is the three most popular
engineering disciplines?
What are the first names of your team
members?
Chapter 2
Engineer Ethics
Let’s take notes...
Vocabulary Words
Etiquette
Laws
Morals
Ethics
2.1 Interaction Rules
Etiquette


rules of acceptable personal behavior and courtesy
e.g. proper dress, answering the phone, language,
talking about others
Laws

a system of rules and punishments clearly defined

e.g. legal driving age
Morals


personal rules of right and wrong behavior
e.g. derived from a person’s upbringing,
religious beliefs
Ethics

a code or system of rules defining moral
behavior for a particular society
Appendix B
Professional Engineers Code of Ethics
 Paraphrasing:
“Engineers do not lie, cheat or steal
and always have safety in mind.”
Case Study: Murder
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?


Answers:
 Illegal
 Immoral
 Unethical
 Bad etiquette!
Case Study: Driving over the speed
limit when you are late for class
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?


Answers:
 Illegal
 Moral to some, immoral to others
 Unethical
 Bad etiquette if it effects other drivers
Case Study: Driving over the speed
limit when you are having a baby.
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?


Answers:
 Illegal
 Moral
 Ethical
 Etiquette does not apply
Example 2.1 (Team Exercise – Closed Book)
A chemical company develops a new process that
has a waste by product.
 Their internal studies show this by-product is
carcinogenic.
 However, the by-product is not on a government
list of banned chemicals because it is new.



Legal? Moral?
Answers:
 Legal but immoral
TEAM DISCUSSION (1 minute)
Example 2.3 (Team Exercise – Closed Book)
Government self-regulations require that all
purchases be made through purchasing agents.
 An engineer wishes to purchase an old alternator
from a junkyard and does so with his own
money.
 He reimburses himself with computer disks of
equivalent value.



Legal? Moral?
Answers:
 Moral but illegal
TEAM DISCUSSION (1 minute)
Moral Theories

Ethical Egoism
 A moral theory stating that an act is moral provided
you act in your enlighten self-interest

Utilitarianism
 Moral activities are those that create the most good
for the most people

Rights Analysis
 Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you
Example 2.6.1 – Challenger Explosion

Read section 2.6.1 in Chapter 2.

Ethical Egoism
 A moral theory stating that an act is moral provided you act in
your enlighten self-interest

Utilitarianism
 Moral activities are those that create the most good for the most
people

Rights Analysis
 Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you
Chapter 2
Engineer Ethics
2.2 Settling Conflicts
A conflict is a result of a…

Moral Issue
 if it can only be resolved by appealing to moral
principle.

Conceptual Issue
 if the morality of an action is agreed upon, but
there is no written definition of the company rule
or law

Application Issue
 if it is unclear if a act violates a written rule or law.

Factual Issue
 if more data is needed.
Noise Complaint Example
Source of Sound
Threshold of Hearing
Conversation
Ear Damage Begins
Amplified Music
Jet Airplane at 30 meters
Loudness (db)
0
60
85
110
140
Background Information (Handout)
City Ordinance: No sounds above
90 decibels after 10:00 PM.
You have a problem with your
neighbor making loud noises.
Identify the type of issue for these
conflicts.


Case 1: You are angry about some loud
music coming from your neighbor’s party.
You both measured the loudness at 1:30AM.
You measured 100db and she measured 85
db. This leads to a heated discussion. What
type of issue lead to this conflict?
Case 2: You and your neighbor Sam both
complain to the apartment manager about a
car alarms sounding too often in the
apartment complex. Every Saturday
afternoon you take a nap around noon after
working out in the gym. One Saturday Sam’s
car alarm wakes you up. You are upset by
this and go next door to discuss it with Sam.


Case 3: Your neighbor plays music on
Halloween night at 11:30pm with a loudness
of 70 db. You are worried about that the
children in the neighborhood will be
“emotionally scarred” by the strange music
and call the police.
Case 4: You live near a company that cleans
glass with ultrasound starting at midnight
when the workers are at home sleeping. The
ultrasound is 110db but is not audible. You
are bothered because it shakes the picture
frames in your home and go to the company
to complain.

Case 5: You awake at 2:30 AM to find
that your neighbor has started a heavy
metal band. The music is 115db at
your doorstep. You go ask the band if
they can play in the daytime instead
but the band refuses. What type of
issue lead to this conflict?
Settling Conflicts in Business
Final Thoughts
Consider the Golden Rule
 Get a Second Opinion
 Keep a “Cool Head”
 Be a Professional

Engineering 111
Foundations of Engineering
Chapter 3
Multiple Choice Standardized
Exam
Multiple-Choice Standardized Exam
Score at the End of the Semester
100
Im pr ovem ent R egion
80
60
40
N o I m p r o v e m e n t R e g i on
20
0
0
20
40
60
80
Score at the Beginning of the Semester
100
Case Study Example (Pairs)
Defective Chip Case Study


Handout Document
Using the information presented in Part I,
answer the questions in Parts II and III
Case Study Answers
1. 0.667%
2. Answers will vary.
3. (a) 100,000 × $4
+ 667 × $2 = $401,334
(b) 100,000 × $4 = $400,000
(c)
667 × $9 = $ 6,003
Case Study Answers
1. What issues are involved in following
Rob's recommendation?
* Public Deception
* Public Safety
Case Study Answers
2. Is it acceptable to follow Rob's
suggested course of action, based on
your calculations above?
* If public safety is an issue, then it would
not be acceptable.
Case Study Answers
3. How could the engineer, Shane,
present his case to Rob, his superior, if
he has a differing opinion?
Shane might point out the possible effects
on the company’s reputation for quality.
Case Study Answers
4. As an engineer, what would you do?
Would you choice be legal, moral and
ethical and still make money?
Answers will vary.
Individual Exercise (5 minutes)
Given: A student is in  Required:
 a) Sketch the problem
a stationary hot-air
 b) How many acres of land
balloon that is
are contained by the cone
momentarily fixed at
created by her line of site?
1325 ft. above a
 c) How high would the
piece of land. This
balloon be if, using the
o
pilot looks down 60
same procedure, an area
(from horizontal) and
four times greater is
encompassed?
turns laterally 360o.