Writing Assignment:
Engineering Ethics
Lecture Twelve, presented by David Kender briefly discussed the notion of engineering ethics.
1. Provide a one paragraph (five to six sentences) definition of engineering ethics.
2. Compare and contrast the origins of ethical versus legal standards. Be sure to include a very brief discussion as to whether or not you consider ethical and legal standards to be immutable over time.
Limit your total discussion to four paragraphs.
3. Briefly discuss (three to four sentences each) the engineering ethical aspects of each of the following:
i. Developing a computer program on company time for your company, and then patenting a considerably improved version of the program under your own name.
ii. Using some management techniques at Company B that were developed at Company A.
iii. Using ideas you developed at Company A for a very different chemical process at Company B.
iv. Consulting for two separate companies that are in competition with each other.
4. Based on your understanding of the differences between legal standards and ethical standards and on the precedent order of each, discuss the ethical impact of each of the two of the following scenarios.
Limit your total response to no more than three paragraphs for each scenario.
i. A design engineer, Hugh Long P.E., is contracted by a private consulting firm, ABC, LLC, toprovide cost-estimating expertise for a client company, XYZ, Inc. At a later date, the client company (XYZ) hires the design engineer (Long) to review the work performed by the consulting company (ABC). In your opinion, is there a possible ethical conflict for Mr. Long?
Explain your answer and provide a counter argument as well.
ii. As a supervising engineer for a construction firm under contract to a state agency, you notice what you consider unsafe practices which may in fact even be in violation of state labor laws. However, the work is not being performed by your company, but rather by a competitor firm.
What do you consider your legal and your ethical obligations as a professional engineer?
Explain your answer and provide a counter argument as well.