Engineering Ethics Dr. Pete Parker. Bribery Equation: OG = PLR * AEB Opportunity for Graft = Plethora of Legal Requirements * Number of Architects, Engineers.

Engineering Ethics

Dr. Pete Parker

Bribery Equation:

OG = PLR * AEB

Opportunity for Graft =Plethora of Legal Requirements *Number of Architects, Engineers & Builders

Ethics

The study of the characteristics of morals.

The moral choices that we make in our relationships with others.

Ethics Codes

Most professional societies have a “Code of Ethics” which their members, by joining, state that they will support.

Membership Application

American InstituteOf Chemical Engineers (AIChE)

Institute of ElectricalAnd Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

Members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers shall uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by: being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity their employers, their clients, and the public; striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare. To achieve these goals, members shall:

AIChE Code of Ethics

Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and protect the environment in performance of their professional duties.

Formally advise their employers or clients (and consider further disclosure, if warranted) if they perceive that a consequence of their duties will adversely affect the present or future health or safety of their colleagues or the public.

Accept responsibility for their actions, seek and heed critical review of their work and offer objective criticism of the work of others.

Issue statements or present information only in an objective and truthful manner.

Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, avoiding conflicts of interest and never breaching confidentiality.

Treat fairly and respectfully all colleagues and co-workers, recognizing their unique contributions and capabilities.

Perform professional services only in areas of their competence.

Build their professional reputations on the merits of their services.

Continue their professional development throughout their careers, and provide opportunities for the professional development of those under their supervision.

Never tolerate harassment.

Conduct themselves in a fair, honorable and respectful manner.

Often difficult to find clear guidance from a code when problem complex.

Ethics Codes

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

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

Ethical theories developed over time

Our Western ethical theories are rooted in the Judeo-Christian religious thought, but also have a strong component from the early Greek philosophers, such as Socrates & Aristotle.

Non-Western cultures have many similar ideas and constructs --- some have common heritage.

(e.g. Islam shares a common heritage with both Judaism and Christianity through about the 4th century AD.)

Moral theories are like scientific theories. They attempt to supply a uniform set of definitions and link ideas and problems together in consistent ways.

Four major moral theories :

UtilitarianismDuty EthicsRights EthicsVirtue Ethics

Respect for persons

Utilitarianism

Great proponent: John Stuart Mill

Those actions are good which serve to maximize human well-being.

The greatest good for the greatest number

Individual actions should be judged based on whether the most good was produced in a given situation

Uses:

Cost - benefit analysis

When some project will hurt some and help others, can use utilitarianism to help decide.

Concerns:

Don’t (and probably can’t) truly know all costs and benefits.

Measurement issues

Minorities lose

Virtue Ethics(Aristotle is the hero here)

Interested in determining what kind of people we “should” be

Focus is on personal responsibility in areas such as honesty, responsibility, competence & loyalty.

Respect for Persons

Duty Ethics

(Immanuel Kant)

As rational beings, have certain moral duties

These duties are “listable” in some sense Be honestDon’t cause suffering to other peopleBe fair to others….

Respect for Persons

Rights Ethics

John Locke --- the right to life, liberty and property

Declaration of Independence / Thomas Jefferson --- the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

Human beings have certain rightsDebate has been over what is included in this list.Agreement on life & liberty. Others are in dispute.

Respect for Persons

Virtue, Duty and Rights Ethics

Focus on the individualGuide for individual behaviorDifficult to apply to large scale problems

Respect for Persons

So what does all this have to do with conflict of interest?

• Provides a beginning point for resolution

• Provides bases for many professional codes

AIChE Code of Ethics

Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and protect the environment in performance of their professional duties.

Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, avoiding conflicts of interest and never breaching confidentiality.

Some possible examples

You are are responsible for maintaining environmental records and notifying authorities of any discharges in excess of permit limits. Some data suggest non-compliance

You are in charge of specifying the process controlsystem for the new papermachine. One vendor would like to discuss the project over a game of golf (her expense) at the local, exclusive country club.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists for a professional when acting in a professional role, he or she is subject to influences, loyalties, temptations or other interests that tend to make the professional’s judgement less likely to benefit the customer or client than the customer or client is justified in expecting.

Conflict of interest

vs

Conflict of commitment

Types of Conflict of Interest

• Actual

Conflict truly exists between professional duties to client / customer and self-interest

• Potential

It is possible that a conflict will occur in the foreseeable future as a result of a current decision

• Apparent

Others may perceive a conflict where, in reality, none exists

The IBM Approach

Nor can they accept a gift or consideration that could be perceived as having been offered because of the business relationship. “Perceived” simply means this: If you read about it in your local newspaper, would you wonder whether the gift just might have something to do with a business relationship.

Solving Ethical Problems

Clearly state the problem

Identify stakeholders

Identify the issues

Factual issues

Conceptual issues

Ethical issues

Factual issues

As in any complex problem, there can be disagreement as to the facts. Is global warming a fact?

Conceptual issues

Similar to factual issues, but are of conceptual nature. When is a gift a bribe? Was the gift meant as a bribe?

Ethical issues

If solving the first two don’t solve the problem, this may be the toughest.

Line Drawing (Casuistry)

Draw a line, which represents a continuum of ethical responses to the type of problem at hand.

At one end, place a problem statement (case) that is unambiguously ethically correct (morally acceptable). The positive paradigm

At the other end, place a case that is unambiguously morally unacceptable. The negative paradigm

Place current problem and other similar problems on the line

Line Drawing (Casuistry)

Placement of problem will then help make decision

Distance from either end indicates relative “nearness” to the positive or negative paradigm.

If sample like negative paradigm, place near it.

If sample like positive paradigm, place near it.

Some helpful reading ( that’s not too dense)

Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases C. E. Harris, M. S. Pritchard, M. J. Rabins Wadsworth Publishing

Engineering Ethics C. B. Fleddermann

Prentice-Hall

Hold Paramount: The Engineer’s Responsibility to Society A. Gunn, P. A. Vesilind Thompson Learning