Definition of engineering ethics
Engineering ethics is a set of moral codes of conduct and principles which all engineers need to abide by in their professional practice. Ethics help engineers to perform their duties with high standards of professionalism to ensure positive outcomes are achieved. Engineers face different moral issues in their practice, which compel them to make crucial decisions within a short time. Therefore, they need to be guided by professional codes and standards to enable them to practice their skills effectively (Fledderman 22). Engineers need to observe high ethical standards in their practice to enable them to deal effectively with various issues that arise in their work.
Ethical and legal standards to be immutable over time
Ethical standards are those codes of conduct that are observed in specific industries by professionals, while legal standards are stipulations that are mandatory under the law enforced by government authority. Both ethical and legal standards provide a benchmark on acceptable modes of practice, which all engineers must abide by in their work. Both standards guide engineers to utilize their skills well to ensure positive results are achieved. Ethics is more concerned with moral codes of conduct, which an engineer needs to observe as part of his professional duty.
On the other hand, legal standards mandate engineers to adhere to stipulated laws, some of which are not morally right. Harris, Pritchard, and Rabins reveal that ethics and legal standards are not immutable because they need to be amended from time to time to make them more effective (137). This ensures that the codes of conduct set for engineering practice are responsive to the physical environment where engineers have to work.
The engineering ethical aspects
Patenting an improved version of a program that belongs to a company an engineer is working for is unethical. This is because the original version of the program was registered in the name of the company, and they have exclusive rights on how that name is used. This is a violation of intellectual property laws because the law recognizes the company as the owner of the program. This also shows the conflict of interest because an employer cannot patent an improved product while still working for the company, which has rights over a previous version of the program (Whitbeck 45).
Using management techniques that were developed in one company to benefit another company is not unethical. An engineer has to learn different management techniques in different companies to grow his knowledge to enable him to understand innovative engineering concepts. This shows that an engineer is experienced and is ready to use the knowledge he has acquired from previous employers to deliver good results (Whitbeck 53).
Using ideas developed in one company to work for a different chemical process in another company is not ethical. This is because these two companies have different operations, and their work processes are not compatible. An engineer has to understand the processes involved to perform a specific task before using ideas developed in a different company (Whitbeck 77). This prevents any mishap from taking place.
An engineer should not engage in consultations with two companies that are competing against each other. This is unethical because it shows that he is not committed to his clients and lacks professional skills. An engineer who consults for two competing firms betrays the trust his clients have in him and violates the codes of conduct that govern his professional practice. This act shows that an engineer does not care about the moral consequences of his actions and could be sued by both companies for breach of trust (Whitbeck 93).
Ethical impact of scenario 1
Case Summary
A design engineer, Hugh Long P.E., is contracted by a private consulting firm, ABC, LLC, to provide cost-estimating expertise for a client company, XYZ, Inc. At a later date, the client company (XYZ) hires the design engineer (Long) to review the work performed by the consulting company (ABC). In your opinion, is there a possible ethical conflict for Mr. Long?
Case Response
There is a possible ethical conflict for Mr.Long because he was the one who did the cost-estimating for the consulting firm. Mr. Long’s involvement brings out the conflict of interest. He can’t review the work done by ABC objectively because he was involved in estimating the costs to be used in the project. He is not in a position to assess the situation fairly because he is likely to give ABC preferential treatment as a result of his deep knowledge of the issue. However, Mr. Long may claim that he is bound by his code of ethics, which forbid him from showing favoritism when making crucial decisions (Bowen 62). Therefore, he could argue that he is better placed to assess whether ABC followed the exact cost estimations, which he presented to the firm earlier.
Ethical impact of scenario 2
Case Summary
As a supervising engineer for a construction firm under contract to a state agency, you notice what you consider unsafe practices, which may, in fact, even violate state labor laws. However, the work is not being performed by your company, but rather by a competitor firm
Case Response
As a professional engineer, I would make a moral decision to reveal all the incidents I witness because it is my responsibility to do so. I have a legal obligation to report any unsafe practices based on my professional judgment, to ensure that construction is halted. Since a state agency has contracted my firm, it needs to share the information which can help the agency perform its duties effectively. This will ensure all practices which are done at the construction site adhere to established laws and procedures which govern the engineering profession. However, some people may feel that reporting unethical practices by a competing firm is driven by malice and envy (Bowen 68). They may feel that my actions are motivated by self-interest and not professional obligations.
Works Cited
Bowen, Richard. Engineering Ethics: Outline of an Aspirational Approach. London: Springer, 2009. Print.
Fledderman, Charles B. Engineering Ethics. New York: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.
Harris, Charles E., Michael S. Pritchard, and Michael J. Rabins. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Whitbeck, Caroline. Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print.