PROFESSIONAL ETHICS & HUMAN VALUES

1. What are human values?

Values decide the standard of behavior. Some universally accepted values are freedom
justice and equality. Other principles of values are love, care, honesty, integrity, self respect.

2. What are ethical values?

Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring is ethical values

3. Distinguish values from ethics and culture.

Values are mainly related to individuals and since they are related to justice, they remain the
some for every one. E.g. truth, honesty, empathy, self r espect.Values do not change from
individual to individual. Ethics is common to a group of individuals; the group may be
religious or professional. Ethics is mostly based on some code or law and judgment of any
action is based on code of conduct or law. Ethics change from individual to individual
.Culture commonly refers to conduct of a group. e.g system of worship, marriage.It may
differ from society to society, nation to nation or religion to religion.

4. What is integrity?
integrity is the unity of character based on moral values. Consistency in attitudes, emotions
and conduct in relations to morally justified actions and values are also the part of integrity
of individual. It implies honesty, trustworthiness.

5. Define work ethics.

By ones work one cannot harm others. Any worker cannot escape accountability. Worker
has the moral responsibility to see that no other persons right, private or freedom is
impaired or transgressed.

6. What is service learning?

Service learning tells that one has moral responsibility to increase the desirable effects and
to decrease the harmful effects. Any service should increase the desirable result.

7. Mention some civic virtues?

Good citizen demand civic virtue. It is the principle of not harming the surroundings .it also
includes living peacefully, respect for others, protecting the environment and being normally
and ethically good.

8. Write short notes on caring and sharing.

 Caring is the essence of moral life. Caring involves feelings, relationship, contends with other
persons and protecting others and causing least damage to others.
Sharing means sharing of feelings, ideas thoughts, resources and profits. Sharing is always
mutually beneficial. Sharing morally acceptable feelings, resources and materials is a value.

9. Write notes on honesty.

Any human being should imbibe honesty-honesty in acts, honesty in speech and honesty in
beliefs. Honesty is the fundamental virtue in human relationship even though in may be
difficult to follow some times.

10. What is courage as a value?

Courage implies self respect and governs confrontations with danger and risk. It is not
excessive rashes or cowardice, but it is the middle ground. Taking calculated risks and
boldness in facing crises are the hallmarks of courage as a human value. It defines the mental
make up of an individual in taking bold decisions even under adverse situations.

11. Define co-operation.

Co-operation means extending help to others, for a good cause. Co-operation may be
through an idea, a suggestion, an assistance or physical work which extends to others for
common benefit.

12. Define empathy.

Empathy means putting self in a position of someone else and thinking as the later and
reasoning suitable action.

13. Define spirituality.

Spirituality raises a man above the materialistic world into a realm where he seeks peace
and real happiness.

14. Define Integrity?

Integrity is the bridge between responsibility in private and professional life.

15. Define Compromise?

In a negative sense it means to undetermined integrity by violating ones fundamental moral
principles. In a positive sense, however, it means to settle differences by mutual concessions
or to reconcile conflicts through adjustments in attitude and conduct.

16. Give the two aspects of Honesty?

Truthfulness meeting responsibilities concerning truth-telling.
Trustworthiness Meeting responsibilities concerning trust.
17. Differentiate Self-respect and Self-esteem?
Self-respect:It is a moral concept; refers to the virtue properly valuing oneself.
Self-esteem: It is a psychological concept; means having a positive attitude toward oneself,
even if the attitude is excessive or otherwise unwarranted.
 18. What are the positive uncertainties in determining risks?
There are three positive uncertainties. They are:

a. Purpose of designing

b. Application of the product

c. Materials and the skill used for producing the product.

19. What is the use of Risk-Analysis? What are the three factors involved here?
Risk Analysis is used for the assessment of the hazardous associated with an industrial or
commercial activity. It involves identifying the causes of unwanted hazardous events and
estimating the consequences and likelihood of these events. Three factors involved in this
are:

a. Hazard Identification

b. Consequences analysis

c. Probability estimation.

20. 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. In risk benefit analysis,
the risks and benefits of a product are allotted to money amounts, and the most benefit
able ratio between risks and benefits is calculated.

22. Explain the two types of Risk?

i. Personal Risk: An individual, who is given sufficient information, will be in a position to decide
whether to take part in a risky activity or not. They are more ready to take on voluntary risks than
involuntary risks.

ii. Public Risks: Risks and benefits to the public are more easily determined than to individuals, as
larger number of people is taken into account. Involuntary risks are found here.

23. What does Strict Liability mean?

Strict liability means if the sold product is defective; the manufacturer concerned is liable for any
harm that results to users. Negligible is not at all an issue based.

24. Give the reasons for the Three Mile Island disaster?

i. Inadequate training to the operators.

ii. Use of B & W reactors.

25. What is the main barrier to educational attempts?

An important barrier to educational attempt is that people belief change slow and are extraordinarily
resistant to new information.

26. What happens to the products that are not safe?

Products that are not safe incur secondary costs to the manufacturer beyond the primary costs that
must also be taken into account costs associated with warranty expenses loss of customer will and
even loss of customers and so.

27. What does Open-mindedness refer to?

Open-mindedness refers once again not allowing a preoccupation with rules to prevent close
examination of safety problems that may not be covered by rules.

28. What was the problem in the Chernobyl reactor?

The problem was that, The output was maintained to satisfy an unexpected demand. The control
device was not properly reprogrammed to maintain power at the required level. Instead of leaving
fifteen control rods as required, the operators raised almost all control rods because at the low
power level, the fuel had become poisoned.

29.Define Collegiality?

Collegiality is a kind of connectedness grounded in respect for professional expertise and in a

commitment to the goals and values of the profession and collegiality includes a disposition to
support and cooperate with ones colleagues.

What are the central elements of collegiality?

i. Respect

ii. Commitment

iii. Connectedness

iv. Cooperation

. What are the two senses of Loyalty?

i. Agency Loyalty Acting to fulfill on es contractual duties to an employer. Its a matter of

actions, whatever its motives.
 ii. ii. Identification Loyalty Has as much as to do with attitudes, emotions, and a sense of
personal identity as it does with actions.

When may an Identification Loyalty be said as obligatory?

i. Employees must see some of their own important goals as met by and through a group
in which they participate.
ii. ii. Employees must be treated fairly, each receiving his or her share of benefits and
burdens.

What is the relationship between the Loyalty to the company and Professional responsibility to
the public?

i. Acting on professional commitments to the public can be a more effective way to

serve a company than a mere willingness to follow company orders.
ii. Loyalty to companies or their current owners should not be equated with merely
obeying ones immediate supervisor.

iii. An engineer might have professional obligations to both an employer and to the public
that reinforce rather than contradict each other.

Define Institutional Authority?

Institutional Authority is acquired, exercised and defined within organizations. It may be defined as
the institutional right given to a person to exercise power based on the resources of the institution.

Define Expert Authority?

Expert authority is the possession of special knowledge, skill or competence to perform task or give
sound advice.

What is the basic moral task of salaried engineers?

The basic moral task of salaried engineers is to be aware of their obligations to obey employers on
one hand and to protect and serve the public and clients of the other.

What are the guidelines to reach an agreement?

i. Attack problem and not people.

ii. Build trust.
iii. Start with a discussion and analysis of interests, concerns, needs. It begin with interests,
not positions or solutions.
iv. Listen.
v. Brainstorm; suggesting an idea does not mean one aggress with it. Develop multiple

Options

.vi. Use objective criteria whenever possible. Agree on how something will be measured.
Define confidential information?

Confidential information is information deemed desirable to keep secret.

What are the criteria for identifying that information is labeled confidential at the workplace?
*Engineers shall treat information coming to them in the course of their as confidential.

* Identify any information which if it became known would cause harm to the corporation or
client. *

Confidential information is any information that the employer or client would like to have kept
secret in order to compete effectively against business rivals.

What are the terms associated with Confidentiality?

i. Privileged Information

ii. Proprietary Information

iii. Patents

iv. Trade secrets

How will you justify the obligation of confidentiality?

The obligation of confidentiality can be justified at two levels.

FIRST Level : Moral Considerations Respect for autonomy

Respect for promises

Regard for public well-being

SECOND Level : Major Ethical Theories

Rights Ethicists

Everyone has inherent moral rights

Any act that violates an individuals moral rights is ethically unacceptable

Drawbacks:

How do we prioritize the rights of differentindividuals?

 Rights ethics often promote the rights of individuals at the expense of large
groups/society

Duty Ethicists

Contends that certain acts should be performed because they are inherently
ethical
(e.g. honesty, fairness)
This theory concludes that individuals who recognize their ethical duties
will choose ethically correct moral actions

Drawback this method does not always lead to a solution which maximizes the
public good

utilitarians
Attempts to achieve a balance between good and bad consequences of an
action
Tries to maximize the well-being of society and emphasizes what will
provide the most benefits to the largest group of people
Fundamental to many types of engineering analysis, including risk-benefit
analysis and cost-benefit analysis

Drawbacks:

Sometimes what is best for the community as a whole is bad for

individuals
Impossible to know in advance which decision will lead to the most good

Virtue Ethics

Focuses on the type of person we should strive to be

Actions which reflect good character traits are inherently right

Actions which reflect bad character traits are inherently wrong
Virtue ethics are tied more to individual behavior than to an organization

Define Conflicts of Interest?

Conflict of interests is a situation in which two or more interests are not simultaneously realizable. It
is the disagreement between public obligation and self-interest of an official.

Why does a conflict of interests arise?

a. Financial Investments

b. Insider Trading

c. Bribe

d. Gifts
 e. Kickbacks

What is a Bribe?

A Bribe is a substantial amount of money or goods offered beyond a stated business contract with
the aim of winning an advantage in gaining or keeping the contract.

What is a Gift?

Gifts are not bribes as long as they are small gratuities offered in the normal conduct of business.

What is called Kickbacks?

Prearranged payments made by contractors to companies or their representatives in exchange for

contracts actually granted are called kickbacks.

What are the types of Conflicts of interest?

i. Actual conflict of interest

ii. Potential conflict of interest

iii. Apparent conflict of interest

What are the forms of Conflicts of interest?

i. Interest in other companies

ii. Moonlighting

iii. Insider information

How will you solve the Conflict problems?

i. Finding the creative middle way.

ii. Employing Lower-level considerations.

iii. Making the hard choice.

What is called White-collar crime?

Occupational crimes are illegal acts made possible through ones lawful employment. It is the secret
violation of laws regulating work activities. When committed by office workers of professionals,
occupational crime is called white-collar crime.
What are the essential elements of IPR?

i. Patents

ii. Copyrights

iii. Trademarks

iv. Trade secrets

What is meant by moral leadership?

Whenever the goals of a leader become permissible and also morally valuable, it is known as moral
leadership. Moral leadership also means that employing morally acceptable ways to motivate the
groups to move towards morally desirable ways. The ways are depending on the situations.

What are the questions that arise while considering the voluntary service in the field of
Engineering?

The following questions arise: should engineering profession encour age rendering voluntary
services with out fees or at moderate fees? Do the engineering professional societies really need
this?

What is code of ethics?

Code of ethics is a frame work for arriving at good ethical choices. The code of ethics establishes a
frame work for ethical judgment for any profession.A code of ethics does not develop new moral
principles.

What are the common features involved in the code of ethics for Engineers?

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the
performance of their professional duties.

Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.

Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees.

Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts in the solicitation of professional employment.

What is the need for Honesty?

Honesty is necessary to avoid deceiving and to be frank in giving all the relevant facts.It is also
necessary to be truthful in interpreting the facts. Honesty in technical data is essential to be honest
in engineers role and for the values guiding his studies.
What is meant by Competence?

Competence means being well trained and having proper experience in the relevant field and also
having the required additional skills planning and policy making.

What does Diligence mean?

Diligence means carrying out the given job carefully and in a prompt way.

Define Loyalty?

Loyalty refers to serving the interests of the clients. It includes avoiding conflicts of interests
maintaining confidentiality and expressing concern for the interest of the clients.

What is the basic ethical and moral responsibility of a manager-engineer?

Ethical responsibility: The basic ethical responsibilities of managers are to produce a good product or
valuable service, only after taking into consideration maintaining respect for human beings, which
includes customers, employees and the general public.

Moral responsibility: As managers, engineers moral responsibility is to produce safe and useful
products that are also profitable.

Differentiate Eye Witnesses and Expert Witnesses

Eyewitnesses give evidences in the court about what they have seen actually.

Expert witnesses are allowed larger freedom in giving evidence on facts in there areas of expertise
on explaining facts in commenting on the views of the expert witnesses of the opposite side and also
inreporting on the professional standards

What are the different ways to create an ethical climate?

The following are the ways to create an ethical climate:

Ethical values must be accepted and appreciated by the managers and employees with its full
complicated features.

The sincere use of ethical language has to be recognized as a justifiable part of the company.

The management has to create a strong confidence among the employees that the management is
more serious about ethics by establishing moral tone in words, in policies and also by personal
example.

The management has to establish some procedures for resolving conflicts.

What are the important forms of conflicts that may arise for an engineering project manager?

The important forms of conflicts that may arise for an engineering project manager are,

Conflicts based on schedules.

 Conflicts which arises in evolving the importance of projects and the department.

Conflicts based on availability of personal for a project.

Conflicts over technical matters.

Conflicts which arises due to administrative procedure.

Conflicts of personality.

Conflicts over cost or expenditure.

What are the principles for conflict resolution?

The following 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 established

Who are referred as consulting engineers?

Consulting engineers are those involved in private practice. For the services rendered by them, they
will be paid some fees. They wont be compensated by salaries from employers. They are the sole
employer of their practice. So they have greater freedom to take decisions on the tasks undertaken
by them.

What are the rules framed by NSPE in case of professional advertisements?

The rules framed by NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers) in case of professional
advertisements are as follows:

The use of statements containing a material misrepresentation of fact or omitting a material fact
necessary to keep the statement from being misleading.

Statements intended or likely to create an unjustified expectation.

Statements containing prediction of future success.

Statements containing an opinion as to the quality of the engineers services.

Statements intended or likely to attract clients by the use of slogans, jingles or sensational language
format.

What do you mean by appropriate technology?

 Appropriate technology means identification, transformation and implementation of the most
suitable technology for a new set of conditions.

What are the ill 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.Vanishing of greenery and destruction of forests.Germination of seeds is
affected affecting the growth of trees.

What do you mean by technology transfer?

Technology transfer is a process of changing the technology to a new setting and implementing it.
Technology includes hardware such as machines and installations as well as techniques such as
technical, organizational and managerial skills and procedures.

Give some of the Environmental issues of concern to engineers?

a. Releasing harmful substance into air and water.

b. Using toxic substance in food processing.

c. Disturbing land and water balances.

What are the issues in Computer ethics?

Power Relationship
Job Elimination
Customer Relations
Biased Software
Stock Trading
Unrealistic Expectations
Political Power
Military Weapons
Property Embezzlement Data and Software Privacy
Cyber crimes
Computer Virus
Techno stress
Cyber Scams and Frauds
Internet Defamation
Software Piracy
Cyber Squatting
Inappropriate Access
Data Bank Errors
Hackers
Legal Responses
Professional Issues
Computer Failures
Computer Implementation
Health conditions
What are the problems of Defense industry?

a) Problem of waste and huge cost in implementing and maintaining a weapons system.

b) Problem of Technology creep.

c) Problems in maintaining secrecy.

d) Every country allocates large amount of its resources to defense sector [India spent of
its resource for defense]

What are ways to promote an Ethical climate?

a. Ethical values in their full complexity are widely acknowledged and appreciated by
managers and employees alike.

b. The sincere use of ethical language has to be recognized as a legitimate part of corporate
dialogue.

c. The top level management must establish a moral tone in words, in policies, by personal
example etc.

d. The management has to establish some procedures for resolving conflicts.

What are the important forms of Conflicts?

Conflicts based on schedules

Conflicts which arises in evolving the importance of projects and the department.

Conflicts based on the availability of personal for a project.

Conflicts over technical matters.

Conflicts arise due to administrative procedure.

Conflicts of personality.

Conflicts over cost or expenditure or money.

What are the Principles of Conflicts of interest?

Separate people from the problem.

Focus on interest and not on positions.

Generate a variety of possibilities before deciding what to do.

Insist that the result be based on some objective standard.

What are the normative models to be used to avoid conflicts?

Hired Guns
Value-neutral Analysts
Value-guided Advocates

What are the characteristics of an engineer as expert advisers in public planning and policy
making?

Honesty
Competence
Diligence
Loyalty

How can Deceptive advertising be done?

o By outright lies.

o By half-truths.

o Through exaggeration.

o By making false innuendos, suggestions or implications.

o Through obfuscation created by ambiguity, vagueness or incoherence.

o Through subliminal manipulation of the unconscious.

Give the usage of the code of conduct?

The code of conduct will help the engineers to have a set of standards of behavior. They act as
guidelines for their behavior. It helps to create workplaces where employees are encouraged to make
ethical implications.

What are professional issues of using computers?

a. Computers failures

b. Computer implementation

c. Health conditions

What are the requirements of Patents?

a) Problem of invention

b) Current report of the problems to address

c) Solution or procedure to the problem

 d) Extent of novelty or inventive

e) Application or uses

f) Details of the inventor

g) Resources of funds

What are the types of Patents?

a. Utility patents

b. Design patents

c. Plant patents

What is the need for Protection to IPR?

a) Prevent plagiarism.

b) Prevent others using it.

c) Prevent using it for financial gain.

d) Fulfill as an obligation to funding agency.

e) Support income generation strategy.

What is the Importance of IPR? a. Give the inventors exclusive rights of dealing.

b. Permit avoiding pf competitors and raise entry barriers.

c. Permit entry to a technical market.

d. Generate steady income by issuing license.

What is a Trade secret?

A trade secret is a secret formula, pattern, or device that is used in a business and provides a
commercial advantage.

Define Whistle Blowing?

Whistle-blowing is alerting relevant persons to some moral or legal corruption, where relevant
persons are those in a position to act in response, if only by registering protest. i.e. the employee
disclosure of an employers illegal or illegitimate practices to persons or organizations that may be
able to take corrective actions. The conditions to be met for whistle-blowing are

a. Need
 b. Proximity

c. Capability

d. Last resort

What are the main features of Whistle Blowing?

a. Act of disclosure

b. Topic

c. Agent

d. Recipient

Differentiate External Whistle Blowing and Internal Whistle Blowing?

External Whistle Blowing Information is passed outside the organization.

Internal Whistle Blowing Information is conveyed to someone within the organization.

Differentiate Open Whistle Blowing and Anonymous Whistle Blowing?

Open Whistle Blowing Individuals openly reveal their identity as they convey the information.
Anonymous Whistle Blowing Involves concealing ones identity.

When Whistle Blowing is morally permitted and morally obligated?

Whistle blowing is morally permitted when

i. If the harm that will be done by the product to the public is serious and considerable.
ii. If they make their concerns known to their superiors.
iii. If getting no satisfaction from their immediate supervisors, they exhaust the channels
available within the corporation, including going to the board of directors.

Whistle is morally obligated when

i. He or she must have documented evidence that would convince a reasonable, impartial
observer that his [or her] view of the situation is correct and the company policy wrong.

ii. There must be strong evidence that making the information public will in fact prevent the
threatened serious harm.

What are the two general ways to apply ethical theories to justify the basic right of professional
conscience?

i. Proceed piecemeal by reiterating the justifications given for the specific professional duties.
ii. Justify the right of professional conscience, which involves grounding it more directly in the
ethical theories.
 Define Employee Rights?

Employee rights are rights, moral or legal, that involve the status of being an employee. They include
some professional rights that apply to the employer-employee relationship.

Define Sexual Harassment?

Sexual Harassment means continuous annoying and attacks on men or women on the basis of sexual
considerations. It also covers the harassment by female superiors on the male employees and sexual
harassment of employees by superiors of the same sex. It includes physical and psychological attacks,
coercion, misuse of authority and a variety of undesirable and indecent actions.

Define Discrimination?

Discrimination means morally unjustified treatment of people on arbitrary or irrelevant grounds.

What are the general procedures for implementing the right to due process?

i. Written explanations should be established that is available to all employees who believe
their rights have been violated.
ii. An appeals procedure should be established that is available to all employees who
believe their rights have been violated.

Differentiate Human Rights and Professional Rights?

Human Rights Possessed by virtue of being people or moral agents.

Professional Rights Possessed by virtue of being professional having spcial moral

responsibilities.

Differentiate Weak Preferential Treatment and Strong Preferential Treatment?

Weak preferential treatment involves giving an advantage to members of traditionally

discriminated-against groups over equally qualified applicants who are members of other groups.

Strong preferential treatment involves giving preference to minority applicants or women over
better qualified applicants from other groups.

Briefly discuss honesty as value.

Any human being should imbibe honesty-honesty in acts, honesty in speech and honesty in beliefs.
Honesty is the fundamental virtue in human relationship even though in may be difficult to follow
some times.

Lying:

Deliberation deception:
 With holding the information:

Seeking the truth:

Maintaining confidentiality:

Write short notes on courage, co-operation.

Courage: Courage is the tendency to face dangers and difficult jobs in rational ways and with self
control. A person with the quality of courage has the following characteristics.

Continues to run with his job or business even there are certain disturbance.
Gets involved with new popular ideas
Discuss with others even when there is a problem.

Co-operation: Co-operation means extending help to others, for a good cause. Co-operation may be
through an idea, a suggestion, an assistance or physical work which extends to others for common
benefit.

What is service learning? Differentiate service learning from civic virtue.

Service learning tells that one has moral responsibility to increase the desirable effects and to
decrease the harmful effects. Any service should increase the desirable result. Good citizen demand
civic virtue. It is the principle of not harming the surroundings .It also includes living peacefully,
respect for others, protecting the environment and being normally and ethically good.

Distinguish values from ethics and culture.

Values are mainly related to individuals and since they are related to justice, they remain the some
for every one. E.g. truth, honesty, empathy, self respect. Values do not change from individual to
individual.

Ethics is common to a group of individuals; the group may be religious or professional. Ethics is
mostly based on some code or law and judgment of any action is based on code of conduct or law.
Ethics change from individual to individual

Culture commonly refers to conduct of a group. E.g system of worship, marriage.It may differ from
society to society, nation to nation or religion to religion.

What do u understand by the term spirituality? Explain in detail.

Spirituality raises a man above the materialistic world into a realm where he seeks peace and real
happiness

.Define the terms Values, Morals & Ethics?

 Values are rules. Values are the rules by which we make decisions about right and wrong, should and
shouldn't, good and bad. They also tell us which are more or less important, which is useful when we
have to trade off meeting one value over another.

Morals are how we judge others. Morals have a greater social element to values and tend to have a
very broad acceptance. Morals are far more about good and bad than other values. We thus judge
others more strongly on morals than values. A person can be described as immoral, yet there is no
word for them not following values. Morality can be described as a core set of values and beliefs that
act as a guide when formulating courses of action .

Ethics are professional standards. Ethics are thus internally defined and adopted, whilst morals tend
to be externally imposed on other people. Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with human
values and conduct, moral duty, and obligation. Basically, ethics is concerned with what people might
describe as right and wrong human conduct.

Define Human Values?

Human values are the foundation of social order, justice and progress. Human values are social and
ethical norms common to all cultures and societies, as well as religions. They represent a melding of
social progress and spiritual growth.

Explain professions and professionalism.

Professions : Knowledge, Organization, Public good.

Membership criteria

Professionalism as independence

Professionalism as serving employers

Qualities of professionals

Models of professional roles : Savior, Bureaucratic servant, Guardian, Social servant, Social enabler
and catalyst, Game player.

Professional ideals and virtues : Professional responsibilityself-direction virtues, public-spirited

virtues, teamwork virtues, proficiency virtues.

What do u understand by the term moral dilemma? Differentiate with moral autonomy.

MORAL:Refers only to personal behavior.

Refers to any aspect of human action.

Social conventions about right or wrong conduct

Moral dilemmas are kind of situations where a difficult choice has to be made. The sorts of
complexity and murkiness that may be involved in moral situations are,

Vagueness
 Conflicting reasons
Disagreement

The steps in confronting Moral Dilemmas:

Identify the relevant moral factors and reasons.

Gather all available facts that are pertinent to the moral factors involved.
Rank the moral considerations in order of importance as they apply to the situation.
Consider alternative courses of actions as ways of resolving dilemma, tracing the full
implications of each.
Get suggestions and alternative perspectives on the dilemma.
By weighing all the relevant moral factors and reasons in light of the facts, produce a
reasoned judgment.

Moral autonomy:

Self-determining

Independent

Personal Involvement

Exercised based on the moral concern for other people and recognition of good moral reasons

SUBJECTIVE QESTIONS

Engineering projects can be viewed as social experiments. Compare them with standard
experiments. In what ways are they similar and how do they differ?

Engineering as Social Experimentation:

Engineering should be viewed as an experimental process. It is not, of course, an experiment

conducted solely in a laboratory under controlled conditions. Rather, it is an experiment on a social
scale involving human subjects

1. Experimentation is commonly recognized as playing an essential role in the design

process.
2. Preliminary tests or simulations are conducted from the time it is decided to convert a
new engineering concept into its first rough design.
3. Materials and processes are tried out, usually employing formal experimental
techniques.
4. Such tests serve as the basis for more detailed designs, which in turn are tested.
5. At the production stage further tests are run, until a finished product evolves. The
normal design process is thus iterative, carried out on trial designs with modifications
being made on the basis of feedback information acquired from tests.
6. Beyond those specific tests and experiments, however, each engineering project taken as
a whole may be viewed as an experiment.

Similarities to Standard Experiments

First, any project is carried out in partial ignorance.

1. There are uncertainties in the abstract model used for the design calculations;
2. there are uncertainties in the precise characteristics of the materials purchased;
3. there are uncertainties in the precision of materials processing and fabrication;
4. there are uncertainties about the nature of the stresses the finished product
5. will encounter.
6. Engineers do not have the luxury of waiting until all the relevant facts are in before
commencing work.
7. At some point, theoretical exploration and laboratory testing must be bypassed for the sake
of moving ahead on a project.
8. Indeed, one talent crucial to an engineer's success lies precisely in the ability to accomplish
tasks safely with only a partial knowledge of scientific laws about nature and society

Second, the final outcomes of engineering projects, like those of experiments, are generally
uncertain.

Often in engineering it is not even known what the possible outcomes may be, and great risks
may attend even seemingly harmless projects

A jumbo airplane may bankrupt the small airline that bought it as a status symbol

A nuclear reactor, the scaled-up version of a successful smaller model, may exhibit unexpected
problems that endanger the surrounding population, leading to its untimely shutdown at great cost
to owner and consumers alike.

Third, effective engineering relies on knowledge gained about products both before and after they
leave the factory-knowledge needed for improving current products and creating better ones.

Learning from the Past

Usually engineers learn from their own earlier design and operating results, as well as from those of
other engineers, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Lack of established channels of
communication, misplaced pride in not asking for information, embarrassment at failure or fear of
litigation, and plain neglect often impede the flow of such information and lead to many repetitions
of past mistakes. Here are a few examples:

1.The Titanic lacked a sufficient number of lifeboats decades after most of the passengers and crew
on the steamship Arctic had perished because of the same problem.

2. "Complete lack of protection against impact by shipping caused

Sweden's worst ever bridge collapse on Friday as a result of which eight people were killed." Thus
reported the New Civil Engineer on January 24, 1980. Engineers now recommend the use of floating
concrete bumpers that can deflect ships, but that recommendation is rarely heeded as seen by the
1993 collapse of the Bayou Cannot bridge that cost 43 passengers of the Sunset Limited their lives.

3. Valves are notorious for being among the least reliable components
of hydraulic systems. It was a pressure relief valve, and a lack of definitive information regarding its
open or shut state, which contributed to the nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island on March
28, 1979. Similar malfunctions had occurred with identical valves on nuclear reactors at other
locations. The required reports had been filed with Babcock and Wilcox, the reactor's manufacturer,
but no attention had been given to them

Engineering demands practitioners who remain alert and well informed at every stage of a project's
history and who exchange ideas freely with colleagues in related departments.

Contrasts with Standard Experiments

To be sure, engineering differs in some respects from standard experimentation. Some of those very
differences help to highlight the engineer's special responsibilities. Exploring the differences can also
aid our thinking about the moral responsibilities of all those engaged in engineering.

Experimental Control.

One great difference arises with experimental control.

The experimental subjects are human beings or finished and sold products out of the experimenter's
control. Indeed, clients and consumers exercise most of the control because it is they who choose
the product or item they wish to use.

Engineering as social experimentation involves a somewhat extended usage of the concept of

experimentation.

Engineering can be appropriately viewed as just such a natural experiment using human subjects.

Informed Consent

Viewing engineering as an experiment on a societal scale places the focus where it should be-on the
human beings affected by technology, for the experiment is performed on persons, not on inanimate
objects.

When a manufacturer sells a new device to a knowledgeable firm that has its own engineering staff,
there is usually an agreement regarding the shared risks and benefits of trying out the technological
innovation.

Informed consent is understood as including two main elements: knowledge and voluntariness.

1. First, subjects should be given not only the information they request, but all the information
needed to make a reasonable decision.

2. Second, subjects must enter into the experiment without being subjected to force, fraud, or
deception.

Knowledge Gained
Scientific experiments are conducted to gain new knowledge, whereas "engineering projects are
experiments that are not necessarily designed to produce very much knowledge,

When we carry out an engineering activity as if it were an experiment, we are primarily preparing
ourselves for unexpected outcomes.

The best outcome in this sense is one that tells us nothing new but merely affirms that we are right
about something.

Unexpected outcomes send us on a search for new knowledge-possibly involving an experiment of

the first (scientific) type.

For the purposes of our model the distinction is not vital because we are concerned about the
manner in which the experiment is conducted, such as that valid consent of human subjects is
sought, safety measures are taken, and means exist for terminating the experiment at any time
and providing all participants a safe exit.

What are the four features of engineers as Responsible Experimenters? Describe the
contemporary threats?

Viewing engineering as social experimentation does not by itself answer this question. Although
engineers are the main technical enablers or facilitators, they are far from being the sole
experimenters.

Their responsibility is shared with public, and others. Yet their expertise places them in a unique
position to monitor projects, to identify risks, and to provide clients and the public with the
information needed to make reasonable decisions.

From the perspective of engineering as social experimentation, four features characterize what it
means to be a responsible person while acting as an engineer:

1. a conscientious commitment to live by moral values,

2. a comprehensive perspective,
3. autonomy, and
4. accountability

Or, stated in greater detail as applied to engineering projects conceived as social experiments

1. A primary obligation to protect the safety of human subjects and respect their right of
consent
2. A constant awareness of the experimental nature of any project, imaginative forecasting of
its possible side effects, and a reasonable effort to monitor them
3. Autonomous, personal involvement in all steps of a project
4. Accepting accountability for the results of a project

Conscientiousness

People act responsibly to the extent that they conscientiously commit themselves to live according to
moral values, instead of a consuming preoccupation with a narrowly conceived self-interest.
By conscientious moral commitment we mean sensitivity to the full range of moral values and
responsibilities relevant to a given situation, and the willingness to develop the skill and expend the
effort needed to reach a reasonable balance among those considerations.

Conscientiousness implies consciousness: open eyes, open ears, and an open mind

Conceiving engineering as social experimentation restores the vision of engineers as guardians of the
public interest, whose professional duty it is to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of
those affected by engineering projects.

Comprehensive Perspective

Conscientiousness is blind without relevant factual information. Hence showing moral concern
involves a commitment to obtain and properly assess all available information that is pertinent to
meeting moral obligations. This means, as a first step, fully grasping the context of one's work, which
makes it count as an activity having a moral import

Because engineering projects are inherently experimental in nature, they need to be monitored on
an ongoing basis from the time they are put into effect. Individual practitioners cannot privately
conduct full-blown environmental and social impact studies, but they can choose to make the extra
effort needed to keep in touch with the course of a project after it has officially left their hands. This
is a mark of personal identification with one's work, a notion that leads to the next aspect of moral
responsibility.

Moral autonomy

People are morally autonomous when their moral conduct and principles of action are their own,
in a special sense derived from Kant:

Moral beliefs and attitudes should be held on the basis of critical reflection rather than passive
adoption of the particular conventions of one's society, church, or profession.

This is often what is meant by "authenticity" in one's commitment to moral values. Those beliefs and
attitudes, moreover, must be integrated into the core of an individual's personality in a manner that
leads to committed action.

Viewing engineering as social experimentation can help overcome this tendency and restore a sense
of autonomous participation in one's work. As an experimenter, an engineer is exercising the
sophisticated training that forms the core of his or her identity as a professional.

Moreover, viewing an engineering project as an experiment that can result in unknown

consequences should help inspire a critical and questioning attitude about the adequacy of current
economic and safety standards.

Accountability

Finally, responsible people accept moral responsibility for their actions. Too often "accountable" is
understood in the overly narrow sense of being culpable and blameworthy for misdeeds.
2.i. Describe the roles of Codes of Ethics of various professional engineering societies? Indicate the
relative importance of the various categories of these roles.

ii. What are the limitations of these codes?

3.Discuss the Industrial Standards?

4. i. Explain the problems with the law in engineering?

ii. Explain the proper role of law in engineering?

5. How do the functions of standards, regulations and laws differ from one another in their effects on
engineering products and practice?

6. Explain Challenger case and then examine about the disaster if and how the principal actors in this
tragedy behaved as responsible experimenters within the framework of the engineering-as-
experimentation model? Under what conditions would you say it is safe to launch a shuttle without
an escape mechanism for the crew? Discuss the role of the astronauts in shuttle safety. To what
extent should they have involved themselves more actively in looking for safety design or
operations?

7. Should owners of passenger cars be protected against extensive front-end damage to their cars
when they or other authorized drivers back-end trucks or high-riding off-road vehicles that have
incompatible (or no) bumpers? Are these standards governing bumper location? What do they say,
and are they enforced?

8. A common excuse for carrying out a morally questionable project is If I dont do it somebody else
will. This rationale may be tempting for engineers who typically work in situations where someone
else might be ready to replace them in on a project. Do you view it as a legitimate excuse for
engaging in projects that might be unethical? Comment on the concept of responsible conduct
developed?

10. Engineering and medical practice are intimately linked in medical engineering. Its products range
from artificial limbs and organs to heart pacers and x-ray machines. Its engineers and medical experts
are experimenters with excellent track records, but failures do occur. For example, the State
University of New York at Albany admitted that its psychology department had conducted
electroshock experiments on patients who were not given fair explanation of risks and whose
consent had not been obtained. The machine itself was unsafe. Discuss the ethical implications of
this case.

11.Write short notes on Trade secrets, Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights?

A Trade secret is a secret formula, pattern, or device that is used in a business and provides a
commercial advantage. Trade secrets are formulas, patterns, devices, or compilations of information,
which are used in business to gain an advantage over competitors who do not possess the trade
secret. Trade secrets must not be in the public domain and the secrecy must be protected by the
firm, because trade secrets are not protected by patents.
Patents are documents issued by the government that allow the owner of the patent to exclude
others from making use of the patented information for twenty years from the date of filing. To
obtain a patent, the invention must be new, useful, and non-obvious. Trademarks are words, phrases,
designs, sounds or symbols associated with goods or services.

Copyrights are rights to creative products such as books, pictures, graphics, sculpture, music, movies,
and computer programs. It protects the expression of the ideas, but not the ideas themselves.

12.Define Whistle Blowing?

Whistle-blowing is alerting relevant persons to some moral or legal corruption, where relevant
persons are those in a position to act in response, if only by registering protest. i.e. the employee
disclosure of an employers illegal or illegitimate practices to persons or organizations that may be
able to take corrective actions. The conditions to be met for whistle-blowing are Need,Proximity
,Capability ,Last resort

13.How does the engineer act to safeguard the public from risk?

Provide the background material to support or to prove the faulty positions and actively take
part in the debate. Act as the model of a science court.
Record the statistics with caution i.e. give reasonable numbers.
Measure the risks and benefits on a relative scale rather than absolute scale

14.Give the criteria which helps to ensure a safety design?

The minimum requirement is that a design must comply with the applicable laws.

An acceptable design must meet the standard of accepted engineering practice.

Alternative designs that are potentially safer must be explored.

Engineer must attempt to foresee potential misuses of the product by the consumer and must
design to avoid these problems.

Once the product is designed, both the prototypes and finished devices must be rigorously tested.

15.How will an engineer assess the safety?

The risks connected to a project or product must be identified.

The purposes of the project or product must be identified and ranked in importance.
Costs of reducing risks must be estimated.
The costs must be weighed against both organizational goals and degrees of acceptability
of risks to clients and the public.
The project or product must be tested and then either carried out or manufactured.

16.Explain in detail about Safety & Risk?

P.No.129-Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

17 Explain the effect of information on risk assessment?

P.No.134-Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

18.Conduct Fault Tree Analysis for the Water System?

P.No.149-Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

19.Explain the assessment of Safety & Risk?

P.No.141-Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

10.Explain RBA? How will you reduce Risk?

P.No.153-Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

11.Explain Three Mile Island Case?

P.No.168-Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

12.Explain Chernobyl Case?

P.No.173-Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

14.Explain Collegiality & Loyalty?

P.No.189- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

14.Discuss about the respect for authority?

P.No.196- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

15.Explain Collective Bargaining?

P.No.202- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger Unit-V 1.

16.Enumerate the code of ethics of engineers?

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of
their professional duties. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.

Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees,
and shall avoid conflicts of interest

Engineers shall build their professional rep utation on the merit of their services and shall not
compete unfairly with others.
 Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity and dignity of
the profession.

Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and shall provide
opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their supervision.

17.Explain the Bhopal Plant Case?

P.No.299- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

18 Discuss about Environmental Ethics?

P.No.304- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

19. Describe about Computer Ethics?

P.No.319- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

20 Write a note on Weapon Development?

P.No.332- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

21. Explain how should engineers act as managers, consultants, leaders?

P.No.350, 359, 375- Engineering Ethics Mike W. Martin & Roland Schinzinger

22.What is meant by moral leadership?

Whenever the goals of a leader become permissible and also morally valuable, it is known as moral
leadership.

Moral leadership also means that employing morally acceptable ways to motivate the groups to
move towards morally desirable ways. The ways are depending on the situations.

23.. What are the questions that arise while considering the voluntary service in the field of
Engineering?

The following questions arise:

should engineering profession encour age rendering voluntary services with out fees or at
moderate fees?

Do the engineering professional societies really need this?

24. What is code of ethics?

o Code of ethics is a frame work for arriving at good ethical choices.

o The code of ethics establishes a frame work for ethical judgment for any profession.
oA code of ethics does not develop new moral principles.

25. What are the common features involved in the code of ethics for Engineers?

Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of
their professional duties.

Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.

Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.

Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts in the solicitation of professional employment.

26. Differentiate eyewitness and expert witness?

27. What is the need for Honesty?

Honesty is necessary to avoid deceiving and to be frank in giving all the relevant facts.It is also
necessary to be truthful in interpreting the facts. Honesty in technical data is essential to be honest
in engineers role and for the values guiding his studies.

28. What is meant by Competence?

Competence means being well trained and having proper experience in the relevant field and also
having the required additional skills planning and policy making.

29. What does Diligence mean?

Diligence means carrying out the given job carefully and in a prompt way.

30. Define Loyalty?

Loyalty refers to serving the interests of the clients. It includes avoiding conflicts of interests
maintaining confidentiality and expressing concern for the interest of the clients.

31. What is the basic ethical and moral responsibility of a manager-engineer?

Ethical responsibility: The basic ethical responsibilities of managers are to produce a good product or
valuable service, only after taking into consideration maintaining respect for human beings, which
includes customers, employees and the general public.

Moral responsibility: As managers, engineers moral responsibility is to produce safe and useful
products that are also profitable.

Eye Witnesses and Expert Witnesses

Eyewitnesses give evidences in the court about what they have seen actually.
Expert witnesses are allowed larger freedom in giving evidence on facts in there areas of expertise
on explaining facts in commenting on the views of the expert witnesses of the opposite side and also
in reporting on the professional standards

32.What is the different ways to create an ethical climate?

The following are the ways to create an ethical climate:

Ethical values must be accepted and appreciated by the managers and employees with its full
complicated features.

The sincere use of ethical language has to be recognized as a justifiable part of the company.

The management has to create a strong confidence among the employees that the management is
more serious about ethics by establishing moral tone in words, in policies and also by personal
example.

The management has to establish some procedures for resolving conflicts.

33. What are the important forms of conflicts that may arise for an engineering project manager?
The important forms of conflicts that may arise for an engineering project manager are,

Conflicts based on schedules.

Conflicts which arises in evolving the importance of projects and the department.

Conflicts based on availability of personal for a project.

Conflicts over technical matters.

Conflicts which arises due to administrative procedure.

Conflicts of personality.

Conflicts over cost or expenditure.

34. What are the principles for conflict resolution?

The following 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 established

35. Who are referred as consulting engineers?

Consulting engineers are those involved in private practice. For the services rendered by them, they
will be paid some fees. They wont be compensated by salaries from employers. They are the sole
employer of their practice. So they have greater freedom totake decisions on the tasks undertaken
by them.

36. What are the rules framed by NSPE in case of professional advertisements?

The rules framed by NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers) in case of professional
advertisements are as follows:

The use of statements containing a material misrepresentation of fact or omitting a material fact
necessary to keep the statement from being misleading.

Statements intended or likely to create an unjustified expectation.

Statements containing prediction of future success.

Statements containing an opinion as to the quality of the engineers services.

Statements intended or likely to attract clients by the use of slogans, jingles or sensational language
format.

37. What do you mean by appropriate technology?

Appropriate technology means identification, transformation and implementation of the most

suitable technology for a new set of conditions.

38. What are the ill 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.Vanishing of greenery and destruction of forests. Germination of seeds is
affected affecting the growth of trees.

39.What do you mean by technology transfer?

Technology transfer is a process of changing the technology to a new setting and implementing it.
Technology includes hardware such as machines and installations as well as techniques such as
technical, organizational and managerial skills and procedures.

40. What are the ethical issues or questions that arise in environmental protection?

Often the questions that arise in the ethical issues are,

Who is affecting?

Who are affected?

Does the environment gets disturbed?

When do the disturbances takes place and how does it happen?

41. Quote some examples of pollution that spoiled the environment?

Some examples of pollution that affected the environment are Bhopal gas tragedy, Chernobyl nuclear
plant explosion, Artificial rains, Meuse valley disaster at Belgium,Oleum gas leak in Delhi, HPCL
disaster in Vizag, Donova (USA)steel and chemical plantdisaster, Tehri Dam in U. P. state, etc.

42. What is computer ethics?

Computers contribute to a variety of moral problems. In order to evaluate and act appropriately with
such problems, a new field of applied ethics termed as computer ethics has been developed.

43. What is hacking?

When computers are the main objects of an unethical act, it will create some ethical issues. This
kind of act is called hacking.

49. What is autonomous computer?

The autonomy of computers means the ability of computer to make decisions without the
interference of human beings. This autonomous function of computers creates a lot of implication.

50. What are professional issues of using computers?

Computers failures

Computer implementation

Health conditions

51. Explain Gilligans theory of moral development?

.(a) What is meant by professional responsibility and discuss the theories about virtues?

Or (b) Explain Moral disagreement, moral absolutism, moral relativism and moral pluralism?