PPG INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

COIMBATORE-35
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

QUESTION BANK

Subject Code

: GE2025

Subject Name

: Professional Ethics in
Engineering

Semester

: VIII

Year

: IV BE CSE

Staff Incharge

: S.R Ramya

SYLLABUS
UNIT I ENGINEERING ETHICS
Senses of Engineering Ethics Variety of moral issues Types of inquiry Moral dilemmas Moral
Autonomy Kohlbergs theory Gilligans theory Consensus and Controversy Professions and
Professionalism Professional Ideals and Virtues Uses of Ethical Theories
UNIT II ENGINEERING AS SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION
Engineering as Experimentation Engineers as responsible Experimenters Research Ethics - Codes of
Ethics Industrial Standards - A Balanced Outlook on Law The Challenger Case Study
UNIT III ENGINEERS RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY
Safety and Risk Assessment of Safety and Risk Risk Benefit Analysis Reducing Risk The
Government Regulators Approach to Risk - Chernobyl Case Studies and Bhopal
UNIT IV RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS
Collegiality and Loyalty Respect for Authority Collective Bargaining Confidentiality Conflicts of
Interest Occupational Crime Professional Rights Employee Rights Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) Discrimination
UNIT V GLOBAL ISSUES
Multinational Corporations Business Ethics - Environmental Ethics Computer Ethics -Role in
Technological Development Weapons Development Engineers as Managers Consulting Engineers
Engineers as Expert Witnesses and Advisors Honesty Moral Leadership Sample Code of Conduct

GE2025- PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN ENGINEERING

VII semester BE-CSE
Regulation (2008)
UNIT 1
Part-A (2 Marks)
1. Define Engineering Ethics.

The study of moral issues and decisions confronting individuals and organizations involved in
engineering and
The study of related questions about moral ideals, character, policies and relationships of people
and organizations involved in technological activity.

2. Define moral dilemma.

An ethical or moral dilemma is a situation in which a person is required by their ethical code to
take at least two actions and, while able to take either, is not able to take both.
3. What are the chief characteristics of a profession?

Advanced expertise
Self-regulation
Public good

4. What is the need to study Ethics?

To responsibly confront moral issues raised by technological activity.

To recognize and resolve moral dilemma.
To achieve moral autonomy.

5. What are the three types of Inquiry?

Normative Inquiry Based on values.

Conceptual Inquiry Based on meaning.
Factual Inquiry Based in facts.

6. Define moral autonomy.

Self-determining
Independent
Personal Involvement
Exercised based on the moral concern for other people and recognition of good moral reasons

7. Give the importance of Lawrence Kohlbergs and Carol Gilligans theory.

Kohlberg gives greater emphasis to recognizing rights and abstract universal rules.
Gilligan stresses the importance of maintaining personal relationships based on mutual caring.

8. What is profession and professional.

The word Professional gets the different meanings based on the context. The general
professional relates to any work that a person does for an occupation, especially work which
requires a special skill or training.
Profession means a type of job that requires special training and that brings a fairly high status.

9. Give the uses of Ethical Theories.

In understanding moral dilemmas

Justifying professional obligations and ideals
Relating ordinary and professional morality

10. Define Work Ethic.

The belief that work has a moral benefit and an inherent ability to strengthen character.
A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence.

11. What is the method used to solve an Ethical problem?

Recognizing a problem or its need

Gathering information and defining the problem to be solved or goal to be achieved
Generating alternative solutions or methods to achieve the goal
Evaluate benefits and costs of alternate solutions
Decision making & optimization
Implementing the best solution

12. What is meant by normative enquiry?

These are about what ought to be and what is good. These questions identify and also justify
the morally desirable norms or standards.
Part B (16 Marks)
1. Write a short note on moral autonomy.

This is viewed as the skill and habit of thinking rationally about ethical issues on the basis of
moral concerns independently or by self-determination.
Autonomous individuals think for themselves and do not assume that customs are always right.
They seek to reason and live by general principles.
Their motivation is to do what is morally reasonable for its own sake, maintaining integrity, selfrespect, and respect for others.

A person becomes morally autonomous by improving various practical skills listed below:
Proficiency is recognizing moral problems and issues in engineering.
Skill in comprehending, clarifying and critically assessing arguments on opposing sides of moral
issues.

The ability to form consistent and comprehensive viewpoints based upon consideration of
relevant facts.
Awareness of alternate responses to issues and creative solutions for practical difficulties.
Sensitivity to genuine difficulties and subtleties
Increased precision in the use of a common ethical language necessary to express and also
defend ones views adequately.
Appreciation of possibilities of using rational dialogue in resolving moral conflicts and the need
for tolerance of differences in perspective among orally reasonable people.
A sense of importance of integrating ones professional life and personal convictions i.e.
maintaining ones moral integrity.

2. Describe Kohlbergs Theory in detail.

STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Pre-conventional
whatever benefits oneself or avoids punishment. This is the level of development of all young
children. -Avoid punishment & Gain Reward
Conventional
Uncritical acceptances of ones family, group or society are accepted as final standard of
morality. Most adults do not mature beyond this stage. -1.Gain Approval & Avoid Disapproval &
2. Duty & Guilt
Post-conventional
Motivation to do what is morally reasonable for its own sake, rather than solely from ulterior
motives, with also a desire to maintain their moral integrity, self-respect and the respect of other
autonomous individuals. They are Morally autonomous people. -1. Agreed upon rights & 2.
Personal moral standards
3. Describe Gilligans Theory in detail.

Pre-conventional Level
This is the same as Kohlbergs first level in that the person is preoccupied with self centered
reasoning, caring for the needs and desires of self.
Conventional
Here the thinking is opposite in that, one is preoccupied with not hurting others and a willingness
to sacrifice ones own interests in order to help or nurture others (or retain friendship).
Post-conventional Level
Achieved through context-oriented reasoning, rather than by applying abstract rules ranked in a
hierarchy of importance. Here the individual becomes able to strike a reasoned balance between
caring about other people and pursuing ones own self-interest while exercising ones rights.

4. Bring out the difference between Kohlbergs and Gilligans theory.

KOHLBERG
Ethics of rules and rights
Studies based on well educated, white male
are only, tending male bias.
Application of abstract rules ranked in the
order of importance
Studies were hypothesized for both the
genders even though the study was conducted
mostly on males

GILLIGAN
Ethics of care
Studies included females and colored peoples
Application of context-oriented reasoning.
Study was conducted on both genders and it was found,
men based their reasoning on justice and women
based theirs on care

5. What are the types of ethical theories?

Introduction
Types
Virtue Ethics
Examples
UNIT 2
Part-A (2 Marks)
1. What is Engineering Experimentation?
Engineering Experimentation is decided to change a new Engineering concept into its first rough
design, preliminary test or simulation should be conducted. These tests may be based on more detailed
designs.
2. What is codes of Ethics?
The codes exhibit the rights, duties and obligations of the members of a profession. Codes are the
set of laws and standards. A code of ethics provides a framework for ethical judgment for a professional.
A code defines the roles and responsibilities of professionals.
3. What are the types of Industrial Standards?

Quality
Quality related to service.
Safety
Acceptance in procedures for usage

Physical properties and function

4. What is meant by accountability?

The people who feel their responsibility always accept moral responsibilities for their

action. It is known as accountable. It means being culpable and hold responsible for faults.

5. How does a code support engineers?

Codes support an Engineer who follows the ethical principles. Codes give engineers a positive, a
possible good support for standing on moral issues.
6. What are the obligations of researchers?
To do no harm to the community.
To involve the community in active participation rather than passive acceptance.
To ensure the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, reporting, publication and
distribution of the research are culturally relevant to the community and in agreement
with the standards of competent research.
7. What are the suggestions given by the safety Engineers?

Exact rules and regulations are suitable incase of ethical misconduct.

The rules should not try to cover all possible outcomes of experiment and not force the
engineer to follow strictly.
The rules and regulation should be broad.

8. What are the limitations of codes?

They cannot serve as the final moral authority for professional conduct
Engineering codes often have internal conflicts.
Codes can be reproduced in a very rapid manner
Codes are said to be coercive.
9. What is meant by informed consent?
When new medicines are tested it should be informed to the person who undergoes the test. They
have moral and legal rights to know about the fact which is based on informed consent before they take
part in the experiment.
10. What is balanced outlook on Law?
A balanced outlook on laws stresses the necessity of laws and regulations and their limitations in
directing engineering practice.
11. What are the reasons led to many repetition of past mistakes?
Lack of established channels of communication
Misplaced pride in not asking for information
Embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation
Negligence
12. What are the uncertainties occur in the model design?

Constancies of materials used for processing and fabrication

Model used for the design calculations
Exact characteristics of the material purchased

Part B (16 Marks)

1. What are the aspects in which engineering differs from standard experiments?
Introduction
Experimental control
Informed consent
Knowledge Gained
2. What are the different roles and functions of CODES and its limitations?

Introduction
Role and functions of ethics
Support
Deterrence and discipline
Education and mutual understanding
Contributing to the professions public image
Protecting status quo
Promoting business interests
Limitations of Codes of Ethics

3. Explain Research Ethics.

Introduction
Principles
Obligations of the researchers
Obligations of the community researchers
Authorship Guidelines
Audience
Principles
Process
Evaluation guidelines

4. What are the responsibilities of engineers for serving the society responsible experimenters?
Introduction.
Conscientiousness
Relevant Information
Moral Autonomy

Accountability

UNIT III

Part-A (2 Marks)
1. Define Risk.
Risk is defined as the probability of a specified level of hazardous consequences being
realized .Risk is thus a product of probability(P) and consequence which is given by the
equation R=PxC.
2. What is safety?
A thing is safe if its risks are justified to be acceptable designer thing is said to be safe if
for the person who judges the perceived risk is less.
3. Define Risk Benefit Analysis.
Risk-benefit analysis is a method that helps the engineers to analyze the risk in a project and to
determine whether a project should be implemented or not
4. Define Prototype Testing.
It is the testing of a product carried out to destruction. This type of testing will be carried out
after real accidents occur. It is also known as destructive testing.
5. What are the three conditions for safe exit?

When a product fails, it will fail safely.

The product can be abandoned safely.
The user can safely escape the product.

6. Write the problems faced by the Engineers regarding the public conceptions of safety.

Optimistic Attitude
Pessimistic Attitude

7. What is overestimation of Risk?

A product whose risks are comparatively less may be considered unsafe because of extraordinary
safety concern of a person .Eg: Judging fluoride in water can kill lot of people.
8. Define strict Liability.
It means if the sold product is effective, the manufacturer concerned is liable for any harm to

users.
9. Define Disaster.
Disaster is defined as a series of continued event and a state of unpreparedness.
10. What are the reasons for the inadequacies in knowledge of risks?
The information is not freely shared among industries.
There are also new applications of old technologies that provide available
data which are less useful
11. What are the factors influenced in acceptability of risk?

Magnitude and Proximity

Job related Pressures.
Voluntarism and control
Effect on information on risk management

12. How scenario analysis done?

In this analysis while testing the safety of a product, a person has to start from a given point and
then study all the different consequences developed gradually from it.

Part-B (16 Marks)

1. Explain Risk Benefit Analysis in detail.

Introduction
Reasons for Risk benefit Analysis
Ethical implication of risk benefit analysis
Weighing Risk and benefits

2. Explain safety at the design stage.

Introduction
Common Testing Methods
Scenario Analysis
Failure modes and effect analysis
Fault Tree Analysis
Event Tree Analysis

3. What types of risk to be reduced?

Introduction
Reason for Risk-benefit Analysis

 Ethical Implications
Weighing the risk benefit analysis
4. What are the Potential Benefits of a Risk-based Approach?
Introduction
Clarity and transparency of regulation
Better understanding of risks
Alignment with corporate governance
Proactive approach to preventing or solving problems
Systemic focus on market place and consumers
Increased regulatory efficiency
Reduced regulatory costs for well managed market participants
Regulatory Principles for Risk-based Market Conduct Regulation

UNIT-4
Part-A (2 Marks)
1. What is meant by collegiality?
Collegiality is the tendency to support and co-operate with the colleagues collegiality is
an essential and excellent characteristic needed for an engineer.
2. What meant by occupational crime?
Occupational crimes are the illegal acts that are made possible through a persons lawful
employment it is a secret violation of laws which rules the work activities.
3. What is meant by bootlegging?
Bootlegging is making transferring or selling out something which is illegal. In Engineering, it
refers to working on projects not properly authorized.
4. What are the different ethical theories which help to justify the rights?
There are different ethical theories which help to justify the rights in different
ways. They are:
Right-based theories
Duty-based theories
Utilitarian theories.
5. What is meant by copy right?
A copyright is a very specific and exclusive right even for reproduction of an original work this is
for material, literacy, aesthetic material, music, film, sound recording, broadcasting, software and
multimedia. This provides automatic right for protecting any original creation, which is not in need of
registration but with limited time.

6. What is known as a trade secret?

Trade Secret means information which is kept confidential as a secret. This is generally not
known in the relevant industry providing an advantage to its owner over other competitors.
7. What does the theory is duty ethics stress in placing order to the employee?
Duty ethics holds the view that rights are not the final moral appeal. The employers have a duty
not to harm the public by placing barriers in the works of the engineers who try to meet their obligations
to the public.

8. What is meant by connectedness?

Connectedness is an awareness of being a part of a co-operate undertaking that is created by
shared commitment and expertise. It also mean that being united with after engineers results in cooperation and keeping mutual understanding with proper support among engineers.
9. What is meant by expert authority?
Expert authority is the possession of special knowledge, skill or competence to perform a given
job in a better way or to give beneficial advice regarding a job for example ,doctors are the authorities
on health.
10. What is meant by preferential treatment?
Preferential treatment means giving preference for the minorities and women in employment
opportunities.
Weak Preferential Treatment
Strong Preferential Treatment
11. What are the main elements of intellectual property right?

Patents for inventions

Copyrights for material
Trademarks for broad identity and
Trade secrets.

12. What are basic type of moral rights engineers should have in addition to their responsibility?
There are two types of moral rights, they are
Human rights
Professional rights
Human rights:
There should be possessed by engineers by virtue of being people.
Professional Rights:
These rights are possessed by virtue of being professionals.

Part-B (16 Marks)

1. What is meant by collective Bargaining and what are its ethical features in the engineering
profession?
Introduction
Arguments in favour of Unions
Arguments against union
2. Discuss the concept of confidentiality with respect to professional ethics.

Introduction
Privileged information
Proprietary information
Trade secrets
Patents
Why should engineering information be kept confidential?
Types of confidential information
Gray areas in the context of confidentiality
Management policies for maintaining confidentiality

3. How is occupational crime motivated in industrial scenes and explain the conflict and crime in
price fixing with suitable example?

Introduction
Industrial Espionage
Price Fixing
Endangering Lives

4. Define Intellectual Property Rights and discuss the tools of IPR and features in detail.

Introduction
Essential elements of intellectual property rights
Patents
Requirement for Patents
Types of patents
Trade marks
Trade secrets
Need for protection to ipr
Importance of ipr

5. Under what circumstances the conflict of interest occurs with the employers.

Introduction
Types of conflicts of interest
Other form of conflict of interest
Avoiding conflicts of interests

UNIT V

Part-A (2 Marks)
1. Define Multinational Corporation with Example.
When a company operates its business in several countries, it is known as a multinational
corporation. For example, Smithkline Beecham, Hindustan lever Ltd.,Ford, Toyota etc. are multinational
corporations.
2. What is meant by Relative Values in multinational Corporation issues?
Relative values mean relative principles. These relative values help in deciding how the
multinational corporations and individuals have to act in foreign or host countries.
3. What are the principles for conflict resolution?

People must be separated from the problem

Focus must be only on interest and not on positions
Various options must be generated
An evolution criteria should be stablished

4. What are the abuses of Engineers as expert witnesses?

Hired Guns
Financial Prejudices or Financial Influences
Sympathy Biases

6. What are the normative models for advisors?

HiredGuns
Value-NeutralAnalysts
Value-Guided Advocates

7. What is meant by moral Leadership?

Leadership points out the success in leading a group of persons towards the achievement of goals
and objectives. Whenever the goals of a leader become permissible and also morally valuable, it is
known as moral leadership.
6. What is Ego Biases?
Many of the adversarial circumstances establish some competitive attitudes among engineers
who acts as expert witness.
7. List some of the environmental issues of concern to engineers.

Releasing harmful substance into water and air

Using toxic substance in food processing
Disturbing land and water balances

8. What are the international Rights?

Freedom of physical movement of people

Ownership of properties
Freedom from Torture
Fair Trial on the products

9. What are the professional issues in computer Ethics?

Computer Failures
Computer Implementation
Health Condition

10. What are the general effects of Acid rain?

Bacterias that are essential for life systems to be active are killed
High acidity results in reduced growth and killing of fishes
Accumulation of organic matter in lake and streams increases the degree of water pollution
Concentration of heavy particles like copper, zinc, lead, and manganese are increased in water
Part-B (16 Marks)

1. Explain computer ethics with examples.

Introduction.
Computer in the Workplace
Computer Crime

Privacy and Anonymity

Intellectual Property
Professional Responsibility
Globalization
Professional Issues

2. How do Engineers act as expert witnesses and advisors?

Introduction.
Engineers act as expert witness in the courts
Abuses of Engineers as Expert Witnesses
Engineers as expert advisers in planning and policy making
Normative models of Advisers

3. Who are referred as consulting Engineers? Explain.

Introduction.
Advertising
Examples of deceptive advertisement
Competitive bidding
Contingency Fee
Safety and client needs
Provision for resolution of disputes
4. Explain business ethics.
Society as a Whole Benefits
People Feel Better
Unethical Behavior Can Be Very Costly
Four Theories
Utilitarianism
Profit Maximization
5. Engineers Involvement in Weapons work-Discuss.
Introduction
Problems of Defence Industry
Conclusion