Chapter – 1 Human Values

OBJECTIVES (WHY ENGINEERING ETHICS?)

The objectives of this course on ‘Professional Ethics and Human Values’ are: (a) to understand the
moral values that ought to guide the Engineering profession, (b) resolve the moral issues in the profession,
and (c) justify the moral judgment concerning the profession. It is intended to develop a set of beliefs,
attitudes, and habits that engineers should display concerning morality.
The prime objective is to increase one’s ability to deal effectively with moral complexity in
engineering practice.
Alternatively, the objectives of the study on Professional Ethics may be listed as:
(A) Improvement of the cognitive skills (skills of the intellect in thinking clearly)
1. Moral awareness (proficiency in recognizing moral problems in engineering)
2. Cogent moral reasoning (comprehending, assessing different views)
3. Moral coherence (forming consistent viewpoints based on facts)
4. Moral imagination (searching beyond obvious the alternative responses to issues and
being receptive to creative solutions)
5. Moral communication, to express and support one’s views to others.
(B) To act in morally desirable ways, towards moral commitment and responsible conduct
6. Moral reasonableness i.e., willing and able to be morally responsible.
7. Respect for persons, which means showing concern for the well-being of others, besides
oneself.
8. Tolerance of diversity i.e., respect for ethnic and religious differences, and acceptance
of reasonable differences in moral perspectives.
9. Moral hope i.e., believe in using rational dialogue for resolving moral conflicts.
10. Integrity, which means moral integrity, and integrating one’s professional life and
personal convictions.
2 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

MORALS
Morals are the welfare principles enunciated by the wise people, based on their experience and wisdom.
They were edited, changed or modified or evolved to suit the geography of the region, rulers (dynasty),
and in accordance with development of knowledge in science and technology and with time.
Morality is concerned with principles and practices of morals such as: (a) What ought or ought
not to be done in a given situation? (b) What is right or wrong about the handling of a situation? and
(c) What is good or bad about the people, policies, and ideals involved?
Morality is different from Ethics in the following ways:

Morality Ethics

1. More general and prescriptive based on 1. Specific and descriptive. It is a critical

customs and traditions. reflection on morals.
2. More concerned with the results of wrong 2. More concerned with the results of a right
action, when done. action, when not done.
3. Thrust is on judgment and punishment, 3. Thrust is on influence, education, training
in the name of God or by laws. through codes, guidelines, and correction.
4. In case of conflict between the two, 4. Less serious, hence second priority only.
morality is given top priority, because the Less common. But relevant today, because
damage is more. It is more common and of complex interactions in the modern
basic. society.
5. Example: Character flaw, corruption, 5. Example: Notions or beliefs about
extortion, and crime. manners, tastes, customs, and towards laws.

As against morals and ethics, laws are norms, formally approved by state, power or national or
international political bodies. Breaking the norms is called crime, and invite specific punishment.

VALUES
Definition
Humans have the unique ability to define their identity, choose their values and establish their beliefs.
All three of these directly influence a person’s behavior. People have gone to great lengths to demonstrate
the validity of their beliefs, including war and sacrificing their own life! Conversely, people are not
motivated to support or validate the beliefs of another, when those beliefs are contrary to their own.
People will act congruent with their personal values or what they deem to be important.
A value is defined as a principle that promotes well-being or prevents harm.” Another definition
is: Values are our guidelines for our success—our paradigm about what is acceptable.” Personal values
are defined as: “Emotional beliefs in principles regarded as particularly favorable or important for the
individual.” Our values associate emotions to our experiences and guide our choices, decisions and
actions.
Human Values 3

A person’s observations on its environment are filtered through his values to determine whether
or not he should expend energy to do something about his experiences. A person who values gold and
sees a large bag of gold (a positive value) in his path as he walks, will be motivated to reach down and
pick it up. A person who values his life and knows about venomous snakes will retreat from the sound
of a rattlesnake (a negative value) from nearby, when he is walking in the desert. Said in another way,
“Values are the scales we use to weigh our choices for our actions, whether to move towards or away
from something.”
Not all values have the same weight or priority. Some are more important than others and must
be satisfied before others can be addressed. Dr. Abraham Maslow illustrated this with his hierarchy of
human needs. Survival has a higher priority than security, which has a higher priority than social
acceptance. Self-esteem can only be addressed to the degree that social acceptance is fulfilled. Similarly,
self-actualization can only be pursued to the degree that self-esteem has been satisfied.
A person’s beliefs, values and identity are usually acquired unconsciously based on his personal
experience or observations of others’ experiences as to what produces desirable or undesirable results
in the environment. A baby’s learning to walk and talk is a clear example of identifying with human
adults, valuing the act of being able to have the mobility and communication ability of an adult and the
belief, based on unconscious observation, that humans can do walk and do talk with each other.
Physiologists have identified the parts of the human brain that are involved in producing behavior
in accordance with beliefs and values. All information collected by human senses is passed through a
net-like group of cells, known as the Reticular Activating System (RAS), located near the top of the
brain stem. The RAS compares the data received with accepted values, positive and negative (threats),
and beliefs stored in memory and determines whether or not immediate action is required. The results
of the RAS’s comparison are communicated to the ‘amygdala’ near the mid-brain.
The ‘amygdala’ produces neuro-chemicals that cause emotions consistent with the nature of and
proportional to the match between environment and values and beliefs. The neuro-chemicals initiate
the chemical processes needed for the action to be taken. If the emotions produced are strong enough,
the perceived information is blocked from reaching the logical, rational and conscious executive center
of the brain, the pre-frontal lobes. In which case, the resulting behavior will be automatic, not necessarily
logical or rational, and completely in accordance with the person’s strongest held beliefs, values and/or
identity.
By positive affirmations, one can modify or create new beliefs about a person’s identity and/or
what is important to him (values). Verbal repetition of statements intended to become new beliefs, and
values will result in these being stored for use by the RAS for comparison with the environment being
experienced. This is the mechanism how the beliefs or values are modified.
Types of Values2
The five core human values are: (1) Right conduct, (2) Peace, (3) Truth, (4) Love, and (5) Non-
violence.
1. Values related to RIGHT CONDUCT are:
(a) SELF-HELP SKILLS: Care of possessions, diet, hygiene, modesty, posture, self
reliance, and tidy appearance
(b) SOCIAL SKILLS: Good behavior, good manners, good relationships, helpfulness, No
wastage, and good environment, and
(c) ETHICAL SKILLS: Code of conduct, courage, dependability, duty, efficiency,
4 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

ingenuity, initiative, perseverance, punctuality, resourcefulness, respect for all, and

responsibility
2. Values related to PEACE are: Attention, calmness, concentration, contentment, dignity,
discipline, equality, equanimity, faithfulness, focus, gratitude, happiness, harmony, humility,
inner silence, optimism, patience, reflection, satisfaction, self-acceptance, self-confidence,
self-control, self-discipline, self-esteem, self-respect, sense control, tolerance, and
understanding
3. Values related to TRUTH are: Accuracy, curiosity, discernment, fairness, fearlessness, honesty,
integrity (unity of thought, word, and deed), intuition, justice, optimism, purity, quest for
knowledge, reason, self-analysis, sincerity, sprit of enquiry, synthesis, trust, truthfulness,
and determination.
4. Values related to LOVE are: Acceptance, affection, care, compassion, consideration,
dedication, devotion, empathy, forbearance, forgiveness, friendship, generosity, gentleness,
humanness, interdependence, kindness, patience, patriotism, reverence, sacrifice, selflessness,
service, sharing, sympathy, thoughtfulness, tolerance and trust
5. Values related to NON-VIOLENCE are:
(a) PSYCHOLOGICAL: Benevolence, compassion, concern for others, consideration,
forbearance, forgiveness, manners, happiness, loyalty, morality, and universal love
(b) SOCIAL: Appreciation of other cultures and religions, brotherhood, care of environment,
citizenship, equality, harmlessness, national awareness, perseverance, respect for
property, and social justice.
PERSEVERANCE is defined as persistence, determination, resolution, tenacity, dedication,
commitment, constancy, steadfastness, stamina, endurance and indefatigability. To persevere is described
as to continue, carry on, stick at it (in formal), keep going, persist, plug away, (informal), remain,
stand firm, stand fast, hold on and hang on. Perseverance builds character.
ACCURACY means freedom from mistake or error; conformity to truth or to a standard or
model and exactness. Accuracy is defined as correctness, exactness, authenticity, truth, veracity, closeness
to truth (true value) and carefulness. The value of accuracy embraces a large area and has many
implications. Engineers are encouraged to demonstrate accuracy in their behavior through the medium
of praise and other incentives. Accuracy includes telling the truth, not exaggerating, and taking care
over one’s work.
DISCERNMENT means discrimination, perception, penetration, and insight. Discernment means
the power to see what is not obvious to the average mind. It stresses accuracy, especially in reading
character or motives. Discrimination stresses the power to distinguish or select what is true or genuinely
excellent. Perception implies quick and often sympathetic discernment, as of shades of feelings.
Penetration implies a searching mind that goes beyond what is obvious or superficial. Insight suggests
depth of discernment.
Definitions of other terms are given in the appropriate pages of this book.
Evolution of Human Values
The human values evolve because of the following factors:
1. The impact of norms of the society on the fulfillment of the individual’s needs or desires.
Human Values 5

2. Developed or modified by one’s own awareness, choice, and judgment in fulfilling the
needs.
3. By the teachings and practice of Preceptors (Gurus) or Saviors or religious leaders.
4. Fostered or modified by social leaders, rulers of kingdom, and by law (government).

ETHICS
Ethics is the word that refers to morals, values, and beliefs of the individuals, family or the society.
The word has several meanings. Basically it is an activity and process of inquiry. Secondly, it is
different from non-moral problems, when dealing with issues and controversies. Thirdly, ethics refers
to a particular set of beliefs, attitudes, and habits of individuals or family or groups concerned with
morals. Fourth, it is used to mean ‘morally correct’.
The study on ethics helps to know the people’s beliefs, values, and morals, learn the good and bad
of them, and practice them to maximize their well-being and happiness. It involves the inquiry on the
existing situations, form judgments and resolve the issues. In addition, ethics tells us how to live, to
respond to issues, through the duties, rights, responsibilities, and obligations. In religion, similar
principles are included, but the reasoning on procedures is limited. The principles and practices of
religions have varied from to time to time (history), region (geography, climatic conditions), religion,
society, language, caste and creed. But ethics has grown to a large extent beyond the barriers listed
above. In ethics, the focus is to study and apply the principles and practices, universally.
INTEGRITY
Integrity is defined as the unity of thought, word and deed (honesty) and open mindedness. It includes
the capacity to communicate the factual information so that others can make well-informed decisions.
It yields the person’s ‘peace of mind’, and hence adds strength and consistency in character, decisions,
and actions. This paves way to one’s success. It is one of the self-direction virtues. It enthuse people not
only to execute a job well but to achieve excellence in performance. It helps them to own the responsibility
and earn self-respect and recognition by doing the job.
Moral integrity is defined as a virtue, which reflects a consistency of one’s attitudes, emotions,
and conduct in relation to justified moral values. Further discussion on this is available in Chapter 2.
WORK ETHICS1
Industry and Society are the two systems which interact with each other and are interdependent. Society
requires industry/business system which provides manufacturing, distribution and consumption activities.
It needs investment (capital input), labor (input), supply (raw materials), production (industries, business
organizations), marketing and distribution (transport), and consumption (public, customer). A lot of
transactions (and interactions) between these sub-systems involving people are needed for the welfare
of the society. It is here, the work ethics plays an essential role.
Work ethics is defined as a set of attitudes concerned with the value of work, which forms the
motivational orientation. The ‘work ethics’ is aimed at ensuring the economy (get job, create wealth,
earn salary), productivity (wealth, profit), safety (in workplace), health and hygiene (working conditions),
privacy (raise family), security (permanence against contractual, pension, and retirement benefits),
cultural and social development (leisure, hobby, and happiness), welfare (social work), environment
(anti-pollution activities), and offer opportunities for all, according to their abilities, but without
discrimination.
6 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Many complex social problems exist in the industrial/business scenario, because:

1. The people desire to be recognized as individuals and treated with dignity, as living human
beings. Work is intrinsically valuable so far as it is enjoyable or meaningful in allowing
personal expression and self-fulfillment. Meaningful work is worth doing for the sense of
personal identity and the self-esteem it holds.
2. Economic independence: Work is the major instrumental good in life. It is the main source
of providing the income needed to avoid economic dependence on others, for obtaining
desired materials and services, and for achieving status and recognition from others.
3. Pay as well as the pace of work should be in commensurate with the expertise required,
acquired, and utilized in the persons. Exploitation and bargained pay should be discouraged.
4. Privacy (personal freedom) of the employee, including women, is to be protected. At the
same time, confidentiality of the employer is also to be protected. Mutual trust and loyalty
both ways play major roles in this aspect.
5. Security during job and upon retirement: This concept is being accepted only in government
jobs, public limited companies, and corporate organizations. The western thought has
influenced the Indian private industries and multinationals in a paradigm shift from ‘life-
long employment’ to policies such as ‘merit only’, ‘hire and fire’, ‘pay and use’ etc. This
situation has no doubt created tension in the Indian scene.
6. Recognition to non-work activities, such as leisure, paid holiday on the day of visit of a
dignitary, social service, and other developmental activities. The workers in prosperous
countries are less willing to consider ‘work’ as their prime interest in life. They claim that
such service activities give them peace of mind and happiness. However, such a trend is
likely to decline the work ethics.
7. Hard work and productivity are very essential for the success of an industry. The quality of
work life deserves to be improved. Hard labor, undignified jobs (human-drawn rikshaw,
people carrying night soil), and hazardous jobs are to be made less straining, dignified, and
safer. Automation and CNC systems to a large extent have been successful in lessening the
human burden. Still, many a hard work can not be replaced by ‘virtual work’, in the near
future.
8. Employee alienation: Absence of or inadequate ‘recognition and reward system’ and ‘grievance
redressal system’, lack of transparency in policy implementation, factions in trade unions
etc. lead to ethical problems, affecting the work ethics. Participative management, quality
circles, job rotation, and flexible working hours are some of the measures to counter this
situation.
9. A different view of work ethics: Work is considered as a necessary evil. It is a thing one
must do in order to avoid worse evils, such as dependency and poverty. That is a major
source of anxiety and unhappiness.
10. As per the Protestant Work Ethics, the financial success is a sign that is favored by God. It
means making maximal profit is a duty mandated by God. It is to be obtained rationally,
diligently, and without compromising with other values such as spending time with one’s
family and not exploiting or harming others1
Human Values 7

To work (job), is not for monetary considerations only. Human beings believe that it is good to
work. Work is good for the body and mind. It promotes self-respect, self-esteem, good for the family,
and obligation to the society and allow the world to prosper. Work lays a moral and meaningful
foundation for life. That is why, work ethics affirm s that, the work per se is worthy, admirable and
valuable at personal and social levels. It improves the quality of life and makes life purposeful, successful,
and happy.
By work ethics, duties to the self, family, society, and nation are fulfilled. Rights of the individuals
are respected and nourished. Values and virtues are cultivated and enjoyed by all human beings. Further,
the quality of life is improved and the environment protected. On the other hand, unemployment and
under-employment lead to frustration, social tensions, and occasional militancy. For a developing
economy and society, like ours, we need to promote work ethics, at all levels, to flourish as developed
nation.

SERVICE LEARNING
Service learning refers to learning the service policies, procedures, norms, and conditions, other than
‘the technical trade practices’. The service learning includes the characteristics of the work, basic
requirements, security of the job, and awareness of the procedures, while taking decisions and actions.
It helps the individuals to interact ethically with colleagues, to effectively coordinate with other
departments, to interact cordially with suppliers as well as the customers, and to maintain all these
friendly interactions.
Alternatively, the service learning may be defined as the non-paid activity, in which service is
provided on voluntary basis to the public (have-nots in the community), non-profitable institutions,
and charitable organizations. It is the service during learning. This includes training or study on real
life problems and their possible solutions, during the formal learning, i.e., courses of study. In the
industrial scenario, adoption, study, and development of public health or welfare or safety system of a
village or school is an example of service learning by the employees. The engineering student analyzing
and executing a socially-relevant project is another example of service learning.
The service learning is a methodology falling under the category of experiential education3. It is
one of the forms of experiential learning and community service opportunities. It is distinguished in
the following ways:
1. Connection to curriculum: Integrating the learning into a service project is a key to successful
service learning. Academic ties should be clear and built upon existing disciplinary skills.
2. Learner’s voice: Beyond being actively engaged in the project, trainees have the opportunity
to select, design, implement, and evaluate their service activity.
3. Reflection: Structured opportunities are created to think, talk, and write about the service
experience. The balance of reflection and action allows the trainee to be constantly aware of
the impact of their work.
4. Partners in the community: Partnership with community agencies are used to identify genuine
needs, provide mentorship, and contribute input such as labor and expertise towards completing
the project.
8 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

VIRTUES
Virtues are positive and preferred values. Virtues are desirable attitudes or character traits, motives and
emotions that enable us to be successful and to act in ways that develop our highest potential. They
energize and enable us to pursue the ideals that we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion,
generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, transparency, self-control, and prudence are all examples of
virtues.
Virtues are tendencies which include, solving problems through peaceful and constructive means
and follow the path of the golden mean between the extremes of ‘excess and deficiency’. They are like
habits, once acquired, they become characteristics of a person. Moreover, a person who has developed
virtues will naturally act in ways consistent with moral principles. The virtuous person is the ethical
person.
Civic Virtues
Civic virtues are the moral duties and rights, as a citizen of the village or the country or an integral part
of the society and environment. An individual may exhibit civic virtues by voting, volunteering, and
organizing welfare groups and meetings.
The duties are:
1. To pay taxes to the local government and state, in time.
2. To keep the surroundings clean and green.
3. Not to pollute the water, land, and air by following hygiene and proper garbage disposal.
For example, not to burn wood, tyres, plastic materials, spit in the open, even not to smoke
in the open, and not to cause nuisance to the public, are some of the civic (duties) virtues.
4. To follow the road safety rules.
On the other hand, the rights are:
1. To vote the local or state government.
2. To contest in the elections to the local or state government.
3. To seek a public welfare facility such as a school, hospital or a community hall or transport
or communication facility, for the residents.
4. To establish a green and safe environment, pollution free, corruption free, and to follow
ethical principles. People are said to have the right to breathe in fresh air, by not allowing
smoking in public.
5. People have inalienable right to accept or reject a project in their area. One has the right to
seek legal remedy, in this respect, through public interest petition.
George Washington4 embodied the civic virtues as indispensable for a self-governing administration.
These virtues are divided into four categories:
1. Civic Knowledge
Citizens must understand what the Constitution says about how the government is working, and what
the government is supposed to do and what not to do. We must understand the basis of our responsibilities
as citizens, besides duties and rights. We must be able to recognize when the government or another
citizen infringes upon our rights. It implies that the government requires the participation of the
enlightened citizens, to serve and survive.
Human Values 9

2. Self-Restraint
For citizens to live in a free society with limited government each citizen must be able to control or
restrain himself; otherwise, we would need a police state—that is, a dictatorial government to maintain
safety and order. He advocated for morality and declared that happiness is achieved and sustained
through virtues and morals. He advocated and demonstrated self-restraint several times in his private
and public life, and naturally he was a great leader.
3. Self-Assertion
Self-assertion means that citizens must be proud of their rights, and have the courage to stand up in
public and defend their rights. Sometimes, a government may usurp the very rights that it was created
to protect. In such cases, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish that government (e.g., voting
rights, rights call back).
4. Self-Reliance
Citizens who cannot provide for themselves will need a large government to take care of them. Once
citizens become dependent on government for their basic needs, the people are no longer in a position
to demand that government act within the confines of the Constitution. Self-reliant citizens are free
citizens in the sense that they are not dependent on others for their basic needs. They do not need a
large provider-government, which has the potential to become an oppressive government, to meet
those needs. Only a strong self-reliant citizenry will be able to enjoy fully the blessings of liberty.
These civic virtues, applicable to local, state, and central governments, nourish freedom and civil
liberty at the root of democracy.

RESPECT FOR OTHERS

This is a basic requirement for nurturing friendship, team work, and for the synergy it promotes and
sustains. The principles enunciated in this regard are:
1. Recognize and accept the existence of other persons as human beings, because they have a
right to live, just as you have.
2. Respect others’ ideas (decisions), words, and labor (actions). One need not accept or approve
or award them, but shall listen to them first. One can correct or warn, if they commit
mistakes. Some people may wait and watch as fun, if one falls, claiming that they know
others’ mistakes before and know that they will fall! Appreciate colleagues and subordinates
on their positive actions. Criticize constructively and encourage them. They are bound to
improve their performance, by learning properly and by putting more efforts.
3. Show ‘goodwill’ on others. Love others. Allow others to grow. Basically, the goodwill
reflects on the originator and multiplies itself on everybody. This will facilitate collinearity,
focus, coherence, and strength to achieve the goals.

LIVING PEACEFULLY
To live peacefully, one should start install peace within (self). Charity begins at home. Then one can
spread peace to family, organisation where one works, and then to the world, including the environment.
Only who are at peace can spread peace. You can not gift an article which you do not possess. The
10 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

essence of oriental philosophy is that one should not fight for peace. It is oxymoron. War or peace can
be won only by peace, and not by wars !
One should adopt the following means to live peacefully, in the world:
Nurture
1. Order in one’s life (self-regulation, discipline, and duty).
2. Pure thoughts in one’s soul (loving others, blessing others, friendly, and not criticizing
or hurting others by thought, word or deed).
3. Creativity in one’s head (useful and constructive).
4. Beauty in one’s heart (love, service, happiness, and peace).
Get
5. Good health/body (physical strength for service).
Act
6. Help the needy with head, heart, and hands (charity). Service to the poor is considered
holier than the service to God.
7. Not hurting and torturing others either physically, verbally, or mentally.
The following are the factors that promote living, with internal and external peace:
1. Conducive environment (safe, ventilated, illuminated and comfortable).
2. Secured job and motivated with ‘recognition and reward’.
3. Absence of threat or tension by pressure due to limitations of money or time.
4. Absence of unnecessary interference or disturbance, except as guidelines.
5. Healthy labor relations and family situations.
6. Service to the needy (physically and mentally-challenged) with love and sympathy.

CARING
Caring is feeling for others. It is a process which exhibits the interest in, and support for, the welfare of
others with fairness, impartiality and justice in all activities, among the employees, in the context of
professional ethics. It includes showing respect to the feelings of others, and also respecting and preserving
the interests of all others concerned. Caring is reflected in activities such as friendship, membership in
social clubs and professional societies, and through various transactions in the family, fraternity,
community, country and in international councils.
In the present day context, caring for the environment (including the fauna and flora) has become
a necessity for our very survival. If we do not care for the environment, the environment will scare us.

SHARING
Primarily, caring influences ‘sharing’. Sharing is a process that describes the transfer of knowledge
(teaching, learning, and information), experience (training), commodities (material possession) and
facilities with others. The transfer should be genuine, legal, positive, voluntary, and without any
expectation in return. However, the proprietary information it should not be shared with outsiders.
Through this process of sharing, experience, expertise, wisdom and other benefits reach more people
faster. Sharing is voluntary and it can not be driven by force, but motivated successfully through
ethical principles. In short, sharing is ‘charity’
Human Values 11

For the humanity, ‘sharing’ is a culture. The ‘happiness and wealth’ are multiplied and the ‘crimes
and sufferings’ are reduced, by sharing. It paves the way for peace and obviates militancy. Philosophically,
the sharing maximizes the happiness for all the human beings. In terms of psychology, the fear, divide,
and distrust between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ disappear. Sharing not only paves the way to prosperity,
early and easily, and sustains it. Economically speaking, benefits are maximized as there is no wastage
or loss, and everybody gets one’s needs fulfilled and satisfied. Commercially speaking, the profit is
maximized. Technologically, the productivity and utilization are maximized by sharing.
In the industrial arena, code-sharing in airlines for bookings on air travels and the common
Effluent Treatment Plant constructed for small-scale industries in the industrial estates, are some of the
examples of sharing. The co-operative societies for producers as well as consumers are typical examples
of sharing of the goods, profit and other social benefits.
Here is an anecdote that illustrates the benefits of sharing, for the young minds!
The shouting...the screaming…the fighting. That was the breaking point for me as I poured out
my woes to my mother. “How can I get them toshare as well as we did as kids?”, I pleaded.
Laughter was her reply. “Well, thanks a lot, mom,” I said. “I’m sorry,” she chuckled, “but you
didn’t always share.” She went on to explain about the “Box of Misbehaved Toys.” Every time we
fought over a toy, she would quietly take that and put it into the box.
Yes, I did remember that box. I also remember it wasn’t always fair since one person may have
caused all the commotion. But my mother was consistent. No matter what the reason for the struggle
was, the toy disappeared into the box for one week. No questions asked, and no chance of parole. My
siblings and I soon learned that sharing a toy was better than losing it. Often, one person would decide
to just wait for a time when no one else was playing with the toy, rather than fight and lose it. It was not
a perfect system, but I tried it anyway
That box was a shock to my kids and it was close to full, within a few days…..As the weeks
progressed, I noticed the box was emptier and the arguing was less. Today, I heard quiet music to my
ears as my son said to his sister, “That’s OK, you can play with it.”
This story illustrates the worthy joy of sharing as compared to the pain of losing.

HONESTY
Honesty is a virtue, and it is exhibited in two aspects namely,
(a) Truthfulness and
(b) Trustworthiness.
Truthfulness is to face the responsibilities upon telling truth. One should keep one’s word or
promise. By admitting one’s mistake committed (one needs courage to do that!), it is easy to fix them.
Reliable engineering judgment, maintenance of truth, defending the truth, and communicating the
truth, only when it does ‘good’ to others, are some of the reflections of truthfulness. But trustworthiness
is maintaining integrity and taking responsibility for personal performance. People abide by law and
live by mutual trust. They play the right way to win, according to the laws or rules (legally and
morally). They build trust through reliability and authenticity. They admit their own mistakes and
confront unethical actions in others and take tough and principled stand, even if unpopular.
Honesty is mirrored in many ways. The common reflections are:
(a) Beliefs (intellectual honesty).
(b) Communication (writing and speech).
12 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(c) Decisions (ideas, discretion).

(d) Actions (means, timing, place, and the goals). and
(e) Intended and unintended results achieved.
As against this, some of the actions of an engineer that leads to dishonesty are:
1. Lying: Honesty implies avoidance of lying. An engineer may communicate wrong or distorted
test results intentionally or otherwise. It is giving wrong information to the right people.
2. Deliberate deception: An engineer may judge or decide on matters one is not familiar or
with insufficient data or proof, to impress upon the customers or employers. This is a self
deceit.
3. Withholding the information: It means hiding the facts during communication to one’s superior
or subordinate, intentionally or otherwise.
4. Not seeking the truth: Some engineers accept the information or data, without applying their
mind and seeking the truth.
5. Not maintaining confidentiality: It is giving right information to wrong people. The engineers
should keep information of their customers/clients or of their employers confidential and
should not discuss them with others.
6. Giving professional judgment under the influence of extraneous factors such as personal
benefits and prejudice. The laws, experience, social welfare, and even conscience are given
a go-bye by such actions. Certainly this is a higher-order crime.

COURAGE
Courage is the tendency to accept and face risks and difficult tasks in rational ways. Self-confidence is
the basic requirement to nurture courage.
Courage is classified into three types, based on the types of risks, namely
(a) Physical courage,
(b) Social courage, and
(c) Intellectual courage. In physical courage, the thrust is on the adequacy of the physical
strength, including the muscle power and armaments. People with high adrenalin, may be
prepared to face challenges for the mere ‘thrill’ or driven by a decision to ‘excel’. The social
courage involves the decisions and actions to change the order, based on the conviction for or
against certain social behaviors. This requires leadership abilities, including empathy and
sacrifice, to mobilize and motivate the followers, for the social cause. The intellectual courage
is inculcated in people through acquired knowledge, experience, games, tactics, education,
and training. In professional ethics, courage is applicable to the employers, employees,
public, and the press.
Look before you leap. One should perform Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat
(SWOT) analysis. Calculate (estimate) the risks, compare with one’s strengths, and anticipate the end
results, while taking decisions and before getting into action. Learning from the past helps. Past experience
(one’s own or borrowed!) and wisdom gained from self-study or others will prepare one to plan and act
Human Values 13

with self-confidence, succeed in achieving the desired ethical goals through ethical means. Opportunities
and threat existing and likely to exist in future are also to be studied and measures to be planned. This
anticipatory management will help any one to face the future with courage.
Facing the criticism, owning responsibility, and accepting the mistakes or errors when committed
and exposed are the expressions of courage. In fact, this sets their mind to be vigilant against the past
mistakes, and creative in finding the alternate means to achieve the desired objectives. Prof. Sathish
Dhawan, Chief of ISRO, was reported to have exhibited his courage and owned responsibility, when
the previous space mission failed, but credited Prof. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (now our revered President),
when the subsequent mission succeeded.
The courageous people own and have shown the following characteristics, in their professions:
(a) Perseverance (sustained hard work),
(b) Experimentation (preparedness to face the challenges, that is, unexpected or unintended
results),
(c) Involvement (attitude, clear and firm resolve to act), and
(d) Commitment (willing to get into action and to reach the desired goals by any alternative but
ethical means).

VALUING TIME
Time is rare resource. Once it is spent, it is lost for ever. It can not be either stored or recovered. Hence,
time is the most perishable and most valuable resource too. This resource is continuously spent, whether
any decision or action is taken or not.
The history of great reformers and innovators have stressed the importance of time and valuing
time. The proverbs, ‘Time and tide wait for nobody’ and ‘Procrastination is the thief of time’ amply
illustrate this point.
An anecdote to highlight the ‘value of time’ is as follows: To realize the value of one year, ask the
student who has failed in the examinations;. To realize the value of one month, ask the mother who has
delivered a premature baby; to realize the value of one week, ask the editor of weekly; to realize the
value of one day, ask the daily-wage laborer; to realize now the value of one hour, ask the lovers
longing to meet; to realize the value of one minute, ask a person who has missed the train; to realize the
value of one second, ask the person who has survived an accident; to realize the value one milli second,
ask the person who has won the bronze medal in Olympics; to realize the value of one micro second,
ask the NASA team of scientists; to realize the value of one nano-second, ask a Hardware engineer!; If
you have still not realized the value of time, wait; are you an Engineer?

COOPERATION
It is a team-spirit present with every individual engaged in engineering. Co-operation is activity between
two persons or sectors that aims at integration of operations (synergy), while not sacrificing the autonomy
of either party. Further, working together ensures, coherence, i.e., blending of different skills required,
towards common goals.
Willingness to understand others, think and act together and putting this into practice, is cooperation.
Cooperation promotes collinearity, coherence (blend), co-ordination (activities linked in sequence or
14 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

priority) and the synergy (maximizing the output, by reinforcement). The whole is more than the sum
of the individuals. It helps in minimizing the input resources (including time) and maximizes the
outputs, which include quantity, quality, effectiveness, and efficiency.
According to professional ethics, cooperation should exist or be developed, and maintained, at
several levels; between the employers and employees, between the superiors and subordinates, among
the colleagues, between the producers and the suppliers (spare parts), and between the organisation and
its customers.
The codes of ethics of various professional societies insist on appropriate cooperation to nourish
the industry. The absence of cooperation leads to lack of communication, misinformation, void in
communication, and undue delay between supply, production, marketing, and consumption. This is
likely to demoralize and frustrate the employees, leading to collapse of the industry over time and an
economic loss to the society.
The impediments to successful cooperation are:
1. Clash of ego of individuals.
2. Lack of leadership and motivation.
3. Conflicts of interests, based on region, religion, language, and caste.
4. Ignorance and lack of interest. By careful planning, motivation, leadership, fostering and
rewarding team work, professionalism and humanism beyond the ‘divides’, training on
appreciation to different cultures, mutual understanding ‘cooperation’ can be developed and
also sustained.

COMMITMENT
Commitment means alignment to goals and adherence to ethical principles during the activities. First
of all, one must believe in one’s action performed and the expected end results (confidence). It means
one should have the conviction without an iota of doubt that one will succeed. Holding sustained
interest and firmness, in whatever ethical means one follows, with the fervent attitude and hope that
one will achieve the goals, is commitment. It is the driving force to realize success.
This is a basic requirement for any profession. For example, a design engineer shall exhibit a
sense of commitment, to make his product or project designed a beneficial contribution to the society.
Only when the teacher (Guru) is committed to his job, the students will succeed in life and contribute
‘good’ to the society. The commitment of top management will naturally lead to committed employees,
whatever may be their position or emoluments. This is bound to add wealth to oneself, one’s employer,
society, and the nation at large.

EMPATHY
Empathy is social radar. Sensing what others feel about, without their open talk, is the essence of
empathy. Empathy begins with showing concern, and then obtaining and understanding the feelings of
others, from others’ point of view. It is also defined as the ability to put one’s self into the psychological
frame or reference or point of view of another, to know what the other person feels. It includes the
imaginative projection into other’s feelings and understanding of other’s background such as parentage,
physical and mental state, economic situation, and association. This is an essential ingredient for good
human relations and transactions.
Human Values 15

To practice ‘Empathy’, a leader must have or develop in him, the following characteristics5
1. Understanding others: It means sensing others feelings and perspectives, and taking active
interest in their welfare.
2. Service orientation: It is anticipation, recognition and meeting the needs of the clients or
customers.
3. Developing others: This means identification of their needs and bolstering their abilities. In
developing others, the one should inculcate in him the ‘listening skill’ first.
Communication = 22% reading and writing + 23% speaking + 55% listening
One should get the feed back, acknowledge the strength and accomplishments, and then
coach the individual, by informing about what was wrong, and giving correct feedback and
positive expectation of the subject’s abilities and the resulting performance.
4. Leveraging diversity (opportunities through diverse people): This leads to enhanced
organizational learning, flexibility, and profitability.
5. Political awareness: It is the ability to read political and social currents in an organization.
The benefits of empathy include:
1. Good customer relations (in sales and service, in partnering).
2. Harmonious labor relations (in manufacturing).
3. Good vendor-producer relationship (in partnering.) Through the above three, we can
maximize the output and profit, as well as minimizing the loss. While dealing with customer
complaints, empathy is very effective in realising the unbiased views of others and in admitting
one’s own limitations and failures. According to Peter Drucker, purpose of the business is
not to make a sale, but to make and keep a customer. Empathy assists one in developing
courage leading to success!

SELF-CONFIDENCE
Certainty in one’s own capabilities, values, and goals, is self-confidence. These people are usually
positive thinking, flexible and willing to change. They respect others so much as they respect themselves.
Self-confidence is positive attitude, wherein the individual has some positive and realistic view
of himself, with respect to the situations in which one gets involved. The people with self-confidence
exhibit courage to get into action and unshakable faith in their abilities, whatever may be their positions.
They are not influenced by threats or challenges and are prepared to face them and the natural or
unexpected consequences.
The self-confidence in a person develops a sense of partnership, respect, and accountability, and
this helps the organization to obtain maximum ideas, efforts, and guidelines from its employees. The
people with self-confidence have the following characteristics:
1. A self-assured standing,
2. Willing to listen to learn from others and adopt (flexibility),
3. Frank to speak the truth, and
4. respect others’ efforts and give due credit.
16 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

On the contrary, some leaders expose others when failure occurs, and own the credit when success
comes.
The factors that shape self-confidence in a person are:
1. Heredity (attitudes of parents) and family environment (elders),
2. Friendship (influence of friends/colleagues),
3. Influence of superiors/role models, and
4. Training in the organization ( e.g., training by Technical Evangelists at Infosys Technologies).
The following methodologies are effective in developing self-confidence in a person:
1. Encouraging SWOT analysis. By evaluating their strength and weakness, they can anticipate
and be prepared to face the results.
2. Training to evaluate risks and face them (self-acceptance).
3. Self-talk . It is conditioning the mind for preparing the self to act, without any doubt on his
capabilities. This make one accepts himself while still striving for improvement.
4. Study and group discussion, on the history of leaders and innovators (e.g., Sam Walton of
Wal-Mart, USA).

CHALLENGES IN THE WORK PLACE

The biggest workplace challenge is said to be the employee’s work ethics: showing up to work every
day (interest in work and attendance), showing up to work on time (punctuality), taking pride in the
quality of their work, commitment to the job, and getting along with others. This situation demands
inculcation of good character in the workplace by employees.
Character
It is a characteristic property that defines the behavior of an individual. It is the pattern of virtues
(morally-desirable features). Character includes attributes that determine a person’s moral and ethical
actions and responses. It is also the ground on which morals and values blossom.
People are divided into several categories, according to common tendencies such as ruthless,
aggressiveness, and ambition, constricting selfishness, stinginess, or cheerfulness, generosity and
goodwill. Individuals vary not only in the type of their character but also in the degree. Those whose
lives are determined and directed by the prevailing habits, fashions, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and
values of the society in which they live have at best a developed social as opposed to an individual
character.
The character is exhibited through conduct. Character is determined by the expectations of society.
Many act and live within its norms, refusing to fall below the required social minimum, failing to rise
above the maximum expected of a normal member of the group. On one extreme are those that do not
even conform to the minimum standards, and fail to acquire the socially-required behaviors, attitudes
and values. These individuals have an unformed social character. At the other extreme are those whose
beliefs, attitudes and values are determined internally by the strength of their own convictions. These
are individuals with developed minds and formed characters of their own.
Individuals do not live or act in a vacuum. They exist and act in a human social environment of
other people that constantly act on them and react to their actions. They also live in a natural environment
of physical objects and material forces such as the winds and rains. And those with occult and spiritual
Human Values 17

traditions recognize that there is also a subtle environment of other planes of existence, both higher
planes of spiritual influence and lower planes of negative forces in universal nature seeking to act on
the lives. All of the social, material and the occult planes constitute the field of human activity. Each of
them functions according to its own laws or principles. Each of them has its own characteristic modes
of action and influence on human life.
Character is the expression of the personality of a human being, and that it reveals itself in one’s
conduct. In this sense every human has a character. At the same time only human beings, not animals
have character: it implies rationality. But in addition to this usage, the term is also employed in a
narrower sense, as when we speak of a person “of character”. In this connotation, character implies
certain unity of qualities with a recognizable degree of constancy in mode of action. Psychology
analyzes the elements of character to trace the laws of its growth, to distinguish the chief agencies
which contribute to the formation of different types of character, and to classify them. Many psychologists
world over, during the last 40 years have given a large quantity of acute observations on the topic of
character. Still these contributions do not constitute a science.
The Four Temperaments5
The original endowment or native element in character with which the individual starts life is practically
identical with what the Ancients recognized as temperament. From the times of Hippocrates, they
distinguished four main types of temperaments: the Sanguine, the Choleric, the Phlegmatic, and the
Melancholic. The modern speculation accepts the same classification, but under other names. These
different types of temperaments are accounted for differences in physiological conditions of the tissues
of the body, by diverse rates of activities in the processes of nutrition and waste, in the changes of
nerve-energy, or in circulation, and by differences of tonicity in the nerves. Irrespective of the
physiological explanation, the four-fold classification seems to be fair. Moreover, though scientists are
still far from agreeing upon the precise elements in the organism on which temperament depends, the
fact that different forms of temperaments have an organic basis such as hormones seems certain.
Although our original temperament is given to us independently of our will by heredity, we play an
important part in moulding our character, and we thus become responsible for certain ethical qualities
in it.
Character has been defined as “natural temperament completely fashioned by the will”. It is, in
fact, a resultant of our acquired habits with our original disposition. The regular use of the intellect,
the controlled activity of the imagination, the practice of judgment and reflection, all contribute to the
formation and refinement of habits of mind. The frequent indulgence in particular forms of emotion,
such as anger, envy, sympathy, melancholy, fear, and the like, fosters tendencies towards these sentiments
which give a subconscious bent to a large part of man’s behavior. But finally, the exercise of the will
plays the predominant role in moulding the type of character. The manner and degree in which currents
of thought and waves of emotion are initiated, guided, and controlled by the will, or allowed to follow
the course of spontaneous impulse, has more effect in determining the resultant type of character than
the quality of the thoughts or emotions themselves.
The life of the animal is entirely ruled by instinct from within, and by accidental circumstances
from without. It is therefore incapable of acquiring a character. A human, through reasoning and the
growth of reflection, by the exercise of choice against the impulse, gradually develops self-control;
and it is by the exercise of this power that moral character is formed and reformed. Character is in fact
18 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

the outcome of a series of volitions, and it is for this reason we are responsible for our characters, as we
are for the individual habits which go to constitute them.
Types of Character
From the four fundamental temperaments, various classifications of character have been adopted by
different psychologists. The intellectual, the emotional, and the volitional or energetic are the chief
types with A. Bain. M. Pérez, based on the phenomenon of movement, distinguishes characters as
lively, slow, ardent, and well-balanced. M. Ribot, with more subjective division and excluding indefinite
types as ‘characterless’, recognizes the forms as:
(a) the sensitive (humble, contemplative and emotional,
(b) the active (great and the mediocre), and
(c) the apathetic (purely apathetic or dull), and
(d) the intelligent.
Ethics and Character
Whilst psychology investigates the growth of different types of character, ethics considers the relative
value of such types and the virtues which constitute them. The problem of the true moral ideal is a
question of the relative value of different types of character. The effect on the person’s character of a
particular form of conduct is a universally accepted as a test of its moral quality. Different systems of
ethics emphasize different virtues in constituting the ideal moral character. With the utilitarian, who
places the ethical end in the maximum happiness for the whole community, benevolence will form the
primary element in the ideal character. For the stoic, fortitude and self-control are the chief excellences.
In all conceptions of ideal character, firmness of will, fortitude, constancy in adhering to principle
or in pursuit of a noble aim are held important. A man of character is frequently equivalent to being
capable of adhering to a fixed purpose. Another essential is the virtue of justice, the recognition of the
rights, duties, and claims of others. The richer the culture of the mind, the larger the intellectual
horizon, the broader the sympathies, the more will the character approximate to the ideal of human
perfection.
Education and Character
The aim of education is not only the cultivation of the intellect but also the formation of moral
character. Increased intelligence or physical skill may as easily be employed to the detriment or benefit
of the community, if not accompanied by improved will. It is the function of ethics to determine the
ideals of human character. The theory and science of education are to study the processes by which that
end may be attained.
Building Character in the Workplace
Managers have to influence and employ creative means of stressing the importance of good character
in the workplace, in the following ways6,7:
1. Employee Hiring, Training, and Promotion Activities
(a) Institute and adopt an organization policy statement to positive character in the workplace.
For example, commitment to civility pledges. This may be communicated through printing
on the back of the business cards of the employees.
Human Values 19

(b) Prominently and explicitly include character considerations in recruiting procedures, during
interviews and in the hiring deliberations.
(c) Emphasize the importance of character and adherence to the ‘six pillars’ of character in
orientation, initial job training, and during in-service training. The six pillars of character
are the ethical values, such as: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and
citizenship. Respect means showing high regard for self, others, authority, property and
country. It includes showing appreciation for cultural diversity by valuing all people as
human beings. Responsibility is
(i) being accountable for one’s actions,
(ii) being dependable in carrying out obligations and duties,
(iii) being reliable and consistent in word and action, and
(iv) being committed to community development. Integrity or fairness means showing the
inner strength and courage to be truthful, trustworthy, fair and honest in all things. It
includes acting justly and honorably. Caring means being kind, considerate, courteous,
helpful, friendly and generous to others, and being compassionate by treating others as
you would like to be treated. Citizenship means accepting and adopting civic rights
and duties as a citizen of the country.
(d) Include evaluation of fundamental character values such as honesty, promise keeping,
accountability, fairness, and caring, in appraisals/reviews.
(e) Institute recognition and reward system for the employees who exemplify the positive
character. for example, awards and medals.
(f) Think of your employees, especially the younger ones, as people whose personal and work
values will be influenced by what you expect of them and how you treat them.
(g) Think of your employees as present or future mentors, coaches, and volunteers.
2. Internal Communication
Use internal communication channels to create a friendly environment that praises positive role modeling
at the workplace and in the community by encouraging voluntarism, and mentoring, e.g., through
(a) Internal newsletters,
(b) Workplace posters in canteens and recreation rooms,
(c) Mailers, and
(d) Electronic mails.
3. External Communication
In relations with customers, vendors and others, consciously communicate affirming messages about
character and ethics, such as
(a) Advertise and market honoring consensual values (the six pillars),
(b) Assure that none of your products and services undermines character building,
(c) Include positive messages about voluntarism and celebrate, and
(d) ‘Character counts’ week in advertising, billings and other mailers.
20 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

4. Financial and Human Resources

(a) Support local and national ‘character’ projects and the activities of the members by encouraging
staff members to get involved. Offer incentives such as paying employees for the time they
contribute at a local youth-service organization.
(b) Sponsor ‘character’ movement through financial support.
5. Community Outreach

(a) Use public outreach structures to encourage mentoring and other character-building programs.
(b) Encourage educational and youth organizations to become active in character building.
(c) Use corporate influence to encourage business groups (chambers of commerce, conference
boards, and Rotary clubs) and other companies to support ‘character’ building.

SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality is a way of living that emphasizes the constant awareness and recognition of the spiritual
dimension (mind and its development) of nature and people, with a dynamic balance between the
material development and the spiritual development. This is said to be the great virtue of Indian
philosophy and for Indians. Sometimes, spirituality includes the faith or belief in supernatural power/
God, regarding the worldly events. It functions as a fertilizer for the soil ‘character’ to blossom into
values and morals.
Spirituality includes creativity, communication, recognition of the individual as human being (as
opposed to a life-less machine), respect to others, acceptance (stop finding faults with colleagues and
accept them the way they are), vision (looking beyond the obvious and not believing anyone blindly),
and partnership (not being too authoritative, and always sharing responsibility with others, for better
returns).
Spirituality is motivation as it encourages the colleagues to perform better. Remember, lack of
motivation leads to isolation. Spirituality is also energy: Be energetic and flexible to adapt to challenging
and changing situations. Spirituality is flexibility as well. One should not be too dominating. Make
space for everyone and learn to recognize and accept people the way they are. Variety is the order of the
day. But one can influence their mind to think and act together. Spirituality is also fun. Working is
okay, but you also need to have fun in office to keep yourself charged up. Tolerance and empathy are
the reflections of spirituality. Blue and saffron colors are said to be associated with spirituality.
Creativity in spirituality means conscious efforts to see things differently, to break out of habits
and outdated beliefs to find new ways of thinking, doing and being. Suppression of creativity leads to
violence. People are naturally creative. When they are forced to crush their creativity, its energy turns
to destructive release and actions. Creativity includes the use of color, humor and freedom to enhance
productivity. Creativity is fun. When people enjoy what they do, it is involvement. They work much
harder.
Spirituality in the Workplace
Building spirituality in the workplace: Spirituality is promoted in the workplace by adhering to the
following activities:
1. Verbally respect the individuals as humans and recognize their values in all decisions and
actions.
Human Values 21

2. Get to know the people with whom you work and know what is important to them. Know
their goals, desires, and dreams too.
3. State your personal ethics and your beliefs clearly.
4. Support causes outside the business.
5. Encourage leaders to use value-based discretion in making decisions.
6. Demonstrate your own self-knowledge and spirituality in all your actions.
7. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Sprituality for Corporate Excellence8
The spiritual traits to be developed for excellence in corporate activities are listed as follows:
1. Self-awareness — Realization of self-potential. A human has immense capability but it
needs to be developed.
2. Alertness in observation and quickness in decision making, i.e., spontaneity which includes
quick reflexes, no delay but also no hasty decisions.
3. Being visionary and value based — This includes an attitude towards future of the organization
and the society, with clear objectives.
4. Holism — Whole system or comprehensive views and interconnected with different aspects.
Holistic thinking, which means the welfare of the self, family, organization and the society
including all other living beings and environment.
5. Compassion — Sympathy, empathy and concern for others. These are essential for not only
building the team but also for its effective functioning.
6. Respect for diversity — It means search for unity in diversity i.e., respect others and their
views.
7. Moral Autonomy — It means action based on rational and moral judgment. One need not
follow the crowd or majority i.e., band-wagon effect.
8. Creative thinking and constant reasoning — Think if we can do something new and if we
can improve further?
9. Ability to analyze and synthesize — Refrain from doing something only traditional.
10. Positive views of adversity — Make adversities one’s source of power—a typical Karma
yogi’s outlook! Every threat is converted into opportunity.
11. Humility — The attitude to accept criticism (it requires courage!) and willing to correct. It
includes modesty and acknowledging the work of colleagues.
12. Sense of vocation — Treat the duty as a service to society, besides your organization.
 Chapter – 2 Engineering Ethics

OVERVIEW
Engineering Ethics is the activity and discipline aimed at
(a) understanding the moral values that ought to guide engineering profession or practice,
(b) resolving moral issues in engineering, and
(c) justifying the moral judgments in engineering. It deals with set of moral problems and issues
connected with engineering.
Engineering ethics is defined by the codes and standards of conduct endorsed by engineering
(professional) societies with respect to the particular set of beliefs, attitudes and habits displayed by the
individual or group.
Another important goal of engineering ethics is the discovery of the set of justified moral principles
of obligation, rights and ideals that ought to be endorsed by the engineers and apply them to concrete
situations. Engineering is the largest profession and the decisions and actions of engineers affect all of
us in almost all areas of our lives, namely public safety, health, and welfare.
Scope
The scope of engineering ethics are twofold:
1. Ethics of the workplace which involves the co-workers and employees in an organization.
2. Ethics related to the product or work which involves the transportation, warehousing, and
use, besides the safety of the end product and the environment outside the factory.
Approach
There are conventionally two approaches in the study of ethics:
1. Micro-ethics which deals with decisions and problems of individuals, professionals, and
companies.
2. Macro-ethics which deals with the societal problems on a regional/national level. For example,
global issues, collective responsibilities of groups such as professional societies and consumer
groups.
Engineering Ethics 23

SENSES OF ENGINEERING ETHICS

There are two different senses (meanings) of engineering ethics, namely the Normative and the Descriptive
senses. The normative sense include:
(a) Knowing moral values, finding accurate solutions to moral problems and justifying moral
judgments in engineering practices,
(b) Study of decisions, policies, and values that are morally desirable in the engineering practice
and research, and
(c) Using codes of ethics and standards and applying them in their transactions by engineers.
The descriptive sense refers to what specific individual or group of engineers believe and
act, without justifying their beliefs or actions.

VARIETY OF MORAL ISSUES

It would be relevant to know why and how do moral issues (problems) arise in a profession or why do
people behave unethically? The reasons for people including the employer and employees, behaving
unethically may be classified into three categories:
1. Resource Crunch
Due to pressure, through time limits, availability of money or budgetary constraints, and technology
decay or obsolescence. Pressure from the government to complete the project in time (e.g., before the
elections), reduction in the budget because of sudden war or natural calamity (e.g., Tsunami) and
obsolescence due technology innovation by the competitor lead to manipulation and unsafe and unethical
execution of projects.
Involving individuals in the development of goals and values and developing policies that allow
for individual diversity, dissent, and input to decision-making will prevent unethical results.
2. Opportunity
(a) Double standards or behavior of the employers towards the employees and the public. The
unethical behaviors of World Com (in USA), Enron (in USA as well as India) executives in
2002 resulted in bankruptcy for those companies,
(b) Management projecting their own interests more than that of their employees. Some
organizations over-emphasize short-term gains and results at the expense of themselves and
others,
(c) Emphasis on results and gains at the expense of the employees, and
(d) Management by objectives, without focus on empowerment and improvement of the
infrastructure.
This is best encountered by developing policies that allow ‘conscience keepers’ and whistle blowers
and appointing ombudsman, who can work confidentially with people to solve the unethical problems
internally.
3. Attitude
Poor attitude of the employees set in due to
(a) Low morale of the employees because of dissatisfaction and downsizing,
24 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(b) Absence of grievance redressal mechanism,

(c) Lack of promotion or career development policies or denied promotions,
(d) Lack of transparency,
(e) Absence of recognition and reward system, and
(f) Poor working environments.
Giving ethics training for all, recognizing ethical conduct in work place, including ethics in
performance appraisal, and encouraging open discussion on ethical issues, are some of the directions to
promote positive attitudes among the employees9.
To get firm and positive effect, ethical standards must be set and adopted by the senior management,
with input from all personnel.

TYPES OF INQUIRIES
The three types of inquiries, in solving ethical problems are: normative inquiry, conceptual inquiry,
and factual or descriptive inquiry.
The three types of inquiries are discussed below to illustrate the differences and preference.
1. Normative Inquiry
It seeks to identify and justify the morally-desirable norms or standards that should guide individuals
and groups. It also has the theoretical goal of justifying particular moral judgments. Normative questions
are about what ought to be and what is good, based on moral values. For example,
1. How far does the obligation of engineers to protect public safety extend in any given situation?
2. When, if ever, should engineers be expected to blow whistle on dangerous practices of their
employers?
3. Whose values ought to be primary in making judgment about acceptable risks in design for
a public transport system or a nuclear plant? Is it of management, senior engineers, government,
voters or all of them?
4. When and why is the government justified in interfering with the organisations?
5. What are the reasons on which the engineers show their obligations to their employees or
clients or the public?
2. Conceptual Inquiry
It is directed to clarify the meaning of concepts or ideas or principles that are expressed by words or by
questions and statements. For example,
(a) What is meant by safety?
(b) How is it related to risk?
(c) What is a bribe?
(d) What is a profession?
When moral concepts are discussed, normative and conceptual issues are closely interconnected.
Engineering Ethics 25

3. Factual or Descriptive Inquiry

It is aimed to obtain facts needed for understanding and resolving value issues. Researchers conduct
factual inquiries using mathematical or statistical techniques. The inquiry provide important information
on business realities, engineering practice, and the effectiveness of professional societies in fostering
moral conduct, the procedures used in risk assessment, and psychological profiles of engineers. The
facts provide not only the reasons for moral problems but also enable us to develop alterative ways of
resolving moral problems. For example,
1. How were the benefits assessed?
2. What are procedures followed in risk assessment?
3. What are short-term and long-term effects of drinking water being polluted? and
4. Who conducted the tests on materials?

MORAL DILEMMA

Definition
Dilemmas are situations in which moral reasons come into conflict, or in which the application of
moral values are problems, and one is not clear of the immediate choice or solution of the problems.
Moral reasons could be rights, duties, goods or obligations. These situations do not mean that things
had gone wrong, but they only indicate the presence of moral complexity. This makes the decision
making complex. For example, a person promised to meet a friend and dine, but he has to help his
uncle who is involved in an accident — one has to fix the priority.
There are some difficulties in arriving at the solution to the problems, in dilemma. The three
complex situations leading to moral dilemmas are:
1. The problem of vagueness: One is unable to distinguish between good and bad (right or
wrong) principle. Good means an action that is obligatory. For example, code of ethics
specifies that one should obey the laws and follow standards. Refuse bribe or accept the gift,
and maintain confidentiality
2. The problem of conflicting reasons: One is unable to choose between two good moral solutions.
One has to fix priority, through knowledge or value system.
3. The problem of disagreement: There may be two or more solutions and none of them
mandatory. These solutions may be better or worse in some respects but not in all aspects.
One has to interpret, apply different morally reasons, and analyze and rank the decisions.
Select the best suitable, under the existing and the most probable conditions.
Steps to Solve Dilemma
The logical steps in confronting moral dilemma are:
1. Identification of the moral factors and reasons. The clarity to identify the relevant moral
values from among duties, rights, goods and obligations is obtained (conceptual inquiry).
The most useful resource in identifying dilemmas in engineering is the professional codes of
ethics, as interpreted by the professional experience. Another resource is talking with colleagues
who can focus or narrow down the choice of values.
26 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

2. Collection of all information, data, and facts (factual inquiry) relevant to the situation.
3. Rank the moral options i.e., priority in application through value system, and also as obligatory,
all right, acceptable, not acceptable, damaging, and most damaging etc. For example, in
fulfilling responsibility, the codes give prime importance to public safety and protection of
the environment, as compared to the individuals or the employers (conceptual inquiry).
4. Generate alternate courses of action to resolve the dilemma. Write down the main options
and sub-options as a matrix or decision tree to ensure that all options are included.
5. Discuss with colleagues and obtain their perspectives, priorities, and suggestions on various
alternatives.
6. Decide upon a final course of action, based on priority fixed or assumed. If there is no ideal
solution, we arrive at a partially satisfactory or ‘satisficing’ solution.

MORAL AUTONOMY
Moral autonomy is defined as, decisions and actions exercised on the basis of moral concern for other
people and recognition of good moral reasons. Alternatively, moral autonomy means ‘self determinant
or independent’. The autonomous people hold moral beliefs and attitudes based on their critical reflection
rather than on passive adoption of the conventions of the society or profession. Moral autonomy may
also be defined as a skill and habit of thinking rationally about the ethical issues, on the basis of moral
concern.
Viewing engineering as social experimentation will promote autonomous participation and retain
one’s professional identity. Periodical performance appraisals, tight-time schedules and fear of foreign
competition threatens this autonomy. The attitude of the management should allow latitude in the
judgments of their engineers on moral issues. If management views profitability is more important than
consistent quality and retention of the customers that discourage the moral autonomy, engineers are
compelled to seek the support from their professional societies and outside organizations for moral
support. It appears that the blue-collar workers with the support of the union can adopt better autonomy
than the employed professionals. Only recently the legal support has been obtained by the professional
societies in exhibiting moral autonomy by professionals in this country as well as in the West.
The engineering skills related to moral autonomy are listed as follows:
1. Proficiency in recognizing moral problems in engineering and ability to distinguish as well
as relate them to problems in law, economics, and religion,
2. Skill in comprehending, clarifying, and critically-assessing arguments on different aspects
of moral issues,
3. Ability to form consistent and comprehensive view points based on facts,
4. Awareness of alternate responses to the issues and creative solutions for practical difficulties,
5. Sensitivity to genuine difficulties and subtleties, including willingness to undergo and tolerate
some uncertainty while making decisions,
6. Using rational dialogue in resolving moral conflicts and developing tolerance of different
perspectives among morally reasonable people, and
7. Maintaining moral integrity.
Engineering Ethics 27

Autonomy which is the independence in making decisions and actions, is different from authority.
Authority provides freedom for action, specified within limits, depending on the situation. Moral
autonomy and respect for authority can coexist. They are not against each other. If the authority of the
engineer and the moral autonomy of the operator are in conflict, a consensus is obtained by the two,
upon discussion and mutual understanding their limits.

MORAL DEVELOPMENT (THEORIES)

1. Kohlberg Theory
Moral development in human being occurs overage and experience. Kohlberg suggested there are three
levels of moral development, namely pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional, based on
the type of reasoning and motivation of the individuals in response to moral questions.
In the pre-conventional level, right conduct for an individual is regarded as whatever directly
benefits oneself. At this level, individuals are motivated by obedience or the desire to avoid punishment
or to satisfy their own needs or by the influence by power on them. All young children exhibit this
tendency. At the conventional level, people respect the law and authority. Rules and norms of one’s
family or group or society is accepted, as the standard of morality. Individuals in this level want to
please or satisfy, and get approval by others and to meet the expectations of the society, rather than
their self interest (e.g., good boy, good girl). Loyalty is regarded as most important. Many adults do
not go beyond this level.
At the post-conventional level, people are called autonomous. They think originally and want to
live by universally good principles and welfare of others. They have no self-interest. They live by
principled conscience. They follow the golden rule, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you’. They maintain moral integrity, self-respect and respect for others.
Kohlberg believed that individuals could only progress through these stages, one stage at a time.
He believed that most of the moral development occurs through social interactions.
2. Gilligan’s Theory
Carol Gilligan found that Kohlberg’s theory had a strong male bias. According to Gilligan’s studies,
men had a tendency to solve problems by applying abstract moral principles. Men were found to
resolve moral dilemma by choosing the most important moral rule, overriding other rules. In contrast,
women gave importance to preserve personal relationships with all the people involved. The context
oriented emphasis on maintaining personal relationships was called the ethics of care, in contrast with
the ethics of rules and rights adopted by men.
Gilligan revised the three levels of moral development of Kohlberg, as stages of growth towards
ethics of caring. The pre-conventional level, which is same as that of Kohlberg’s first one, right
conduct, is viewed in a selfish manner solely as what is good for oneself. The second level called
conventional level, the importance is on not hurting others, and willing to sacrifice one’s own interest
and help others. This is the characteristic feature of women. At the post-conventional level, a reasoned
balance is found between caring about others and pursuing the self-interest. The balance one’s own
need and the needs of others, is aimed while maintaining relationship based on mutual caring. This is
achieved by context-oriented reasoning, rather than by hierarchy of rules.
28 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

The theories of moral development by Kohlberg and Gilligan differ in the following respects.

Kohlberg’s Theory Carol Gilligan’s Theory

A. Basic Aspects
1. Is based on the study on men. 1. Is based on the study on men and women
2. Men give importance to moral rule. 2. Women always want to keep up the
personal relationships with all the persons
involved in the situations.
3. Ethics of rules and rights. 3. Women give attention to circumstances
leading to critical situations rather than
rules:
(context-oriented and ethics of care)
B Characteristic Features
1. Justice 1. Reason
2. Factual 2. Emotional
3. Right or wrong 3. Impact on relationships
4. Logic only 4. Compassion too
5. Logic and rule-based 5. Caring and concern
6. Less of caring 6. More of caring
7. Matter of fact (practical) 7. Abstract
8. Present focus 8. Future focus
9. Strict rules 9. Making exceptions
10. Independence 10. Dependence
11. Rigid 11. Human-oriented
12. Taking a commanding role 12. Shying away from decision-making
13. Transactional approach 13. Transformational approach

The difference in these two theories is explained through the well-known example, Heinz’s
dilemma1. Heinz being poor and a debtor could not buy the costly medicine for his sick wife, at ten
times the normal cost. Initially he begged the Pharmacist to sell at half the price or allow him to pay for
it later. Pharmacist refused to oblige him either way. Finally he forcibly entered the Pharmacy and
stole the drug.
According to Kohlberg study, men observed that the theft was morally ‘wrong’ at the conventional
level, because the property right was violated. But men at the post-conventional level, concluded that
the theft was ‘right’, as the life of the human being was in danger. But women observed that Heinz was
wrong. They observed that instead of stealing he could have tried other solutions (threatening or
payment in installments?) to convince the Pharmacist. Gilligan however attributed the decision by
women as context-oriented and not on the basis of rules ranked in the order of priority.
30 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

The criteria for achieving and sustaining professional status or professionalism are:
1. Advanced expertise: The expertise includes sophisticated skills and theoretical knowledge in
exercising judgment. This means a professional should analyse the problem in specific known
area, in an objective manner.
2. Self-regulation: One should analyse the problem independent of self-interest and direct to a
decision towards the best interest of the clients/customers. An autonomous judgment (unbiased
and on merits only) is expected. In such situations, the codes of conduct of professional
societies are followed as guidance.
3. Public good: One should not be a mere paid employee of an individual or a teaching college
or manufacturing organization, to execute whatever the employer wants one to do. The job
should be recognised by the public. The concerted efforts in the job should be towards
promotion of the welfare, safety, and health of the public.
2.8.2 Characteristics
The characteristics of the ‘profession’ as distinct from ‘non-professional occupation’ are listed as
follows:
1. Extensive Training
Entry into the profession requires an extensive period of training of intellectual (competence) and
moral (integrity) character. The theoretical base is obtained through formal education, usually in an
academic institution. It may be a Bachelor degree from a college or university or an advanced degree
conferred by professional schools.
2. Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge and skills (competence) are necessary for the well-being of the society. Knowledge of
physicians protects us from disease and restores health. The lawyer’s knowledge is useful when we are
sued of a crime, or if our business is to be merged or closed or when we buy a property. The Chartered
Accountant’s knowledge is important for the success of recording financial transactions or when we
file the income return. The knowledge, study, and research of the engineers are required for the safety
of the air plane, for the technological advances and for national defense.
3. Monopoly
The monopoly control is achieved in two ways:
(a) the profession convinces the community that only those who have graduated from the
professional school should be allowed to hold the professional title. The profession also
gains control over professional schools by establishing accreditation standards
(b) By persuading the community to have a licensing system for those who want to enter the
profession. If practicing without license, they are liable to pay penalties.
4. Autonomy in Workplace
Professionals engaged in private practice have considerable freedom in choosing their clients or patients.
Even the professionals working in large organizations exercise a large degree of impartiality, creativity
and discretion (care with decision and communication) in carrying their responsibilities. Besides this,
professionals are empowered with certain rights to establish their autonomy.
Engineering Ethics 31

Accordingly physicians must determine the most appropriate medical treatments for their patients
and lawyers must decide on the most successful defense for their clients. The possession of specialized
knowledge is thus a powerful defense of professional autonomy.
5. Ethical Standards
Professional societies promulgate the codes of conduct to regulate the professionals against their abuse
or any unethical decisions and actions (impartiality, responsibility) affecting the individuals or groups
or the society.

MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL ROLES

Promotion of public good is the primary concern of the professional engineers. There are several role
models to whom the engineers are attracted. These models provoke their thinking, attitudes and actions.
1. Savior
The engineer as a savior, save the society from poverty, illiteracy, wastage, inefficiency, ill health,
human (labor) dignity and lead it to prosperity, through technological development and social planning.
For example, R.L. Stevenson.
2. Guardian
He guards the interests of the poor and general public. As one who is conversant with technology
development, is given the authority befitting his expertise to determine what is best suited to the
society. For example, Lawrence of Arabia (an engineer).
3. Bureaucratic Servant
He serves the organization and the employers. The management of an enterprise fixes its goals and
assigns the job of problem solving to the engineer, who accepts the challenge and shapes them into
concrete achievements. For example, Jamshedji Tata.
4. Social Servant
It is one who exhibits social responsibility. The engineer translates the interest and aspirations of the
society into a reality, remembering that his true master is the society at large. For example, Sir
M.Viswesvarayya.
5. Social Enabler and Catalyst
One who changes the society through technology. The engineer must assist the management and the
society to understand their needs and make informed decisions on the desirable technological development
and minimize the negative effects of technology on people and their living environment. Thus, he
shines as a social enabler and a catalyst for further growth. For example, Sri Sundarlal Bahuguna.
6. Game Player
He is neither a servant nor master. An engineer is an assertive player, not a passive player who may
carry out his master’s voice. He plays a unique role successfully within the organization, enjoying the
excitement of the profession and having the satisfaction of surging ahead in a competitive world. For
example, Narayanamurthy, Infosys and Dr. Kasthurirangan, ISRO.
32 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

RESPONSIBILITY
Senses
There are different senses of responsibility, such as:
1. Characteristic Quality
Primarily responsibility implies duty with care and efforts.
2. Obligations
These are one’s moral responsibility i.e., duty to act right and in moral ways. The obligations such as
honesty, fairness, and decency are incumbent on every one. In addition to this, we have role responsibilities
assigned by taking up various roles, such as parents, inspectors, and employees. For example, a Safety
Engineer has a responsibility to make regular inspections in a factory shops.
3. General Moral Capacity
One has the general capacity for moral agency, including the understanding and action on moral
reasons.
4. Liability and Accountability
Liability and Accountability for actions. It means that one is liable (with a legal sense) to meet the
obligations in better ways. The person is likely to respond legally, if necessary.
Accountable means that one is willing to justify or defend the decisions, actions or means and
outcomes. It could include offering a reasonable excuse or accepting the shame for not having met the
end results or accepting the guilt for harming others. One is also answerable to the assessment by others
on one’s actions (means) or outcomes.
5. Praiseworthiness/Blameworthiness
When accountability for wrong actions or results is at issue, responsibility means blameworthy. When
the right conduct or successful result is at issue, responsible is synonymous with praiseworthy.
Types
Different types of responsibilities exhibited in human transactions are:
1. Moral Responsibility
Moral responsibility as applied to a professional: A professional must be responsible morally, in creating
internal good or good outcomes, and eliminating /minimizing un- intended side-effects, from engineering
and technology. It includes:
(a) Obligations: A commitment to moral actions (primary obligation to protect the safety of the
human beings and respect their rights),
(b) Conscientious: A comprehensive perspective to accept the duties, and diligently do the right
things by putting their heart, head and hands (awareness of the experimental nature of the
product/project, anticipating possible and unexpected outcomes and putting efforts to monitor
them),
(c) Accountability (being accountable for the decisions, actions, and the results of product/
project including safety), and
(d) Praiseworthy/Blameworthy as applied to context of doing things right/doing things wrongly,
respectively.
Engineering Ethics 33

2. Causal Responsibility
It is being a cause of some event. For example, a child playing with matches cause a house to burn. The
child is causally responsible, but the parent who left the child with matches, is morally responsible.
3. Job Responsibility
It consists of assigned tasks at the place of employment and achieving the objectives.
4. Legal Responsibility
It is the response required by law and includes legal obligations and accountability to meet them.
Many of these responsibilities overlap with moral responsibility.
Responsible Professionalism
The most comprehensive virtue of engineers is responsible professionalism. It can also be called
Professional Responsibility. This consists of five types of virtues, as follows:
1. Self-direction (Self-governance) virtues are fundamental and necessary in exercising moral
responsibility. On the basis of ‘understanding and cognition’, it includes self-understanding,
humility (proper assessment of one’s character), and good moral judgment (termed as ‘practical
wisdom’ by Aristotle). On the basis of ‘commitment and action’, it covers courage, self-
discipline, perseverance, self-respect, and integrity. Honesty a virtue common to both bases
as it implies truthfulness in thoughts and words and trustworthiness in actions.
2. Public-spirited virtues focus on the good of the clients and the public. It includes the respect
for rights (to make decisions and face the risk), non-malfeasance (not harming others
intentionally). Engineering codes go a step further and prescribe beneficence that includes
preventing or removing harm to others and also promoting the public safety, health, and
welfare, generosity (helping the community by voluntarily giving their time, talent, and
money-voluntary service to the professional society and community), and justice (unbiased)
in all decisions and actions.
3. Team-work virtues enable the professionals to work successfully with others. They include
collegiality, cooperativeness, communicative ability, and respect for legitimate authority.
Responsible exercise of authority and the ability to motivate other to achieve are also the
relevant to team-work virtues.
4. Proficiency virtues, which mean the mastery of technical skills (called as Intellectual Virtue
by Aristotle). It includes competence (having qualified, licensed, and prepared to execute
the job that is undertaken), diligence (alert to dangers, careful attention, and avoidance of
laziness or workaholic nature), creativity (learning to respond to the changing technological
society), excellence (perform at the highest level), and self-renewal through continuing
education.
5. Cardinal (chief) virtues: Wisdom (prudence), courage (fortitude), temperance and justice.
Some of these may overlap other virtues. They are called ‘cardinal’ (Latin: cardo, hinge)
because they are hinges on which all virtues depend. These are also called moral (Latin:
mores, fixed values) because they govern our actions, regulate our passions, and guide our
conduct according to faith and reason. Wisdom is perception of truth and ability to distinguish
between the right and wrong. Courage means a firm and elevated mind. Temperance represents
order in words and actions. Justice is preserving humanity and observing the faith of contracts.
Although these virtues ring religious tones, they are very relevant to the engineering practice.
34 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Social Responsibility
Corporate organizations have social responsibility to all of their ‘stakeholders’. This includes the well-
being of the employees and their unions, socially responsible investors, customers, dealers, suppliers,
local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, and the business owners and managers.
Besides showing concern with employee relations and other internal organizational matters, the
organization is concerned with
(a) how the product/project is marketed, used or misused, how it fails, and how it is disposed or
discarded. The ways in which the used battery cells and computers are discarded have been
debated in the engineers’ forums.
(b) protecting the work environment during manufacture as well as the external environment
during transport or use
(c) training the disadvantaged or physically-challenged workers
(d) subcontracting and hiring practices, and
(e) contribution to local communities to enrich their cultural, social, and civic life. It may be
even compensatory against the harm to environment (e.g., planting trees).
Various types of responsibilities such as causal, moral, and legal are distinguished through
appropriate examples, as shown below:

Events Responsibility

1. A stray cattle on the rail track caused (a) Although cattle is the cause, the owner
the derailment of goods train of the cattle is morally responsible
(b) For letting the cattle go astray on the
railway track, that is trespassing the owner
is legally responsible

2. A child playing with (safety?) matches Although the child is the cause, the parents
causes fire who who have left the match box within
the reach of the child, are morally
responsible

3. (a) Seth was driving a car. He failed (a) Seth is causally responsible
to stop at the red signal, which caused
an accident
(b) Suppose he applied brakes, but (b) Seth has been negligent of maintenance
they failed of brakes

4. There was a forest fire. It was traced Raj is causally responsible for the forest
to camp fire at specific site and Raj fire he failed to put out the camp fire.
was the last to use the campsite. Although the temperature was high, and
the dry leaves helped the fire to spread,
Raj allowed the fire to spread. Hence, he is
the cause

(Contd...)
Engineering Ethics 35

5. The products sold have caused harm The engineer or the engineering firm is
while being used legally responsible for the harmful effects
of defects in their products. But they are
not morally responsible for the harm or
defects

6. A fitter lost one his eyes while The hammer manufacturer was legally
inserting a chip by using a hammer responsible on the basis of the doctrine of
strict liability, which does not require any
proof of effect in the design of the hammer.
Morally the manufacturer was not
responsible

7. In a contract, it is not implied that The engineer is free from legal

the engineer to be held for not responsibility, but he has moral
observing the possibility of danger. responsibility to observe the work done
But an accident occurs

8. A pandal erected by the contractor, No legal responsibility for pandal

in a marriage hall catches fire, due to contractor. Owner of the hall is morally
a leakage of electric current responsible for the leakage

9. Question papers were leaked out by Controller of Examinations can not be held
some persons, during transport legally responsible, although he is morally
responsible

Accountability
Accountability means:
1. The capacity to understand and act on moral reasons
2. Willingness to submit one’s actions to moral scrutiny and be responsive to the assessment of
others. It includes being answerable for meeting specific obligations, i.e., liable to justify
(or give reasonable excuses) the decisions, actions or means, and outcomes (sometimes
unexpected), when required by the stakeholders or by law.
3. Conscientiousness: It means:
(a) Being sensitive to full range of moral values and responsibilities and
(b) The willingness to upgrade their skills, put efforts, and reach the best balance possible
among those considerations, and
4. Blameworthy/Praiseworthy: Own the responsibility for the good or wrong outcomes. Courage
to accept the mistakes will ensure success in the efforts in future.
The terms ‘corporate responsibility’ and ‘corporate accountability’ have different meanings.
Corporate responsibility emphasizes the voluntary compliance of a particular organization
to particular codes of conduct. The groups of individuals in the organization are assigned
responsibilities through policy manuals and flow charts. The corporate accountability means
holding all the corporate organizations accountable to the public, employees, customers, and
stock holders, as empowered by rules and laws.
36 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Obligation
The safety and other obligations of professional engineers are justifiable based on the following aspects.
1. Moral obligations through laws and enforced codes of conduct
2. Through membership of professional society
3. Contractual agreement with the employers
4. By entry into career as engineer upon graduation from Engineering institutions and
5. By special employment agreements or agreement with professional societies.
The paramount obligation means, giving importance to the safety, health, and welfare of the
public in performing the professional duties.

THEORIES ABOUT RIGHT ACTION (ETHICAL THEORIES)

Uses and Criteria
The ethical theories are useful in many respects.
1. In understanding moral dilemma. They provide clarity, consistency, systematic and
comprehensive understanding.
2. It provides helpful practical guidance in moral issues towards the solution.
3. Justifying professional obligations and decisions, and
3. In relating ordinary and professional morality.
Different criteria may be applied for evaluating various ethical theories and deciding upon the
best.
1. The theory must be clear and (coherent) formulated with concepts that are logically connected.
2. It must be internally consistent, i.e., none of its principles conflicts with any other
3. The theory and its defense must depend, only upon facts.
4. It must organize basic moral values in systematic and comprehensive manner. It is to fix
priority of values and provide guidance in all situations
5. It must provide guidance compatible with our moral convictions (judgments) about concrete
situations. For example, if an ethical theory says that it is all right for engineers to make
explosive devices without the informed consent of the public, we can conclude that the
theory is inadequate.
Theories and judgments are continually adjusted to each other until we reach a reflective
equilibrium. Most of the theories converge towards the welfare of the humanity. The duty ethics and
right ethics differ in great extent on their emphasis. But they remain complementary always.

Ethical Theories/Approaches
Several ethical theories have been developed over different times, each of them stressing certain ethical
principles or features. Each stresses a view and many a times, we find that these theories converge and
reinforce the ethics, in deciding upon the actions and justifying the results.
Engineering Ethics 37

1. Utilitarian Theory
The term Utilitarianism was conceived in the 19th century by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill
to help legislators determine which laws were morally best. They suggested that the standard of right
conduct is maximization of good consequences. Good consequences mean either ‘utilities’ or the ‘balance
of good over evil’. This approach weighs the costs and benefits. Right actions are the ones that produce
the greatest satisfaction of the preferences of the affected persons. In analyzing an issue in this approach,
we have to:
(a) Identify the various courses of action available to us.
(b) Ask who will be affected by each action and what benefits or harms will be derived from
each.
(c) Choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm. The ethical
action is the one that provides the greatest good for the greatest number.
The ACT UTILITARIAN theory proposed by J.S. Mill (1806-73) focuses on actions, rather than
on general rules. An action is right, if it generates the most overall good for the most people involved.
The RULE UTILITARIAN theory, developed by Richard Brandt (1910-97), stressed on the
rules, such as ‘do not steal’, ‘do no harm others’, ‘do not bribe’, as of primary importance. He
suggested that individual actions are right when they are required by set of rules which maximizes the
public good.
The act utilitarian theory permitted a few immoral actions. Hence, there was need to develop rule
utilitarian theory to establish morality and justice, in the transactions. For example, stealing an old
computer from the employer will benefit the employee more than the loss to the employer. As per Act,
utilitarian this action is right. But rule utilitarian observes this as wrong, because the employee should
act as ‘faithful agent or trustee of the employees’. In another example, some undisciplined engineers
are terminated with the blame for the mistakes they have not committed.
The process is unfair although this results in promotion of overall good.
2. Duty Ethics
A. The duty ethics theory, proposed by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) states, that actions are
consequences of performance of one’s duties such as, ‘being honest’, ‘not cause suffering of
others’, ‘being fair to others including the meek and week’, ‘being grateful’, ‘keeping
promises’ etc. The stress is on the universal principle of respect for autonomy i.e., respect
and rationality of persons. As per Kant we have duties to ourselves, as we are rational and
autonomous beings. We have a duty not to commit suicide; a duty to develop our talents and
a duty to avoid harmful drugs. Kant insisted that moral duties are categorical imperatives.
They are commands that we impose on ourselves as well as other rational beings. For example,
we should be honest because honesty is required by duty. A businessman is to be honest
because honesty pays — in terms of profits from customers and from avoiding jail for
dishonesty.
B. On the other hand, the DUTY ethics theory, as enunciated by John Rawl, gave importance
to the actions that would be voluntarily agreed upon by all persons concerned, assuming
impartiality. His view emphasized the autonomy each person exercises in forming agreements
38 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

with other rational people. Rawl proposed two basic moral principles; (1) each person is
entitled to the most extensive amount of liberty compatible with an equal amount for others,
and (2) differences in social power and economic benefits are justified only when they are
likely to benefit every one, including members of the most disadvantaged groups. The first
principle is of prime importance and should be satisfied first. Without basic liberties other
economic or social benefits can not be sustained for long. The second principle insists that to
allow some people with great wealth and power is justified only when all other groups are
benefited. In the business scenario, for example, the free enterprise is permissible so far it
provides the capital needed to invest and prosper, thereby making job opportunities to the
public and taxes to fund the government spending on the welfare schemes on the poor
people.
Ross, the British philosopher introduced the term prima facie duties, which means
duties might have justified exceptions. In fact, most duties are prima facie ones; some may
have obligatory or permissible exceptions. Ross assumed that the prima facie duties are
intuitively obvious (self-evident), while fixing priorities among duties. He noted that the
principles such as ‘Do not kill’ and ‘protect innocent life’ involve high respect for persons
than other principles such as, ‘Do not lie’ (less harmful). This theory is criticized on the
fact, that the intuitions do not provide sufficient guideline for moral duty. He has listed
various aspects of Duty Ethics that reflect our moral convictions, namely:
1. Fidelity : duty to keep promises.
2. Reparation : duty to compensate others when we harm them.
3. Gratitude : duty to thank those who help us.
4. Justice : duty to recognize merit.
5. Beneficence : duty to recognize inequality and improve the
condition of others.
6. Self-improvement : duty to improve virtue and intelligence.
7. Non-malfeasance : duty not to injure others.
3. Rights Theory
Rights are entitlement to act or to have another individual act in a certain way. Minimally, rights serve
as a protective barrier, shielding individuals from unjustified infringement of their moral agency by
others. For every right, we have a corresponding duty of noninterference.
A. The RIGHTS approach to ethics has its roots in the 18th century philosopher Immanuel
Kant, who focused on the individual’s right to choose for oneself. According him, what
makes human beings different from mere things is, that people have dignity based on their
ability to choose freely what they will do with their lives, and they have a fundamental
moral right to have these choices respected. People are not objects to be manipulated; it is a
violation of human dignity to use people in ways they do not freely choose. Other rights he
advocated are:
1. The right to access the truth: We have a right to be told the truth and to be informed
about matters that significantly affect our choices.
2. The right of privacy: We have the right to do, believe, and say whatever we choose in
our personal lives so long as we do not violate the rights of others.
Engineering Ethics 39

3. The right not to be injured: We have the right not to be harmed or injured unless we
freely and knowingly do something to deserve punishment or we freely and knowingly
choose to risk such injuries.
4. The right to what is agreed: We have a right to what has been promised by those with
whom we have freely entered into a contract or agreement.
B. In deciding whether an action is moral or immoral, we must ask, does the action respect the
moral rights of everyone? Actions are wrong to the extent that they violate the rights of
individuals; the more serious is the violation, the more wrongful is the action. The RIGHTS
theory as promoted by John Locke states that the actions are right, if they respect human
rights of every one affected. He proposed the three basic human rights, namely life, liberty,
and property. His views were reflected in the modern American society, when Jefferson
declared the basic rights as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
C. As per A.I. Melden’s theory based on rights, nature mandates that we should not harm
others’ life, health, liberty or property. Melden allowed welfare rights also for living a
decent human life. He highlighted that the rights should be based on the social welfare
system.
D. Human rights: Human rights are explained in two forms, namely liberty rights and welfare
rights. Liberty rights are rights to exercise one’s liberty and stresses duties on other people
not to interfere with one’s freedom. The four features of liberty rights (also called moral
rights), which lay the base for Government Administration, are:
1. Rights are natural in so far as they are not invented or created by government.
2. They are universal, as they do not change from country to country.
3. They are equal since the rights are the same for all people, irrespective of caste, race,
creed or sex.
4. They are inalienable i.e., one cannot hand over his rights to another person such as
selling oneself to slavery.
The Welfare Rights are the rights to benefit the needy for a decent human life, when one can
not earn those benefits and when those benefits are available in the society.
E. Economic rights: In the free-market economy, the very purpose of the existence of the
manufacturer, the sellers and the service providers is to serve the consumer. The consumer is
eligible to exercise some rights9. The consumers’ six basic rights are: Right to Information,
Right to Safety, Right to Choice, Right to be Heard, Right to Redressal, and Right to Consumer
Education.
A few rights are absolute, i.e., unlimited and have no justifiable exceptions. For example, rights
ethicists view that the rights have not been violated if the people purchase a (technological product)
hang glider and they get injured by flying them carelessly or under bad weather conditions. But human
rights imply that one not to be poisoned or killed by technological products, whose dangers are not
obvious or wantonly hidden. They imply a right to be informed, when the purchase was made, of the
possible dangers during use or service (obtaining informed consent).
Rights ethics is distinctive in that it makes human rights the ultimate appeal — the moral bottom
line. Human rights constitute a moral authority to make legitimate moral demands on others to respect
40 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

our choices, recognizing that others can make similar claims on us. Thus, we see that the rights ethics
provides a powerful foundation for the special ethical requirements in engineering and other professions.
4. The Virtue Theory
This emphasizes on the character rather than the rights or duties. The character is the pattern of virtues
(morally-desirable features). The theory advocated by Aristotle, stressed on the tendency to act at
proper balance between extremes of conduct, emotion, desire, attitudes to find the golden mean between
the extremes of ‘excess’ or ‘deficiency’. The examples shown below illustrate the theory:

Virtue Excess Golden mean Deficient

Truthfulness (governs Revealing all in Necessary and Secretive

communication) violation of tact sufficient, to
and confidentiality proper person

Courage (face danger, risk) Roguishness, bold Firm and humble Cowardice
Generosity (giving) Wasting resources Give, in appropri- Miserly
ate measure

Friendliness (governs Without anger, Within decent Bad-tempered

relationship) effusive limits

Green environment Exploitation Protection Neglect

Work and earn Tiresome work Balance of work Lazy (no work)
(strained) and leisure and more pay

On the other hand, the Virtue Theory proposed by Mac Intyre, highlighted on the actions aimed
at achieving common good and social (internal) good such as social justice, promotion of health,
creation of useful and safe technological products and services. Five types of virtues that constitute
responsible professionalism, namely public-spirited virtues, proficiency virtues, team-work virtues,
self-governance virtues, and cardinal virtues are discussed in # 2.10.3.
5. Self-realisation Ethics
Right action consists in seeking self-fulfillment. In one version of this theory, the self to be realized is
defined by caring relationships with other individuals and society. In another version called ethical
egoism, the right action consists in always promoting what is good for oneself. No caring and society
relationships are assumed.
6. Justice (Fairness) Theory
The justice or fairness approach to ethics has its roots in the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle, who said that “equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.” The basic moral
question in this approach is: How fair is an action? Does it treat everyone in the same way, or does it
show favoritism and discrimination?
Engineering Ethics 41

Issues create controversies simply because we do not bother to check the fairness or justice.
Favoritism gives benefits to some people without a justifiable reason for singling them out; discrimination
imposes burdens on people who are no different from those on whom burdens are not imposed. Both
favoritism and discrimination are unjust and wrong.

SELF-CONTROL
It is a virtue of maintaining personal discipline. It means a strong will and motivation and avoidance of
fear, hatred, lack of efforts, temptation, self-deception, and emotional response. It encompasses courage
and good judgment also. Self-respect promotes self-control.

SELF-INTEREST
Self-interest is being good and acceptable to oneself. It is pursuing what is good for oneself. It is very
ethical to possess self-interest. As per utilitarian theory, this interest should provide for the respect of
others also. Duty ethics recognizes this aspect as duties to ourselves. Then only one can help others.
Right ethicist stresses our rights to pursue our own good. Virtue ethics also accepts the importance of
self-respect as link to social practices.
In Ethical Egoism, the self is conceived in a highly individualistic manner. It says that every one
of us should always and only promote one’s own interest. The ethical egoists do not accept the well
being of the community or caring for others. However this self interest should not degenerate into
egoism or selfishness, i.e., maximizing only own good in the pursuit of self-interest. The ethical
egoists hold that the society benefits to maximum when (a) the individuals pursue their personal good
and (b) the individual organizations pursue maximum profit in a competitive enterprise. This is claimed
to improve the economy of the country as a whole, besides the individuals. In such pursuits, both
individuals and organizations should realize that independence is not the only important value. We are
also interdependent, as much as independent. Each of us is vulnerable in the society. Self-respect
includes recognition of our vulnerabilities and interdependencies. Hence, it is compatible with caring
for ourselves as well as others. Self-interest is necessary initially to begin with. But it should be one of
the prime motives for action; the other motive is to show concern for others, in the family as well as
society. One’s self-interest should not harm others. The principles of ‘Live and let (others) live’, and
‘reasonably fair competition’ are recommended to professionals by the ethicists.

CUSTOMS
Ethical Pluralism: Various cultures in our pluralistic society lead to tolerance for various customs,
beliefs, and outlooks. Accordingly ethical pluralism also exists. Although many moral attitudes appear
to be reasonable, the rational and morally concerned people can not fully accept any one of the moral
perspectives. There are many varied moral values, which allow variation in the understanding and
application of values by the individuals or groups in their everyday transactions. It means that even
reasonable people will not agree on all moral issues and professional ethics.
Ethical Relativism: According to this principle, actions are considered morally right when
approved by law or custom, and wrong when they violate the laws or customs. The deciding factor is
the law or the customs of the society. Should we accept the principle of relativism or not? A few
reasons to accept this are explained in the following paragraphs:
42 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

1. Laws appear to be objective ways for judging values. The laws and customs tend to be
definite, clear and real, but not always. Further moral reasons allow objective criticism of
laws, as being morally lacking. For example, the Apartheid laws of South Africa violated
the human rights of the native Africans. No legal protection was available for native citizens
for a long time. Now, of course, these laws have been repealed.
2. Ethical relativism assumes that the values are subjective at the cultural level. Moral standards
also vary from culture to culture. The objectivity is supported by the existing laws of that
society. The relative morality accepted, supports the virtue of tolerance of differences among
societies. This argument is also not fully acceptable. As per ethical relativism, the actions
and laws of the Nazis and Hitler who vowed on Anti-Semitism and killed several million
Jews would be accepted as right.
3. Moral relationalism or moral contextualism: According to this, the moral judgments must be
made in relation to certain factors, which may vary from case to case. The morally important
factors for making judgments include the customs and laws. The virtue ethicists hold that
the practical wisdom should prevail upon assessing the facts and in the judgment.
This principle was accepted by the early anthropologists because they had a specific tendency
to over-stress the scope of moral difference between cultures. The human sacrifices and
cannibalism were accepted. But the modern anthropologists insist that all cultures shall
exhibit the virtue of social welfare and safety against needless death or physical or mental
harm. Moral differences were based on the circumstances and facts and not on the difference
in moral attitudes. For example, the pharaohs buried the live attendants along with their
dead king with the belief that they would continue to serve the king in his after life.

2.15. RELIGION
Religions have played major roles in shaping moral views and moral values, over geographical regions.
Christianity has influenced the Western countries, Islam in the Middle-East countries, Buddhism and
Hinduism in Asia, and Confucianism in China. Further, there is a strong psychological link between the
moral and religious beliefs of people following various religions and faiths. Religions support moral
responsibility. They have set high moral standards. Faith in the religions provides trust and this trust
inspires people to be moral. The religions insist on tolerance and moral concern for others. Many
professionals who possess religious beliefs are motivated to be morally responsible.
Each religion lays stress on certain high moral standards. For example, Hinduism holds polytheistic
(many gods) view, and virtues of devotion and surrender to high order. Christianity believes in one
deity and emphasizes on virtues of Love, Faith, and Hope. Buddhism is non-theistic and focuses on
compassion and Islam on one deity and adherence of ishan (piety or pursuit of excellence) and prayer.
Judaism stresses the virtue of ‘tsedakah’ (righteousness). But many religious sects have adopted poor
moral standards, e.g., many religious sects do not recognize equal rights for women. The right to
worship is denied for some people. People are killed in the name of or to promote religion. Thus,
conflicts exist between the ‘secular’ and religious people and between one religion and another. Hence,
religious views have to be morally scrutinized.
Engineering Ethics 43

2.15.1 Divine Command Ethics

As per this principle, the right action is defined by the commands by God. It implies that to be moral,
a person should believe in God and an action is right only if it is commanded by God. There are some
difficulties in this approach, namely, (a) whether God exists or not is not clear. (b) How to know what
are the God’s commands? and (c) How to verify the genuineness of the commands? Further, religions
such as Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity accept the existence of God. But Buddhism, Taoism, and
Confucianism adopt only faith in a right path and do not believe in God.
Socrates was said to have argued that God, an entity which is responsible, morally good, and
beyond fear or favor, would not command murder, rape, torture, immoral activities, and even mass
suicide. Many such crimes were committed in the name of God then and continue even now in different
parts of the world. Some Western leaders had claimed that God had commanded them to invade against
the Middle-East countries. If anyone claims to have obtained commands from God to kill people
merciless, then we have to conclude that the person is not religious but insane.

SELF-RESPECT
It is defined as valuing oneself in morally suitable ways. Self-respect includes (a) recognition, which
means respect to others, their ideas, decisions, ability, and rights and (b) appraisal, which means
properly valuing ourselves as to how well we face moral standards and our personal commitments
(aims). An intensive but balanced feeling of self-respect is sense of honor. This includes intense agony
and guilt for wrong doings. Self-control is a virtue of maintaining personal discipline (self-regulation).
Courage is a bye-product of self-respect, which makes a person face the hardship in rational way
Self-respect is different from self-esteem in the following manner:

Self-respect Self-esteem

1. A moral concept 1. A psychological concept

2. Valuing oneself in morally-suitable ways 2. Having a positive attitude towards

oneself. It may be excessive or un-
warranted or normal

3. It includes virtues of recognition and

appraisal. It promotes virtues of sense
of honor, self-control and courage

CASE STUDY: CHOICE OF THE THEORY

The choice of the ethical theory to study a problem is illustrated herein with an example. In tackling
ethical problems, we can apply all the theories and analyze the actions and results from different angles
and see what result each theory gives rise to. This enables us to examine the problem in different
perspectives. Many a time, the result will be the same though we have applied various theories.
44 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Case: A chemical plant near a small town is discharging hazardous wastes into the fields nearby.
The ground water gets contaminated and significant health problems surface in the community.
Since harm is caused to the residents, the action is unethical as per rights ethics. The agriculturists
who have the agrarian right of water supply have been over looked. The pollutants may endanger their
profession and welfare. Hence, rights ethics also concludes that the action is unethical.
The effects of polluted water and the cost to purify the water by the municipality may out weigh
the economic benefits of the plant. Hence, the utilitarian analysis leads to the same conclusion.
The groundwater harms the people and caused health problems. Hence, discharging the pollutants
is unethical as per duty ethics.
Generally, because the rights of the individuals should weigh strongly than the needs of the
society as a whole, rights and duty ethics take precedence over utilitarian considerations.
Caution is necessary in applying theory of virtue ethics. When we use the word ‘honor’, we mean
it to be a measure of dignity and integrity. It is a positive virtue. When it points to ‘pride’ it is not a
virtue and has a negative connotation. History abounds with examples of war, which have been fought
and atrocities were committed on innocent people in order to preserve the honor (pride) of an individual
or a nation. In using virtue ethics, we have to ensure that the traits of virtue are actually virtuous and
will not lead to negative consequences.
 Engineering as Social
Chapter – 3
Experimentation

3.0 ENGINEERING AS EXPERIMENTATION

Before manufacturing a product or providing a project, we make several assumptions and trials, design
and redesign and test several times till the product is observed to be functioning satisfactorily. We try
different materials and experiments. From the test data obtained we make detailed design and retests.
Thus, design as well as engineering is iterative process as illustrated in Fig. 3.1.

Design

Fabrication, Assembly,
physical Tests, Simulation

Prototype, Pilot Plant,

Model Study

Final Design

Manufacture

Field Study

Fig. 3.1 Design as an interactive process

46 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Several redesigns are made upon the feedback information on the performance or failure in the
field or in the factory. Besides the tests, each engineering project is modified during execution, based
on the periodical feedback on the progress and the lessons from other sources. Hence, the development
of a product or a project as a whole may be considered as an experiment.
3.0.1 Engineering Projects VS. Standard Experiments
We shall now compare the two activities, and identify the similarities and contrasts.
A. Similarities
1. Partial ignorance: The project is usually executed in partial ignorance. Uncertainties exist in
the model assumed. The behavior of materials purchased is uncertain and not constant (that
is certain!). They may vary with the suppliers, processed lot, time, and the process used in
shaping the materials (e.g., sheet or plate, rod or wire, forged or cast or welded). There may
be variations in the grain structure and its resulting failure stress. It is not possible to collect
data on all variations. In some cases, extrapolation, interpolation, assumptions of linear
behavior over the range of parameters, accelerated testing, simulations, and virtual testing
are resorted.
2. Uncertainty: The final outcomes of projects are also uncertain, as in experiments. Some
times unintended results, side effects (bye-products), and unsafe operation have also occurred.
Unexpected risks, such as undue seepage in a storage dam, leakage of nuclear radiation from
an atomic power plant, presence of pesticides in food or soft drink bottle, an new irrigation
canal spreading water-borne diseases, and an unsuspecting hair dryer causing lung cancer on
the user from the asbestos gasket used in the product have been reported.
3. Continuous monitoring: Monitoring continually the progress and gaining new knowledge
are needed before, during, and after execution of project as in the case of experimentation.
The performance is to be monitored even during the use (or wrong use!) of the product by
the end user/beneficiary.
4. Learning from the past: Engineers normally learn from their own prior designs and infer
from the analysis of operation and results, and sometimes from the reports of other engineers.
But this does not happen frequently. The absence of interest and channels of communication,
ego in not seeking information, guilty upon the failure, fear of legal actions, and mere
negligence have caused many a failure, e.g., the Titanic lacked sufficient number of life
boats—it had only 825 boats for the actual passengers of 2227, the capacity of the ship being
3547! In the emergent situation, all the existing life boats could not be launched. Forty
years back, another steamship Arctic met with same tragedy due to the same problem in the
same region. But the lesson was learned. In most of the hydraulic systems, valves had been
the critical components that are least reliable. The confusion on knowing whether the valve
was open or closed, was the cause of the Three-Mile Island accident in 1979. Similar
malfunctioning of valves and mis-reading of gauges have been reported to have caused the
accidents else where in some power plants. But we have not learnt the lesson from the past.
The complacency that it will not happen again and will not happen 'to me' has lead to many
disasters.
Engineering as Social Experimentation 47

B. Contrasts
The scientific experiments in the laboratory and the engineering experiments in the filed exhibit several
contrasts as listed below:
1. Experimental control: In standard experiments, members for study are selected into two
groups namely A and B at random. Group A are given special treatment. The group B is
given no treatment and is called the ‘controlled group’. But they are placed in the same
environment as the other group A.
This process is called the experimental control. This practice is adopted in the field of
medicine. In engineering, this does not happen, except when the project is confined to
laboratory experiments. This is because it is the clients or consumers who choose the product,
exercise the control. It is not possible to make a random selection of participants from
various groups. In engineering, through random sampling, the survey is made from among
the users, to assess the results on the product. .
2. Humane touch: Engineering experiments involve human souls, their needs, views, expectations,
and creative use as in case of social experimentation. This point of view is not agreed by
many of the engineers. But now the quality engineers and managers have fully realized this
humane aspect.
3. Informed consent: Engineering experimentation is viewed as Societal Experiment since the
subject and the beneficiary are human beings. In this respect, it is similar to medical
experimentation on human beings. In the case of medical practice, moral and legal rights
have been recognized while planning for experimentation. Informed consent is practiced in
medical experimentation. Such a practice is not there in scientific laboratory experiments.
Informed consent has two basic elements:
1. Knowledge: The subject should be given all relevant information needed to make the
decision to participate.
2. Voluntariness: Subject should take part without force, fraud or deception. Respect for
rights of minorities to dissent and compensation for harmful effect are assumed here.
For a valid consent, the following conditions are to be fulfilled:
1. Consent must be voluntary
2. All relevant information shall be presented/stated in a clearly understandable form
3. Consenter shall be capable of processing the information and make rational decisions.
4. The subject’s consent may be offered in proxy by a group that represents many subjects
of like-interests
Informed consent when bringing an engineering product to market, implies letting the customer
know the following: (a) the knowledge about the product (b) risks and benefits of using the
product and (c) all relevant information on the product, such as how to use and how not to
use (do’s and don’ts). The relevant factual information implies, that the engineers are obliged
to obtain and assess all the available information related to the fulfillment of one’s moral
obligations (i.e., wrong or immoral use of a product one designs), including the intended
and unintended impacts of the product, on the society. Still there exists a possibility of a
48 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

large gap of understanding between the experimenter and the subjects (public). Sometimes,
the managements have not been willing to disseminate the full information about the project
or product beyond the legal requirements, because of the fear of potential competitions and
likely exposure to potential litigation.
People object to involuntary risks wherein the affected individual is neither a direct participant
nor a decision maker. In short, we prefer to be the subjects of our own experiments rather
than those of somebody else. If it is an asbestos plant or nuclear plant to be approved,
affected parties expect their consent to be obtained. But they are ready to accept voluntary
risks as in the case of stunts and amazing races.
In case of Koodangulam power project as well as the Sethusamudram Canal Project, Tamil
Nadu, several citizen groups including Fishermen Forums have responded. The Central
government was able contain many harsh apprehensions and protracted legal and political
battles, by providing all relevant information.
4. Knowledge gained: Not much of new knowledge is developed in engineering experiments as
in the case of scientific experiments in the laboratory. Engineering experiments at the most
help us to (a) verify the adequacy of the design, (b) to check the stability of the design
parameters, and (c) prepare for the unexpected outcomes, in the actual field environments.
From the models tested in the laboratory to the pilot plant tested in the field, there are
differences in performance as well as other outcomes.

ENGINEERS AS RESPONSIBLE EXPERIMENTERS

Although the engineers facilitate experiments, they are not alone in the field. Their responsibility is
shared with the organizations, people, government, and others. No doubt the engineers share a greater
responsibility while monitoring the projects, identifying the risks, and informing the clients and the
public with facts. Based on this, they can take decisions to participate or protest or promote.
The engineer, as an experimenter, owe several responsibilities to the society, namely,
1. A conscientious commitment to live by moral values.
2. A comprehensive perspective on relevant information. It includes constant awareness of the
progress of the experiment and readiness to monitor the side effects, if any.
3. Unrestricted free-personal involvement in all steps of the project/product development
(autonomy).
4. Be accountable for the results of the project (accountability).
Conscientiousness
Conscientious moral commitment means: (a) Being sensitive to full range of moral values and
responsibilities relevant to the prevailing situation and (b) the willingness to develop the skill and put
efforts needed to reach the best balance possible among those considerations. In short, engineers must
possess open eyes, open ears, and an open mind (i.e., moral vision, moral listening, and moral reasoning).
This makes the engineers as social experimenters, respect foremost the safety and health of the
affected, while they seek to enrich their knowledge, rush for the profit, follow the rules, or care for
only the beneficiary. The human rights of the participant should be protected through voluntary and
informed consent.
Engineering as Social Experimentation 49

Comprehensive Perspective
The engineer should grasp the context of his work and ensure that the work involved results in only
moral ends. One should not ignore his conscience, if the product or project that he is involved will
result in damaging the nervous system of the people (or even the enemy, in case of weapon development)
A product has a built-in obsolete or redundant component to boost sales with a false claim. In
possessing of the perspective of factual information, the engineer should exhibit a moral concern and
not agree for this design. Sometimes, the guilt is transferred to the government or the competitors.
Some organizations think that they will let the government find the fault or let the fraudulent competitor
be caught first. Finally, a full-scale environmental or social impact study of the product or project by
individual engineers is useful but not possible, in practice.
Moral Autonomy
A detailed discussion is available in # 2.5. Viewing engineering as social experimentation, and anticipating
unknown consequences should promote an attitude of questioning about the adequacy of the existing
economic and safety standards. This proves a greater sense of personal involvement in one’s work.
Accountability
The term Accountability means:
1. The capacity to understand and act on moral reasons
2. Willingness to submit one’s actions to moral scrutiny and be responsive to the assessment of
others. It includes being answerable for meeting specific obligations, i.e., liable to justify
(or give reasonable excuses) the decisions, actions or means, and outcomes (sometimes
unexpected), when required by the stakeholders or by law.
The tug-of-war between of causal influence by the employer and moral responsibility of the
employee is quite common in professions. In the engineering practice, the problems are:
(a) The fragmentation of work in a project inevitably makes the final products lie away
from the immediate work place, and lessens the personal responsibility of the employee.
(b) Further the responsibilities diffuse into various hierarchies and to various people. Nobody
gets the real feel of personal responsibility.
(c) Often projects are executed one after another. An employee is more interested in
adherence of tight schedules rather than giving personal care for the current project.
(d) More litigation is to be faced by the engineers (as in the case of medical practitioners).
This makes them wary of showing moral concerns beyond what is prescribed by the
institutions. In spite of all these shortcomings, engineers are expected to face the risk
and show up personal responsibility as the profession demands.

CODES OF ETHICS
The ‘codes of ethics’ exhibit, rights, duties, and obligations of the members of a profession and a
professional society. The codes exhibit the following essential roles:
1. Inspiration and guidance. The codes express the collective commitment of the profession to
ethical conduct and public good and thus inspire the individuals. They identify primary
50 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

responsibilities and provide statements and guidelines on interpretations for the professionals
and the professional societies.
2. Support to engineers. The codes give positive support to professionals for taking stands on
moral issues. Further they serve as potential legal support to discharge professional obligations.
3. Deterrence (discourage to act immorally) and discipline (regulate to act morally). The codes
serve as the basis for investigating unethical actions. The professional societies sometimes
revoke membership or suspend/expel the members, when proved to have acted unethical.
This sanction along with loss of respect from the colleagues and the society are bound to act
as deterrent.
4. Education and mutual understanding. Codes are used to prompt discussion and reflection on
moral issues. They develop a shared understanding by the professionals, public, and the
government on the moral responsibilities of the engineers. The Board of Review of the
professional societies encourages moral discussion for educational purposes.
5. Create good public image. The codes present positive image of the committed profession to
the public, help the engineers to serve the public effectively. They promote more of self
regulation and lessen the government regulations. This is bound to raise the reputation of the
profession and the organization, in establishing the trust of the public.
6. Protect the status quo. They create minimum level of ethical conduct and promotes agreement
within the profession. Primary obligation namely the safety, health, and welfare of the
public, declared by the codes serves and protects the public.
7. Promotes business interests. The codes offer inspiration to the entrepreneurs, establish shared
standards, healthy competition, and maximize profit to investors, employees, and consumers.
Limitations: The codes are not remedy for all evils. They have many limitations, namely:
1. General and vague wordings. Many statements are general in nature and hence unable to
solve all problems.
2. Not applicable to all situations. Codes are not sacred, and need not be accepted without
criticism. Tolerance for criticisms of the codes themselves should be allowed.
3. Often have internal conflicts. Many times, the priorities are clearly spelt out, e.g., codes
forbid public remarks critical of colleagues (engineers), but they actually discovered a major
bribery, which might have caused a huge loss to the exchequer.
4. They can not be treated as final moral authority for professional conduct. Codes have flaws
by commission and omission. There are still some grey areas undefined by codes. They can
not be equated to laws. After all, even laws have loopholes and they invoke creativity in the
legal practitioners.
5. Only a few enroll as members in professional society and non-members can not be compelled.
6. Even as members of the professional society, many are unaware of the codes
7. Different societies have different codes. The codes can not be uniform or same! Unifying
the codes may not necessarily solve the problems prevailing various professions, but attempts
are still made towards this unified codes.
8. Codes are said to be coercive. They are sometimes claimed to be threatening and forceful.
Engineering as Social Experimentation 51

INDUSTRIAL STANDARDS
Industrial standards are important for any industry. Specification helps in achieving interchangeability.
Standardization reduces the production costs and at the same time, the quality is achieved easily. It
helps the manufacturer, customers and the public, in keeping competitiveness and ensuring quality
simultaneously. Industrial standards are established by the Bureau of Indian Standards, in our country
in consultation with leading industries and services.
International standards have become relevant with the development of the world trade. The
International Standards Organization has now detailed specifications for generic products/services with
procedures that the manufacturers or service providers should follow to assure the quality of their
products or service. ISO 9000-2000 series are typical examples in this direction.
Table 3.1 gives a list of some types of standards with a few examples.
Table. 3.1 Industrial standards

Aspects Purpose Examples

1. Quality Value appropriate to price Surface finish of a plate,

life of a motor
2. Quality of service Assurance of product to ISO Quality of degrees according
procedures institutions by educational
institutions
3. Safety To safeguard against injury or Methods of waste disposal
damage to property

4. Uniformity of Interchangeability, Standard bolts and

physical properties ease of assembly nuts, standard
and functions time

A BALANCED OUTLOOK ON LAW

The ‘balanced outlook on law’ in engineering practice stresses the necessity of laws and regulations and
also their limitations in directing and controlling the engineering practice. Laws are necessary because,
people are not fully responsible by themselves and because of the competitive nature of the free
enterprise, which does not encourage moral initiatives. Laws are needed to provide a minimum level of
compliance.
The following codes are typical examples of how they were enforced in the past:

Code for Builders by Hammurabi

Hummurabi the king of Babylon in 1758 framed the following code for the builders:
“If a builder has built a house for a man and has not made his work sound and the house which he
has built has fallen down and caused the death of the householder, that builder shall be put to death. If
it causes the death of the householder’s son, they shall put that builder’s son to death. If it causes the
death of the householder’s slave, he shall give slave for slave to the householder. If it destroys property,
he shall replace anything it has destroyed; and because he has not made the house sound which he has
52 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

built and it has fallen down, he shall rebuild the house which has fallen down from his own property.
If a builder has built a house for a man and does not make his work perfect and the wall bulges, that
builder shall put that wall in sound condition at his own cost”
This code was expected to put in self-regulation seriously in those years.
Steam Boat Code in USA
Whenever there is crisis we claim that there ought to be law to control this. Whenever there is a fire
accident in a factory or fire cracker’s store house or boat capsize we make this claim, and soon forget.
Laws are meant to be interpreted for minimal compliance. On the other hand, laws when amended or
updated continuously, would be counter productive. Laws will always lag behind the technological
development. The regulatory or inspection agencies such as Environmental authority of India can play
a major role by framing rules and enforcing compliance.
In the early 19th century, a law was passed in USA to provide for inspection of the safety of
boilers and engines in ships. It was amended many times and now the standards formulated by the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers are followed.
Proper Role of Laws
Good laws when enforced effectively produce benefits. They establish minimal standards of professional
conduct and provide a motivation to people. Further they serve as moral support and defense for the
people who are willing to act ethically.
Thus, it is concluded that:
1. The rules which govern engineering practice should be construed as of responsible
experimentation rather than rules of a game. This makes the engineer responsible for the
safe conduct of the experiment.
2. Precise rules and sanctions are suitable in case of ethical misconduct that involves the violation
of established engineering procedures, which are aimed at the safety and the welfare of the
public.
3. In situations where the experimentation is large and time consuming, the rules must not try
to cover all possible outcomes, and they should not compel the engineers to follow rigid
courses of action.
4. The regulation should be broad, but make engineers accountable for their decisions, and
5. Through their professional societies, the engineers can facilitate framing the rules, amend
wherever necessary, and enforce them, but without giving-in for conflicts of interest.

CASE STUDY: THE CHALLENGER

What happened?
The orbiter of the Challenger had three main engines fuelled by liquid hydrogen. The fuel was carried
in an external fuel tank which was jettisoned when empty. During lift-off, the main engines fire for
about nine minutes, although initially the thrust was provided by the two booster rockets. These booster
rockets are of the solid fuel type, each burning a million pound load of aluminum, potassium chloride,
and iron oxide.
The casing of each booster rocket is about 150 feet long and 12 feet in diameter. This consists of
cylindrical segments that are assembled at the launch site. There are four-field joints and they use seals
Engineering as Social Experimentation 53

consisting of pairs of O-rings made of vulcanized rubber. The O-rings work with a putty barrier made
of zinc chromate.
The engineers were employed with Rockwell International (manufacturers for the orbiter and
main rocket), Morton-Thiokol (maker of booster rockets), and they worked for NASA. After many
postponements, the launch of Challenger was set for morning of Jan 28, 1986. Allan J. McDonald was
an engineer from Morton-Thiokol and the director of the Solid Rocket Booster Project. He was skeptic
about the freezing temperature conditions forecast for that morning, which was lower than the previous
launch conditions. A teleconference between NASA engineers and MT engineers was arranged by
Allan.
Arnold Thompson and Roger Boisjoly, the seal experts at MT explained to the other engineers
how the booster rocket walls would bulge upon launch and combustion gases can blow past the O-rings
of the field joints (Fig. 3.2).
External Fuel Tank

Orbiter

Flight deck for crew

Payload bay

Main Engine

Booster Rocket

Field joints

Fig. 3.2 a Challenger

Tang
Pressure from hot gas

Putty
Primary O-Ring
Secondary O-Ring
Exterior

Bolt
Interior

Clevis

Fig. 3.2 b Field joint before ignition Fig. 3.2 c Field joint after ignition
54 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

On many of the previous flights the rings have been found to have charred and eroded. In
freezing temperature, the rings and the putty packing are less pliable. From the past data gathered, at
temperature less than 65 °F the O-rings failure was certain. But these data were not deliberated at that
conference as the launch time was fast approaching.
The engineering managers Bob Lund and Joe Kilminster agreed that there was a safety problem.
Boisjoly testified and recommended that no launch should be attempted with temperature less than
53 °F. These managers were annoyed to postpone the launch yet again. The top management of MT was
planning for the renewal of contract with NASA, for making booster rocket. The managers told Bob
Lund “to take-off the engineering hat and put on your management hat”. The judgment of the engineers
was not given weightage. The inability of these engineers to substantiate that the launch would be
unsafe was taken by NASA as an approval by Rockwell to launch.
At 11.38 a.m. the rockets along with Challenger rose up the sky. The cameras recorded smoke
coming out of one of the filed joints on the right booster rocket. Soon there was a flame that hit the
external fuel tank. At 76 seconds into the flight, the Challenger at a height of 10 miles was totally
engulfed in a fireball. The crew cabin fell into the ocean killing all the seven aboard.
Some of the factual issues, conceptual issues and moral/normative issues in the space shuttle
challenger incident, are highlighted hereunder for further study.
Moral/Normative Issues
1. The crew had no escape mechanism. Douglas, the engineer, designed an abort module to
allow the separation of the orbiter, triggered by a field-joint leak. But such a ‘safe exit’ was
rejected as too expensive, and because of an accompanying reduction in payload.
2. The crew were not informed of the problems existing in the field joints. The principle of
informed consent was not followed.
3. Engineers gave warning signals on safety. But the management group prevailed over and
ignored the warning.
Conceptual Issues
1. NASA counted that the probability of failure of the craft was one in one lakh launches. But
it was expected that only the 100000th launch will fail.
2. There were 700 criticality-1 items, which included the field joints. A failure in any one of
them would have caused the tragedy. No back-up or stand-bye had been provided for these
criticality-1 components.
Factual/Descriptive Issues
1. Field joints gave way in earlier flights. But the authorities felt the risk is not high.
2. NASA has disregarded warnings about the bad weather, at the time of launch, because they
wanted to complete the project, prove their supremacy, get the funding from Government
continued and get an applaud from the President of USA.
3. The inability of the Rockwell Engineers (manufacturer) to prove that the lift-off was unsafe.
This was interpreted by the NASA, as an approval by Rockwell to launch.
56 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

SAFETY AND RISK

Safety was defined as the risk that is known and judged as acceptable. But, risk is a potential that
something unwanted and harmful may occur. It is the result of an unsafe situation, sometimes
unanticipated, during its use.
Probability of safety = 1 – Probability of risk
Risk = Probability of occurrence × Consequence in magnitude
Different methods are available to determine the risk (testing for safety)
1. Testing on the functions of the safety-system components.
2. Destructive testing: In this approach, testing is done till the component fails. It is too expensive,
but very realistic and useful.
3. Prototype testing: In this approach, the testing is done on a proportional scale model with all
vital components fixed in the system. Dimensional analysis could be used to project the
results at the actual conditions.
4. Simulation testing: With the help of computer, the simulations are done. The safe boundary
may be obtained. The effects of some controlled input variables on the outcomes can be
predicted in a better way.

RISK ANALYSIS
4.2.1 Analytical Methods
Several analytical methods are adopted in testing for safety of a product/project.
1. Scenario Analysis
This is the most common method of analysis. Starting from an event, different consequences are
studied. This is more a qualitative method.
For example, a disaster recovery plan, for an organization is discussed. When the probability and
size of loss (indicating possibility and financial significance, respectively) are both high, risk exists.
On the other hand, risk is not associated with very low probability of occurrence, or with losses that
under any other circumstances would be considered “affordable”. But there is a gray area between
probability/loss combinations that are truly risky, and those that are not. This reflects the fact that the
boundary between risky and non-risky events is fuzzy, not exact.
To assess the risk faced by the organization, the planner matches the probability and loss
characteristics of various exposures to one’s intuition of risk. This exposure analysis can be most
effectively carried out using ‘loss scenarios’. A scenario is a synopsis of events or conditions leading to
an accident and subsequent loss. Scenarios may be specified informally, in the form of narrative, or
formally using diagrams and flow charts.
Steps for Risk Assessment
1. What can go wrong that could lead to an outcome of hazard exposure? (identification and
characterization of risk)
2. How likely is this to happen? (quantification of risk, likelihood, and magnitude)
58 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

are not studied. FMEA is one of the qualitative tools, which support proactive quality strategies.
Successful implementation of FMEA requires relevant knowledge and insight as well as engineering
judgment. FMEA concept was introduced in 1960s by aerospace companies. Then the use of FMEA
was extended to automobile industries and other types of industries, understanding the value of this
approach. In the last decade, it has undergone metamorphosis where focus was on severity, occurrence
and detection rating. Thus, FMEA is defined as a systematic tool to
(a) identify possible failure modes in the products/process,
(b) to understand failure mechanism (process that leads to failure),
(c) risk analysis, and
(d) plan for action on elimination or reduction of failure modes.
A. STEPS TO CONDUCT FMEA
FMEA is a cross-functional team management. Throughout the product development cycles,
changes and updates will be introduced to the product and process. These changes have to be reviewed
because they can introduce new risks or failure modes. It is thus necessary to review and update
changes.
1. Product/process and its function must be understood first. This is the most fundamental
concept to be adopted in this methodology. This understanding helps the engineer to identify
product/process function that fall with the intended and unintended users.
2. Block diagram of product/process is created and developed. The diagram shows the major
components or process steps as blocks, identifies their relations namely, input, function and
output of the design. The diagram shows logical relationship of components and establishes
a structure for FMEA. The block diagram should always be included in the FMEA form.
3. Header on FMEA form is completed. FMEA form includes part/process name, model date,
revision date, and responsibility.
4. The items/functions are listed logically in the FMEA form, based on the block diagram.
5. Then failure modes are identified. A failure mode is defined wherein a component, subsystem,
system, and process could potentially fail to meet the design intent.
6. A failure mode in one component can cause failure in another. Each failure should be listed
in echnical terms. Listing should be done component- or process-wise.
7. Then the effects of each risk/failure mode are described. This is done as perceived by both
internal and external customers. The examples of risk/failure effect may include injury to
the user, environment, equipment, and degraded performance. Then a numerical ranking is
assigned to each risk or failure. It depends upon the severity of the effect. Commonly, in the
scale, No.1 is used to represent no effect and 10 to indicate very severe failure, affecting
system of operation and user. By this, the failures can be prioritized and real critical risks
can be addressed first.
8. Then the causes of each failure mode have to be identified. A cause is defined as a design
weakness that results in a failure. The potential causes for each failure mode are identified.
The potential causes, for example, may be improper torque or contamination or excessive
loading or external vibration.
60 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

3. Responsibility: The team incharge of design or process should be included. It also includes
the company or department of the person or group responsible for preparing the document.
It is a common work sheet that can be used both for design FMEA and process FMEA.
In design FMEA, following points are to be entered: name and number of item, listing the
functions of the item (system or sub-system or component-wise), Environment in which
system operates. In process FMEA, descriptions of processes, listing of processes and complete
purpose of processes have to be entered.
4. FMEA team: The names of responsible individuals and departments that have authority to
perform task are included.
5. FMEA date: The date of original FMEA compiled should be entered. In revision column
latest revision date is entered.
Table 4.1 Worksheet for Design/Process FMEA

Model no.: Prepared by: Responsibility:

FMEA team members Original FMEA date: Date of revision:
Poten- Respon
Potential tial
Potential Current Reccom sibility
Design/ effects cause/ Occu- Detection Action
cause Seerity Class Mecha- rrence process RPN mended & target
Product of results
failure control actions date
failure nism of
failure
S O D R
E C E P
V C T N
E U E
R R C
I R T
T E I
Y N O
C N
E

3. Fault-tree Analysis
This is a qualitative method and was originated by Bell Telephones. It is technology-based deductive
logic. The failure (undesirable event) is initially defined, and the events (causal relationships) leading
to that failure are identified at different components level. This method can combine hardware failures
and human failures
Example 1: Consider the failure of the steam flow in a thermal station. The water is pumped from a
big reservoir nearby. The details are shown in Fig. 4.1
62 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

The common mode event in this case is an earthquake. This quake has affected many systems or
components at the same time. Hence, we can call the ‘earthquake’ as the common mode/cause.

Example 2: A crash at main road junction

The details of this Fault-tree Analysis are shown in Fig. 4.2
Consider the probability of the crash at a road junction and construct a tree with and AND or
GATE logic. The tree is constructed by deducing in turn the pre-conditions for the final event and then
successively for the next levels of events, until the basic causes are identified.
By ascribing probabilities to each event, the probability of a top event can be calculated. This
requires knowledge of probable failure rates. At an OR gate, the probabilities must be added to give the
probability of the next event, whereas at an AND gate, the probabilities are multiplied. This is a
powerful technique for identifying the failures that have the greatest influence on bringing about the
end event.

Probability Scale

1 in 10 Frequent
1 in 100 Probable TOP CRASH AT CRASH Probability = 0.001 or 1 in 1000 If
EVENT MAIN ROAD 6000 cars use the side road every year, then it
1 in 1000 Occasional JUNCTION is expected that 6-7 crashes per year may
1 in 10000 Remote occur
1 in 100000 Improbable
AND
1 in 1 m Extremely
Remote
CAR AT MAIN SIDE ROAD
ROA D CAR FAILS TO
JUNCTION STOP

P = 0.01
OR P = 0.131

SIDE ROAD SIDE ROAD CAR

CAR DRIVER DRIVER COULD
DID NOT STOP NOT STOP

P = 0.12 OR P = 0.011 OR

DRIVING DRIVER VISION ROAD TOO BRAKE TYRES

TOO FAST TOO ILL O BS C U R E D SLIPERY FAILURE WORN

P = 0.1 P = 0.01 P = 0.01 P = 0.01 P = 0.001 P = 0.0001

Fig. 4.2 Quantification for fault-tree analysis

Example 3: An automobile car does not start. The details of this case are shown in Fig. 4.3.
The advantages of FTA are (a) the primary cause can be located easily, and (b) It is useful in
emergent situations i.e., a fire-fighting approach.
64 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Car Train/Bus Colleague Highway Late for

starts available available clear duty

Yes No
Yes
No Yes

Yes No
No
Yes No
Yes
No No Yes

No Yes

Fig. 4.4 Event-tree analysis

The figure shows the event-tree including the alternatives and different things that could lead to
the employee being ‘late again’. Alternative outcomes are shown under each column. Trace back from
the outcomes towards the left hand side of the tree along horizontal paths. There are series of vertical
branches labeled, Yes or No, which are connected to previous paths. The vertical branches represent the
response (Yes/No) to the question (or the systems responsible) that appear on the top of the tree.
Tracing back from first ‘No’ under ‘Late again’ one comes to the first label Y/N: Is the highway
clear? The up branch represents ‘Yes’ showing that the highway that morning was clear. The person
arrived on time for duty. The down branch representing ‘No’ means that the highway was not clear and
the person was late. This branch is attached to the earlier path and representing the condition that the
car did not start. The up branch corresponding to question ‘car starts?’ indicates ‘Yes’. Because car did
start, there is no need to consider the backup alternatives of the colleague.
What are the possible outcomes, if the car does not start? Work from left to right starting on the
lower “no’’ branch for the question ‘car starts?’. The next question is train/express bus available? The
‘Yes’ path goes straight to the outcome of not being late. Notice the questions in the event tree are very
simple. We may even ask, is the train sufficiently frequent and are the terminals conveniently located
to go to the office in time? Is the day analyzed a holiday with reduced trips? Has there been an accident
or breakdown that day, on the line in question?
If the answer is ‘No’, then we are left with the ‘colleague’ option, and if he is available and is he
willing to offer the ride in time. If not, he will be late. If ‘Yes’, the question ‘Is the highway clear?’
must be considered. Heavy highway traffic (Monday morning) may still cause a late arrival.
Remarks
ETA is a variant of FTA that can be used to explore both success and failure alternatives at each level.
Event trees are meant to show the path by which we get there. Hence, the event trees are said to have
66 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

The air is full of dust and some drainage canals cut across their house sites. They hold that they are
exposed to involuntary risk, from dust and drain. But the same persons have previously-owned motor
cycles, with which they travel during week ends to their villages through muddy roads.
Now they are willing to take risk voluntarily, i.e., they have no apprehensions on this travel.
Statistical study indicates that individuals are more ready to accept voluntary risks (hunting, skiing,
fighting in wars) than the involuntary risks (electric shock, natural calamity). Even though the voluntary
risks are thousand times more fatal than involuntary ones, individuals meet them, for the thrill or
adrenal quest or for achievement and for a page in the Guinness record.
Another stand or perception closely related to this example is that of ‘Control’. There are people
who choose to play stunts such as jumping through fire gates, skiing and flying, car racing through
tortuous terrains. Most of these people exhibit extraordinary confidence in them and on their gadgets
and also believe that the hazards are under their control.

SAFE EXIT
In the study of safety, the ‘safe exit’ principles are recommended. The conditions referred to as ‘safe
exit’ are:
1 The product, when it fails, should fail safely
2 The product, when it fails, can be abandoned safely (it does not harm others by explosion or
radiation)
3 The user can safely escape the product (e.g., ships need sufficient number of life boats for
all passengers and crew; multi-storeyed buildings need usable fire escapes)

RISK-BENEFIT ANALYSIS
The major reasons for the analysis of the risk benefit are:
1 To know risks and benefits and weigh them each
2 To decide on designs, advisability of product/project
3 To suggest and modify the design so that the risks are eliminated or reduced
There are some limitations that exist in the risk-benefit analysis. The economic and ethical
limitations are presented as follows:
1. Primarily the benefits may go to one group and risks may go to another group. Is it ethically
correct?
2. Is an individual or government empowered to impose a risk on some one else on behalf of
supposed benefit to some body else? Sometimes, people who are exposed to maximum risks
may get only the minimum benefits. In such cases, there is even violation of rights.
3. The units for comparison are not the same, e.g., commissioning the express highways may
add a few highway deaths versus faster and comfortable travel for several commuters. The
benefits may be in terms of fuel, money and time saved, but lives of human being sacrificed.
How do we then compare properly?
4. Both risks and benefits lie in the future. The quantitative estimation of the future benefits,
using the discounted present value (which may fluctuate), may not be correct and sometime
misleading.
68 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

3. Periodical monitoring (inspection) and testing of safety system to ensure reliability, e.g.,
fire extinguishers, ‘earth’ system in electric circuits are checked periodically.
4. Issue of operation manuals, training of the operating personnel and regular audits are adopted
to ensure that the procedures are understood, followed and the systems are kept in working
condition.
5. Development of well-designed emergency evacuation plan and regular rehearsal/drills to
ensure preparedness, in case of emergency.
Voluntary Risk
Voluntary risk is the involvement of people in risky actions, although they know that these actions are
unsafe. The people take these actions for thrill, amusement or fun. They also believe that they have full
control over their actions (including the outcomes!) and equipments or animals handled, e.g., people
participate in car racing and risky stunts.
Testing becomes inappropriate when the products are
1 Tested destructively
2 When the test duration is long, and
3 When the components failing by tests are very costly. Alternate methods such as design of
experiments, accelerated testing and computer-simulated tests are adopted in these
circumstances.

SAFETY LESSONS FROM ‘THE CHALLENGER’

The safety lessons one can learn in the Challenger case are as follows:
1. Negligence in design efforts. The booster rocket casing recovered from earlier flights indicated
the failure of filed-joint seals. No deign changes were incorporated. Instead of two O-rings,
three rings should have been fixed. But there was no time for testing with three rings. At
least three rings could have been tried while launching.
2. Tests on O-rings should have been conducted down to the expected ambient temperature
i.e., to 20 oF. No normalization of deviances should have been allowed.
3. NASA was not willing to wait for the weather to improve. The weather was not favorable
on the day of launch. A strong wind shear might have caused the rupture of the weakened O-
rings.
4. The final decision making of launch or no-launch should have been with the engineers and
not on the managers. Engineers insisted on ‘safety’ but the managers went ahead with the
‘schedule’.
5. Informed consent: The mission was full of dangers. The astronauts should have been informed
of the probable failure of the O-rings (field joints). No informed consent was obtained,
when the engineers had expressed that the specific launch was unsafe.
6. Conflict of interest (Risk Vs. Cost): There were 700 criticality-1 items, which included the
field joints. A failure in any one of them would have cause the tragedy. No back-up or stand-
bye had been provided for these criticality-1 components.
7. Escape mechanism or ‘safe exit’ should have been incorporated in the craft. McDonnell
70 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

When pump (14) failed, the steam generator (3) went dry. So, heat was not removed from the
reactor. Water was pouring out at 220 gallons/min but reactor has not cooled down.
Pumps (16) were started to refill water reactor core. There was too much of water in the reactor
now. The reactor fuel rods began to break to pieces.
Then the chemical reaction between steam and the Zinc alloy fuel elements produced Hydrogen
and the Hydrogen accumulated caused the explosion of the structure.
The radiation levels in the building increased and the sound alarm blew. Immediately people
contacted Nuclear Regulatory Commission and B and W, who constructed the reactor. Nobody was
there to answer the call at B and W. But somehow people escaped without any loss of human lives.
After 13 hours and a half, the reactor was put under control.
Chernobyl, Near Kiev, Russia (April 1986)
The RBMK (Acronym for water cooled and graphite moderated) reactors were graphite moderated and
they use water tubes. A test on the turbine generator was planned to be conducted during a scheduled
plant shut-down maintenance.
To conduct the test, the power plant output was reduced to 700 MW. But due to a sudden and
unexpected demand, the power output has to be raised.
1. To go ahead with the test, the reactor operators had already disconnected the emergency
core-cooling system, ignoring the raise in demand situation.
2. Further, a control device was not properly reprogrammed to maintain power at 700-100
MW level
3. The test was conducted at 200 MW power out-put which is very low for the test. They
should have shut down the reactor.
4. The operators blocked all emergency signals and automatic shut-down controls, thus all
safety systems were disconnected.
5. The operators raised control rods to increase power output and tried to continue the test.
This made the reactor unsafe. The temperature of RBMK reactor increased and the fission
rate increased.
6. The test should have been postponed but continued. The reactor core melted and due to the
Hydrogen accumulation, the reactor caught fire and the radioactive waste began to spread
out in USSR and also Europe.
The people living around were informed after a few hours and were evacuated 12 hours after the
explosion. More than 30 workers in the complex lost their lives, while 200 workers sustained burns.
About 8000 people lost their lives. The agricultural products were affected due to contaminated
radioactive water, for several years.
Safety Lessons From TMI and Chernobyl
1. The thickness of the containment should be more, to withstand the possible explosion and
further damage due to radiation and leakage over the surroundings (Chernobyl).
2. When the test began at low loads, the demand for increased outpower should have been
declined.
72 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

2. Attitude Loyalty (or Identification loyalty)

It is concerned with the attitudes, emotions, and a sense of personal identity. It includes willingness to
meet moral duties, with attachment, conviction, and trust with employer. The attitude loyalty is more
a virtue than an obligation. This type of loyalty is all right when the organizations work for productivity
or development of community. Working together in falsification of records or serious harm to the
public, does not merit loyalty. Further, with frequent takeovers or merger resulting in large-scale lay-
off, employees find it difficult to maintain attitude-loyalty.
4.8.3 Authority
Decisions can be taken by a few people, but putting into action requires larger participation from
different groups of people, such as operation, purchase, sales, accounts, maintenance, finance etc. In
effectively-and efficiently-transferring decisions to actions, the authority comes into play a great role.
Otherwise the individual discretions may ruin the activities. Further the authority fixes the personal
responsibility and accountability uniquely on each person. This is necessary to ensure progress in
action.
Institutional Authority
It is the authority exercised within the organization. It is the right given to the employees to exercise
power, to complete the task and force them to achieve their goals. Duties such as resource allocation,
policy dissemination, recommendation, supervision, issue orders (empower) or directions on sub-
ordinates are vested to institutional authority, e.g., Line Managers and Project Managers have the
institutional duty to make sure that the products/projects are completed successfully. The characteristics
features of institutional authority are that they allocate money and other resources and have liberty in
execution.
Expert Authority
On the other hand, the Expert Authority is (a) the possession of special knowledge, skills and competence
to perform a job thoroughly (expertise), (b) the advice on jobs, and (c) is a staff function. It is also
known as ‘authority of leadership’. These experts direct others in effective manner, e.g., advisers,
experts, and consultants are engaged in an organization for a specific term.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

It is the bargain by the trade union for improving the economic interests of the worker members. The
process includes negotiation, threatening verbally, and declaration of ‘strike’. It is impossible to endorse
fully the collective bargaining of unions or to condemn. There exist always conflicting views between
the professionalism and unionism.
A. Faithful Agent or Trustee?
Professional societies such as NSPE and IEI refuse to accept the ‘collective coercive action’ of unionism,
holding the principles of professional integrity as right, e.g., as per NSPE code III, i.e., engineers shall
not promote their own interest at the expense of the dignity and integrity of the profession. The
74 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Table. 4.1 Pro- and anti-views on unionism

For unionism Against unionism

1. Unions have been useful in improving the 1. Unions have lead to disturb the
standard of living and economic benefits economy of state by salaries, and
of the workers. Even non-union members increase salaries and expenses,
leading to inflationary condition are able leading to inflationary conditions.
to get those benefits.
2. Unions have obtained greater participation in 2. Instead of being cooperative, they act in
organization, by participative management. negative and destructive ways, causing
Union members are appointed as Directors loss of man-days. Opinions of the indi-
in the Board and credited to act as bridge vidual worker is suppressed and used
between the employers and employees. as pawns.
3. Unions have contributed to the job security, 3. Unions encourage mediocrity, and act
and protection against arbitrary treatment in favor of seniority-based promotion.
to the employees. Merit-based promotion and awards for
4. They are able to put resistance to unethical personal achievement are disregarded
orders and support to ethical actions 4. Unions thrive on prolonged unrest, dis-
5. They have provided for effective grievance satisfied, and tense relations between
redressal mechanism for employees. workers and management.
6. They act to safeguard against the possible 5. They cause pigeon-holing of employee
political interference, exploitation, and in narrow job classifications to which
alienation in the company affairs. the salary scales are attached.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality means keeping the information on the employer and clients, as secrets. It is one of the
important aspects of team work.
4.10.1 Justification for Confidentiality
Confidentiality can be justified by various ethical theories. According to Rights-based theory, rights of
the stakeholders, right to the intellectual property of the company are protected by this practice. Based
on Duty theory, employees and employers have duty to keep up mutual trust. The Utilitarian theory
holds good, only when confidentiality produce most good to most people. Act utilitarian theory
focuses on each situation, when the employer decides on some matters as confidential.
Further, the following moral principles also justify the concept of ‘confidentiality’:
1. Respect for Autonomy
It means respecting the freedom and self-determination of individuals and organizations to identify
their legitimate control over the personal information of themselves. In the absence of this, they can
not keep their privacy and protect their self-interest.
76 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

or loss involved is relatively less. In competitive business situations, this information also
plays a vital role.
4.10.3 More on Confidentiality
A. Is Switching Job Ethical?
When persons change jobs (employers), what happens to their moral obligation? The obligation to
protect the information does not cease, when one shifts to another employee. Otherwise, the former
employee will reveal this information to the new employer or sell it to a competitor of the former
employer. The integrity of the employee, even upon switching the employer demands that he maintains
confidentiality and does not to divulge the information. The professional integrity of engineers is more
valuable than the loyalty to the current employer.
Many engineers value professional advancement than long-term tie and loyalty to a single employer.
The engineers involved in research and development and expert contribution change jobs. Normally
they are familiar with the innovative developments in the parent organizations. For example, one
manufacturing expert along with his colleagues as well as with some secret documents left General
Motors and joined Volkswagen. This violation of trade secret, lead the V W to pay huge compensation
to GM in cash and compulsion to buy parts from GM for seven subsequent years.
Employees, who change jobs, will not able to withhold their knowledge and expertise. They are
sought after only for their expertise. They may not carry the papers and but their active brain always
carry memories. Although some organizations hold that this is unethical, the individuals can not be
prevented from divulging the facts to benefit the current employer. The courts have held a moral
verdict. Even though the previous employers had the right to maintain their trade secrets confidential,
the personal rights of the employees, who switched job in pursuit of career advancement, had to be
honored and balanced.
B. Management Policies
How can we protect the rights of the employers and at the same time recognize the genuine personal
rights and other rights of the engineers/employees? Some of the management practices and their
limitations are discussed hereunder:
1. One way is to restrict the future employment of employees, by using employment contracts
at the time of their exit. Details such as the restriction on geographical location, time gap
between the departure from one place and engagement with the other employer, and on the
type of jobs that one can perform with future employer, are entered in to contracts. But such
contracts have not been given legal sanction.
2. An incentive instead of threatening their rights by the employment contract, may offer some
positive benefits in exchange for the restrictions listed. A lump sum post-employment payment
or compensation over a specific period may offered as incentive to restrict him.
3. Another approach by the management is to effect tighter controls on internal information
flow on trade secrets and other vital features. But this is likely to create a mutual distrust in
the organization and to throttle the creativity of engineers involved in the research and
development.
A better understanding between the ethical management and the professional responsibility of the
engineers will fulfill both professional concerns and employee loyalty.
78 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(b) Bribe and Gift

The conflict arises when accepting large gifts from the suppliers. Bribe is different from a
gift. The following table shows a comparison of the nature of bribe and gift.
Table 4.2 How does bribe differ from gift?

Tests Bribe Gift

1. Timing Given before Given after
2. Cost of item Large amount Small amount, articles of daily
use
3. Quality of product Poor Good/High
4. Giver is a friend Yes No
5. Transparency Made in secret Made in open
6. Motive Expect undue favor Expect a favor or thanking for
the favor
7. Consequence on Damaging the goodwill No damage is involved
organization’s and reputation
goodwill

Codes of ethics do not encourage even gifts, but employees have set forth flexible policies.
Government and company policies generally ban gifts more than a nominal value (>Rs.1000?)
An additional thumb rule is that the acceptance of gift should not influence one’s judgment
on merit.
(c) Moonlighting
It is a situation when a person is working as employee for two different companies in the
spare time. This is against the right to pursue one’s legitimate self-interest. It will lead to
conflict of interests, if the person works for competitors, suppliers or customers, while
working under an employer. Another effect of moonlighting is that it leaves the person
exhausted and harms the job performance in both places.
(d) Insider Information
Another potential conflict of interest is when using ‘inside’ information to establish a business
venture or get an advantage for oneself or one’s family or friends. The information may be
either of the parent company or its clients or its business partners, e.g., engineers might
inform the decision on the company’s merger with another company or acquisition or an
innovative strategy adopted. In such cases, their friends get information on stock holding
and decide on trading their stocks to sell or buy quickly, so that gain more or prevent a loss.
For example, in WorldCom USA, the insider information was used to manipulate and sell a
large amount of stock holding by the Director, upon knowing that the government has
declined to admit their product.

OCCUPATIONAL CRIME
An occupational crime may be committed by (1) wrong actions of a person through one’s lawful
employment or (2) crime by an employee to promote ones own or employer’s interest or (3) theft or
80 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series, OHAS-18001 Certification has been adopted
in many Indian Industries. As per the Annual report of RIL10, an initiative called Project CASH,
Change Agent for Safety and Health, had been formed to bring about a positive change and continual
improvement in occupational health practices at the work place, besides attitudinal and behavior changes.
This is claimed to have prevented work-related diseases, injuries, reduced absenteeism, and ultimately
increased the productivity level.

HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights are defined as moral entitlements that place obligations on other people to treat one with
dignity and respect. Organisations and engineers are to be familiar with the minimum provisions under
the human rights, so that the engineers and organizations for a firm base for understanding and
productivity. Provisions under ‘human rights’ are as follows:
1. Right to pursue legitimate personal interest
2. Right to make a living
3. Right to privacy
4. Right to property
5. Right of non-discrimination
6. No sexual harassment
Under professional rights, the following provisions are protected:
1. Right to form and express professional judgment: It is also called the right of professional
conscience. In pursuing professional responsibilities, this empowers one to form and exercise
the professional judgment. Both technical and moral judgments are included. This right is
bound by the responsibilities to employers and colleagues.
2. Right to refuse to participate in unethical activities: It is also called the right of conscientious
refusal. It is the right to refuse to engage in unethical actions and to refuse to do so solely
because one views that as unethical. The employer can not force or threaten the employee to
do something that is considered by that employee as unethical or unacceptable. For example,
unethical and illegal activities that can be refused are: falsifying data, forging documents,
altering test results, lying, giving or taking bribe etc. There may be situations, when there is
a disagreement or no shared agreement among reasonable people over whether an act is
unethical. Medical practitioners have a right not to participate in abortions. Similarly, the
engineers must have a right to refuse assignments that violate their personal conscience, such
as when there exists a threat to human life or moral disagreement among reasonable people.
3. Right to fair recognition and to receive remuneration for professional services: Engineers
have a right to professional recognition for their work and achievements. This includes fair
monetary and non-monetary forms of recognition. It is related to morality as well as self-
interest. They motivate them to concentrate their energy on jobs and to update their knowledge
and skills through continuing education. This will prevent the engineers from diversion such
as moonlighting or bother on money matters. Many times, the engineers who have labored
to get patents on the organizations are not adequately remunerated. Based on the resources
of the organization and the bargaining power of the engineers, the reasonable salary or
remuneration for patent discovery can be worked out.
82 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

2. When the activities of the employees form a conflict or interest (e.g., when moonlighting).
3. When the interest of the employer is getting damaged (if the employee transfers some vital
information on plans or strategies to the competitor).
3. Right to Due Process from Employer
It is the right to fair process or procedures in firing, demotion and in taking any disciplinary actions
against the employees. Written explanation should be initially obtained from the charged employee
and the orders are given in writing, with clearly-stated reasons. Simple appeal procedures should be
framed and made available to all those affected. Fairness here is specified in terms of the process rather
than the outcomes.
4. Right to Equal Opportunity—Non-discrimination
Discrimination because of caste, sex, religion, creed, and language are regressive actions. Discrimination
which means a morally unjust treatment of people in the workplace is damaging to the human dignity.
For example,
(a) A senior manager post is vacant. There is competent and proven candidate from outside the
state. A local engineer with lesser competence is promoted.
(b) Prize amounts for the winners in the world sport events are not the same for men and
women.
5. Right to Equal Opportunity—Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
The sexual harassment is a display of arrogance and misuse of power through sexual means. It is
against the moral autonomy i.e., freedom to decide on one’s own body. It is also an assault on one’s
human dignity and trust.
Sexual harassment may be defined as the unwanted compulsion or attack on sexual requirements
(gratification) in the context of unequal power. It includes physical as well as psychological attack or
coercion and indecent gestures by men shown on women or by women on men. Two such forms of
harassment are found to exist. In one type called ‘exchange of favors’, senior officers demand sexual
favor as a condition for giving a job, or granting a promotion or increment. It may be either in the
form of a physical or verbal threat or sexual offer. In another type called ‘hostile work environment’,
it is the sexually-oriented work environment that threatens the employee’s right to equal opportunity.
Undesirable sexual proposals, advances, lewd remarks, mailing obscene photographs are some of the
typical examples of this type of harassment.
A rights ethicist interprets this as a serious violation of human right to pursue one’s job free from
extraneous force, compulsion, punishment or threat or insult. A duty ethicist would call it as a blatant
violation of duty to treat human being with dignity and individual freedom, and not to treat as inanimate
object for immoral gratifications. The utilitarian would expose the effect on the happiness and the
welfare of the victims, especially of women.
6. Right to Equal Opportunity—Affirmative Action or Preferential Treatment
It means giving a preference or advantage to a person of a group that was denied equal treatment in the
past. Such treatments are given especially to women and minorities all over the world. It is also called
‘reverse preferential treatment’, because it reverses the historical preferences.
84 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Aspects
There are four aspects of whistle blowing, namely:
1. Basis of disclosure: The basis for disclosure may be intentional, or under pressure from
superiors or others not to disclose.
2. Relevance of topic: The whistle blower believes that the information is about a significant
problem for the organization or its business ally. It can be a threat to the public or employees’
health, safety and welfare or a criminal activity, or unethical policies or practices, or an
injustice to the workers within the organization.
3. Agent: The person disclosing the information may be a current or former employee or a
person having a close link to the organization.
4. Recipient: The person or organization, who receives the information, is in a position to
remedy the problem or alert the affected parties. Usually, the recipients are not aware of the
information fully or even partially.
Types
Based on the destination (recipient), whistle blowing is classified into types, as:
(a) Internal: In this case, the information is conveyed to a person within the organization, but
beyond the approved channels.
(b) External: This happens when the information is transmitted outside the organization. The
recipient may be a municipal chairman or member of legislature or minister. It becomes
severe if the information reaches the press and through them the public. The damage is
maximum and sometimes poses difficulty in remedying the situation.
Based on the origin or source (agent), this can be divided into three types, as follows:
(a) Open: The originator reveals his identity as he conveys the information. This information is
reliable and true, but sometimes partially true.
(b) Anonymous: The identity is concealed. The information may or may not be true. But the
agent anticipates perhaps some repression or threat, if identity is revealed.
(c) Partly anonymous (or partly open): Such a situation exists when the individual reveals his
identity to the journalist, but insists that the name be withheld from others.
When to Justify ?
Under the following situations, the whistle blowing may be justified:
1. When the potential harm existing is identified as serious, or anticipated to occur with a high
probability, in the near future.
2. When sufficient data on the harm had been gathered and adequately documented. This
condition may not be required if revealing the information would jeopardize the national
interests or help the competitors. A request to the appropriate authority for external
investigation or permission by a court to release the information may be a solution.
3. The concerns have been reported earlier to the immediate superiors and no satisfactory
response was forthcoming from them, within a reasonable time.
86 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

and creativity, like that of own physical property. This encourages the IP owners towards innovation
and benefit to the society. It is an asset that can be bought or sold, licensed, and exchanged. It is
intangible i.e., it cannot be identified by specific parameters.11
The agreements with World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual
Property System (TRIPS) have been adopted effective from January 2005. Besides the minimum
standards set for protection of IP rights, appropriate laws framed by the member countries are expected
to reduce distortions and barriers for and promote the international trade. The global IPR system
strengthens protection, increases the incentives for innovation, and raises returns on international
technology transfer. However, it could raise the costs of acquiring new technology and products,
shifting the global terms of trade in favor of technology producers.
Need for Protection of IP
IP plays an essential role to stabilize and develop the economy of a nation. This protection actually
stimulates creativity, research, and innovation by ensuring freedom to individuals and organizations to
benefit from their creative intellectual investments. The IP serves many purposes, namely
(a) it prevents others using it,
(b) prevent using it for financial gain,
(c) prevent plagiarism
(d) fulfill obligation to funding agency. ICICI Bank has advanced loan against IP as security to
Shopper’s Stoppe, New Delhi, and
(e) provides a strategy to generate steady income.
Some of the challenges in the acquisition of IP are:
(a) Shortage of manpower in the industry. Educational institutions can play a vital role in
providing the same.
(b) High cost of patenting and lengthy procedure. This was being considered by the Government
and a simpler and faster procedure is expected, and
(c) Lack of strong enforcement mechanism.
Types and Norms
The agreements establish norms and conditions for the following instruments of intellectual properties:
1. Patents
Patent is a contract between the individual (inventor) and the society (all others). Patents protect
legally the specific products from being manufactured or sold by others, without permission of the
patent holder. Patent holder has the legally-protected monopoly power as one’s own property. The
validity is 20 years from the date filing the application for the patent. It is a territorial right and needs
registration. The Patent (Amendment) Act 2002 guarantees such provisions.
Patent is given to a product or a process, provided it is entirely new, involving an inventive
method and suitable for industrial application. While applying for a patent, it is essential to submit the
documents in detail regarding the problem addressed, its solution, extent of novelty or innovation,
typical applications, particulars of the inventor, and the resources utilized. Inventions are patentable
and the discoveries are not.
88 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

2. Copyright
The copyright is a specific and exclusive right, describing rights given to creators for their literary and
artistic works. This protects literary material, aesthetic material, music, film, sound recording,
broadcasting, software, multimedia, paintings, sculptures, and drawings including maps, diagrams,
engravings or photographs. There is no need for registration and no need to seek lawyer’s help for
settlement. The life of the copyright protection is the life of the inventor or author plus 50 years.
Copyright gives protection to particular expression and not for the idea. Copyright is effective in
(a) preventing others from copying or reproducing or storing the work, (b) publishing and selling the
copies, (c) performing the work in public, commercially (d) to make film (e) to make translation of
the work, and (f) to make any adaptation of the work. Copying the idea is called ‘plagiarism’ and it is
dealt with separately.
Can software be protected through copyright? Indian copyright Act amended in 1984 included
the rights of in a computer program as literary work. Many countries protect software as a copyright.
Some holds the view that copyright is not the right type of protection for software. They held that the
patents and trade secrets are more appropriate forms of protecting software. While trade secret is the
most conventional form of protection of software, in the recent years, both patents and copyrights are
adopted to protect software.11
Copyright (Amendment) Act 1999, India ensures fair dealing of broadcasting through the internet.
The concerns of Book industry, Music Industry, Film and Television Industry, Computer Industry and
Database Industry are sufficiently met by this updated Act.
3. Trademark
Trademark is a wide identity of specific good and services, permitting differences to be made among
different trades. It is a territorial right, which needs registration. Registration is valid initially for 10
years, and renewable. The trademark or service mark may be registered in the form of a device, a
heading, a label, a ticket, a letter, a word or words, a numeral or any combination of these, logos,
designs, sounds, and symbols. Trademark should not be mistaken for a design, e.g., the shape of a
bottle in which a product is marketed, can not be registered as a trademark. Trademarks Act 1999 made
in compliance with TRIPS agreement, provides further details.11
There are three functions of trademark:
1. Just as we are identified by our names, good are identified by their trademarks. For example,
the customer goes to the shop and asks for Lux soap. The word ‘Lux’ is a trade mark. In
other words it shows the origin or source of the goods.
2. The trademark carries with it an inherent indication or impression on the quality of goods,
which indirectly demonstrates that it receives the customer’s satisfaction.
3. The trademark serves as silent sales promoter. Without a trademark, there can be no
advertisement. In other words, it serves as a medium for advertising the goods.
The marks should be distinctive i.e., it should be able to distinguish from one good to the other.
The terms used for trademarks are usually generic, descriptive, and suggestive. Some of the term
which are not distinctly distinguishing the goods or services from others, are called generic term and
are eligible for protection under trademarks. The descriptive term should clearly indicate or convey the
specific purpose, function, physical characteristic and the end use of the product. Relatively, the suggestive
 Chapter – 5 Global Issues

GLOBALIZATION
Globalization means integration of countries through commerce, transfer of technology, and exchange
of information and culture. In a way, it includes acting together and interacting economies through
trade, investment, loan, development schemes and capital across countries. In a different sense, these
flows include knowledge, science, technology, skills, culture, information, and entertainment, besides
direct human resource, tele-work, and outsourcing. This interdependence has increased the complex
tensions and ruptures among the nations. For the engineers, the issues such as multinational organizations,
computer, internet functions, military development and environmental ethics have assumed greater
importance for their very sustenance and progress.

MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS
Organisations who have established business in more than one country, are called multinational
corporation. The headquarters are in the home country and the business is extended in many host
countries. The Western organizations doing business in the less-economically developed (developing,
and overpopulated) countries gain the advantage of inexpensive labor, availability of natural resources,
conducive-tax atmosphere, and virgin market for the products. At the same time, the developing countries
are also benefited by fresh job opportunities, jobs with higher remuneration and challenges, transfer of
technology, and several social benefits by the wealth developed. But this happens invariably with some
social and cultural disturbance. Loss of jobs for the home country, and loss or exploitation of natural
resources, political instability for the host countries are some of the threats of globalization.
International Human Rights
To know what are the moral responsibilities and obligations of the multinational corporations operating
in the host countries, let us discuss with the framework of rights ethics. Common minimal rights are to
be followed to smoothen the transactions when the engineers and employers of MNCs have to interact
at official, social, economic and sometimes political levels. At international level, the organizations are
expected to adopt the minimum levels of (a) values, such as mutual support, loyalty, and reciprocity,
(b) the negative duty of refraining from harmful actions such as violence and fraud, and (c) basic
fairness and practical justice in case of conflicts.
Global Issues 91

The ten international rights to be taken care of, in this context are:1
1. Right of freedom of physical movement of people
2. Right of ownership of properties
3. Freedom from torture
4. Right to fair trial on the products
5. Freedom from discrimination on the basis of race or sex. If such discrimination against
women or minorities is prevalent in the host country, the MNC will be compelled to accept.
MNCs may opt to quit that country if the human rights violations are severe.
6. Physical security. Use of safety gadgets have to be supplied to the workers even if the laws
of the host country do not suggest such measures.
7. Freedom of speech and forming association
8. Right to have a minimum education
9. Right to political participation
10. Right to live and exist (i.e., coexistence). The individual liberty and sanctity of the human
life are to be respected by all societies.
Technology Transfer
It is a process of moving technology to a new setting and implementing it there. Technology includes
hardware (machines and installations) and the techniques (technical, organizational, and managerial
skills and procedures). It may mean moving the technology applications from laboratory to the
field/factory or from one country to another. This transfer is effected by governments, organizations,
universities, and MNCs.
Appropriate Technology
Identification, transfer, and implementation of most suitable technology for a set of new situations, is
called appropriate technology. Technology includes both hardware (machines and installations) and
software (technical, organizational and managerial skills and procedures). Factors such as economic,
social, and engineering constraints are the causes for the modification of technology. Depending on the
availability of resources, physical conditions (such as temperature, humidity, salinity, geographical
location, isolated land area, and availability of water), capital opportunity costs, and the human value
system (social acceptability) which includes their traditions, beliefs, and religion, the appropriateness
is to be determined.
For example, small farmers in our country prefer to own and use the power tillers, rather than the
high-powered tractors or sophisticated harvesting machines. On the other hand, the latest technological
device, the cell phones and wireless local loop phones have found their way into remote villages and
hamlets, than the landline telephone connections. Large aqua-culture farms should not make the existing
fishermen jobless in their own village.
The term appropriate is value based and it should ensure fulfillment of the human needs and
protection of the environment.
How Appropriate is Aptech?
1. A case against the technology transfer is that the impact of borrowed or transferred technology
has been threatening the environment beyond its capacity and sustainable development of
92 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

the host countries. Large plantations that orient their efforts to exports leave the small
farmers out of jobs and at the mercy of the foreign country. For example, genetically-
modified cotton have shown sufficient disturbance in Europe and Africa. This has made the
European Union to oppose the entry of G.M. cotton into Europe.
2. The high technology has contributed to large-scale migration from villages to the cities
where corporations are located, leading to the undesirable side-effects of overcrowding of
cities, such as the scarcity of water, insanitation, poverty, and the increase in crimes.
3. The term ‘appropriate’ should emphasize the social acceptability and environmental protection
of the host countries, and this need to be addressed while transferring technology. Thus, we
confirm the view that engineering is a continual social experimentation with nature.
MNCs and Morality
The economic and environmental conditions of the home and host countries may vary. But the
multinational institutions have to adopt appropriate measures not to disturb or dislocate the social and
living conditions and cultures of the home countries. A few principles are enlisted here:
1. MNC should respect the basic human rights of the people of the host countries.
2. The activities of the MNC should give economic and transfer technical benefits, and implement
welfare measures of the workers of the host countries.
3. The business practices of the multinational organisations should improve and promote morally
justified institutions in the host countries.
4. The multinationals must respect the laws and political set up, besides cultures and promote
the cultures of the host countries.
5. The multinational organisations should provide a fair remuneration to the employees of the
host countries. If the remuneration is high as that of home country, this may create tensions
and if it is too low it will lead to exploitation.
6. Multinational institutions should provide necessary safety for the workers when they are
engaged in hazardous activities and ‘informed consent’ should be obtained from them.
Adequate compensation should be paid to them for the additional risks undertaken.
Case Study: Bhopal Gas Tragedy
The Union Carbide had 51% and the Indian subsidiary UC India Ltd. had 49% of stock. In 1983, there
were 14 plants in India manufacturing chemicals, pesticides, and other hazardous products. The Bhopal
plant had a license to make Methyl isocyanate-based pesticides. In November 1984, they had decided
to close down the plant. For quite some years before the production rate was going down.
In the history of chemical plants disasters, three other wake-up calls were reported. Flixborough
accident in 1974 in U.K. when certain modifications carried out in the plant led to the leakage and
explosion of cyclohexane, which killed 28 people. The Piper Alpha offshore oil platform disaster in
1988, near Scotland, killed 167 people and resulted in $ 2 billion losses. The third occurred in Toulouse,
France in 2001, killing 29 people, and injuring thousands. A warehouse holding 300 tonnes of ammonium
nitrate fertilizer exploded and damaged 10000 buildings, including schools, a university, and a hospital.
But we have not learnt from the past.
The cumulative effects of the following factors caused the tragedy in Bhopal on December 3,
1984.
Global Issues 93

1. Maintenance was neglected and the trained maintenance personnel were reduced as economy
measure. Need for quick diagnosis aggravates the situation by causing considerable
psychological stress on the plant personnel.
2. Training activities for the supervisory personnel were stopped. This led to inadequate training
of the personnel to handle emergencies.
3. Periodical Safety Inspection teams from U.S. which visited previously were also stopped.
From the initial U.S. Standards, the safety procedures were reduced to low level Indian
standards. The procedures had been deteriorating at these sites for weeks or months, prior to
the accident. There was clear lack of management systems and procedures to ensure safety.
4. Vital spares for equipments and machineries were not available
5. Absence of capital replacement led to the stagnant economy of the plant.
6. The high turnover of the experienced engineers and technicians, who were demoralized by
the lack of development.
7. Lack of experienced personnel to operate and control the vital installations.
8. They have not conducted a thorough process hazards analysis that would have exposed the
serious hazards which resulted in disaster later.
9. No emergency plan was put in practice, during the shut down and maintenance.
10. Above all, the commitment of top-level management to safety was lacking. They have been
paying only lip service to safety of people of the host country.
Technologically, the tragedy was caused by a series of events listed:
1. The safety manual of Union Carbide prescribed that the MIC tanks were to be filled only up
to 60% of the capacity. But the tanks were reported to have been filled up to 75%.
2. The safety policy prescribed that an empty tank should be available as a stand-bye in case of
emergency. But the emergency tank was also filled with to its full capacity. These facts
confirmed that the MNC had not followed and implemented appropriate safety standards of
the home country in the host country. Can this be called as an example of ‘misappropriate
technology’?
3. The storage tanks should be refrigerated to make the chemical less reactive. But here the
refrigeration system was shut down as an economy measure. This raised the temperature of
the gas stored.
4. The plant was shut down for maintenance two months earlier. The worker who cleaned the
pipes and filters connected to the tanks and closed the valves, was not trained properly. He
did not insert the safety disks to prevent any possible leakage of the gas. This led to the build
up of temperature and pressure in the storage tanks.
5. When the gas started leaking out, the operators tried to use the vent gas-scrubber that was
designed to reduce the exhausting gas. But that scrubber was also shut down.
6. There was a flare tower that was designed to burn-off the gas escaping from the scrubber.
That was not also in working condition.
7. The workers finally tried to spray water up to 100 feet to quench the gas (which is water
soluble). But the gas was escaping from the chimney of 120-feet high.
8. The workers were not trained on safety drills or emergency drills or any evacuation plans.
94 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

The gas escaped into the air and spread over 40 sq. km. About 600 people died and left 7000
injured and the health of about 2 million people was affected adversely. Even after 22 years, influence
of the Central Government and the courts, the compensation had not reached all the affected people.
Ethical Balance
Should an organization adopt the rules and practices of the host country fully and face dangers and
other serious consequences or adopt strictly their own country’s standards and practices in the host
country?
There is a saying, “When in Rome do as Romans do”. Can this be applied in the case of MNCs?
This is called ethical relativism. The actions of corporation and individuals that are accepted by law,
custom and other values of a society can be morally right in that society. It is morally false, if it is
illogical. It means, the corporation (and the engineers) functioning in other countries must understand
their law, customs, and beliefs and act in line with those prevailing in that country. This will lead to
disaster if the country is a developing one where the safety standards are given a go-bye. Laws and
conventions are not morally self-sustaining. In a overpopulated country, the loss of human lives may
not physically affect them, but the tragedy cast shadow for over decades, as it happened in Bhopal in
1984. This will be criticized from the points of view of human rights, public welfare, and respect to
people.
On the other hand, the organizations may practice laws of the home country, without adjustments
to the host culture. This stand is called ethical absolutism. This is again false, since the moral principles
in a different culture come into conflicts, and implementation in the ‘hostile’ culture is almost impossible.
Hence, MNCs may adopt ethical relationalism (contexualism) as a compromise. Moral judgments
are made in relation to the factors prevailing locally, without framing rigid rules. The judgments
should be contextual and in line with the customs of other cultures. The ethical pluralism which views
more than one justifiable moral solution is also adaptable. This principle accepts cultural diversity and
respects the legitimate cultural differences among individuals and groups, of the host country.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
Environmental ethics is the study of (a) moral issues concerning the environment, and (b) moral
perspectives, beliefs, or attitudes concerning those issues.
Engineers in the past are known for their negligence of environment, in their activities. It has
become important now that engineers design eco-friendly tools, machines, sustainable products,
processes, and projects. These are essential now to (a) ensure protection (safety) of environment (b)
prevent the degradation of environment, and (c) slow down the exploitation of the natural resources, so
that the future generation can survive.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) code of ethics, has specifically requires that
“engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply
with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of professional duties” The term
sustainable development emphasizes on the investment, orientation of technology, development and
functioning of organizations to meet the present needs of people and at the same time ensuring the
future generations to meet their needs.
Global Issues 95

Compaq Computer Corporation (now merged with HP) was the leader, who exhibited their
commitment to environmental health, through implementation of the concept of ‘Design for environment’
on their products, unified standards all over the world units, and giving priority to vendors with a
record of environmental concern.
Engineers as experimenters have certain duties towards environmental ethics, namely:
1. Environmental impact assessment: One major but sure and unintended effect of technology
is wastage and the resulting pollution of land, water, air and even space. Study how the
industry and technology affects the environment.
2. Establish standards: Study and to fix the tolerable and actual pollution levels.
3. Counter measures: Study what the protective or eliminating measures are available for
immediate implementation
4. Environmental awareness: Study on how to educate the people on environmental practices,
issues, and possible remedies.
5.2.1 Disasters

1. Plastic Waste Disposal

In our country, several crores of plastic bottles are used as containers for water and oil, and plastic bags
are used to pack different materials ranging from vegetables to gold ornaments. Hardly any of these are
recycled. They end up in gutters, roadsides, and agricultural fields. In all these destinations, they
created havoc. The worse still is the burning of plastic materials in streets and camphor along with
plastic cover in temples, since they release toxic fumes and threaten seriously the air quality. Cities and
local administration have to act on this, collect and arrange for recycling through industries.
2. e-Waste Disposal
The parts of computers and electronic devices which have served its useful life present a major
environmental issue for all the developing countries including India. This scrap contains highly toxic
elements such as lead, cadmium, and mercury.
Even the radioactive waste will lose 89% of its toxicity after 200 years, by which time it will be
no more toxic than some natural minerals in the ground. It will lose 99% of its remaining toxicity over
the next 30,000 years. The toxic chemical agents such as mercury, arsenic, and cadmium retain toxicity
undiminished for ever.
But these scraps are illegally imported by unscrupulous agencies to salvage some commercially-
valuable inputs. Instead of spending and managing on the scrap, unethical organizations sell them to
countries such as India. This is strictly in violation of the Basel Convention of the United Nations
Environment Program, which has banned the movement of hazardous waste. A recent report of the
British Environment Agency,13 has revealed that the discarded computers, television sets, refrigerators,
mobile phones, and electrical equipments have been dispatched to India and Pakistan in large quantity,
for ultimate disposal in environmentally-unacceptable ways and at great risk to the health of the labour.
Even in the West, the electronic junk has been posing problems. Strong regulation including (a)
pressure on industries to set up disassembling facilities, (b) ban on disposal in landfill sites, (c) legislation
for recycling requirements for these junk and (d) policy incentives for eco-friendly design are essential
for our country. The European Union through the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
96 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

directive has curbed the e-waste dumping by member countries and require manufacturers to implement
methods to recover and recycle the components.
Indian Government expressed its concern through a technical guide on environmental management
for IT Industry in December, 2004. It is yet to ratify the ban on movement of hazardous waste according
to the Basel Convention. A foreign news agency exposed a few years back, the existence of a thriving
e-waste disposal hub in a suburb of New Delhi, operating in appallingly dangerous conditions. Our
country needs regulations to define waste, measures to stop illegal imports, and institutional structures
to handle safe disposal of domestic industrial scrap.
3. Industrial Waste Disposal
There has been a lot of complaints through the media, on (a) against the Sterlite Copper Smelting Plant
in Thuthukkudi (1997) against its pollution, and (b) when Indian companies imported the discarded
French Warship Clemenceau for disposal, the poisonous asbestos compounds were expected to pollute
the atmosphere besides exposing the labor to a great risk, during the disposal. The government did not
act immediately. Fortunately for Indians, the French Government intervened and withdrew the ship,
and the serious threat was averted!
4. Depletion of Ozone Layer
The ozone layer protects the entire planet from the ill-effects of ultraviolet radiation and is vital for all
living organisms in this world. But it is eaten away by the Chloro-fluro-carbons (CFC) such as freon
emanating from the refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol can spray. This has caused also skin
cancer to sun-bathers in the Western countries. Further NO and NO2 gases were also found to react
with the ozone. Apart from engineers, the organizations, laws of the country and local administration
and market mechanisms are required to take up concerted efforts to protect the environment.
5. Global Warming
Over the past 30 years, the Earth has warmed by 0.6 °C. Over the last 100 years, it has warmed by
0.8 °C. It is likely to push up temperature by 3 oC by 2100, according to NASA’s studies. The U.S.
administration has accepted the reality of global climate change, which has been associated with stronger
hurricanes, severe droughts, intense heat waves and the melting of polar ice. Greenhouse gases, notably
carbon dioxide emitted by motor vehicles and coal-fired power plants, trap heat like the glass walls of
a greenhouse, cause the Earth to warm up. Delegates from the six countries — Australia, China, India,
Japan, South Korea and US met in California in April 2006 for the first working session of the Asia-
Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. These six countries account for about half of
the world’s emissions of climate-heating greenhouse gases. Only one of the six, Japan, is committed to
reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012 under the Kyoto
Agreement.
About 190 nations met in Germany in the middle of May 2006 and tried to bridge vast policy
gaps between the United States and its main allies over how to combat climate change amid growing
evidence that the world is warming that could wreak havoc by stoking more droughts, heat waves,
floods, more powerful storms and raise global sea levels by almost a meter by 2100.
Global Issues 97

6. Acid Rain
Large emissions of sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides are being released in to the air from the thermal
power stations using the fossil fuels, and several processing industries. These gases form compounds
with water in the air and precipitates as rain or snow on to the earth. The acid rain in some parts of the
world has caused sufficient damage to the fertility of the land and to the human beings.
5.2.2 Human-centered Environmental Ethics
This approach assumes that only human beings have inherent moral worth duly to be taken care of.
Other living being and ecosystems are only instrumental in nature. Utilitarianism aims to maximize
good consequences for human beings. Most of the goods are engineered products made out of natural
resources. Human beings have also (a) recreational interests (enjoy leisure through mountaineering,
sports, and pastimes), (b) aesthetic interests (enjoy nature as from seeing waterfalls and snow-clad
mountains), (c) scientific interests to explore into nature or processes, and (d) a basic interest to
survive, by preservation as well as conservation of nature and natural resources.
Rights ethicists favor the basic rights to live and right to liberty, to realise the right to a live in a
supportive environment. Further, virtue ethics stresses importance of prudence, humility, appreciation
of natural beauty, and gratitude to the mother nature that provides everything.
However, the nature-centered ethics, which ensures the worth of all living beings and organisms,
seems to be more appropriate in the present-day context. Many Asian religions stress the unity with
nature, rather than domination and exploitation. The Zen Buddhism calls for a simple life with
compassion towards humans and other animals. Hinduism enshrines the ideal of oneness (advaitha) in
and principle of ahimsa to all living beings. It identifies all the human beings, animals, and plants as
divine. The eco-balance is the need of the hour and the engineers are the right experimenters to achieve
this.

5.3 COMPUTER ETHICS

Computer ethics is defined as (a) study and analysis of nature and social impact of computer technology,
(b) formulation and justification of policies, for ethical use of computers. This subject has become
relevant to the professionals such as designers of computers, programmers, system analysts, system
managers, and operators. The use of computers have raised a host of moral concerns such as free
speech, privacy, intellectual property right, and physical as well as mental harm. There appears to be
no conceptual framework available on ethics, to study and understand and resolve the problems in
computer technology.
Types of Issues
Different types of problems are found in computer ethics.
1. Computer as the Instrument of Unethical Acts
(a) The usage of computer replaces the job positions. This has been overcome to a large extent
by readjusting work assignments, and training everyone on computer applications such as
word processing, editing, and graphics.
98 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(b) Breaking privacy. Information or data of the individuals accessed or erased or the ownership
changed.
(c) Defraud a bank or a client, by accessing and withdrawing money from other’s bank account.
2. Computer as the Object of Unethical Act
The data are accessed and deleted or changed.
(a) Hacking: The software is stolen or information is accessed from other computers. This may
cause financial loss to the business or violation of privacy rights of the individuals or business.
In case of defense information being hacked, this may endanger the security of the nation.
(b) Spreading virus: Through mail or otherwise, other computers are accessed and the files are
erased or contents changed altogether. ‘Trojan horses’ are implanted to distort the messages
and files beyond recovery. This again causes financial loss or mental torture to the individuals.
Some hackers feel that they have justified their right of free information or they do it for
fun. However, these acts are certainly unethical.
(c) Health hazard: The computers pose threat during their use as well as during disposal. These
are discussed in # 5.3.2 and # 5.2.1, respectively, in detail.
3. Problems Related to the Autonomous Nature of Computer

(a) Security risk: Recently the Tokyo Stock Exchange faced a major embarrassment. A seemingly
casual mistake by a junior trader of a large security house led to huge losses including that of
reputation. The order through the exchange’s trading system was to sell one share for 600,000
Yen. Instead the trader keyed in a sale order for 600,000 shares at the rate of one Yen each.
Naturally the shares on offer at the ridiculously low price were lapped up. And only a few
buyers agreed to reverse the deal! The loss to the securities firm was said to be huge, running
into several hundred thousands. More important to note, such an obvious mistake could not
be corrected by some of the advanced technology available. For advanced countries like
Japan who have imbibed the latest technology, this would be a new kind of learning
experience.12
(b) Loss of human lives: Risk and loss of human lives lost by computer, in the operational
control of military weapons. There is a dangerous instability in automated defense system.
An unexpected error in the software or hardware or a conflict during interfacing between
the two, may trigger a serious attack and cause irreparable human loss before the error is
traced. The Chinese embassy was bombed by U.S. military in Iraq a few years back, but
enquiries revealed that the building was shown in a previous map as the building where
insurgents stayed.
(c) In flexible manufacturing systems, the autonomous computer is beneficial in obtaining
continuous monitoring and automatic control.
Various issues related to computer ethics are discussed as follows:
Computers In Workplace
The ethical problems initiated by computers in the workplace are:
1. Elimination of routine and manual jobs. This leads to unemployment, but the creation of
skilled and IT-enabled service jobs are more advantageous for the people. Initially this may
Global Issues 99

require some upgradation of their skills and knowledge, but a formal training will set this
problem right. For example, in place of a typist, we have a programmer or an accountant.
2. Health and safety: The ill-effects due to electromagnetic radiation, especially on women and
pregnant employees, mental stress, wrist problem known as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, and
backpain due to poor ergonomic seating designs, and eye strain due to poor lighting and
flickers in the display and long exposure, have been reported worldwide. Over a period of
long exposure, these are expected to affect the health and safety of the people. The computer
designers should take care of these aspects and management should monitor the health and
safety of the computer personnel.
3. Computer failure: Failure in computers may be due to errors in the hardware or software.
Hardware errors are rare and they can be solved easily and quickly. But software errors are
very serious as they can stop the entire network. Testing and quality systems for software
have gained relevance and importance in the recent past, to avoid or minimize these errors.
Property Issues
The property issues concerned with the computers are:
1. Computers have been used to extort money through anonymous telephone calls.
2. Computers are used to cheat and steal by current as well as previous employees.
3. Cheating of and stealing from the customers and clients.
4. Violation of contracts on computer sales and services.
5. Conspiracy as a group, especially with the internet, to defraud the gullible, stealing the
identity and to forge documents.
6. Violation of property rights: Is the software a property? The software could be either a
Program (an algorithm, indicating the steps in solving a problem) or a Source code (the
algorithm in a general computer language such as FORTAN, C and COBOL or an Object
code (to translate the source code into the machine language). How do we apply the concept
of property here? This demands a framework for ethical judgments.
Property is what the laws permits and defines as can be owned, exchanged, and used. The computer
hardware (product) is protected by patents. The software (idea, expression) is protected by copyrights
and trade secrets. But algorithms can not be copyrighted, because the mathematical formulas can be
discovered but not owned. The object codes which are not intelligible to human beings can not be
copyrighted.
Thus, we see that reproducing multiple copies from one copy of (licensed) software and distribution
or sales are crimes. The open source concepts have, to a great extent, liberalized and promoted the use
of computer programs for the betterment of society.
Computer Crime
The ethical features involved in computer crime are:
1. Physical Security
The computers are to be protected against theft, fire, and physical damage. This can be achieved by
proper insurance on the assets.
100 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

2. Logical security
The aspects related are (a) the privacy of the individuals or organizations, (b) confidentiality, (c)
integrity, to ensure that the modification of data or program are done only by the authorized persons,
(d) uninterrupted service. This is achieved by installing appropriate uninterrupted power supply or
back-up provisions, and (e) protection against hacking that causes dislocation or distortion. Licensed
anti-virus packages and firewalls are used by all computer users to ensure this protection. Passwords
and data encryption have been incorporated in the computer software as security measures. But these
have also been attacked and bye-passed. But this problem is not been solved completely.
Major weaknesses in this direction are: (a) the difficulty in tracing the evidence involved and (b)
absence of stringent punishment against the crime. The origin of a threat to the Central Government
posted from an obscure browsing center, remained unsolved for quite a long time. Many times, such
crimes have been traced, but there are no clear cyber laws to punish and deter the criminals.
Privacy and Anonymity
The data transmission and accessibility have improved tremendously by using the computers, but the
right to privacy has been threatened to a great extent. Some issues concerned with the privacy are listed
hereunder:
1. Records of Evidence
Service records or criminal records and the details of people can be stored and accessed to prove the
innocence or guilty. Records on psychiatric treatment by medical practitioners or hospital, or records
of membership of organizations may sometime embarrass the persons in later years.
2. Hacking
There are computer enthusiasts who willfully or for fun, plant virus or “Trojan horses” that may fill
the disc space, falsify information, erase files, and even harm the hardware. They breakdown the
functioning of computers and can be treated as violation of property rights. Some hackers opine that
the information should be freely available for everybody. It is prudent that the right to individual
privacy in limiting the access to the information on oneself, should not be violated. Further any
unauthorized use of personal information (which is a property), is to be considered as theft. Besides the
individual privacy, the national security, and freedom within the economy are to be respected. The
proprietary information and data of the organizations are to be protected so that they can pursue the
goals without hindrance.
3. Legal Response
In the Indian scene, the Right to Information Act 2005 14 provides the right to the citizens to secure
access to information under the control of public authorities, including the departments of the central
government, state governments, government bodies, public sector companies and public sector banks,
to promote transparency and accountability of public authorities.
Right to information: Under the Act, section 2 (j), the right to information includes the right to
(1) Inspect works, documents, records, (2) take notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or
records, (3) take certified samples of material, and (4) obtain information in the form of printouts,
diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode.
Global Issues 101

WHAT IS NOT OPEN TO DISCLOSURE? The following are exempt from disclosure (Sections
8 and 11)
1. Information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of
India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the state, relation with,
foreign state or lead to incitement of an offence.
2. Information which has been expressly forbidden to be published by any court of law or
tribunal or the disclosure of which may constitute contempt of court.
3. Information, the disclosure of which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the
State Legislature.
4. Information including commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property, the
disclosure of which would harm the competitive position of a third party, unless the competent
authority is satisfied that larger public *interest warrants the disclosure of such information.
5. Information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship, unless the competent authority
is satisfied that *the larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information.
6. Information received in confidence from foreign government.
7. Information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any
person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law
enforcement or security purposes.
8. Information which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution
of offenders.
9. Information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship
to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy
of the individual.
10. Notwithstanding anything in the Official Secrets Act 1923 nor any of the exemptions listed
above, a public authority may allow access to information, if public interest in disclosure
outweighs the harm to the protected interests.
11. Where the Information Officer, intends to disclose any information or record, on a request,
which relates to or has been supplied by a third party and has been treated as confidential by
that third party, the officer shall give a written notice to such third party of the request and
of the fact that the officer intends to disclose the information, and invites the third party to
m ake a submission inwriting or orally, regarding whether the information should be disclosed,
and such submission of the third party shall be kept in view while taking a decision about
disclosure of information: provided that except in the case of trade or commercial secrets
protected by law, disclosure may be allowed if the public interest in disclosure outweighs in
importance any possible harm or injury to the interests of such third party.
Laws to regulate the access to information are very expensive to enforce and inconvenient to
genuine users such as accessing records of people for medical research.
4. Anonymity
Anonymity in the computer communication has some merits as well as demerits. While seeking medical
or psychological counseling or discussion (chat) on topics, such as AIDS, abortion, gay rights, the
102 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

anonymity offers protection (against revealing their identity). But frequently, anonymity is misused by
some people for money laundering, drug trafficking and preying upon the vulnerable.
Professional Responsibility
The computer professionals should be aware of different conflicts of interests as they transact with
other at different levels. The IEEE and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) have established
the codes of ethics to manage such responsibilities.
The Big Net
Almost all the countries are now connected by the internet. But there are no international laws to
regulate the issues of freedom of speech, intellectual property rights, privacy rights etc. Another
development in this direction is, the universities offering degrees-on-line. Third World is certainly
gaining knowledge and education. Even Google.com has announced plans to publish research papers
through the World Wide Web. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is internationalised! Will this lead to
empowerment of the Third World and promotion of World peace? Only the future can answer this
question.

WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT
Military activities including the world wars have stimulated the growth of technology. The growth of
Internet amply illustrates this fact. The development of warfare and the involvement of engineers bring
out many ethical issues concerned with engineers, such as the issue of integrity in experiments as well
as expenditure in defense research and development, issue of personal commitment and conscience,
and the issues of social justice and social health.
Engineers involve in weapons development because of the following reasons:
1. It gives one job with high salary.
2. One takes pride and honor in participating in the activities towards the defense of the nation
(patriotic fervor).
3. One believes the he fights a war on terrorism and thereby contribute to peace and stability of
the country. Ironically, the wars have never won peace, only peace can win peace!
4. By research and development, the engineer is reducing or eliminating the risk from enemy
weapons, and saving one’s country from disaster.
5. By building-up arsenals and show of force, a country can force the rogue country, towards
regulation. Engineers can participate effectively in arms control negotiations for surrender
or peace, e.g., bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima led to surrender by the Japanese in
1945.
Many engineers had to fight and convince their personal conscience. The scene such as that of a
Vietnamese village girl running wild with burns on the body and horror in the face and curse in her
mind has moved some engineers away from their jobs.
Global Issues 103

ENGINEERS AS MANAGERS
Characteristics
The characteristics of engineers as managers are:
1. Promote an ethical climate, through framing organization policies, responsibilities and by
personal attitudes and obligations.
2. Resolving conflicts, by evolving priority, developing mutual understanding, generating various
alternative solutions to problems.
3. Social responsibility to stakeholders, customers and employers. They act to develop wealth
as well as the welfare of the society. Ethicists project the view that the manager’s responsibility
is only to increase the profit of the organization, and only the engineers have the responsibility
to protect the safety, health, and welfare of the public. But managers have the ethical
responsibility to produce safe and good products (or useful service), while showing respect
for the human beings who include the employees, customers and the public. Hence, the
objective for the managers and engineers is to produce valuable products that are also
profitable.
Managing Conflicts
In solving conflicts, force should not be resorted. In fact, the conflict situations should be tolerated,
understood, and resolved by participation by all the concerned. The conflicts in case of project managers
arise in the following manners:
(a) Conflicts based on schedules: This happens because of various levels of execution, priority
and limitations of each level.
(b) Conflicts arising out of fixing the priority to different projects or departments. This is to be
arrived at from the end requirements and it may change from time to time.
(c) Conflict based on the availability of personnel.
(d) Conflict over technical, economic, and time factors such as cost, time, and performance
level.
(e) Conflict arising in administration such as authority, responsibility, accountability, and logistics
required.
(f) Conflicts of personality, human psychology and ego problems.
(g) Conflict over expenditure and its deviations.
Most of the conflicts can be resolved by following the principles listed here:
1. People
Separate people from the problem. It implies that the views of all concerned should be obtained. The
questions such as what, why, and when the error was committed is more important than to know who
committed it. This impersonal approach will lead to not only early solution but also others will be
prevented from committing errors.
2. Interests
Focus must be only on interest i.e., the ethical attitudes or motives and not on the positions (i.e., stated
views). A supplier may require commission larger than usual prevailing rate for an agricultural product.
104 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

But the past analysis may tell us that the material is not cultivated regularly and the monsoon poses
some additional risk towards the supply. Mutual interests must be respected to a maximum level. What
is right is more important than who is right!
3. Options
Generate various options as solutions to the problem. This helps a manager to try the next best solution
should the first one fails. Decision on alternate solutions can be taken more easily and without loss of
time.
4. Evaluation
The evaluation of the results should be based on some specified objectives such as efficiency, quality,
and customer satisfaction. More important is that the means, not only the goals, should be ethical.

CONSULTING ENGINEERS
The consulting engineers work in private. There is no salary from the employers. But they charge fees
from the sponsor and they have more freedom to decide on their projects. Still they have no absolute
freedom, because they need to earn for their living. The consulting engineers have ethical responsibilities
different from the salaried engineers, as follows:
1. Advertising
The consulting engineers are directly responsible for advertising their services, even if they employ
other consultants to assist them. But in many organisations, this responsibility is with the advertising
executives and the personnel department.
They are allowed to advertise but to avoid deceptive ones. Deceptive advertising such as the
following are prohibited:
(a) By white lies.
(b) Half-truth, e.g., a product has actually been tested as prototype, but it was claimed to have
been already introduced in the market. An architect shows the photograph of the completed
building with flowering trees around but actually the foundation of the building has been
completed and there is no real garden.
(c) Exaggerated claims. The consultant might have played a small role in a well-known project.
But they could claim to have played a major role.
(d) Making false suggestions. The reduction in cost might have been achieved along with the
reduction in strength, but the strength details are hidden.
(e) Through vague wordings or slogans.
2. Competitive Bidding
It means offering a price, and get something in return for the service offered. The organizations have
a pool of engineers. The expertise can be shared and the bidding is made more realistic. But the
individual consultants have to develop creative designs and build their reputation steadily and carefully,
over a period of time. The clients will have to choose between the reputed organizations and proven
Global Issues 105

qualifications of the company and the expertise of the consultants. Although competent, the younger
consultants are thus slightly at a disadvantage.
3. Contingency Fee
This is the fee or commission paid to the consultant, when one is successful in saving the expenses for
the client. A sense of honesty and fairness is required in fixing this fee. The NSPE Code III 6 (a) says
that the engineers shall not propose or accept a commission on a contingent basis where their judgment
may be compromised.
The fee may be either as an agreed amount or a fixed percentage of the savings realized. But in
the contingency fee-agreements, the judgment of the consultant may be biased. The consultant may be
tempted to specify inferior materials or design methods to cut the construction cost. This fee may
motivate the consultants to effect saving in the costs to the clients, through reasonably moral and
technological means.
4. Safety and Client’s Needs
The greater freedom for the consulting engineers in decision making on safety aspects, and difficulties
concerning truthfulness are the matters to be given attention. For example, in design-only projects, the
consulting engineers may design something and have no role in the construction. Sometimes, difficulties
may crop-up during construction due to non-availability of suitable materials, some shortcuts in
construction, and lack of necessary and adequate supervision and inspection. Properly-trained supervision
is needed, but may not happen, unless it is provided. Further, the contractor may not understand
and/or be willing to modify the original design to serve the clients best.
A few on-site inspections by the consulting engineers will expose the deficiency in execution and
save the workers, the public, and the environment that may be exposed to risk upon completion of the
project.
The NSPE codes on the advertisement by consultants provide some specific regulations. The
following are the activities prohibited in advertisement by consultant:
1. The use of statement containing misrepresentation or omission of a necessary fact.
2. Statement intended or likely to create an unjustified expectation.
3. Statement containing prediction of future (probable) success.
4. Statement intended or likely to attract clients, by the use of slogans or sensational language
format.

ENGINEERS AS EXPERT WITNESS

Frequently engineers are required to act as consultants and provide expert opinion and views in many
legal cases of the past events. They are required to explain the causes of accidents, malfunctions and
other technological behavior of structures, machines, and instruments, e.g., personal injury while
using an instrument, defective product, traffic accident, structure or building collapse, and damage to
the property, are some of the cases where testimonies are needed. The focus is on the past.
The functions of eye-witness and expert-witness are different as presented in the Table 5.1.
106 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Table 5.1 Eye-witness and expert-witness

Eye-witness Expert-witness

1. Eye-witness gives evidence on only what has 1. Gives expert view on the facts in their area
been seen or heard actually (perceived of their expertise
facts) 2. Interprets the facts, in term of the cause
and effect relationship
3. Comments on the view of the opposite
side
4. Reports on the professional standards,
especially on the precautions when the
product is made or the service is provided

The engineers, who act as expert-witnesses, are likely to abuse their positions in the following
manners:
1. Hired Guns
Mostly lawyers hire engineers to serve the interest of their clients. Lawyers are permitted and required
to project the case in a way favorable to their clients. But the engineers have obligations to thoroughly
examine the events and demonstrate their professional integrity to testify only the truth in the court.
They do not serve the clients of the lawyers directly. The hired guns forward white lies and distortions,
as demanded by the lawyers. They even withhold the information or shade the fact, to favor their
clients.
2. Money Bias
Consultants may be influenced or prejudiced for monitory considerations, gain reputation and make a
fortune.
3. Ego Bias
The assumption that the own side is innocent and the other side is guilty, is responsible for this behavior.
An inordinate desire to serve one’s client and get name and fame is another reason for this bias.
4. Sympathy Bias
Sympathy for the victim on the opposite side may upset the testimony. The integrity of the consultants
will keep these biases away from the justice. The court also must obtain the balanced view of both
sides, by examining the expert witnesses of lawyers on both sides, to remove a probable bias.
Duties
1. The expert-witness is required to exhibit the responsibility of confidentiality just as they do
in the consulting roles. They can not divulge the findings of the investigation to the opposite
side, unless it is required by the court of law.
2. More important is that as witness they are not required to volunteer evidence favorable to the
opponent. They must answer questions truthfully, need not elaborate, and remain neutral
until the details are asked for further.
3. They should be objective to discover the truth and communicate them honestly.
Global Issues 107

4. The stand of the experts depends on the shared understanding created within the society. The
legal system should be respected and at the same time, they should act in conformance with
the professional standards as obtained from the code of ethics.
5. The experts should earnestly be impartial in identifying and interpreting the observed data,
recorded data, and the industrial standards. They should not distort the truth, even under
pressure. Although they are hired by the lawyers, they do not serve the lawyers or their
clients. They serve the justice. Many a time, their objective judgments will help the lawyer
to put up the best defense for their clients.
ENGINEERS AS ADVISORS IN PLANNING AND POLICY MAKING
Advisors
The engineers are required to give their view on the future such as in planning, policy-making, which
involves the technology. For example, should India expand nuclear power options or support traditional
energy sources such as fossil fuels or alternative forms like solar and wind energy? In the recent past,
this topic has created lot of fireworks, in the national media.
Various issues and requirements for engineers who act as advisors are:
1. Objectivity
The engineers should study the cost and benefits of all possible alternative means in objective manner,
within the specified conditions and assumptions.
2. Study All Aspects
They have to study the economic viability (effectiveness), technical feasibility (efficiency), operational
feasibility (skills) and social acceptability, which include environmental and ethical aspects, before
formulating the policy.
3. Values
Engineers have to posses the qualities, such as (a) honesty, (b) competence (skills and expertise),
(c) diligence (careful and alert) (d) loyalty in serving the interests of the clients and maintaining
confidentiality, and (e) public trust, and respect for the common good, rather than serving only the
interests of the clients or the political interests.
4. Technical Complexity
The arbitrary, unrealistic, and controversial assumptions made during the future planning that are
overlooked or not verified, will lead to moral complexity. The study on future is full of uncertainties
than the investigations on the past events. On the study of energy options, for example, assumptions on
population increase, life style, urbanization, availability of local fossil resources, projected costs of
generating alternative forms of energy, world political scenario, world military tensions and pressures
from world organizations such as World Trade Organisation (W.T.O.) and European Union (EU) may
increase the complexity in judgment on future.
5. National Security
The proposed options should be aimed to strengthen the economy and security of the nation, besides
safeguarding the natural resources and the environment from exploitation and degradation.
108 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

For the advisors on policy making or planning, a shared understanding on balancing the conflicting
responsibilities, both to the clients and to the public, can be effected by the following roles or models:
1. Hired Gun
The prime obligation is shown to the clients. The data and facts favorable to the clients are highlighted,
and unfavorable aspects are hidden or treated as insignificant. The minimal level of interest is shown
for public welfare.
2. Value-neutral Analysts
This assumes an impartial engineer. They exhibit conscientious decisions, impartiality i.e., without
bias, fear or favor, and absence of advocacy.
3. Value-guided Advocates
The consulting engineers remain honest (frank in stating all the relevant facts and truthful in interpretation
of the facts) and autonomous (independent) in judgement and show paramount importance to the
public (as different from the hired guns).

MORAL LEADERSHIP
Engineers provide many types of leadership in the development and implementation of technology, as
managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, academics and officials of the government. Moral leadership is
not merely the dominance by a group. It means adopting reasonable means to motivate the groups to
achieve morally desirable goals. This leadership presents the engineers with many challenges to their
moral principles.
Moral leadership is essentially required for the engineers, for the reasons listed as follows:
1. It is leading a group of people towards the achievement of global and objectives. The goals
as well as the means are to be moral. For example, Hitler and Stalin were leaders, but only
in an instrumental sense and certainly not on moral sense.
2. The leadership shall direct and motivate the group to move through morally desirable ways.
3. They lead by thinking ahead in time, and morally creative towards new applications, extension
and putting values into practice. ‘Morally creative’ means the identification of the most
important values as applicable to the situation, bringing clarity within the groups through
proper communication, and putting those values into practice.
4. They sustain professional interest, among social diversity and cross-disciplinary complexity.
They contribute to the professional societies, their professions, and to their communities.
The moral leadership in engineering is manifested in leadership within the professional
societies. The professional societies provide a forum for communication, and canvassing for
change within and by groups.
5. Voluntarism: Another important avenue for providing moral leadership within communities,
by the engineers is to promote services without fee or at reduced fees (pro bono) to the
needy groups. The professional societies can also promote such activities among the engineers.
This type of voluntarism (or philanthropy) has been in practice in the fields of medicine,
law and education. But many of the engineers are not self-employed as in the case of physicians
Global Issues 109

and lawyers. The business institutions are encouraged to contribute a percentage of their
services as free or at concessional rates for charitable purposes.
6. Community service: This is another platform for the engineers to exhibit their moral leadership.
The engineers can help in guiding, organising, and stimulating the community towards
morally- and environmentally-desirable goals. The corporate organizations have come forward
to adopt villages and execute many social welfare schemes, towards this objective.
The Codes of Ethics promote and sustain the ethical environment and assist in achieving the
ethical goals in the following manner:
1. It creates an environment in a profession, where ethical behavior is the basic criterion.
2. It guides and reminds the person as to how to act, in any given situation.
3. It provides support to the individual, who is being pressurized or tortured by a superior or
employer, to behave unethically.
4. Apart from professional societies, companies and universities have framed their own codes
of ethics, based on the individual circumstances and specific mission of the organisations.
These codes of conduct help in employees’ awareness of ethical issues, establish, and nurture
a strong corporate ethical culture.

CODES OF ETHICS
National Society of Professional Engineers

Preamble
Engineering is an important and learned profession. As members of this profession, engineers are
expected to exhibit the higher standards of honesty and integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital
impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require
honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of then public
health, safety, and welfare. Engineer must perform under a standard of professional behavior that
requires adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct.
I Fundamental Canons
Engineers in the fulfillment of their professional duties shall
1. hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
2. perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. issue public statements only in objective and truthful manner.
4. act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. avoid deceptive acts.
6. conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the
honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.
II Rules of Practice
1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
(a) If engineers’ judgment is overruled under circumstances that endanger life or property,
they shall notify their employer or client and such other authority as may be appropriate.
110 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(b) Engineers shall approve only those engineering documents that are in conformity with
applicable standards.
(c) Engineers shall not reveal facts, data, or information without prior consent of the
client or employer except as authorized or required by law or this code.
(d) Engineers shall not permit the use of their name or associate in business ventures with
any person or firm that they believe are engaged in fraudulent or dishonest enterprise.
(e) Engineers shall not aid or abet the unlawful practice of engineering by a person or
firm.
(f) Engineers having knowledge of any alleged violation of this Code shall report thereon
to appropriate professional bodies and when relevant, also to public authorities, and
cooperate with the proper authorities in furnishing such information or assistance as
may be required.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.
(a) Engineers shall undertake assignments only when qualified by education or experience
in the specific technical fields involved.
(b) Engineers shall not affix their signatures to any plans or documents dealing with the
subject matter in which they lack competence, nor to any plan or document not prepared
under their direction and control.
(c) Engineers may accept assignments and assume responsibility for coordination of an
entire project and sign and seal the engineering documents for the entire project, provided
that each technical segment is signed and sealed only by the qualified engineers who
prepared the segment.
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
(a) Engineers shall be objective and truthful in professional reports, statements, or testimony.
They shall include all relevant and pertinent information in such reports, statements,
or testimony, which should bear the date indicating when it was current.
(b) Engineers may express publicly technical options that are founded upon knowledge of
the facts and competence in the subject matter.
(c) Engineers shall issue no statements, criticisms, or arguments on technical matters that
are inspired or paid for by interested parties on prefaced their comments by explicitly
identifying the interested parties on whose behalf they are speaking and by revealing
the existence of any interest the engineers may have in the matters.
4. Engineers shall at for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees
(a) Engineers shall disclose all known or potential conflicts of interest that could influence
or appear to influence their judgment or the quality of their services.
(b) Engineers shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one
party for services on the same project, or for services pertaining to the same project,
unless the circumstances are fully disclosed and agreed to by all interested parties.
(c) Engineers shall not solicit or accept financial or other valuable consideration, directly
or indirectly, from outside agents on connection with the work for which they are
responsible.
Global Issues 111

(d) Engineers in public service as members, advisers, or employees of a governmental or

quasi-governmental body or department shall not participate in decisions with respect
to services solicited or provided by them or their organizations in private or public
engineering practice.
(e) Engineers shall not solicit or accept a contract from a governmental body on which a
principal or officer of their organization serves as a member.
5. Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts
(a) Engineers shall not falsify their qualifications or permit misrepresentation of their or
their associate’s qualifications. They shall not misrepresent or exaggerate their
responsibility in or for the subject matter of prior assignments. Brochures or other
presentations incident to the solicitation of employment shall not misrepresent pertinent
facts concerning employers, employees, associates, joint ventures, or past
accomplishments.
(b) Engineers shall not offer, give, solicit or receive, either directly or indirectly, any
contribution to influence the award of a contract by public authority, or which may be
reasonably construed by the public as having the effect of intent to influence the awarding
of a contract. They shall not offer any gift or other valuable consideration in order to
secure work. They shall not pay a commission, percentage, or brokerage fee in order
to secure work, except to a bonafide employee or established commercial or marketing
agencies retained by them.
III Professional Obligations
1. Engineers shall be guided in all their relation by the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
(a) Engineers shall acknowledge their errors and shall not distort or alter the facts.
(b) Engineers shall advice their clients or employers when they believe a project will not
be successful.
(c) Engineers shall not accept outside employment to the detriment of their regular work
or interest. Before accepting any outside engineering employment they will notify
their employers.
(d) Engineers shall not attempt to attract an engineer from another employer by false or
misleading pretenses.
(e) Engineers shall not promote their own interest at the expense of the dignity and integrity
of the profession.
2. Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest.
(a) Engineers shall seek opportunities to participate in civic affairs, career guidance for
youths, and work for the advancement of the safety, health, and well-being of their
community.
(b) Engineers shall not complete, sign, or seal plans and/or specifications that are not in
conformity with applicable engineering standards. If the client or employer insists on
such unprofessional conduct, they shall notify the proper authorities and withdraw
from further service on the project.
112 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(c) Engineers shall endeavour to extend public knowledge and appreciation of engineering
and its achievements.
3. Engineers shall avoid all conduct or practice that deceives the public.
(a) Engineers shall avoid the use of statements containing a material mis-representation of
fact or omitting a material fact.
(b) Consistent with the foregoing, engineers may advertise for recruitment of personnel.
(c) Consistent with foregoing, engineers may prepare articles for the lay or technical press,
but such articles shall not imply credit to the author for work performed by other.
4. Engineers shall not disclose, without consent, confidential information concerning the business
affairs or technical processes of any present or former client or employer, or public body on
which they serve.
(a) Engineers shall not, without the consent of all interested parties, promote or arrange
for new employment or practice in connection with a specific project for which the
engineer has gained particular and specialized knowledge.
(b) Engineers shall not, without the consent of all interested parties, participate in or
represent in adversary interest in connection with a specific project or proceeding in
which the engineer has gained particular specialized knowledge on behalf of a former
client or employer.
5. Engineers shall not be influenced in their professional duties by conflicting interests.
(a) Engineers shall not accept financial or other consideration including free engineering
designs, from material or equipment suppliers for specifying their product.
(b) Engineers shall not accept commission or allowances, directly or indirectly, from
contractors or other parties dealing with clients or employers of the engineer in
connection with work for which the engineer is responsible.
6. Engineers shall not attempt to obtain employment or advancement or professional engagements
by untruthfully criticizing other engineers, or by other improper methods.
(a) Engineers shall not request, propose, or accept a commission on a contingent basis
under circumstances in which their judgement may be compromised.
(b) Engineers in salaried positions shall accept part-time engineering work only to the
extent consistent with policies of the employer and in accordance with ethical
consideration.
(c) Engineers shall not, without consent, use equipment, supplies, laboratory, or office
facilities of an employer to carry on outside private practice.
7. Engineers shall not attempt to injure, maliciously or falsely, directly or indirectly, the
professional reputation, prospects, practice, or employment of other engineers. Engineers
who believe others are guilty of unethical or illegal practice shall resent such information to
the proper authority for action.
(a) Engineers in private practice shall not review the work of another engineer for the
same client, except with the knowledge of such engineer, or unless the connection of
such engineer with the work has been terminated.
Global Issues 113

(b) Engineers in governmental, industrial, or educational employment are entitled to review

and evaluate the work of other engineers when so required by their employment duties.
(c) Engineers in sales or industrial employ are entitled to make engineering comparisons
or represented products with products of other suppliers.
8. Engineers shall accept personal responsibility for their professional activities, provided,
however, the engineers may seek indemnification for services arising out of their practice
for other than gross negligence, where the engineer’s interests can not otherwise be protected.
(a) Engineers shall conform to state registration laws in the practice of engineering.
(b) Engineers shall not use association with a non-engineer, a corporation, or partnership
as a ‘cloak’ for unethical acts.
9. Engineers shall give credit for engineering work to those to whom credit is due, and will
recognize the proprietary interests of others.
(a) Engineers shall, whenever possible, name the person or persons who may be individually
responsible for designs, inventions, writings, or other accomplishments.
(b) Engineers using designs supplied by a client recognize that the designs remain the
property of the client and may not be duplicated by the engineer for others, without the
express permission.
(c) Engineers before undertaking work for others in connection with which the engineer
may make improvements, plans, designs, inventions, or other records that may justify
copyrights or patents, should enter into a positive agreement regarding ownership.
(d) Engineers’ designs, data, records, and notes referring exclusively to an employer’s
work are the employer’s property. The employer should indemnify the engineer for
use of the information for any purpose other than the original purpose.
(e) Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and
should keep current in their specialty fields by engaging in professional practice,
participating in continuing education course, reading in the technical literature, and
attending professional meetings and seminars.
The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers

Code of Ethics
We the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting the
quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, its
members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and
professional conduct and agree:
1. to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health
and welfare of the public, and to disclose prompt factors that might endanger the public or
the environment.
2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to
affected parties when they do exist.
114 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data.

4. to reject bribery in all its forms.
5. to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential
consequences.
6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for
others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent
limitations.
7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct
errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others.
8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age,
or national origin.
9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious
action.
10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in
following code of ethics.
Institution of Engineers (India)

Code of Ethics (Effective from March 2004)

Introduction
Engineers serve all members of the community in enhancing their welfare, health, and
safety by a creative process utilizing the engineers’ knowledge, expertise and experience.
The code of ethics is based on broad principles of truth, honesty, justice, trustworthiness,
respect and safeguard of human life and welfare, competence and accountability, which
constitutes the moral values every corporate member of the institution must recognize,
uphold and abide by.
Preamble
The corporate members if the IEI are committed to promote and practice the profession of
engineering for the common good of the community bearing in mind the following concerns:
1. The ethical standard
2. Social justice, social order, and human rights
3. Protection of the environment
4. Sustainable development
5. Public safety and tranquility
The Tenets of the Code of Ethics
A corporate member
1. shall utilize his/her knowledge and expertise for the welfare, health, and safety of the
community without any discrimination for sectional or private interests.
2. shall maintain the honour, integrity and dignity in all his professional actions to be
worthy of the trust of the community and the profession.
Global Issues 115

3. shall act only in the domains of his competence and with diligence, care, sincerity and
honesty.
4. shall apply his knowledge and expertise in the interest of his employer or the clients for
whom he shall work without compromising with other obligations to these tenets.
5. shall not falsify or misrepresent his own or his associates qualification, experience etc.
6. wherever necessary and relevant, shall take all reasonable steps to inform, himself, his
employer or clients, of the environmental, economic, social and other possible
consequences, which may arise out of his actions.
7. shall maintain utmost honesty and fairness in making a statement or giving witness and
shall do so on the basis of adequate knowledge.
8. shall not directly or indirectly injure the professional reputation of another member.
9. shall reject any kind of offer that may involve unfair practice or may cause avoidable
damage to the eco-system.
10. shall be concerned about and shall act in the best of his abilities for maintenance of
sustainability of the process of development.
11. shall not act in any manner which may injure the reputation of the institution or which
may cause any damage to the institution financially or otherwise.
General Guidance
The tenets of the code of ethics are based on the recognition that-
1. A common tie exists among the humanity and that the Institution of Engineers (India)
derives its value from the people, so that the actions of its corporate members should
indicate the member’s highest regard for equality of opportunity, social justice and
fairness
2. The corporate members of the institution hold a privileged position in the community
so as to make it a necessity for their not using the position for personal and sectional
interests.
And as Such, a Corporate Member
1. Should keep his employer or client fully informed on all matters in respect of his
assignment which are likely to lead to a conflict of interest or when, in his judgment,
a project will not be viable on the basis of commercial, technical, environment or any
other risks.
2. Should maintain confidentiality of any information with utmost sincerity unless expressly
permitted to disclose such information or unless such permission, if withheld, any
adversely affects the welfare, health and safety of the community.
3. Should neither solicit nor accept financial or other considerations from anyone related
to a project or assignment of which he is in the charge.
4. Should neither pay nor offer direct or indirect inducements to secure work.
5. Should compete on the basis of merit alone.
6. Should refrain from inducing a client to breach a contract entered into with another
duly-appointed engineer.
116 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

7. Should, if asked by the employer or a client, to review the work of another person or
organization, discuss the review with the other person or organization to arrive at a
balanced opinion.
8. Should make statements or give evidence before a tribunal or a court of law in an
objective and accurate manner and express any opinion on the basis of adequate
knowledge and competence.
9. Should reveal the existence of any interest-pecuniary or otherwise—which may affect
the judgment while giving an evidence or making a statement.
Indian Institute of Material Management
Code of Ethics15
1. To consider first the total interest of one’s organization in all transactions without impairing
the dignity and responsibility to one’s office.
2. To buy without prejudice seeking to obtain the maximum ultimate value for each rupee of
expenditure.
3. To subscribe and work for honesty and truth in buying and selling.
4. To denounce all forms and manifestations of commercial bribery and to eschew anti-social
practices.
5. To respect one’s obligations and those of one’s organization consistent with good business
practice.
Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers16
Preamble
1. To uphold the concept of professional conduct amongst its corporate members, the Council
of the Institution felt the need to evolve a Code of Ethics for corporate members.
2. A corporate member should develop spirit-de-corps among the fraternity and uphold the
principles of honesty, integrity, justice, and courtesy to guide him in the practice of his
responsibilities and duties to the public and the profession.
3. He should scrupulously guard his professional and personal reputation and avoid association
with persons and organizations of questionable character and uphold the dignity and honour
of the institution.
The Codes
1. A corporate member will, at all times, endeavour to protect the engineering profession from
misrepresentation and misunderstanding.
2. A corporate member will interact with others in his profession by free exchange of information
and experience. He will contribute to the growth of the institution to maximum effectiveness
to the best of his ability.
3. A corporate member will not offer his professional services by advertisement or through
any commercial advertising media, or solicit engineering work, trading, teaching either
directly or indirectly or through agencies/organizations in any manner derogatory to the
dignity of the profession and the institution.
Global Issues 117

4. A corporate member will not directly or indirectly injure the professional reputation, work,
or practice of another corporate member.
5. A corporate member will not divulge confidential findings or actions of the council or
committee of which he is a member, without obtaining official clearance.
6. A corporate member will not take credit for an activity, professional work, engineering
proposal when engaged in a team and give due recognition to those where due.
7. A corporate member will express an opinion only when it is founded on facts and honest
conviction before a forum, court, commission or at an inquiry.
8. A corporate member will exercise due restraint in criticizing the work or professional conduct
of another corporate member which would impinge or hurt his character and reputation.
9. A corporate member will not try to supplant another corporate member in a particular
employment, office or contract.
10. A corporate member will be upright in all his dealings with person(s), organizations, in
business, contractors, agencies. He should not take actions that lead to groupism, political
connotation or unethical conduct in the discharge if his official powers.
11. A corporate member will not misrepresent his qualification to gain undue advantage in his
profession.
12. A corporate member will act with fairness and justice in any office, employment or contract.
13. A corporate member will not associate in engineering work which does not conform to
ethical practices.
14. A corporate member will not compete unfairly with another corporate member by means,
which in the opinion of others, are based on garnering support for personal gain, enlisting
uncalled for sympathy, espousing unjust cases or amounts to use of unconstitutional methods.
15. A corporate member will act in professional matters as a faithful agent or trustee.
16. A corporate member will not receive remuneration, commission, discount or any indirect
profit from any work with which he is entrusted, unless specifically so permitted.
17. A corporate member will not accept financial or other compensation from more than one
source for the same service or work connected thereto, unless so authorized
18. A corporate member will immediately inform his organisation/institution of any financial
interest in a business, and engineering work which may compete with, adversely affect or
hamper the growth of parent body.
19. A corporate member will engage or enlist the services of specialist/experts when in his
judgement, such services are in the best interest of his employer or to the profession.
20. A corporate member will endeavour to develop a team among his colleagues and staff and
provide equal opportunity to them for professional development and advancement.
21. A corporate member will subscribe to the principle of appropriate norms, appreciation and
adequate compensation for those engaged in office, technical and professional employment
including those in subordinate positions.
22. A corporate member, if he considers that another corporate member is guilty of unethical,
illegal, unfair practice, defalcation, will not present such information to the Council of the
Institution for necessary action, unless armed with substantial proof.
118 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

ENGINEERING COUNCIL OF INDIA17

Engineering Council of India was formed in 2002 with one of its objectives as “to establish a common
code of ethics for professional and consulting engineers for adoption by Associations/Professional
Societies and to evolve the strategy for its enforcement.” The IEI, IETE, and Consulting Engineers
Association of India (CEAI), AICTE, and NBA are the members of this council. The Engineers Bill,
drafted in 2004, and aimed to introduce the common codes of ethics, is yet to enter the statute books.

CODES OF ETHICS FOR TATA GROUP18

Several Indian companies have risen to the challenge and have established a reputation for fair play and
ethics. Among leaders of IT companies, there are models of good governance.
The 15 million $ Tata Group upholds the leadership with trust as its key asset and holds up the
Tata codes of Conduct to its 2.2 million plus employees. Founded on the five core values, namely
Integrity, Understanding, Excellence, Unity, and Responsibility, the code is enunciated in 24 canons
embracing ethical conduct, conflict of interest, corporate governance, whistle blowing, and national
interest, health, safety, and welfare of the public including environmental concern.
An elaborate mechanism to monitor the management of business in each of the 91 member
companies is provided. All the IT professionals in the group numbering 50 000 plus worldwide, sign
allegiance to the code and in particular to mandates on equal opportunity, prevention of gender inequality,
concurrent employment, quality of services, and integrity of data furnished.

ETHICS AND CODES OF BUSINESS CONDUCT IN MNC19

Sarbans-Oxley Act, 2002 (U.S.A.) and New York Stock Exchange listing standards have made many
corporate organizations ethics conscious. The organizations are to disclose codes of business conduct
and ethics for the organizations.
For example, Texas Instruments a major MNC, has declared that “Ethical reputation is our vital
asset. Upon applying values each of the employee can say, TI is a good company, and one reason is that
I am part of it”.
Three major values such as Integrity, Innovation and Commitment, have been elaborated in the
form of 28 ethics statements (as pledges to keep) and 17 codes of business conduct have been presented
in their documents.
A quick ethics test suggested by TI for all of its employees, without exception, will sufficiently
explain their commitment:
1. Is the action LEGAL?
2. Does it comply with our VALUES?
3. If you do it, will you feel BAD?
4. How will it look in the NEWSPAPER?
5. If you know it is WRONG, don’t do it.
6. If you are not sure, ASK
7. Keep asking until you get an answer.
 Bibliography

1. M.W. Martin and R. Schinzinger, Ethics in Engineering, Tata McGraw-Hill, Reprint 2005
2. Sathya Sai Education in Human Values, UK Newsletter, 2/2003 www.sathyasaiehv.org.uk
3. www.servicelearning.org (provides a large database of service-learning materials, and
electronic resources)
4. www.pbs.org/georgewashington/classroom/civic_virtue.html (lists the contribution of George
Washington to the American freedom)
5. Daniel Goleman, Working with emotional intelligence, Bantam Books, NY, 2000
6. Character, Catholic Encyclopedia, www.newadvent.org
7. www.charactercounts.org/workplace.htm
8. Dr. Pranav Pandya, Symposium on Excellence in Corporate Culture at Reliance Energy
Management Institute, Mumbai. April 2006
9. Pushpavanam. S, Six basic rights of a consumer, The Hindu, March 15, 2006
10. Annual report 2005-06, Reliance Industries Ltd.
11. Proceedings of the Workshop on Enhancing Awareness of Intellectual Property in Technical
Institutions, Sponsored by AICTE, New Delhi. Compiled by Waterfalls Institute of Technology
Transfer, New Delhi, held at Govt. College of Technology, Coimbatore, March 12, 2004
12. The Hindu, Feb. 20, 2006, Business review page
13. A Tide of e-Waste, Editorial, The Hindu, Dec. 28, 2004
14. www.persmin.nic.in (Right_to_Information_Act 2005)
15. Codes of ethics: www.iimm.org
16. www.iete.org and IETE, Articles of the Association and Byelaws, Code of Ethics, 4th edn.
Jan. 2006, pp. 37-39
17. Engineering Council of India, website www.ecindia.org
18. Ethics and IT professional, Anthony Lobo, CSI Communications, June 2005, pp. 16-18.
19. (a) The values and ethics at Texas Instruments, TI Manual, Bangalore, Feb. 2004 and b) TI
Values and Ethics Statements/Code of Business Conduct, Aug. 27, 2003, pp. 1-17
(www.ti.com/corp/docs/investor/corpgov/valuesethicsconduct.pdf )
 Case Studies

Study the following cases in detail, analyze the ethical issues and comment on what one should do.
State ethical principles, codes of ethics of professional societies, to support your comments.

CASE 1: ABOUT CO-WORKER

Krish is a junior engineer. in a big oil company. She has been working under Andy’s supervision for the
past three years. Krish knows that Andy is a good manager, but she has noticed that he frequently has
liquor on his breath at work and that sometimes his speech is slurred. One day Krish learns that Andy
is about to be offered a better paying position. She is happy for Andy until she learns that his new job
will be the Chief Safety Inspector for all the oil rigs that the company owns in the region. Krish
worries that Andy’s drinking habit will interfere with his future job. Andy agrees that he will have to
cut back on his drinking, but he tries to assure Krish that he has things under control. He says that he
is going to take the job, and he asks Krish not to tell anyone about his drinking.
(a) Should Krish take her concerns to higher management?
{Hints: Let us go through the following steps and analyse:
(a) The conflicting obligations, values, and interests include worker’s safety, loyalty to the
employer and to fellow employees, Andy’s career, and loyalty to Andy.
(b) Assuming that there is no way to convince Andy to reject the offer or to refuse it until
he brings his drinking under control; Krish’s options seem to be two: (1) inform
management or (2) do not inform management.
(c) The audience is Krish, Andy, the employees of the company, and the employer.
(d) If Krish informs management, the Rights violated are Andy’s right to free action to try
to acquire property, to privacy, and perhaps his right to self-respect. If she does not
inform the management, the employees who operate the oil rigs may have their right
to life or bodily integrity violated or seriously infringed.
(e) Assuming that Andy really does have a drinking problem that might interfere with his
job performance, it seems that Krish’s not informing management would result in the
most serious rights violations. The employees’ first-tier rights are at stake. Andy’s
rights here are also first tier, but his life and physical well-being are not being jeopardized.
So, it seems that Krish would be morally justified, if not obligated, to inform the
management.
122 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Remarks
(a) This is probably the one Dutta should try first.
(b) is also a good choice, if the first one is ineffective
(c) This is less desirable, because it places him in opposition to his employer, but he may have
to choose it if the first two are unsuccessful.
(d) The choice produces a break in the relationship with his employer, but it does protect the
public and Dutta’s career.
(e) The choice also causes a break with his employer and threatens his career.
(f) The choice is clearly unjustifiable, because it do not protect the public.

CASE 3: BORROWED TOOLS

ABC Company permits its employees to borrow company tools. Engineer Ali took full advantage of
this privilege. He went one step further and ordered tools for his unit that would be useful for his
home-building projects even though they were of no significant use to his unit at ABC. Engineer Green
had suspected for some time that Ali was ordering tools for personal rather than company use, but he
had no unambiguous evidence until he overheard a revealing conversation between Ali and Bob, a
contract salesman from whom Ali frequently purchased tools.
Green was reluctant to directly confront Ali. They had never gotten along well and Ali was a
senior engineer who wielded great power over Green in their unit. Green was also reluctant to discuss
the matter with the Chief Engineer of their unit, in whom he had little trust.
Eventually, Green decided to talk with the purchase officer, whose immediate response was, “this
really stinks”. The purchase officer agreed not to reveal that Green had a talk with him. He then called
the C.E. telling that a reliable source had informed him of Ali’s inappropriate purchases. In turn the
C.E. confronted Ali. Finally, Ali confronted all engineers in his unit he thought might have ‘ratted’ on
him. When Ali questioned Green, he denied any knowledge of what took place. Later Green explained
to his wife, “I was forced to lie. I told Ali, “I don’t know anything about this”. Discuss the ethical
issues this case raises.

CASE 4: ENVIRONMENT CONCERN

You are an environmental engineer for one of the many local plants. That plant discharges effluents
into a lake in a flourishing tourist area. Although all the plants are marginally profitable, they compete
for the same customers. Your responsibilities are to monitor the water and air discharges at your plant
and the periodic reporting to Dept. of Anti-pollution. You have just prepared a report that indicates that
the level of pollution in the Plant’s water discharges slightly exceed the legal limits. Your supervisor
says you should regard the excess as a mere ‘technicality’, and he asks you to ‘adjust’ the data so that
the data appears to be in compliance. He says that slight excess is not going to endanger human or fish
life any more than if the plant were actually in compliance. However he says, solving the problem
would require a very heavy investment. He explains, “We can not afford new equipments. It might cost
even a few jobs. It will set us behind our competitors. Besides, he says that many of the competitors are
doing the same and the bad publicity we would get might scare off some of the tourist industry, making
it worse for everybody”
124 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

CASE 7: NSPE CODES

Cheran is working as instrumentation engineer in Defense Department and deals with sub-contracts. A
sub-contractor supplies control instruments and found sub-standard upon testing. What should Cheran
do?
{Hint: Refer NSPE codes II 1 and III 2b} 3

CASE 8: ADVISORY ROLE

A large development firm DUWELL wants to make a feasibility study of a proposed ring road. It hires
a transportation engineer for this purpose. The engineer learns that the project would have a very
negative impact in term of pollution, economy, and lives of low income rural population. The developers
had no intention of divulge the information during public hearings. What should the Engineer as
Adviser do?

CASE 9: MORALITY AS WITNESS

A Forensic Engineer is hired by an advocate to conduct a study about a case. The findings do not
support the client of the advocate. The advocate pays the engineer and terminates his services. Later the
opposing counsel approaches this engineer and requests him to serve as an expert-witness for his client.
The engineer agrees.
Discuss on the action of the engineer and ethical issues.

CASE 10: RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP

An engineer Uma, develops a computer program used as a tool in developing other programs assigned
to her. She changes jobs and takes the only copy of the first program with her for use in her new job.
Will it be a violation of the employer’s right, if she developed the program in the office under the
explicit directive of the first employer?
Suppose the program was not written under the direct assignment, from the first employer, but
was undertaken by her to help her regular work assignments at that time and the same was developed
on her own time and week ends using the employer’s facilities and computer services.
Does the employer own or partially own the program? Does she require previous employer’s
permission before using it on the new job?

CASE 11: ETHICAL INQUIRY

Bharath is the Project Leader for the prototype testing of a new appliance model for LIVELONG Co.
One specific plastic component of the new model failed frequently before successful operation. Stress
tests are needed on the redesigned component, but Bharath was running short of time and needed to get
on with building the prototype.
Bharath sought the help of the Metallurgy dept. of a college who recommended this material, in
running stress tests on samples of new components. With this help he could go ahead with building the
prototype and conduct the test simultaneously. The prototypes would not be released to field test, until
the stress tests on the redesigned components proved its design to be satisfactory.
126 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

2. Whether the component was satisfactory in terms of the tests and requirements? Is there any
minimum number of specimens or repetitions prescribed for the tests? If so whether this
criterion was followed?
3. What would count as error on Jagan’s part? If the test equipment was faulty, would it be an
error on Jagan?

CASE 12: CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR KATTU-PUDUR FOREST

Laxmi is an engineer at Glow Company located in busy metropolitan area. She prefers to live in a
smaller town at 40 km away and used to commute daily from her hometown Pudur, which has population
of 10000 people.
Pudur has an active citizen group and Laxmi is a member of Environmental Committee. In the
previous year, the committee successfully spearheaded opposition to relocate the forest area for
commercial purposes. Although commercial development will enhance the economy, the committee
convinced the Panchayath that the economic progress should not come at the expense of the environment.
She came to know that Glow Co. wanted to buy and locate a facility in the Pudur area. The Glow
Co. has planned to approach the Pudur Panchayath, for annexing some of the forest area of this town.
The company promises to carefully monitor and control emissions in the surroundings, using modern
technology, and need only about 30% of the forest area. The company also promised to contribute
funds for the preservation of the remaining 70% area. It showed that the tax base for the Panchayath,
job opportunities and local economy would improve.
John, the chief engineer of Laxmi’s department wants Laxmi to talk to the Panchayath of Pudur.
She is asked if she knows anybody in the Panchayath to talk on this project proposal. She says that she
does not know anybody there well enough to talk to them. But John comes to know from his old friend
who moved away from Pudur in the previous year, that Laxmi is a member in the environment committee
and prevented the Panchayath’s move to lease for the commercial complex in the same area last year.
She is asked to ‘keep cool’ on their proposal.
A month later, the environment committee meets and the chair announces the move of the Glow
Co. and seeks the members support against that move.
What should Laxmi do in this situation?
Hints:
1. Factual Issues
(a) What would be the effect on the sale of forest area to the company?
(b) Will the Panchayath be able to pay for the up-keep of the forest area, without contribution
from the Co.?
(c) Does Glow Co. has other viable options for expansion?
(d) How much less desirable are they than the land in the forest area.
(e) What kind of environment record does Glow Co. have?
(f) Is Laxmi’s participation in the fight to preserve the area essential, or does she want to
participate as a matter of conscience?
(g) Does she know any member in the Panchayath well enough to be of benefit the company?
128 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

the community and reputation as environmentalist would be preserved. This option may
endanger her job.
4. Laxmi to resign from the committee and take side of her employer. This may please her
employer but her self-esteem and reputation in the community would be heavily damaged.
This will result in degradation of her hometown. This seems to be her least attractive option.
If Laxmi has some chances of getting another job and if they are good, she can risk her job by
taking option (1 or 2). If losing her job would cause severe problems the option 1 is not possible.

CASE 13: VI HI FI HOSE COMPANY

Anhydrous ammonia is used to fertilise the crops. The anhydrous ammonia reacts violently with water.
Pressurised tanks provided with wheels carry this fertilizer, and tanks are pulled by tractors. Farmers
take these tanks on rent. They take on rent or purchase the hose to carry this ammonia from the tank to
perforated blades that dig into the soil and spread ammonia. Leaks from the hose are very dangerous.
In the past, the hoses were made of steel-mesh reinforced rubber, which were similar to automobile
tyres. Later, the reinforced-plastic hoses were introduced and they satisfied the standards. The VI HI FI
has been marketing these hose to the farmers. The officials of the company arranged for testing the
hose as a consultancy work in the Agricultural College. The tests indicated that the plastic did not react
initially to the anhydrous ammonia. But over the years, the plastic was found to degrade and lose some
mechanical properties. Hence, the company attached warnings on all the hoses, indicating that they
should be replaced periodically.
After a few years of use of the product in the market, several accidents occurred where the hoses
ruptured during use and severely injured and blinded the farmers. Legal action followed and the
company argued in defense that the farmers had misused the hoses and not heeded the replacement
warnings. But they have to make substantial out-of-court settlements. The company then dropped the
product line and advertised in the press asking the farmers to turn-in their hoses for full refunds. The
advertisement stated that the hoses are ‘obsolete’, and not that are unsafe.
(a) What are the factual, conceptual and normative issues?
(b) What are the methods suggested for resolving these issues?
Hints:
Factual Issues
1. What are the test results?
2. What was the period over which data on performance vs. life was obtained to trace the
degradation?
3. Whether the warnings were written in a language that was understood by the farmers?
4. How often the hoses are to be replaced or what is the safe life under normal conditions, in
the field?
5. Whether any field tests on the hoses were conducted.
6. Whether any training class was conducted on the use and maintenance of the hoses?
Conceptual Issues
1. What is meant by ‘unsafe’?
130 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(b) Rockwell Engineer’s (the manufacturer of the orbiter and main rocket) inability to prove
that the lift-off was unsafe was interpreted by NASA as the approval for launch.

3. Normalisation of Deviancies
Every design carries with it certain predictions about how the designed product should perform in use.
Sometimes, these predictions are not fulfilled, producing anomalies. Rather than correcting the design
or control the operating conditions, engineers or managers often do something less desirable. They
simply accept the anomaly or even enlarge the boundaries of acceptable risk. Many times this has lead
to disasters.
This process is dramatically and tragically illustrated in the Challenger incident. Neither the
contractor Thiokol nor NASA expected the rubber O-rings sealing of the S.R. booster to be touched by
the hot gases of ignition, much less to be partially burnt. However, the previous flights confirmed
damage to the rings, and the reaction by both NASA and Thiokol was to accept the anomaly without
attempting to remedy the problem that caused the anomalies. Upon patch work of adding Zinc chromate
putty and by adopting two rings instead of one, the joints were termed as acceptable risk. Also, the
boundary for the acceptable risk of temperature was expanded by 24° (from 53 to 29°F), although test
data were not available below 53°F. Thus, it is seen that the engineers can increase the risk to the public
by allowing increasing number of deviations from proper standards of safety and acceptable risk. This
phenomenon is called the normalization of deviance.1
4. Conflict of Interests
Public safety vs. loyalty to the company.
(a) Canon 3 of NSPE Codes of Ethics requires engineers to ‘issue public statements only in
objective and truthful manner’, but Roger Boisjoly reported that his boss reminded him that
in his testimony before the congress, he should not malign the company. Company officials
reprimanded him for revealing that Thiokol had not honored his requests for more tests on
O-rings.
(b) Safety vs. cost: There were 700 items of criticality 1 level on the shuttle. But no back-up or
stand-by for those components. A failure in any one of them could have resulted in the
disaster. Considerations of cost gave a go-by to safety of the astronauts.

CASE 15: THREE-MILE ISLAND/CHERNOBYL-DESIGNERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

1. On Design
Design a heavy containment to withstand possible explosion due to pressure build-up, design stand-by
facilities for super critical items, safety gadgets, signals, alarms, specify safety procedures through
safety manual, safe-exit, and redesign efforts based on reported failures and others experience.
2. On Operation
Specify the operation procedures, procedures for monitoring and recording the process parameters,
operators manual, periodical training and updating the monitoring of the safety and the health of the
operators.
132 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

(c) Educate the customers on do’s, don’ts, to use the original spare parts and shun ‘spurious and
substandard’ parts.

CASE 17: SAFETY AND STRIKE

A manufacturing enterprise pays their engineers overtime salary and a handsome bonus to work during
a strike period. The strike was organised by the union against the unsafe working conditions of the
plant. Bob, considered as a management man, believes that the conditions may be unsafe even though
no government regulations apply. What should Bob do?
Hints: Options
1. Refuse to work, because he thinks that the allegations of the union have merit (loyalty to the
employer vs. collegiality, rights).
2. Refuse to work because he believes that breaking the strike is unethical.
3. Continue to work, because he feels this is an obligation to the employees (obligation to the
employer, duty vs. collegiality).
4. Continue to work because it will help clear some of his pending commitments (collegiality
vs. personal obligation—to the family).
5. Work, because otherwise he is likely to be fired and can not get alternate job (personal
obligation vs. collegiality).
6. Any other e.g., being considered a management man, may initiate negotiation with the
management, pleading for meeting a few of the demands as an emergency measure, and
bridging the two sides for settlement over a time frame.

CASE 18: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AUTOMOBILE SAFETY?

Discuss on the ethical aspects on the viewpoints presented below:
(A) Ford4 Questions Truck-Car Impact Standards
For three years, the auto industry has struggled to come up with ways to reduce the risks that trucks
pose to cars in crashes. Collisions between the two types of vehicles often injure or kill car passengers
because trucks are bigger. But Ford Motor recently has sought to disband industry efforts to set voluntary
standards for how automakers can reduce deaths and injuries, according to three automaker officials
involved in the talks.
They say Ford told colleagues in an industry work group that the process of jointly reducing the
risks trucks pose to cars in crashes is too costly. A related group has also faltered in efforts to reduce the
risk of being ejected and killed in a rollover crash.
Without work toward safety tests, there would be no way to certify that the risks larger vehicles
pose to smaller ones have been reduced. Abandoning standard setting for rollover ejections would
mean it could take years longer for all automakers to install sensors that deploy side curtains in a
rollover. The inflatable curtains help keep passengers inside the vehicle.
The effort to set voluntary standards grew out of a 2002 agreement between top automakers and
Jeffrey Runge, then chief of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The idea was that
134 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Option 1
Find out if she is known to you, alive and stable? You can help her get out of the entanglement. Inform
the nearest police station. If she is bleeding, you can take her in an ambulance van to a near by hospital.
Admit her in the casualty ward for further action and inform her near-relatives.
Option 2
Inform the ambulance and/or police and proceed.
Option 3
Fearing that police will harass you later, quickly disappear from the scene, as if nothing has happened.
Apply Utilitarian theory
List the consequences (risks and benefits) on (a) yourself and (b) the victim. Decide on, which benefits
are more and act on that alternative.
Apply Duty theory
Is it (or) is it not your duty to save her from suffering? Do you have a more important duty, e.g. you
are going to appear for an interview for Air Force recruitment. You are likely to fulfill a duty of
protecting the country.

CASE 20: CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL RECORDS

Bal, a computer engineer, had a minor role in developing a medical record system on individuals by
name. He learns that few controls have been introduced in the system to limit easy access by unauthorized
persons. He informed of the drawback to his supervisor and then the top managament but they refused
any change because of the huge expense involved. In violation of the rule, he accessed a copy of his
own medical records and forwarded it to the ‘member of assembly’ as evidence for his claim that the
right of the citizens to keep their information confidential was threatened by the system.
Was his behavior ethical? Was his subsequent firing justified?
{Hints
(a) Bal could have presented the case to the top mgt. before taking it outside.
(b) He could have developed the program as challenge, with less expense.
(c) As he had only a minor role and apparently unauthorized, accessing the information, is
unethical.
(d) Loyalty and confidentiality to colleagues.

CASE 21: SEX DISCRIMINATION-RETALLIATION7

businesses are confronting how to maintain control in an office after an employee
complains of sex or race discrimination without drawing a more damning charge of
retaliation. Retaliation claims have risen dramatically, and the Supreme Court is
considering now what legal standard should be used to evaluate the seriousness of changes
in employment made by supervisors who may be angry over an employee’s discrimination
complaint. A decision by the court could affect the balance of power in government and
private workplaces nationwide.
136 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

6. What was the reported cause? [a wake from another vessel passing by]
7. What could be the other causes?
(a) Passengers shifted to one side suddenly, for a vantage view, sliding on the benches
fitted on the deck.
(b) Fabric canopy was replaced with a fiber glass enclosure. Has this contributed a change
in the buoyancy?
(c) any leakage through the vessel
(d) the engine fire/blast
8. Any attempt to save them?
[Boat flipped so fast that no passenger could put on the life jacket]
9. When was the boat inspected last? [May 2005 inspection indicated no lapse]
10. Any duties/rights violated?
(a) Duty: Transporter failed to provide second crew
(b) Obligation: Was the ‘informed consent’ obtained?
(c) Was the ‘safe exit’ provided?
(d) Any rights of the physically challenged violated? [no special rights exist]
Conceptual Inquiry
1. What is the safe capacity? [48 + 2] pass * 150 lbs = 7500 lbs
2. What is the safe speed?
3. Any safety precautions? [life jackets were provided]
Normative (Application) Inquiry
1. What is the rated capacity of the boat? [48 pass + 2 crew]
2. How many crews should have been there?
[For commercial boats: 1–20 passengers one crew; 21–48 pass. two crew ]
3. How many life-jackets were available?
4. What was the actual speed of the boat?
5. Was there any arrangement for aged/physically challenged?
[No special laws governing boaters who are elderly or infirm]
6. Who is to supervise the boat safety? (Lake George Park Association and the Police (Sheriff)
Department are responsible for enforcing safety)
7. Was the Captain a valid license holder? [yes]
8. Was he tested for alcohol or drug at the time of accident? [no]
9. When was the boat inspected last? What is the frequency of inspection?
(May 05, annual inspection)
10. Who is to investigate the accident? (National Transportation Safety Board)
138 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Questionable Merit
The arguments the Commission have based its decision upon are of questionable merit. While the RTI
Act does protect the disclosure of information, which is personal in nature, it is absurd that the privacy
exemption could be used where an applicant has requested his/her own information! Can’t I ask for my
own information if it has no relation to any public activity or interest? In other words, unless I am able
to show public interest I will not be able to access my own health records from a government hospital.
Further, the idea that there is a “fiduciary” relationship between an authority conducting an
examination and examiners is not legally tenable. Examiners are employed to do a job and have to
work together to do that — but that is not enough to found a fiduciary relationship. The law defines a
“fiduciary” relationship as a special relationship of trust between two persons — the fiduciary (the
examiner in this case) and the beneficiary (the public authority in this case).
There are only a limited number of instances where this special relationship has been found, for
example, doctors and patients, lawyers and their clients, directors and their companies, managers of
trust funds and the investors, etc. This is because being a fiduciary has serious legal implications. To
find such a relationship simply because someone has a duty to do his job well is not well founded in
law.
Some quick research has shown that the stance taken by the Commission is at odds with both
international and Indian best practice. For many years now, the examination systems in India have been
criticized for lack of transparency and consistency in grading and evaluation. To address this problem,
many state education boards now allow students access to their evaluated answer scripts as a means to
bring in transparency into the system and improve the evaluation standards.
In Ireland, for many years, secondary school students have been able to view their school leaving
examination answer papers after they have been marked. This right was later extended to universities
under the Irish Freedom of Information Act. In many Indian universities, the answer books (university
examinations) of the students are available on demand for verification of entries.
The decision of the Commission stands to set a worrying precedent. Specifically, the Commission
has stated that students and others will not have any access to the evaluation process. There are even
reports in the media that the government is now considering exempting examination bodies such as the
U.P.S.C. and the C.B.S.E. from the RTI Act. Amending the RTI Act to exclude answer sheets from
coverage would be to dilute the Act’s objectives to widen the scope of information access across the
country and it may open up other public authorities applying for similar exemptions and protections.
The government is expected to stand firm and resist any attempts to narrow the scope of the Act.
Openness (transparency) is an over-riding ethical principle, which the government should protect and
promote at all costs.

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR CASE STUDIES

1. Harris C.E. and others, Engineering Ethics, Concepts and Cases, Thomson Wadsworth,
2003 (57 case studies presented)
2. Ramachandran P.N., Engineering Ethics, Ajay agencies, Thanjavur, 2004 (97 case studies
are presented)
 Question Bank
Part – A
(Two-Marks Questions and Answers)

CHAPTER – 1: HUMAN VALUES

Ethics
1. What is Engineering Ethics?
2. What are the two approaches to Engineering ethics? (Microethics, Macroethics)
3. What is the scope of engineering ethics?
(ethics of workplace, ethics related to product or work
4. List different meanings of ‘ethics’.
5. List the key trends in engineering ethics
{The world of work is changing. Five key trends in engg. and mgt. have become apparent,
namely,
1. Understanding other people’s point of view is becoming increasingly important in a
globalised knowledge economy.
2. People will have more responsibility at an earlier age for managing their own careers
-ethically.
3. Organisations are changing in ways which create new ethical challenges.
4. The world is becoming increasingly diverse in matters of values and faiths, creating an
increased demand for tolerance.
5. The complexity of our skills and knowledge raises new ethical questions in respect to
technology and practice.
6. The emerging WTO regime calls upon professionals including engineers to qualify as
per internationally laid down and recognised norms to facilitate their global mobility.
Morality
6. What is morality?
7. Distinguish between ‘morality’ and ‘ethics’
Question Bank 141

Values
8. Define ‘value’?
(Sum of attitudes and behaviors of a person. To the society, values are principles, ideas or
actions that are positive, constructive and causing good to every human being)
9. List different types of values and give a few examples in each.
(core values: right conduct, peace, truth, love, non-violence)
10. How do the human values evolve?
11. Define Integrity? (unity of thoughts, words and deeds, owning responsibility in doing a
job)
12. Define service learning?
(learning service procedures, norms, and conditions. Service or training or study on real life
problems during formal learning)
Virtues
13. Define ‘virtues’ (positive and preferred values. They are attitudes or character traits, motives
and emotions).
14. Define ‘civic virtue’?
(duties and rights, as a citizen of village or municipality or a city or country)
15. List the types of virtues, with an example for each.
(self-direction virtues, public-spirited, team-work, proficiency, and cardinal virtues)
16. Explain the term ‘respect for others’
17. What should one do or not to do live peacefully?
18. What are the factors for one to work peacefully?
19. Distinguish between ‘caring’ and ‘sharing’?
20. Define ‘honesty’ (virtue, exhibited in truthfulness and trustworthiness).
21. List different ways the honesty reflects. (beliefs, communication, decisions, and actions)
22. Define ‘courage’.
(accept and face risks in rational ways. physical, social, and intellectual courage).
23. Define ‘co-operation’.
24. What are the impediments to proper co-operation?
25. Define Commitment?
26. Define ‘Empathy’
(ability to put one’s self into psychological frame or view of another, imaginative projection
into other’s feelings, and feeling of concern for another’s background)
27. List the benefits of empathy.
28. Define self-confidence.
29. What are the factors that shape self-confidence in a person?
(attitudes of parents, influence of friends, of superiors and training in organisation)
142 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

30. List two methods of developing self-confidence.

(SWOT analysis, training to evaluate risks and self-talk).
31. Define ‘character’.
32. Define ‘spirituality’.
{awareness of spiritual dimension (mind and its development) of nature. It includes faith or
belief in supernatural power on worldly events. It consists of principles including experiences
of enlightenment, healing, & meditation. The concept of human spirit, implying capacities
such as love, peace, service, hope, forgiveness, integrity, creativity, & search for meaningful
life}

CHAPTER – 2: ENGINEERING ETHICS

Fundamentals
1. List the objectives of this course ‘professional ethics’?
(understand, resolve moral issues, justify moral judgement)
(Improvement of cognitive skills (skills of intellect, in thinking clearly), and act in morally
desirable ways (moral commitment and responsible conduct))
2. Define Engineering Ethics.
3. State the senses of ‘engineering ethics’.
(normative sense and descriptive sense)
4. Why do people behave unethically? Or why and how do moral problems arise in a profession?
(Resource crunch — Pressure, through time limits, money or budgetary constraints,
Opportunity — Double standards employer, emphasis on results and gains only MBO, Attitude
of employees due to low morale, lack of promotion or absence of recognition and reward
system, poor working conditions)
Moral Dilemma
Explain the term, ‘moral dilemma’.
5.
6.
What are the situations when moral dilemmas arise?
(problem of vagueness, problem of conflicting reasons, problem of disagreement)
7. What are the difficulties in solving moral problems?
(vagueness, conflicting reasons, disagreement)
8. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma?
(identification of factors, collection of information, ranking, generate alternatives, discussion,
decision)
Autonomy
9. Define ‘moral autonomy’.
(self-determinant or independent)
10. Explain the relation between autonomy and authority.
(independence in making decisions and actions, providing freedom to act)
Question Bank 143

Type of Inquiry
11. Name three types of inquiries.
(normative, conceptual, descriptive inquiry)
Moral Development
12. Highlight the principle of ‘pre-conventional level’ of moral development.
13. Highlight the principle of ‘conventional level’ of moral development.
14. Highlight the principle of ‘post-conventional level’ of moral development.
15. Differentiate between ‘Kohlberg and Gilligan theory’ of moral development.
Profession
16. Explain the terms, ‘Profession’, ‘Professional’, and ‘Professionalism’.
(Profession: Occupation that requires advanced skills and knowledge, Self-regulation,
concerted service to the public.
(Professional: Relates to a person or any work which requires skills and knowledge, self-
regulation and results in public good. It means a ‘person’ as well as a ‘status’)
(Professionalism: Qualities expected of a professional)
17. List the criteria to achieve professionalism.
18. List the five characteristics of professionals.
(training, knowledge and skills, monopoly in service, degree of autonomy in work place,
regulation by code of ethics)
19. List the models of professional roles.
(savior, guardian, bureaucratic servant, social servant, social enabler, game player)
20. Define a ‘professional engineer’.
Professional engineer is a person who is entitled to undertake independent practice on planning,
research, design, analysis, execution, manufacturing, maintenance, testing, evaluation, quality
assurance, management and/or guidance thereof, certification work and such other matters
as required for professional abilities in engineering and technology, which ECI may decide
from time to time and include in its Regulations (Refer Engineers Bill 2004, as drafted by
ECI 17).
Responsibility
21. What are the types of ‘responsibility’?
(moral, causal, job, legal)
22. What are the different senses of responsibility?
(characteristic quality, obligations, general moral capacity, liability and accountability for
actions, praiseworthiness or blameworthiness)
23. What are the virtues fulfilled under professional responsibility?
(self-direction, public-spirited, team-work, proficiency virtues)
144 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

24. What is Social Responsibility?

(well-being of employees, investors, customers, dealers, supplier, local communities,
government, and business owners. Protecting the work environment, training workers)
25. Define “Accountability”
(capacity to act on moral reasons, answerable for meeting specific obligations, conscientious,
blameworthy/praiseworthy)
26. Distinguish between ‘corporate responsibility’ and ‘corporate accountability’.
(voluntary compliance of particular organizations to particular codes of conduct, and holding
all organizations accountable to laws, regulations, and rules)
27. What is moral integrity? Write on its significance.
(unity of thought, word, and deed, owning responsibility on wrong actions)
28. State the specific virtues relating to honesty.
(truthfulness, trustworthiness)
Ethical Theories
29. List the uses of ethical theories.
(Understanding moral dilemma, in justifying obligations and ideas and in relating ordinary
and professional morality)
30. Define ‘self-respect’.
(Valuing oneself in morally-suitable ways)
31. Differentiate between self-respect and self-esteem.
32. What is meant by ‘strict liability’?
(manufacturer is held legally responsible for design of tool or device when it fails, during its
use)
33. Name three conditions for ‘duty ethics’, as per Immanuel Kant.
(To show respect for persons, duties binding on everybody and duties prescribe certain
actions categorically)
34. Explain the term ‘self realization ethics’.
(Right action consists in seeking self-fulfillment. In called ethical egoism, right action
consists in always promoting what is good for oneself).
35. List the different tests for evaluating ethical theories.
(Clear, internally consistent, theory and its defense depend only upon facts, comprehensive,
and compatible with moral convictions)
36. What are the reasons for a person to accept ‘ethical relativism’?
(a) Laws and customs seem to be definite, real, and clear-cut
(b) Believes that the values are subjective at the cultural level
(c) Accepts that the moral standards vary from one culture to another
37. What is meant by ‘paramount obligation’?
38. Define ‘self-control’.
Question Bank 145

39. Define a ‘right’.

(Entitlement to act in a certain way. Rights serve as a protective barrier, shielding individuals
from unjustified infringements. For every right, a complementary duty of non-interference
exists)

CHAPTER – 3: ENGINEERING AS SOCIAL EXPERIMENTATION

Engineering as Experimentation
1. What is engineering experimentation?
2. Why does engineering have to be viewed as experimental process?
(assumed model is uncertain, final outcomes are uncertain, material behavior is uncertain
and not constant, nature of user environment is uncertain, and unintended side effects in use)
3. List the responsibilities of engineers to society OR What are the elements that should make
an engineer a responsible experimenter?
(commitment to moral values, comprehensive perspective on relevant information,
Unrestricted personal involvement in all steps, in product development and accountable for
results of project)
4. Name two aspects for comparing engineering work as experiment.
(Experimental control, Informed consent)
5. Explain the term ‘learning from the past’, in engineering experimentation.
(learning not only from their own work but also from work & results of others)
6. Give the principles of experimental control.
Codes of Ethics
7. What does the ‘codes of ethics’ exhibit?
(Rights, duties, and obligations of the professional)
8. Name the roles of codes of ethics.
(Inspiration and guidance, Support to engineers, Deterrence and Discipline, Education and
mutual understanding, Create good public image, and protects status quo)
9. What are the limitations of codes of ethics?
(vague wordings, not applicable to all situations, have internal conflicts, they can not be
treated as final authority, only a few enroll as members in professional society and non-
members can not be compelled, different societies have different codes, codes are said to be
coercive)
10. Distinguish between the codes of ethics and codes of conduct?
Codes of ethics are aspirational the codes of conduct are more oriented to professional and
one’s attitudes.
11. Give two conditions, essential for valid informed consent.
(Consent is voluntary, all relevant information shall be presented in a clearly understandable
form, and consenter shall be capable of processing information and make rational decisions)
146 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

12. What is meant by ‘informed consent’ when bringing an engineering product to market?
(Let the customer know about the product, risks and benefits of use, and all relevant
information on product, such as how to use and how not to use)
13. Define relevant factual information.
(all available information related to fulfillment of one’s moral obligations, including intended
and unintended impact of the product , on society)
14. What is meant by conscientiousness?
(Being sensitive to full range of moral values and responsibilities and willingness to develop
the skill and put efforts needed to reach best balance possible among those considerations)
Standards and Law
15. What is the importance of Industrial Standards?
(Specification for interchangeability. Standardisation to reduce production costs but with
better quality)
16. What does the ‘balanced outlook on law’ stress in engineering practice?
(It stresses the necessity of laws and regulations and their limitations in directing and
controlling the engineering practice)
17. List a few factual issues, conceptual issues and moral/normative issues in the space shuttle
challenger incident.

CHAPTER – 4: SAFETY, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS

Safety and Risk

1. State the definition of ‘Safety’.
(risks would be judged to be acceptable)
2. Name the factors that influence the perception of risk.
(Probability of risk, consequence of the risk, proximity, and method of information
dissemination on risk)
3. What is the use of knowledge of risk acceptance to engineers?
(Designer can redesign product to include safety measures, to allow product fail safely,
abandon it safely, and provide for safe escape from product to minimize the loss)
4. Compare ‘safety’ and ‘risk’.
(Safety means that the risk is known and judged as acceptable. Risk is a potential that
something unwanted and harmful may occur. Risk = 1 - safety)
5. Mention two ways to determine the risk (testing for safety).
(testing on the functions of the safety system components, destructive testing, prototype
testing, simulation testing)
6. List two analytical methods of testing for safety of a product/project.
(scenario analysis, FME analysis, fault-tree analysis, event-tree analysis)
Question Bank 147

7. List the positive uncertainties in determining the risk.

(restricted access to knowledge on risk, behavior of materials, behavior of environment, use
or misuse of materials, newer applications of old technologies, and unexpected and unintended
outcomes)
8. List the factors that affect the risk acceptability.
(lack of knowledge of product/process outcomes, estimating probability of rare events,
incorrect and unacceptable assumptions and data, magnitude and proximity and voluntary-
ness)
9. List two advantages of fault-tree analysis.
10. Compare the fault-tree and event-tree analysis for risk assessment.
11. What is meant by ‘safe exit’, in the study of safety?
(conditions are: (1) product, when it fails, should fail safely, (2) product, when it fails, can
be abandoned safely, (3) The user can safely escape the product )
Risk- Benefit Analysis
12. List two reasons for the Risk-Benefit Analysis.
(to know risks and benefits and weigh them each, to decide on designs, advisability of
product, and to suggest and modify the design so that the risks are eliminated or reduced.
13. Name two ethical implications (limitations) of risk-benefit analysis.
(benefits and risks may go to different groups, units for comparison are not same, is there
any violation of rights for those who are exposed to maximum risks and get only minimum
benefits? Both risks and benefits lie in the future. The discounted present value, may not be
correct, and both risk and benefits may have uncertainties)
14. List two methodologies adopted to assess ‘personal risk’.
(assess the voluntary activities, assess the degree of occupational hazard, and loss of senses
or limbs, loss of earning capability)
15. List the factors required to assess ‘public risk’.
(loss of future income, costs of treatment, and cost of welfare and rehabilitation)
Reducing Risk
16. Name a few techniques (steps) to reduce risks.
(apply safety concepts in design, use redundancy principle in instrument design, monitor
and test safety system, train operating personnel and audits, and well-designed emergency
plan for evacuation)
17. What is meant by voluntary risk?
(involvement of people in risky actions knowing that these actions are unsafe)
18. When is testing ‘inappropriate’?
(in destructive testing, test duration is long, if components failing by tests are very costly.
Use then design of experiments, accelerated testing and computer simulations)
148 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Collegiality and Loyalty

19. What is meant by commitment?
(sharing of loyalty to moral principles)
20. What is ‘collegiality’?
(tendency to support and cooperate with the colleagues)
21. List various aspects of collegiality.
(respect to work of others, commitment to moral principles, and connectedness)

Authority and Loyalty

22. Name two senses of loyalty.
(Agency loyalty, an obligation, attitude (identification) loyalty, a virtue)
23. Define ‘institutional authority’ with an example.
(authority within the organization. It is the right of the employer to exercise power on the
employees and force them to achieve their goals. Ex.: resource allocation, policy decisions,
recommendation, supervision, issue orders on subordinates. line managers)
24. What is ‘expert authority’?
(Possession of special knowledge, skills and competence to perform a job thoroughly and
advice on jobs. They direct others, e.g., Advisers, Experts)
Collective Bargaining
25. Define ‘collective bargaining’.
(bargain by the union for improving economic interests of the worker members, through
negotiation, threatening verbally, and declaration of ‘strike’)
26. What is meant by ‘proprietary information’?
(information owned by the organization, including knowledge and procedures established)

Confidentiality
27. What is meant by ‘confidentiality’?
(Keeping the information on the employer and clients, as secrets is confidentiality)
28. How do the ethical theories justify confidentiality?
(1. Right based: Right of stakeholders, Right to IP of the company.
2. Duty based: Employees and employers have duty to keep up mutual trust.
3. Utilitarian based: Rule utilitarian thy. holds good when confidentiality produces most good
to most people. Act utilitarian thy. focuses on each situation, when the employer decides on
a matter as confidential)
29. List factors/principles to justify ‘confidentiality’.
(Respect for autonomy, for promises, and for public)
Question Bank 149

Conflict of Interests
30. What is ‘moonlighting’?
(An employee working for two different companies)
31. What is the difference between ‘bribe’ and ‘gift’?
(Test criteria: timing, cost, quality of product, is giver a friend? and motive)
32. What is meant by apparent conflict of interest?
Occupational Crime
33. What is meant by ‘occupational crime’?
(Wrong actions of a person through one’s lawful employment, Crime committed by employee
to promote his interest, and theft by the employee)
34. What is a white-collared crime?
(violation of laws regulating work activities, when committed by office workers or
professionals occupational crime is called a white-collared crime. Antonym: blue-collared
crime)
35. Define ‘price fixing’.
(fixing the bidding rate by companies, in collusion with other companies, for the contract /
services. It is an occupational crime, prevalent in electrical industries)
36. What is ‘bootlegging’?
(Manufacturing selling or transporting liquor and narcotics that are prohibited by law. In
engineering practice, it refers to working on projects which are not properly authorized)
Rights
37. List various provisions under ‘human rights’.
(right to pursue legitimate personal interest, right to make a living, right to privacy, right to
property)
38. List the provisions under professional rights.
(right to form and express professional judgment, right to refuse to participate in unethical
activities, right to warn the public about dangers, right to fair recognition and remuneration
for profnl. services, right to talk publicly about the job and right to engage in the activities
of professional societies.
39. What is meant by ‘right of conscientious refusal’?
(right to refuse to engage in unethical acts e.g., falsifying data, forging documents, altering
test results, lying, giving or taking bribe)
40. List the features of the employee rights.
(Professional rights, Basic human rights, Institutional rights/Contractual employee rights,
and Non-contractual rights)
41. List a few non-contractual employee rights.
(right to choose outside activities, right to privacy, right to due process from employer, right
to equal opportunity)
150 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

42. List the situations when ‘right to choose outside activities’ can be curbed.
(when the activities lead to violating or detrimental to the duties, as in moonlighting, and
when the interest of the employer is damaged)
43. What is the ‘right to due process’?
(right to fair process or procedures in firing, demotion and in taking any disciplinary actions
against the employees. Fairness is in terms of the process rather than the outcomes)
Intellectual Property Rights
44. What is meant by ‘intellectual property’?
(information and original expression that derives its original value from creative ideas, and
has commercial value. It is an intangible asset)
45. Differentiate between ‘Patent’ and ‘Trade secret’.
(Patents protect legally specific products from being manufactured or sold by others, without
permission of the patent holder. TS are on designs, technical processes, plant facilities, and
methods. Limited legal protection, against abuse by the employee or contractor)
46. What is the validity and territory for the patents?
(20 years from the date filing the application for the patent. It is territorial right and needs
registration)
47. What is meant be ‘utility patent’?
(granted to one who invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture
or chemical composition of any manner or any useful improvement. Utility time is 20
years)
48. What is meant by ‘industrial design patent’?
(idea or conception regarding features of shape, configuration, and pattern, ornamental with
lines or colors applied to any article, two or three dimensional, made by industrial process.
Patent has a term of 14 years from the date of filing the application, e.g., design applied to
shoes, T.V., textiles)
49. What is meant by ‘copyright’?
(specific and exclusive right for reproduction of original work, i.e., literary material, music,
film, sound recording, broadcasting, software and multimedia. No need for registration and
no need to seek lawyer’s help for settlement. Life of copyright protection is the life of
author plus 50 years)
50. What is meant be ‘trademark’?
(identity of specific good and services. It is a territorial right, which needs registration, but
without any time limit. It may be registered in the form of words, designs, sounds, and
symbols)
Discriminatiion
51. What is meant be ‘discrimination’?
(making difference in one’s treatment of people or giving preference on the basis of sex,
race, and religion)
Question Bank 151

52. What is meant be ‘preferential treatment’?

(giving preference to a group of people, e.g., the reservation is provided for the minority
and women in employment opportunities, as a social prop)
53. List three arguments favoring preferential treatment.
(based on compensatory justice, compensate for sexism and racism and reverse preferential
treatments)
54. List three arguments against preferential treatment.
(violates the rights to equal opportunity, lowers economic productivity, destroys their self-
confidence)
55. What is meant be ‘sexual harassment’?
(continuous annoying and attacks on women, on the basis of sexual considerations. Includes
physical and psychological attack, coercion, misuse of authority or any undesirable and
indecent actions)
Whistle Blowing
56. What is meant by ‘whistle blowing’?
(process by which an employee conveys information about a significant moral problem to a
person in a position to take action on the problem, outside the approved organizational
channel)
57. List four aspects of ‘whistle blowing’.
(disclosure, topic, agent, and recipient)

CHAPTER – 5: GLOBAL ISSUES

1. What are the forms or senses of relative values/relativism?

(ethical relativism, descriptive relativism, moral relationalism or contexualism)
2. List the features of ‘international human rights’.
(freedom of movement of people, ownership of properties, freedom from torture, fair trial
on the products, freedom from discrimination on the basis of race or sex, physical security,
freedom of speech, have minimum education, political participation, to live and exist)
3. Define ‘technology transfer’.
(process of moving technology to a new setting and implementing it there. Technology
includes hardware and techniques (technical, organizational, and managerial skills and
procedures), i.e., moving from lab to the field/factory or one country to another)
4. Define ‘appropriate technology’.
(identification, transfer, and implementation of most suitable technology for a set of new
situations. Appropriate is value based and it should ensure fulfillment of the human needs
and protection of the environment)
152 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

Environmental Ethics
5. Define ‘environmental ethics’.
(Study of moral issues concerning the environment, and the moral perspective, belief, or
attitude concerning those issues)
6. What are the duties of an engineer as an experimenter, in environmental ethics?
(Study how industry and technology affect environment, how to fix tolerable and actual
pollution levels, protective measures for immediate implementation, and how to educate
people)
Computer Ethics
7. Define ‘computer ethics’.
(Study and analysis of nature and social impact of computer technology, and formulation
and justification of policies, for ethical use of computers)
8. W hatis m eant conceptual framework in computer ethics?
(Computer program: Is it an IP? Is copyright applicable to this? Or is it a process protected
by a patent? Is it proprietary information? Here, guidelines are needed)
9. Name different types of problems in ‘computer ethics’?
(Computer as the instrument of unethical act, computer as the object of unethical act, problems
connected with autonomous nature of computer)
10. List the issues in ‘computer ethics’.
(Computer in workplace, computer crime, privacy and anonymity, IP, professional
responsibility)
11. List the ethical problems by computers in workplace.
(elimination of manual jobs, creation of high-skilled and ITES jobs, and health and safety)
12. List the ethical features involved in computer crime.
(physical security, logical security)
13. What are the merits/demerits of anonymity, in the computer communication?
(seeking medical or psychological counseling or discussion on AIDS, abortion, gay rights,
the anonymity offers protection. It is misused by some for money laundering, drug trafficking
and preying upon the vulnerable)
14. Give the reasons for an engineer to involve in weapons development.
(gives high-profile job, helps to guard the nation, engineer reduces the risk of enemy weapons
by research)
15. List two characteristics of ‘engineers as managers’.
(promotes ethical climate, resolving conflicts, social responsibility to stakeholders, customers
and employers)
16. List the principles of conflict resolution.
(people, interests, options, evaluation).
17. List the ethical responsibilities of consulting engineers.
(proper advertising, incompetitive bidding, fixing contingency fee, and the safety of clients)
Question Bank 153

18. List the provision in NSPE codes on the advertisement by consultant.

(following are prohibited: statement containing misrepresentation or omission of a necessary
fact, statement likely to create an unjustified expectation, statement containing prediction of
future success, and Statement likely to attract clients, by the use of slogans)
19. Differentiate between eye witness and expert witness.
(What was seen and, What could have caused and happened)
20. List various abuses of engineers as ‘expert witnesses’.
(hired guns, prejudiced for monitory considerations, ego bias, sympathy bias)
Engineers as Advisors
21. Highlight the issues for engineers as ‘advisors’.
(study the costs and benefits of all alternatives in objective manner, study economic viability,
technical feasibility, operational feasibility and social acceptability, follow honesty, and
technical complicity leading to moral complicity)
22. List various roles or models of engineers as ‘advisors’.
(hired gun, value-neutral analyst, value-guided advocates)
23. List different characteristic of engineers as public planner and policy makers.
(honesty, competence, diligence, loyalty)
24. Define the concept of ‘moral leadership’.
(leading people to achieve goals and objectives, motivate them to move through morally
desirable ways, leading creatively in application, extension and putting values into practice
and sustain professional interest among social diversity and cross disciplinary complexity)
25. How does the code of ethics achieve its goals?
(Creates an ethical environment in a profession, guides the person as to how to act, in any
given situation, supports the individual, who is pressurized by a superior to behave unethically)
26. What is the meaning of the statement, ‘When in Rome do as Roman do’?
(actions of corporation and individuals that are accepted by law, custom and values of a
society can be morally right in that society. It is morally false, if it is illogical. So, corporation
and the engineers functioning in other countries must understand their law, customs, and
beliefs and act in line with those prevailing in that country)
 Questions and Answers—
Beyond the Syllabus

1. What are the steps in Ethics Management?

1. Appraisal
Appraisal of costs of unethical decisions (errors, wastage, rework, lost customers), cost
of intentional wrong doing (theft or fraud in accounting), and mistaken beliefs.
2. Prevention
Against ‘Pressure’—Prescribe, promote, and publish goals or objectives, involving
every body, against ‘opportunity-frame’ and follow transparent and uniform promotion
policies, and help to solve problems, and against ‘Attitude’, train all and have open
discussion.
3. Promotion
Continuously exhibit ethical behavior to develop ethical culture that is transparent and
effective.
2. Explain the term ‘self-realization ethics’.
Right action consists in seeking self-fulfillment. One view is that, the self should care the
relationships with other individuals and communities. In another view, called ethical egoism,
right action consists in always promoting what is good for oneself, with no presumption that
the self is defined in terms of caring and community relationships.
3. What is extortion? How is it different from bribe?
Extortion is, capitulating to a demand under coercion or intimidation. It may be ethically
justified to pay extortion in some circumstances, even though it would be wrong to offer a
bribe. Bribes are paid to obtain something to which one does not have a right, such as a
special favor in awarding a contract. In contrast, extortion is paid to secure something to
which one has a right, such as the return of expensive equipment one has legally brought
into a country but which a corrupt customs official claims has been ‘lost’.
Alternate answer
Extortion is non-voluntary provision of goods, services, or money to the extortioner to
secure treatment, to which the one being extorted is already lawfully and morally entitled,
from the extortioner (FFCP Act, 1977, USA).
Questions and Answers—Beyond the Syllabus 167

4. Discuss on social acceptability certification and the criteria.

Besides ISO certification 9001and 14001, exporters are required to get social acceptability
certification such SA 8000 for European countries and Worldwide Responsible Apparel
Production Principles (WRAP) certificate for American brands.
WRAP certification insists on compliance with laws and workplace regulations, Prohibition
of forced labor, child labor, harassment or abuse, compensation and benefits, working hours,
prohibition of discrimination, ensuring health, and safety, freedom of association and
collective bargaining, environment and custom clearance, and security. By August 2005 four
exporters have obtained WRAP certification in Tirupur.
SA 8000 was developed with the participation of workers and their union, socially-responsible
investors, consumer, governments, business owners and managers. An Advisory Board oversees
the program, sets standards, and licenses independent auditors. SA 8000 is based on the ILO
conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention of the
Rights of the Child. By August 2005, 25 leading exporters got SA 8000 certification in
Tirupur.
The criteria for social acceptability are–
1. No workers under age 14 (for developing countries)
2. No forced labour
3. Safe and healthy work environment
4. Freedom to associate and collective bargaining
5. No discrimination or sexual harassment
6. No corporal punishment, coercion, or verbal abuse.
7. Comply with local law: maximum of 48 hours, six days a week, overtime
8. Legal minimum wage
9. Integration of the standards into management systems
5. What is OHSAS 180001?
It is similar to Quality Management System 9001 and Environmental Management System
14001. The Occupational Hazard and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) calls for
occupational hazard and safety policies, objectives, realization programs declared and
implemented as per the standards.
Some of the measures implemented under this system in Indian industries are:
1. Establishment of occupational health centers to carry out periodical medical check-ups
as well as preventive services. This includes some specialized tests like biological
monitoring, health risk assessment studies, and audits for exposure of various materials/
chemicals.
2. Medical teams conduct regular health awareness programs to address lifestyle diseases
such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stress.
3. Continuous improvement in the workplace environment and also attitudinal and
behavioral changes amongst the workers, e.g., Project CASH (Change Agents for Safety
168 A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

and Health) was introduced in all RIL manufacturing sites. These resulted in prevention
of work-related diseases, injuries, reduction in absenteeism, and ultimately increase in
productivity level.
4. Unique Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) have been created in collaboration with private
agencies to eradicate and contain the spread of conditions such as Tuberculosis and
HIV/AIDS.
5. Community medical centers provide comprehensive health care to all those affected by
diseases such as TB and HIV/AIDS. These are implemented through interventions like
counseling, education, training, social and nutritional support.
6. Discuss on the Engineer-Manager relationship.
Study 1
As per the study of Robert Jackall U.S.A. (1988), the gap between the engineers and managers is
prominent, especially where ethical issues are concerned. He found that managers had many
characteristics that did not respect the moral commitments of conscientious professionals.
1. They may have moral beliefs but they are to separate individual conscience from corporate
action. Managers prefer to think in terms of trade-offs between moral principles and
expediency.
2. Loyalty to one’s peers and superiors is the primary virtue for managers. He is a team player,
the person who can accept a challenge and get the job done in a way that reflects favorably
upon himself and others.
3. The lines of responsibility are deliberately blurred to protect oneself, one’s peers, and one’s
superiors. Details are pushed down and credit is pushed up. Actions are separated from
consequences insofar as possible, so that responsibility can be avoided. A successful manager
gets many people involved, in making difficult and controversial decisions, so that he can
point his finger at others, if things go wrong. Protecting and covering for one’s boss, peers,
and one supersedes all other considerations.
For example, a professional engineer found that the equipments manufactured by his organization,
had problems, which he believed involved the safety and health of the public. He wrote a memo to his
boss, who replied that he did not need such a memo, and that the memo was not constructive. After the
professional was fired, another corporate official remarked that this engineer “was not a team player.”
This study showed the following characteristics of managerial decision making that are useful to
analyse the manager-engineer relationship:
(a) Managers have a strong (over-riding) concern for the well-being of the organization, in
terms of financial position, good public image and relatively conflict-free operations.
(b) Managers have few, if any, professional loyalties that transcend their perceived obligations
to the organization.
(c) The managerial decision-making involves making trade-offs among the relevant factors
relating to the well-being of the organization, such as cost, speed of delivery, scheduling,
Questions and Answers—Beyond the Syllabus 169

marketing, and employee morale and welfare. Ethical consideration is one among them.
Managers tend not to take ethical consideration seriously, unless they can be translated into
factors such as the public image of the organization.
Study 2
The study funded by Hitachi Foundation (1990) indicated
1. The distinction between engineers and managers is not always clear in large organizations.
2. There was a difference in perspectives of the engineers and managers. The engineers had to
change their perspective to become good managers. The changes were identified as the
following elements:
(a) Engineers must pay less attention to engineering details.
(b) The engineers must develop a broader horizon to take account of non-engineering
considerations.
(c) The engineers must focus on people rather than things.
3. Most of the engineers and managers agreed that the engineering considerationis should have
a priority in matters of safety and quality.
In summary, both conclusions seem to be valid. A paradigmatic representation of views of the
managers and engineers are given as follows:

Features Managerial Engineers

decision decision
1. Technical expertise Not needed Needed
2. Public safety Less important More important
3. Cost More important Less important
4. Quality Less important More important
5. Scheduling More important Less important
6. Speed of delivery More important Less important
7. Marketing More important Less important
8. Well-being of the organisation More important Less important
(financial soundness, good
public image, and conflict-free)
9. Ethical actions Less important More important
10. Trade-off some interests Yes No
11. Loyalty to peers and superiors Important Not important