ENGR 4169 – Engineering Professional Seminar
Homework #3: Ethics
This Ethics Writing Assignment is meant to encourage you, the aspiring engineer, to examine how you will deal with potential ethical conflicts you will encounter in your career. You are encouraged to be thorough in developing your answers and discussion. While there is no single correct answer for this assignment, there are wrong answers, as well as incomplete answers.
Your response must fully address the questions below and should be
1-2 single-spaced pages.
Read the case study below and answer the questions. Justify your responses using the specific canons/principles/rules of practice in the NSPE Code and/or the Code for your discipline
New Companya) John works for your firm on a design project as part of the team and develops an innovative solution to the problem. John then leaves your firm to work for a competitor. The competitor posts John’s resume online which states that he ‘designed’ the solution. John’s resume does not mention that this work was done at your firm or that he was part of a team that worked on the project.
Was it ethical for John to take credit for the ‘design’?
Was it ethical for John to not mention that the work was done while employed at your firm (a competitor of his current employer)?
b) It turns out that at your firm, every project is assigned to a ‘team’ that includes a design engineer and his/her immediate supervisor. In John’s case, the immediate supervisor had very little input to the design and simply signed off on the design. All of the engineering decisions were made by John and the supervisor simply approved them. Discuss how this might change your response.
Document Preview: Code of Ethics for Engineers
Preamble
4. Engineers shall act for each employer or client as faithful agents or
Engineering is an important and learned profession. As members of this
trustees.
profession, engineers are expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty
a. Engineers shall disclose all known or potential conflicts of interest
and integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for
that could influence or appear to influence their judgment or the
all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require honesty,
quality of their services.
impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the
b. Engineers shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise,
public health, safety, and welfare. Engineers must perform under a standard of
from more than one party for services on the same project, or for
professional behavior that requires adherence to the highest principles of ethical
services pertaining to the same project, unless the circumstances are
conduct.
fully disclosed and agreed to by all interested parties.
c. Engineers shall not solicit or accept financial or other valuable
I. Fundamental Canons
consideration, directly or indirectly, from outside agents in
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:
connection with the work for which they are responsible.
1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
d. Engineers in public service as members, advisors, or employees
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
of a governmental or quasi-governmental body or department shall
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
not participate in decisions with respect to services solicited or
4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
provided by them or their organizations in private or...