1. Ethics and Professionalism
T. Barber

2. Important Attributes for a New Engineer Source: Arizona State students, faculty, industry representatives

4. Important Attributes for a New Engineer PW Manager of Advanced Technology
Passion
Optimism
Business View
Historic perspective
Product knowledge
Action [vs. Watching]
Teamwork / Collaborbator
Technical Competence
Communication

5. Attributes that Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Looks for
Evidence of professional and ethical behavior
Ability to “flip-flop” the brain
Solid understanding of engineering fundamentals
Ability to work and comfortable with Open Ended problems
Solid understanding of design
Understand the competing pressures driving the design
Exhibit Nympholepsy
Good communication and team working skills
Nypholepsy: The frenzied yearning for the unachievable. [Passion]

6. Important Attributes for a New Engineer What’s important to students does not agree with industry wants.
Problem solving:
ability to identify and define a problem,
Break down large problem into series of smaller problems
develop and evaluate alternative solutions, and
effect one or more designs to solve a problem.
Effectiveness in communicating ideas.
Ethics and professionalism: personal maturity, initiative, poise, enthusiasm, appearance, and the ability to work with people.

7. Professionalism On time [or before] Attentive Positive attitude
Proactive
Prepared: notes, paper, pen
Properly dressed [for the appropriate context]
Business casual
Suit and tie
Jeans
Be aware of cultural, political, technical issues

8. Engineering Professionalism

9. Ethics

10. Outline Background issues ASME Code of Ethics Dilbert cartoon
Scruples cards
Examples of your ethical situations
Photocopying
File sharing
Copying software
Cheating, seeing someone else cheating
Taxes
Not reporting an accident
Noted examples of ethical issues
Davis-Besse Ohio nuclear plant
Space Shuttle Challenger – Thiokol O-ring failure
Internet company dealings with China
Guidant & Medtronics heart devices
Ethics exam
Faculty answers
Student answers

11. Background Issues One expression I use is “It’s not that engineers are
immoral, but sometimes in their approach they’re
amoral.” When they enter the workplace, they think
those decisions are left to other people, that they’re
just there to do their job….
Prof. J. Herbert, Arizona State. [ASEE Prism, Oct. 2007]

12. Background Issues
Immoral: not moral, conflicting with general moral principles.
Amoral: being neither moral or immoral, lacking moral sensibility
ABET standards require universities to demonstrate students
have a solid understanding of ethics in the workplace.

13. Background Issues Given the following heat transfer problem:
You own a residential building in an urban area.
Can you calculate how many BTU’s per hour are necessary to heat a building in Chicago FROM 0 to 20 degrees F?

14. Background Issues
“Thinking Like an Engineer,” Prof. M. Davis Illinois Inst. Tech.
Students asked to calculate how many BTU’s per hour are
necessary to heat a building in Chicago FROM 0 to 20
degrees F.
Obviously, the numbers are off – such temperatures would
keep the building well below freezing. Students often work
the numbers without thinking what the numbers mean.
[also ethics.iit.edu].
Similar issue in Kannon’s “The Good German,” where the
Nordhausen rocket works are discussed.

15. CODE OF ETHICS OF ENGINEERS
The Fundamental Principles
Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and
dignity of the engineering profession by:
Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement
of human welfare;
II. Being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the
public, their employers and clients; and
Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the
engineering profession.

16. The Fundamental Canons
Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the
public in the performance of their professional duties.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.
3. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout
their careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional and
ethical development of those engineers under their supervision.
4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client
as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest or the
appearance of conflicts of interest.
5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their
services and shall not compete unfairly with others.
6. Engineers shall associate only with reputable persons or organizations.
7. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful
manner.
8. Engineers shall consider environmental impact in the performance of their
professional duties.

17. Engineering Ethics

18. Outline Scruples cards Examples of your ethical situations
Day-to-day ethical experiences
Examples of your ethical situations
Photocopying
File sharing
Copying software
Cheating, seeing someone else cheating
Taxes
Not reporting an accident

19. Outline Noted examples of ethical issues Ethics exam
Davis-Besse Ohio nuclear plant
Space Shuttle Challenger – Thiokol O-ring failure
Internet company dealings with China
Guidant & Medtronics heart devices
Ethics exam
Faculty answers
Student answers

20. Challenger and Whistleblowing
Space Shuttle Challenger – Thiokol O-ring failure
6 mos. before Challenger exploded, Roger Boisjoly wrote a portentous memo. He warned if weather was too cold, seals connecting sections of shuttle’s huge rocket boosters could fail.
Mr. Boisjoly gave presidential commission internal corporate documents
Thiokol cut him off from space work, was shunned by colleagues and managers.
A former friend warned him, “If you wreck this company, I’m going to put my kids on your doorstep,”
Roger Boisjoly, 73, died in Jan. 2012

21. Davis-Besse Nuclear Plant
Separate power point file presentation