Eng'g Ethics Finals

Question 1

The CODE OF ETHICS
of the Professional Engineering Societies
spell out the—————–of an Engineer

Answer 1

RESPONSIBILITIES

Question 2

Professional Responsibility
A few of the important responsibilities

Answer 2

1. CONFIDENTIALITY &
   PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
3. COMPETITIVE BIDDING

Question 3

Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts. Engineers shall not falsify their qualifications or permit misrepresentation of their or their associates’ qualifications. They shall not misrepresent or exaggerate their responsibility in or for the subject matter of prior assignments

Answer 3

Professional Responsibility

Question 4

A company’s trade secrets are considered confidential information and are also proprietary information since they’re owned by the company.

Answer 4

CONFIDENTIALITY &
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

Question 5

Directly affects the company’s ability to compete in the
marketplace. Such information can be used by a
competitor to gain advantage or to catch up.

INFORMATION on:

Answer 5

1. How a business run;
2. Its products; and
3. Its suppliers –

Question 6

CONFIDENTIALITY &
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

Answer 6

DOCTORS – patient’s medical information must be kept
confidential.
LAWYERS – attorney-client privilege
ENGINEERS – obligation to keep
proprietary information of their
employer or client confidential.

Question 7

obligation to keep
proprietary information of their
employer or client confidential.

Answer 7

ENGINEERS

Question 8

– test results & data, information about
upcoming unreleased products, & designs or formulas
for products.

Answer 8

◼OBVIOUS

Question 9

What types of information
should be kept confidential?

Answer 9

◼OBVIOUS
◼ NOT AS OBVIOUS

Question 10

– business information such as the
number of employees working on a project, the identity
of suppliers, marketing strategies, production costs, &
production yields

Answer 10

◼ NOT AS OBVIOUS

Question 11

Straightforward but with Gray
Areas
 How long confidentiality extends after an engineer
leaves employment with a company?

Answer 11

➢ Legally, an engineer is required to keep information
confidential even after she has moved to a new
employer in the same technical area.
➢ In practice, it can be difficult.
➢ An engineer can’t be expected to forget all of the
knowledge already gained during the years of
professional experience.

Question 12

To Ensure:

Answer 12

❑ Companies have strict POLICIES re: disclosure of
business information; Require all employees to sign
them.
❑ Internal company communications are labeled as
“proprietary”.
❑ Engineers are required by client to sign a
Nondisclosure Agreement.
❑ Government Engineers, especially in the defense
industry, have more stringent requirements of
secrecy – sometimes require SECURITY
CLEARANCES after thorough investigation by
government security agency.

Question 13

Straightforward but with Gray
Areas
 How long confidentiality extends after an engineer
leaves employment with a company?

Answer 13

SOLUTION: The Individual Engineer must balance his
right to seek career advancement wherever he chooses,
and company’s right to keep information away from their
competitors.

Question 14

Arises when an interest, if pursued, could keep a professional from
meeting one of his obligations.

Answer 14

Conflict of Interest

Question 15

KINDS of conflicts of Interest

Answer 15

1. Actual Conflicts of Interest
2. Potential Conflicts of Interest
3. Appearance of a Conflict of Interest

Question 16

– compromise objective engineering
judgment.
i.e. 1 of the bidders is owned by the engr.

Answer 16

1. Actual Conflicts of Interest

Question 17

– threatens to easily become
actual conflicts of interest.
i.e. an engr. who become friends with a supplier of the company

Answer 17

2. Potential Conflicts of Interest

Question 18

–i.e. Possible: Engr. paid based on % of the cost of the design – no
incentive to cut cost

• The distrust that comes from this situation compromises the engr.’s
  ability to do his work & future work & calls into question the engr.’s
  judgment

Answer 18

3. Appearance of a Conflict of Interest

Question 19

How to avoid conflict of
interest?

Answer 19

❑ Follow guidance of COMPANY POLICY.
❑ If no policy, ask co-worker or manager for
second opinion – this will also make it
appear that you aren’t trying to hide
something.
❑ No option? Examine your motives & use
ethical problem-solving techniques.
❑ Professional Code of Ethics

Question 20

Forbid engineers to compete for engineering work based
on submitting price proposals rather than soliciting work
& charging customers based on a fixed fee structure.

Answer 20

Competitive Bidding

Question 21

WAS Prohibited because:

Answer 21

1. Bidding was considered to be undignified & not at all
   in keeping with the image that the engineering
   profession desired to put forth to the public.
2. There were concerns that if engineers engaged in
   competitive bidding, it would lead to price being the
   most significant (or perhaps only) basis for awarding
   engineering contracts – leading to engrs. cutting
   corners on design work & could ultimately undermine
   engr.’s duty to protect the safety & welfare of the
   public.

Question 22

right to privacy; right to participate to
activities of his own choosing outside of work; right to
reasonably object to company policies without fear of
retribution; & right to due process.

Answer 22

INDIVIDUALS

Question 22

❑ Both rights as Engineering Professionals & as
individuals.

Answer 22

PROFESSIONAL RIGHTS

Question 23

most fundamental right:
RIGHT OF PROFESSIONAL CONSCIENCE

Answer 23

ENGINEERS

Question 24

The right to exercise professional judgment in discharging one’s
duties & to exercise this judgment in an ethical manner.
- Hard for employer’s to understand.
- Has many ASPECTS:

Answer 24

Right of Professional Conscience

Question 25

the right to
refuse to engage in unethical behavior (no employer can
ask or pressure)
i.e. Engr. is asked to falsify a test result or fudge a test
result.

Problem: if refusal is based on an ethical principle that is
not shared by everyone.
i.e. An engr. ought to be allowed to refuse to work on
defense projects or environmentally hazardous work if his
conscience says that such is IMMORAL.

Answer 25

RIGHT OF CONSCIENTIOUS REFUSAL

Question 26

The act by an employee of informing the public or
higher management of unethical or illegal behavior by
an employer or supervisor.

Answer 26

Whistle Blowing

Question 27

When is it appropriate, when is it not?

Answer 27

◼ Engineers have a duty to protect the health and safety
of the public, so in some cases, an engineer is
compelled to blow the whistle on acts or projects that
harm these values.
◼ Engineers also have the professional right to disclose
wrongdoing within their organizations & expect to see
appropriate action taken

Question 28

Types of Whistle Blowing

Answer 28

1. INTERNAL and External whistle blowing
2. ACKNOWLEDGED & ANONYMOUS whistle blowing

Question 29

occurs when an employee goes over the head of
an immediate supervisor to report a problem to a
higher level of management. OR all levels of mngmt
are bypassed, & the employee goes directly to the
president or the BOD. It is kept within the company or
organization.

Answer 29

1. INTERNAL whistle blowing

Question 30

occurs when the employee goes outside the
company & reports wrongdoing to newspapers or law enforcement authorities.

Answer 30

2. EXTERNAL whistle blowing

Question 30

BOTH are perceived as DISLOYALTY but —— is
seen as less serious than ———-.

Answer 30

1. INTERNAL whistle blowing
2. EXTERNAL whistle blowing

Question 31

occurs when the employee who is blowing the
whistle refuses to divulge his name when making
accusations (in anonymous memos to upper mngmt;
or anonymous phone calls to the police; talking to the
media but not named as source)

Answer 31

ANONYMOUS whistle blowing

Question 32

occurs when the employee puts his name
behind the accusations & is willing to withstand the
scrutiny brought on by his accusations.

Answer 32

ACKNOWLEDGED whistle blowing

Question 33

Whistleblowing can be
very bad, leading to distrust, disharmony, & inability of
employees to work together.

Answer 33

◼ Corporations’ Point of View:

Question 34

where a player stops the game on
account of a penalty that his own team deserves –
“gentlemanly” but teammates will see it as extreme
disloyalty.

Answer 34

◼ Like in SPORTS

Question 35

When MAY you blow the whistle? (MORALLY ACCEPTABLE
4 Conditions must be met

Answer 35

1. NEED
2. PROXIMITY
3. CAPABILITY
4. LAST RESORT

Question 36

– there must be a clear & important harm that
can be avoided by blowing the whistle. (also small things
that add up)
i.e. Accident results in spill of small quantity of toxic chemical into a
nearby waterway that is immediately cleaned up. No need to notify
authorities, unless notoriously repeated without countermeasures.

Answer 36

1. NEED

Question 37

– The whistle-blower must have a
reasonable chance of success in stopping the harmful
activity, to risk his career & financial security for his
family.

Answer 37

3. CAPABILITY

Question 37

– The whistleblower must be in a very
clear position to report on the problem. Not hearsay.
Must have enough expertise for realistic assessment of the situation.

Answer 37

2. PROXIMITY

Question 38

• Whistleblowing should be attempted
  only if there is no one else more capable or more
  proximate to blow the whistle & if you feel that all other
  lines of action within the context of the organization have
  been explored & shut off.

Answer 38

4. LAST RESORT

Question 39

Preventing Whistle Blowing

Answer 39

1. Strong corporate ethics culture.
2. Clear lines of communication within the corporation.
3. All employees must have a meaningful access to high-level
   managers in order to bring their concerns forward.
4. There should be willingness on the part of mngmt to admit
   mistakes, publicly, if necessary.

Question 40

When SHOULD you blow the whistle? (OBLIGATED)

Answer 40

When there is great imminent danger of harm to
someone if the activity continues & the four conditions
have been met. (requires INTROSPECTION &
REFLECTION)

• Understand your MOTIVES – to protect the
  public interest, not revenge, not for future gains.

Question 41

Minimize the need for employees to blow the whistle within the
organization

Answer 41

◼ EMPLOYER’S POINT OF VIEW

Question 42

– clear commitment to ethical
behavior & mandatory ethics training. Managers must set the
tone.

Answer 42

1. Strong corporate ethics culture.

Question 43

– openness
gives an employee who feels that something must be fixed a clear path to air his concerns.

Answer 43

2. Clear lines of communication within the corporation.

Question 44

– access must
come with a guarantee of no retaliation, rather a reward for their
commitment to fostering ethical behavior of the company.

Answer 44

3. All employees must have a meaningful access to high-level
   managers in order to bring their concerns forward.

Question 45

– this attitude will set the stage
for ethical behavior by all employees.

Answer 45

4. There should be willingness on the part of management to admit
   mistakes, publicly, if necessary.