Engineering Ethics

Refer Book: A Textbook on Professional Ethics and Human Values

by R.S. Naagarazan (Chapter 5 Global Issues)

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Ethics in an Engineering Course????
We have been studying engineering, such as
design, analysis, and performance
measurement.

Where does ethics fit in?

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Engineering Ethics

Ethics are the principles accepted by the

Engineering is the process of developing
society, which also equate to the moral
an efficient mechanism which quickens
standards of human beings. An engineer
and eases the work using limited
with ethics, can help the society in a better
resources, with the help of technology. 
way.

Engineering Ethics is the study of decisions, policies and values that are
morally desirable in engineering practice and research.
It is about balancing cost, schedule and risks.

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Ethics in Engineering Important

Dealing with Dealing with

Colleagues Clients and Users

Dealing with Dealing with

Employees Impact on Society

Dealing with Dealing with

Public Assigned Work
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Why Engineering Ethics?
Take an action- Do the right thing

When no body looking what you do that matters………….

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Why Engineering Ethics?

Professional
Reputation

Social
Responsibility
Make Decisions-Make the right
choice

Personal Integrity and Self

Respect 6
Global Issues

• Confidentiality • Business Ethics

• Integrity • Technology Transfer

• Conflicts of Interests • Environmental Protection

• Professional Rights • Computer Ethics
• Cross Cultural Issues • Moral of Leadership
• Plagiarism
• Code of Conduct
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Corporate Social Responsibility
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 Confidentiality
Definition: Confidentiality can be defined as Examples of confidentiality in engineering
the ethical principal or legal right that any ethics: business information, non-disclosure
professional will hold secrete all information agreements, test results, upcoming
relating to their users, unless the users gives products/projects, novelty points or innovations,
consent permitting disclosure. personal information of users

Two types of confidential information:

1. Privileged Information: information available on the basis of special privilege. Such as
doctors, managers, developers
2. Proprietary Information: information that a company owns or is the proprietor of. Such as
trade secrets, property, ownership

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Integrity
• Five related values are:
• Moral values such as honesty

• Motives such as desires, interests, ideals

• Commitment in thought, word and deed

• Qualities such as perseverance and courage

• Standing fast even in the face of opposition

1.Are reliable and dependable (i.e., you show up to

5. Have a strong work ethic and strive to produce
work on time)
high-quality work consistently 
2.Are trustworthy, especially with classified
6. Are responsible for your actions, especially
information and high-risk tasks
when you make a mistake
3.Practice and encourage open
7. Make sound decisions, even under high-stress
communication with your colleagues and
situations 
managers
8. Are equipped to provide high-quality service to
4. Are respectful, honest, and patient with your
your customers
colleagues, managers, and customers 9
Conflicts of Interests
Conflict of interests happens when person/employee has more than one interest

A professional conflict of interest is the situation where the professional has an interest that, if
pursued, might prevent him from meeting his obligations to his employers/clients

Conflicting interests is different than conflicts of interests

Types of conflicts of interests: Examples:

• Actual • Working part-time at a company that sells a competing product
• Apparent or service as your full-time employer
• Potential
• Accepting payment from another company for information about
• Favorable Contact your employer
• Bribe and Gift
• Posting to social media about your company’s weaknesses
• Moonlighting
• Insider Information • Failing to disclose that you’re related to a job candidate the
company is considering hiring
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Professional Rights
• This is a basic right which explains that the decisions taken while carrying on with the duty,
where they are taken in moral and ethical manner, cannot be opposed. 
• The right of professional conscience is the moral right to exercise professional
judgement in pursuing professional responsibilities.

Examples of Professional Rights:

• Right to privacy
• Right to choose outside activities
• Right to due process of employer
• Right to equal opportunity – non-discrimination
• Right to equal opportunity – Sexual harassment at workplace
• Right to equal opportunity – Affirmative action or Preferential treatment

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 Plagiarism
• Plagiarism is defined as presenting another person’s work as one’s own work. Presentation includes
copying or reproducing it without the acknowledgement of the source.
• Plagiarism involves copying of phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs or longer extracts from
published or unpublished work (including from the Internet) that exceeds the boundaries of the legitimate
cooperation without acknowledgement of the source.
• Plagiarism could be intentional (dishonest plagiarism) or non-intentional (negligent plagiarism)

Five basic rules to avoid plagiarism:

1. If you use the language of your source, you must quote it exactly,
enclose it in quotation marks, and cite the source.
Two types of Plagiarism 2. If you use ideas or information that is not common knowledge, you
must cite the source.
1. Negligent OR
3. If you didn’t invent it, cite the source.
unintentional plagiarism 4. Unless your professor explicitly tells you to paraphrase, don’t
2. Dishonest OR intentional paraphrase.
5. When in doubt, cite the source. Doing so can only enhance your
plagiarism
readers sense of your honesty.
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Intellectual Property Rights
• Intellectual property rights are the legal rights that cover the privileges given to individuals who are
the owners and inventors of a work and have created something with their intellectual creativity.

Violations of intellectual property include:

• Creating a logo or name meant to confuse buyers into thinking
they’re buying the original brand
• Recording video or music without authorization or copying
copyrighted materials (yes, even on a photocopier, for private
use)
• Copying another person’s patent and marketing it as a new
patent
• Manufacturing patented goods without a license to do so
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 Business Ethics
• Business Ethics are the rules that are examine ethical principles or ethical problems which arise in business
environment.
• Business ethics consists of principles, values, and standards that guide behavior in the world of business.
• It is also called as “corporate ethics”.

Business ethics influence and contribute to:

1. Employee commitment Principles for Business Ethics
2. Investor and customer loyalty and confidence  Solidarity
3. Legal problems and penalties  Efficiency
4. Customer satisfaction  Rationality
5. Build relationships with stakeholders  Fairness
6. Cost Control  Refraining from willingly harming others
7. Performance, revenue, profit  Role-responsibility
8. Reputation and Image
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 Environmental Ethics
Study of :
(A) Moral issues concerning the environment
Environmental Issues:
(B) Moral perspectives, beliefs, or attitude
concerning to those issues 1. Waste Disposals:
Plastic,
• Design eco-friendly tools, machines,
Industrial Waste
sustainable products, processes and projects.
and E-waste
• Ensure (A) protection of environment, (B)
prevent the degradation, (C) slow down the 2. Global Warning
exploitation of natural resources 3. Acid Rain
4. Pollution:
Duties of Engineers towards environmental Air, Water and Land
ethics: 5. Resource Depletion:
1. Environmental Impact Assessment Species, Habits,
2. Establish Standards Fossil Fuels
3. Counter Measures
4. Environmental Awareness
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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.

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.

Four primary issues

• Privacy – responsibility to protect data about individuals
• Accuracy - responsibility of data collectors to authenticate information and ensure its accuracy
• Property - who owns information and software and how can they be sold and exchanged
• Access - responsibility of data collectors to control access and determine what information a person has the
right to obtain about others and how the information can be used

Some Examples:
• Taking a photo off the internet and using Photoshop to remove the watermark.
• Stealing music is a very common form of copyright infringement.
• The unauthorized copying of software
• personal information is being exposed through social media sites like Facebook.
• In the workplace the company can track all that you do because you’re using work technology.
• Over 50% of companies have fired workers for email, Net abuse
• Companies sell information about you, e.g. what you’ve liked, or what you’ve purchased to advertisement companies
• Our phones now let us track each others location. 16
Moral Leadership : Ethical Leader
• 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 but adopting reasonable means to motivate the groups to achieve
morally desirable goals
• Moral leadership is defined as “a leader's behavior that demonstrates superior virtues, self-discipline, and unselfishness

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Code of Conduct
• Code of conduct is also called code of ethics, which is a management tool for setting out an organization's
values, responsibilities and ethical obligations.
• The code of conduct provides employees with guidance for handling difficult ethical situations related to
business.
Important Values for Code of 1. Services to the community: A member of the public has been put
Conduct through to Kylie’s area by mistake. Kylie attempts to answer the call,
but she has doubts about the quality of the advice she is providing.
2. Reporting unethical behaviour: Gina’s manager threatens to
dismiss her if she ‘blows the whistle’ on fraud within their section.
3. Gifts or benefits: Hugh is a member of a committee that awards
financial grants to small business. He accepts a bottle of wine from a
prospective grant recipient.
4. Working to clear objectives: Gary organises work around his
incoming emails. He acts on other matters only when they escalate.
When Wendy asks Gary to respond to an urgent matter, he says ‘I’ve
got 54 emails to deal with first’.
5. Supporting others: Barry has trouble completing his work on time
no matter how hard he tries or how he organises his time. He doesn’t
tell his supervisor for fear of being considered incompetent.
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 Corporate Social Responsibility
• Social responsibility of corporate sector means response of the corporate sector towards society.
• A company’s concerns and commitments along with ethical behavior towards society sustainability and
development

Aims of CSR:
Examples:
• Environmental Aims 1. COCA COLA CSR: Drinking
• Social and Community water project, portable water
Activities to locals of Maharashtra and
• Sustainable Development Gujrat
• Ethical Issues 2. TATA Group CSR: Self-Help
• Business Relationships Groups, Healthcare Projects,
Economic Empowerment,
Support during Taj Attack
3. Infosys CSR: Working on
Poverty, Education, Rural
Development projects,
Gender Equality, Woman
Empowerment, Environment 19
Sustainability
Cross Cultural Issues
• Cross culture is a concept that recognizes the differences among businesspeople of different nations,
backgrounds and ethnicities, and the importance of bridging them
• With globalization, cross culture education has become critically important to businesses.
• Businesspeople working abroad need to learn subtle differences in style and substance in order to be
effective.
• Cross culture extends to body language, physical contact, and perceptions of personal space. In
cultures that adhere to strict religious standards, interactions between members of the opposite sex,
even in the business sphere, may be complicated.

Cross Cultural Examples:

• Accepting a business card from a Japanese businessperson is not a casual action. The person
presenting the card will bow and present it with both hands. The recipient takes it with both hands,
indicating respect. 
• In China, giving a direct "yes" or "no" answer, or demanding one of anyone else, is considered very
rude. Meetings are for talking things over, not announcing decisions.
• In Mexico, business is done primarily among friends and family. Visiting businesspeople often seek an
introduction through an intermediary with local connections.

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THANK YOU

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