ECE 1100: Introduction toECE 1100: Introduction toElectrical and Computer EngineeringElectrical and Computer Engineering

Notes 6

Slides adapted from lectures by Drs. Shattuck, Jackson, and Williams

Wanda WosikAssociate Professor, ECE Dept.

Spring 2011

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Engineering EthicsEngineering Ethics

• What is it?

• Why is it important?

• Issues, difficulties, and dilemmas

• Whistle-blowing

• The UH Academic Honesty Policy

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DefinitionsDefinitions

Engineering Ethics (Martin and Schinzinger):

• The study of moral issues and decisions confronting engineers.

• The study of moral conduct, character, ideals, and behavior among people in engineering.

• Any difference from “General Ethics”? No, but additional requirements were added due to specific job environments.

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Definitions (cont.)Definitions (cont.)

Moral (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary)

• Of or relating to principles of right and wrong behavior: ethical.

• Conforming to a standard of right behavior.

• Sanctioned by or operative on one’s conscience or ethical judgment.

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Engineering EthicsEngineering Ethics

Why is it important?

• As a student, you are expected to behave in an ethical manner – know your responsibilities.

• In the workplace, your decisions will affect peoples’ lives and well being.

Our society depends upon a bond of trust between engineers and the general public.

The public expects quality and safety.

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Building Blocks of a Successful CareerBuilding Blocks of a Successful Career

Personal Integrity

Professional Integrity

Technical Expertise

Communication Skills

Personality

Relationship w/ peers

Relationship w/ boss

Ability to network

Skills match job

Others…..

Foundation of a

worthwhile career

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IntegrityIntegrity Integrity ethical behavior.

Integrity your most valuable asset.

No integrity no value in a technical community.

An engineer with integrity is expected to behave in an ethical manner.

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IntegrityIntegrity

Integrity is important to everyone.

Never loose yours but rather work on reinforcing it.

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Ethical Decision-MakingEthical Decision-Making

Ethical Decisions vs. Analytical Decisions:

• Ethical decisions are based on morality, not scientific principles. Cultivate and build it from early on.

• Most of your coursework will prepare you for making analytical decisions.

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Ethical Behavior Ethical Behavior

Refers to moral norms that a person follows but includes also

Responsibility for one’s actions (tired/sleepy driver or pilot, ….)

Professionalism and competence at work place (continuous education to ensure high level of knowledge of your current job).

Accuracy of your analyses and Honesty in reporting data.

Watch your steps so that later you can look in the mirror.

Some Thoughts to ConsiderSome Thoughts to Consider

You will face ethical conflicts throughout your engineering career.

Your decisions are often final and irreversible. Do not be afraid to reverse them if you should, can, and find appropriate.

Your actions will impact on our society.

Unfortunately, solutions to ethical conflicts are not simple. They are often hard. Do not bend your moral believes.

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Example: Heinz’s DilemmaExample: Heinz’s Dilemma

A woman dying from a rare disease must have an expensive drug that her doctors think will help her.

She and her husband Heinz cannot afford the drug, in part because the local pharmacist is charging ten times the cost of producing the drug. The pharmacist has invented the drug and remains its only source.

Heinz attempts to borrow the money but is able to raise only half of what is needed. He asks the pharmacist to reduce the price or to accept half now and the remainder later, but the pharmacist refuses. In desperation, Heinz breaks into the pharmacy and steals the drug.

Was Heinz’s theft justified from an ethical point of view?

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Ethical CodesEthical Codes

To help guide us in behaving in an ethical manner, we have codes of ethics.

• Engineer’s Creed (this oath is read at the Engineering Commencement ceremony)

• University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy

• IEEE Code of Ethics http://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/governance/p7-8.html

• NSPE Code of Ethics http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html

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Engineer’s CreedEngineer’s Creed

I pledge:

To give the utmost of performance;

To participate in none but honest enterprise;

To live and work according to the law of man and the highest standards of professional conduct;

To place service before profit, the honor and standing of profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations.

In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge.

Adopted by National Society of Professional Engineers, June 1954. 14

Professional Society Professional Society Codes of EthicsCodes of Ethics

• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)

• IEEE

Both of these will be placed on the class Web page. Please download them and read them.

(Remember, you are responsible for anything that is placed on the class Web page for the quizzes and exams.)

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IEEE Code of Ethics IEEE Code of Ethics

1. to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;

2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data;

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4. to reject bribery in all its forms;

5. to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences;

6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitation;

7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others;

IEEE Code of Ethics (cont.) IEEE Code of Ethics (cont.)

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8. to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age or national origin;

9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action;

10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.

IEEE Code of Ethics (cont.) IEEE Code of Ethics (cont.)

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Giving CreditGiving Credit

Ethical behavior requires that you always give proper credit for all material that you have taken from others.

This includes quotations of text, figures, results, etc.

To do otherwise is considered plagiarism and this is dishonest – and is a violation of the UH Academic Honesty Policy.

Example here: most of these notes come from

http://www.egr.uh.edu/courses/ECE/ECE1100/ - various sections taught

Ethics in the WorkplaceEthics in the Workplace

Some of the issues we will discuss:

• Accepting blame for failure

• Safety versus cost

• Making moral decisions within your workplace

• Whistleblowing

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Accepting BlameAccepting BlameWe can choose to...

Accept blame for failures when they are our fault

or

“Finger point” and try to put the blame on others.

Examples:

1) A person gets a speeding ticket…blames the police.

2) A student does not do well on an exam…blames the exam.

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Accepting Blame (cont.)Accepting Blame (cont.)

General rule:

The sooner a person (or department, company, etc.) accepts blame and acts to correct a problem, the easier the solution will be.

Accepting blame and acting to correct the problem is the ethical thing to do.

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Accepting Blame: Firestone/Ford ExampleAccepting Blame: Firestone/Ford Example

Firestone tire / Ford Explorer debacle

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Firestone tire debacle: Some points to consider

• When the problem was made public, did both Firestone and Ford engage in “finger pointing”?

• Did Firestone know about the problem before the information was made available to the public?

• Even if the problem was with the tires, and not the vehicle, did Ford know about it? If so, did they have an obligation to the public to report it? Did they?

Accepting Blame: Firestone/Ford Example (cont.)Accepting Blame: Firestone/Ford Example (cont.)

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McALLEN, Texas — Bridgestone/Firestone Friday agreed to pay a reported $7.85 million to settle a lawsuit with a Texas family that was in an accident in a Ford Explorer that rolled over after a Firestone tire failed. The settlement came as a federal court jury was in its fourth day of deliberations over who was at fault in the accident which left Marisa Rodriguez, 39, with a brain injury and confined to a wheelchair. The family earlier settled with Ford Motor for $6 million. The lawsuit against Bridgestone/Firestone had asked for $1 billion.

Aug. 24, 2001:

Dr. Joel Rodriguez with his wife, Marisa Rodriguez and their daughter, also Marisa, as they head for federal court.

Accepting Blame: Firestone/Ford Example (cont.)Accepting Blame: Firestone/Ford Example (cont.)

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Merck & Co. withdrew Vioxx® from the marketplace on September 30, 2004. According to the company, Vioxx® has been linked to an increase of heart attacks and strokes in patients and should be withdrawn.  

An article published in August 2001 in the Journal of the American Medical Association raised concerns over the negative side effects on cardiovascualar health related to both Vioxx® and another COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex®.

Did they wait too long to recall the drug?

In the year before withdrawal, Merck had a sales revenue of US $2.5 billion from Vioxx.

Accepting Blame: Vioxx IssueAccepting Blame: Vioxx Issue

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On August 19, 2005, a Texas jury awarded Carol Ernst $253.4 million dollars in damages as a result of the death of her husband, Robert, from a heart attack after he took Vioxx® . (The award was later reduced to 26.1 million dollars.)

Post-recall, Merck has seen its stock fall more than 35 percent.

Many law suits are still pending.

Accepting Blame: Vioxx Issue (cont.)Accepting Blame: Vioxx Issue (cont.)

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Safety Versus CostSafety Versus Cost

No product can be engineered to be absolutely safe, and still be practical and affordable.

No procedure can be made absolutely safe and effective, and still be time-efficient and affordable.

No engineering design can absolutely guarantee against misuse or potential flaws.

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Safety Versus Cost (cont.)Safety Versus Cost (cont.)

Consider a typical product…the lawn mower.

Can it be engineered to be 100% safe?

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Be Proactive!Be Proactive!

When safety is an issue…

• It is ethical to speak up and report all violations.

• It is ethical to assume “positive responsibility” by looking ahead to possible problems, and proactively act to minimize risk and harm.

If you fail to do this, the results can be disastrous.

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 —  One day before the Columbia disaster, senior NASA engineers worried that the space shuttle’s left wing might burn off and cause the deaths of the crew, describing a scenario remarkably like the one investigators believe ultimately happened. They never sent their warnings to NASA’s brass.

This frame from a video view of Columbia's ascent on Jan. 16, 2003 shows a cloud of impact debris (circled) coming from beneath the shuttle's left wing.

Columbia Disaster (Feb. 1, 2003)

Example of DisasterExample of Disaster

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Whistle-blowingWhistle-blowing

Whistle-blowing: To convey information outside approved organizational channels to bring attention to a problem within the organization.

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Whistle-Blowing: Whistle-Blowing: ConsiderationsConsiderations

Personal liability: loss of job or career

The moral obligation to be a whistleblower is based on the responsibility to society.

Evidence of potential harm to public is usually necessary.

Documentation is important

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Whistle-Blowing (cont.)Whistle-Blowing (cont.)

• Recognize moral issues (vs. technical ones).

• Gather the facts (not just opinions).

• Keep good documentation.

• Rank moral consideration for importance.

• Talk with others for a sense of perspective.

Recommended steps before proceeding:

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Before the Challenger disaster, an engineer (Roger Boisjoly) sent letters to management showing concerns.

After the disaster, Boisjoly went public with the documented memos.

Case Study: Challenger Disaster (Jan. 28, 1986)

Whistle-Blowing (cont.)Whistle-Blowing (cont.)

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Morton Thiokol, Inc

Wasatch Division

Interoffice Memo

31 July 1985 2870:FY86:073

TO: R. K. Lund Vice President, Engineering

CC: B. C. Brinton, A. J. McDonald, L. H. Sayer, J. R. Kapp

FROM: R. M. Boisjoly Applied Mechanics - Ext. 3525

SUBJECT: SRM O-Ring Erosion/Potential Failure Criticality

This letter is written to insure that management is fully aware of the seriousness of the current O-ring erosion problem in the SRM joints from an engineering standpoint. The mistakenly accepted position on the joint problem was to fly without fear of failure and to run a series of design evaluations which would ultimately lead to a solution or at least a significant reduction of the erosion problem. This position is now drastically changed as a result of the SRM 16A nozzle joint erosion which eroded a secondary O-ring with the primary O-ring never sealing. If the same scenario should occur in a field joint (and it could), then it is a jump ball as to the success or failure of the joint because the secondary O-ring cannot respond to the clevis opening rate and may not be capable of pressurization. The result would be a catastrophe of the highest order - loss of human life. An unofficial team (a memo defining the team and its purpose was never published) with leader was formed on 19 July 1985 and was tasked with solving the problem for both the short and long term. This unofficial team is essentially nonexistent at this time. In my opinion, the team must be officially given the responsibility and the authority to execute the work that needs to be done on a non-interference basis (full time assignment until completed.) It is my honest and very real fear that if we do not take immediate action to dedicate a team to solve the problem with the field joint having the number one priority, then we stand in jeopardy of losing a flight along with all the launch pad facilities.

R. M. Boisjoly

Concurred by: J. R. Kapp, Manager Applied Mechanics

Whistle-Blowing (cont.)Whistle-Blowing (cont.)

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“MTI was then asked by NASA MSFC* in September to send a representative to the SAE Conference in October to discuss the joint seal designs and solicit help from the technical experts in attendance. However, I was given strict instructions, which come from MSFC, not to express the critical urgency of fixing the joints but to only emphasize the joint improvement aspect during my presentation. I prepared and presented seven Viewgraphs to approximately 130 technical experts at the conference.”

Comments by Boisjoly on response by management:

From: http://onlineethics.org/CMS/profpractice/ppessays/thiokolshuttle/shuttle_pre.aspx

Whistle-Blowing (cont.)Whistle-Blowing (cont.)

* MSFC: Marshall Space Flight Center

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"Professional Life After Being Branded a Whistleblower" addresses the recovery details from a destroyed career and how a typical blackball by industry was defeated by creation of a self-employed career. Several vivid examples of corporate mistreatment of a Whistleblower are given to demonstrate the uphill battle necessary to survive the event.

He has given over 550 seminars since the tragedy:

Whistle-Blowing (cont.)Whistle-Blowing (cont.)

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"Roger Boisjoly had over a quarter century's experience in the aerospace industry in 1985 when he became involved in an improvement effort on the O-rings which connect segments of Morton Thiokol's Solid Rocket Booster, used to bring the Space Shuttle into orbit.... For his honesty and integrity leading up to and directly following the shuttle disaster Roger Boisjoly was awarded the Prize for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility from the American Association for the Advancement of Science."

Although his career was damaged, he did the right thing…

Whistle-Blowing (cont.)Whistle-Blowing (cont.)

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Positive changes:Emergency bailout system as added to the space shuttle.

Cosmonaut Valery V. Ryumin (front) and astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz participate in a training session at JSC. The curved item by the hatch (upper left of this photo) contains the escape pole. (NASA Photo S98-05705).

This photo shows one of the test jumpers falling away from the pole during the evaluation of the crew escape technique at China Lake Naval Center. They jumped with the same outfit as Shuttle astronauts but with something extra: A belly reserve. Test jumper Bob Hudson, D2842, said of the Shuttle crew escape system "You bet -- This will work!"

Whistle-Blowing (cont.)Whistle-Blowing (cont.)

Whistle-Blowing: “Case study”Whistle-Blowing: “Case study”

Gilbane Gold (video tape):

This is a fictionalized account of a young engineer named David Jackson, who faces the ethical decision to be a whistleblower.

We will watch this videotape. Your writing assignment will be based on it.

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Issues You Face as a StudentIssues You Face as a Student

We next discuss some issues that directly affect you as a student here at UH.

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University of HoustonUniversity of HoustonAcademic Honesty PolicyAcademic Honesty Policy

This is discussed in the student handbook, pp. 9 – 14:

http://www.uh.edu/dos/hdbk/index.html

You have already signed a statement verifying that you have read it!

Please treat this very seriously... any violation may result in your being expelled from the university!

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UH Academic Honesty Policy (cont.)UH Academic Honesty Policy (cont.)

Highlights from Policy:

• You have the obligation to behave in an honest manner (no cheating, lying, etc.).

• You have the obligation to report any cheating or dishonest behavior that you observe.

• Examples: cheating on exams, quizzes, homeworks, labs reports; plagiarism; allowing others to copy from you.

• The policy is taken very seriously, and the penalties are usually very severe.

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• After being accused of an academic honesty violation, a departmental hearing is held with the Chair of the Department.

• If found guilty, the student can appeal to a college-level hearing. A college-level hearing is automatic if the Chair recommends suspension or expulsion.

• A guilty verdict at the College level becomes a permanent part of the student record.

Procedure for Academic Honesty Violations:

UH Academic Honesty Policy (cont.)UH Academic Honesty Policy (cont.)

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Giving Credit Giving Credit (again!)(again!)

Ethical behavior requires that you always give proper credit for all material that you have taken from others (including internet).

This includes quotations of text, figures, results, etc.

To do otherwise is considered plagiarism and this is dishonest – and is a violation of the UH Academic Honesty Policy.

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Where Does Ethics Start?Where Does Ethics Start?

Behaving in an ethical manner here sets the foundation for your entire career.

But it all have started much earlier at your home, schools, organizations. Cultivate your ethics from early on and do not be tempted or misled to unethical behavior.

Here at the University of Houston!

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Engineering Ethics References Engineering Ethics References

http://onlineethics.org/

Online Ethics Center at the National Academy of Engineering

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Engineering Ethics References Engineering Ethics References

• Gunn and Vesilind, HOLD PARAMOUNT: The Engineer’s Responsibility to Society, Thomson Brooks.Cole, 2003.

• Martin and Schinzinger, Ethics in Engineering, 2e., McGraw Hill, N. Y., 1989.

• Harris, Pritchard, and Rabins, Engineering Ethics, Wadsworth Publishing Co., N. Y., 1995.

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