Engineering Ethics

Annotated Bibliography: Engineering Ethics
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Geistauts G., Baker E & Eschenbach T. (2008). Engineering ethics: A system dynamics approach. Engineering Management Journal, 20(3): 21-28
Engineering projects are executed within complex social economic, legal, cultural and technological systems. The implication is that engineers are expected to find solutions not only for technical design problems but also to meet the expectations and norms which may otherwise be inconsistent with each other. In this study, the authors note that inconsistency in these expectations and norms may prompt engineers to engage in illegal or unethical behaviour. Both at a professional and individual level, values sets are constantly evolving as responses to short-term and long-term environmental forces. In line with this argument, the authors suggest that at any given level, engineering ethics “...can usefully be understood and modelled as systems phenomena.” (p. 21). Integrity is seen as one of the major ethical considerations in engineering profession and encompasses issues such as competence, use of the appropriate means to attract potential customers, fair competition, and proper resolution of conflicts, and avoiding to engage oneself in immoral or inappropriate application of one’s skills. In presenting a model of factors that shapes engineering ethics at the professional level, the authors advance the assumption that exceptionally high level of ethics are desirable with the main aim being to increase or maintain such level. In this context, ethics level is seen as the central variable and any casual loop between the factors is best described in terms of their effect on the central variable. Among the forces/factors that have direct impact on the central variable include public sector performance pressures, intensity of business competition, business ethics level, professionalism of engineering practice, economic rewards, and the rule of law (pp. 24-25). The authors conclude by recognizing that adopting a systems perspective may help managers and engineers to understand the underlying convolution of ethics structures, help in designing policies and procedures, help in improving engineering curricula, and help in identifying potential interventions points.

The article was written by Geistauts George and Baker Elisha both of whom are from the University of Alaska Anchorage and Eschenbach Ted, a PE at TGE consulting. The main objective of this scholarly article was to explicate how engineering ethics can be understood from a systems’ perspective. The main audience of this article are managers and engineering professionals as can be depicted from the conclusion section where the author states that “there is often a managerial tendency to visualize simplistic relationships between managerial directives or actions and desired outcomes” (p. 27). The tone of the article is professional, informative and scholarly in that it cites the work of other scholars in developing its main arguments. For example, in quoting Cavana and Mares 2004, the authors notes that critical thinking is employed in construction of “policy arguments’’ (p. 21) which by extension can be modelled with the help of system dynamics and casual loop diagrams.
As is the case with scholarly journal articles, this article features include an abstract, an introduction, literature review, discussion and conclusion section. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive approach where the authors relied on existing secondary sources to form a basis for their model. It is worth noting that the field of engineering may use either qualitative or quantitative methods depending on the subject matter of the issue being examined. This journal article was published in Engineering Management Journal (EMJ). EMJ is a quarterly journal that is published by the American Society of Engineering Management in partnership with ASEM and Taylor and Francis. The journal main objective is to provide pertinent and practical knowledge related to management of technical professionals, technology and technical organizations.
Basart, J. & Serra M. (2013). Engineering ethics: Beyond engineer’s ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics, 19: 179-187
This article recognizes that engineers exists and operate in a complex environment that is characterised by a network of mutual relationships between different stakeholders including organizations, people and groups. In such an environment, an ideal engineer is one who can be both individualistic and strong enough to identify and deal with the moral challenges as they occur. This according the authors is not the best approach to understanding engineering ethics and engineers’ ethics particularly in the current interrelated business world. On the contrary, it is important to take the responsibilities, mutual commitments, needs and interests of all stakeholders in any discussion related to engineering ethics. From the onset, the authors are keen to point out the fact that engineering ethics are not the same as engineers’ ethics though the two concepts are closely related. They states that “...both elements are closely related because engineering and engineers need each other to operate, but they are not the same thing” (p. 180). The authors go a step further to make a distinction between a heroic engineer and a responsible engineer. A heroic engineer is described as one who is capable of working alone and persistently using his own resources and means. This definition has however being criticised on the basis that it promotes individualistic practice as opposed to teamwork and has masculine connotations of an epic warrior. Responsible engineers on the other hand are capable of integrate sustainable engineering in their common life. The author concludes by restating the fact that rights, ethics and CSR moves towards the same direction and dissenting engineering ethics from rights and CSR would destroy engineering evolution and its engagement with the society as a whole.
This particular article was authored by Basart Josep in partnership with Serra Montse with the former working in the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the latter in the Open University of Catalonia. The main objective of study is to give an insight into the interrelationship between ethics, corporate social responsibility and rights in regard to engineering and science field. In achieving this objective, the article proposes different ways that engineers and scientists can remain responsible while at the same time working within their moral ethical obligations and rights. The article uses a scholarly and professional tone and cites other scholarly authors. For example, in looking at how interrelationships affects engineering outcome, the authors quote Durbin, 2008 and points out that “Engineers and their professional societies need to broaden their outlook, moving beyond a focus on individual misconduct to broader social responsibilities” (p. 184). The authors make use of such citations to inform and support their arguments.
This article was published in Science and Engineering Ethics, a multi-disciplinary journal that is concerned with the exploration of ethical issues that have direct impact on scientists and engineers. The journal covers areas such as professional education, effects of innovation on the holistic society and standards and ethics in science and engineering research and practice. The article begins with an abstract and continues with discussion of various ethical issues in the form of distinct sub-headings including but not limited to Engineering ethics or engineers’ ethics?, Heroic engineer or responsible engineer? and Ethics, rights and corporate social responsibility. The authors use qualitative descriptive approach and borrow heavily from secondary sources in regard to informing their arguments. The topic of ethics in engineering can however make use of other approaches such as quantitative method but again, this is dependent on the angle that the author wishes to approach the subject. In our case, the authors simply sought to explicate the relationship between ethics, rights and CSR based not on primary research but by building on existing literature.
NSPE (2007). Code of ethics for engineers. Retrieved on July 21 2015 from /sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/Ethics/CodeofEthics/Code-2007-July.pdf
The NSPE document recognizes the role played by engineers in improving the quality of life in the society. It advances various standards, rules and regulations that engineers are supposed to follow with special emphasis on integrity and honesty. The document is divided into three sections including fundamental canons, rules of practice and professional obligations. Under the first section, the document outlines six canons that engineers are expected to uphold while executing their professional duties. Among other thing...