Download Business and Environmental Management 1

Teaching Ethics to
Engineers
Dr Sue Haile
University Sustainable Advisor
Senior Lecturer in CEAM
What are ethics ?
 A system of moral principles or conduct .
 The accepted principles of right and wrong
that govern the conduct of a profession
 Distinguishing between acceptable and
unacceptable behaviour.
 But is it like morality? – can we actually teach
it?
Royal Academy of Engineering
STATEMENT OF ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
 Accuracy and Rigour
 Honesty and Integrity
 Respect for Life, Law and Public good
 Responsible Leadership: Listening and
Informing
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Embedding Ethics
 Requirement for Institutional Accreditation of
Engineering courses e.g. IChemE
 Introduced in CEAM through Case studies
and Guest lectures
 We have a repository of case study
workshops to draw upon so we can change
from year to year
 Integrate with Sustainable Development
IChemE Responsible Care programme
 To earn public trust and confidence through a
high level of HS&E performance in order to
maintain the industry's licence to continue to
operate safely, profitably and with due care
for the interests of future generations.
 Speak out programme
 Stakeholder dialogue
Learning from others’ mistakes
 We can show students examples of ethical
dilemmas.
 What happened
 Why it happened
 What the impacts were
 What lessons are to be learnt
Case studies and External lecturers
for Industry
 Byker – role playing
 Processed disposal water from an Oil rig – the
cheapest or the safest?
 Waste management in Gateshead ? Recycle or burn
 Biofuels – food versus fuel
 Wind farms in Northumberland
 Child labour
 Donation or a bribe
 Equity in environmental standards or local limits?
Stage 1 : Ghost ships
Debate: Send them back or
deal with them here
“I see now it can be really hard to make the right decision.”
Stage 2 : Koppers

Communicating risk to stakeholders
“The assignment has helped to cement some of the
ideals taught within the course, such as the need for
openness and transparency when interacting with
company stakeholders. “
Stage 4 BP: what went wrong ?
Role playing stakeholders as if going on TV.
 Company
 Locals
 Government
 Media
 Environmentalists
“I have never had to work through an exercise like this
before; I found it very interesting and enjoyable.”
MSc : Company scandals
 Each student talks about one issue and posts a
summary on BB
 Students assess types of risk and consider how
the companies handled the situation and what
lessons they learnt
“I see now there are others things
businesses need to think about that
profit! “
MEng and MSc
Each group is part of a consortium trying to develop and
raise funding for a new project eg. bioethanol plant ,
autoclave or gasifier. Students identify the potential
financial benefits, environmental impacts and societal
implications and make an oral presentation. The other
students role play stakeholders having been given
suggestions for questions as if at a public meeting
“This exercise has increased my awareness of the
lengths businesses and organisations must go to
satisfy all stakeholder concerns when considering
expanding or developing.”
Student feedback
 “I have learnt that despite the best intentions and
reasonable evidence, projects such as the one
investigated can still be turned down due to the
poor reputation stemming from the reprehensible
activities of other, less responsible companies. “
 “I have learned to listen to everyone’s ideas, as
there are always things you would have never
thought of and it gives a different perspective on
how to go about a problem. “
Learning Outcomes
 Risk Assessment : the need to identify and manage
the many types of risk which include societal,
financial, economic as well as environmental and
H@S risk.
 Supply chain auditing
 Effective stakeholder dialogue and communication
strategies including which media to use
Learning outcomes
 Need to have Management systems, Policies
and Procedures
 Corporate Social Responsibility and
Reporting
 Relevant legislation such as Bribery Act,
corporate manslaughter.
Additional skills acquired
 Team working (have to agree distribution of
marks)
 Time management
 Writing Minutes
 Seeing someone else’s point of view
A New Type Engineer
 Not just design&
5/23/2017
operate…..but
 Understand
Technical,Economic
& Social issues.
 Minimise
Waste,Energy &
Transport.
 Use Sustainable
Materials.
Summary
 Don’t think you can “teach” it
 Can demonstrate through workshops and
discussion
 Case study material available if you would
like it