06-CE Ethics-Ethical Problem-Solving Techniques (W6) 211

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving
techniques
PE201IU
Engineering Ethics and Professional 5.1 Introduction
Skills (3 credits) 5.2 Analysis of issues in ethical problems
5.3 Line drawing
5.4 Flow charting
Ethical problem-solving 5.5 Conflict problems
techniques 5.6 Applications
2 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia
1 2
Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

techniques techniques
5.1 Introduction 5.1 Introduction
 In the early 1990s, newspapers began to report on  Nearly everything an engineer designs has some
studies indicating that living near electrical-power health or safety risk associated with it.
distribution systems leads to an increased risk of
cancer, especially in children. The risk was attributed  Ethical matters.
to the effects of the weak, low-frequency magnetic
fields present near such systems.
 Further reports indicated that there might also be some
 In solving engineering problems, it is always tempting
risk associated with the use of common household to look for an appropriate formula, plug in the
items such as electric blankets and clock radios. numbers, and calculate an answer. This type of
problem-solving approach, while sometimes useful for
 Power companies began to look into methods for
engineering analysis problems, is less useful for
reducing the fields, and many engineers sought ways ethical problem solving.
to design products that emitted reduced amounts of
this radiation.
3 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 4 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia
3 4
5.2 Analysis of issues in ethical problems 5.2 Analysis of issues in ethical problems
 A first step in solving any ethical problem is to 5.2.1 Factual issues:
completely understand all of the issues involved.  Factual issues involve what is actually known about a
Once these issues are determined, frequently a case  what the facts are.
solution to the problem becomes apparent.  Although this concept seems straightforward, the facts
 The issues involved in understanding ethical problems of a particular case are not always clear and may be
can be splitted into three categories: controversial.
– factual,
– conceptual,
– moral issues
 to put an ethical problem in the proper framework and
often helps point the way to a solution.
5 6

5.2.1 Factual issues: 5.2.2 Conceptual issues
 An example of facts that are not necessarily global  Conceptual issues have to do with the meaning or
warming is of great concern to society as we continue applicability of an idea.
to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  In engineering ethics, this might mean defining what
 climate scientists think greenhouse gases  warming constitutes a bribe as opposed to an acceptable gift
of the atmosphere as emissions from automobiles and or determining whether certain business information is
industrial plants. proprietary.
 However, the global warming process is not fully  In the case of the bribe, the value of the gift is probably
understood  a controversial topic. If it were known a well-known fact. What isn’t known is whether
exactly what the effects of emitting greenhouse gases accepting it will lead to unfair influence on a business
into the atmosphere would be, the engineer’s role and decision.
responsibility in reducing this problem would be
clearer.
7 8
5.2.2 Conceptual issues 5.2.3 Moral issues
 For example, conceptually it must be determined if the  Once the factual and conceptual issues have been
gift of tickets to a sporting event by a potential resolved, at least to the extent possible, all that
supplier of parts for your project is meant to influence remains is to determine which moral principle is
your decision or is just a nice gesture between applicable to the situation.
friends.  Once the problem is defined, it is usually clear which
 Of course, like factual issues, conceptual issues are moral concept applies, and the correct decision
not always clear-cut and will often result in becomes obvious.
controversy as well.
9 10

5.2 Analysis of issues in ethical problems 5.3 Line drawing
 This technique is applied to situations in which the
 Controversies can be resolved: applicable moral principles are clear, but there seems
 Further research  the truth (factual issues) to be a great deal of “gray area” about which ethical
principle applies.
 Agreeing on the meaning and applicability of terms
 This method is performed by drawing a line along
and concepts  further analysis (conceptual issues)
which various examples and hypothetical situations are
 Agreeing on moral principles applied  (moral placed.
issues).
– At one end is placed the “positive paradigm”.
– At the other end, the “negative paradigm” is
placed.
– In between is placed the problem under
consideration, along with other similar examples
11 12
5.3 Line drawing 5.3 Line drawing
Problem: It is proposed that one company dispose of a Problem (water discharge)
slightly hazardous waste by dumping it into a lake. A  Drawing a line and placing the positive and negative
nearby town takes its drinking water supply from this lake. paradigms
The research shows that with the amount of waste we
plan to put into the lake, the average concentration of
the waste in the lake will be 5 parts per million (ppm).
The limitation for this material has been set at 10 ppm. At
the 5-ppm level, they expect no health problems, and
consumers would not be able to detect the compound in
the drinking water.
 Positive paradigm: The water supply for the town
should be clean and safe.
 Negative paradigm: Toxic levels of waste are put into
13 14
the lake. Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia
13 14

Problem (water discharge)  develop hypothetical Problem (water discharge)  develop hypothetical
examples for consideration: examples for consideration:
1. The company dumps the chemical into the lake. At 5 5. Occasionally, exposure to the chemical can make
ppm, the chemical will be harmless, but the town’s people feel ill, but this only lasts for an hour and is
water will have an unusual taste. rare.
2. The chemical can be effectively removed by the 6. At 5 ppm, some people can get fairly sick, but the
town’s existing water-treatment system. sickness only lasts a week, and there is no long-term
3. The chemical can be removed by the town with new harm.
equipment that will be purchased by the company. 7. Equipment can be installed at the plant to further
4. The chemical can be removed by the town with new reduce the waste level to 1 ppm.
equipment for which the taxpayer will pay.
15 16
Problem (water discharge)  let’s insert the hypothetical Problem (water discharge)  let’s insert the problem at
examples appropriately: the appropriate place:
NP PP NP PP
6 5 4 1 7 32 6 5 4 1 P 7 2,3
 dumping the toxic waste is probably a morally

acceptable choice,
 no humans will be harmed and the waste levels will be
well below those that could cause any harm.
 it is somewhat far from the positive paradigm, there are
probably better choices that can be made.
17 18
A case study.
 In 1994–95, it was discovered and widely reported that the latest
version of the Intel Pentium chip had flaws. At first, Intel sought to techniques
hide this information, but later came around to a policy of offering
consumers chips in which the flaw had been corrected. We can use 5.3 Line drawing
line drawing to get some insight into this problem. Problem (water discharge)  let’s insert the hypothetical
 For our positive paradigm, we will use the statement that “products examples appropriately:
should perform as advertised.” The negative paradigm will be
“Knowingly sell products that are defective and that will negatively
affect customers’ applications.” A few examples that we can add to NP PP
the line are as follows:
1. There is a flaw in the chip, but it truly is undetectable and won’t affect P 5 2 3 1, 4
any customer’s applications. (Intel)
2. There are flaws in the chip, the customer is informed of them, but no Sell Products
help is offered. defective should be as
3. A warning label says that the chip should not be used for certain products advertised
applications.
4. Recall notices are sent out, and all fl awed chips are replaced.
5. Replacement chips are offered only if the customer notices the
problem.
19 20
5.4 Flow charting 5.4 Flow charting
 In engineering ethics, flow charting will be helpful for
analyzing a variety of cases, especially those in
which there is a sequence of events to be
considered or a series of consequences that flows
from each decision.
 An advantage of using a flow chart to analyze ethical
problems is that it gives a visual picture of a situation
and allows you to readily see the consequences that
flow from each decision.
21 22

techniques
5.4 Flow charting
 We can illustrate this technique by applying a simple
flow chart to a disaster that happened at Union
Carbide’s plant in Bhopal, India, where MIC, a toxic
substance, was mixed with water, creating toxic fumes.
 Develop a chart that helps investor to decide whether
or not to build a plant at Bhopal
23 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 24
23 24
5.4 Flow charting 5.5 Conflict problems
 Develop the chart that helps to make decisions  Problems that present us with a choice between two
whether the flare tower can be taken off-line for conflicting moral values, each of which seems to be
maintenance or whether it should remain operating. correct.
 How do we make the correct choice in this

situation?
25 26

5.5 Conflict problems 5.6 Applications
Conflict problems can be solved in three ways: Bribery/ acceptance of gifts
5.5.1 A moral choice is obviously more significant
than the other.  One of the many gray areas of engineering ethics is
Ex: protecting the health and safety of the public is more the acceptance of gifts from vendors or the offering of
important than your duty to your employer. gifts to customers to secure business.
5.5.2 A creative middle way solution  The solution is
an attempt at some kind of a compromise that will work  potential for gifts to become bribes or to be
for everyone. perceived of as bribes
 “creative” because it takes a great deal of creativity to
find a middle ground that is acceptable to everyone and a
great deal of diplomacy to sell it to everyone.
5.5.3 A make the best choice possible with the
27 information availableDr.atNguyen
the Hoai
timeNghia 28 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia
27 28
5.6 Applications 5.6 Applications
Bribery/ acceptance of gifts Bribery/ acceptance of gifts
 Definition: a bribe is something, such as money or a  Why aren’t briberies tolerated in the ethical point of
favor, offered or given to someone in a position of views?
trust in order to induce him to act dishonestly. It is
something offered or serving to influence or persuade.
29 30

Bribery/ acceptance of gifts 5.6.1 When Is a Gift a Bribe?
1. Bribery corrupts our free-market economic system and

is anticompetitive  bribery does not reward the
most efficient producer.
2. Bribery is a sellout to the rich. Bribery corrupts justice
and public policy by allowing rich people to make all
the rules.
3. Bribery treats people as commodities that can be
bought and sold. This practice is degrading to us as
human beings and corrupts both the buyer and the
seller.
31 32
5.6.2 Examples of Gifts vs. Bribes 5.6.2 Examples of Gifts vs. Bribes
 During a sales visit, a sales representative offers you a  Your meeting with a sales representative is running into
coffee mug with his company’s name and logo on it. the lunch hour. She invites you to go out for lunch. You
The value of the mug is five dollars. go to a fast-food restaurant and pay for your own
– Can you accept this item? lunch.
– Does the answer to this question change if this – Is this practice acceptable?
item is a $350 crystal bowl with the name of the – Does the answer to this question change if you
company engraved on it? go to an expensive French restaurant?
– How about if there is no engraving on it? – If she pays for lunch?
33 34

5.6.2 Examples of Gifts vs. Bribes 5.6.2 Examples of Gifts vs. Bribes
 A sales representative from whom you often purchase  A company sales representative would like you to
asks if you would like to play tennis with him this attend a one-day sales seminar in Cleveland. Your
weekend at one of the local municipal courts. company will pay for your trip.
– Should you go? – Should you go?
– Is the answer to this question different if the – How about if the meeting is in Maui?
match is at an exclusive local club to which he – What if the sales representative’s company is
belongs? going to pay for you to go?
– What if he pays the club’s guest fee for you? – What if your family is invited as well?
35 36
5.6.3 Problem Solving: Gifts vs. Bribes 5.6.3 Problem Solving
 Factual issue: who offered a gift, what its value was,  Line drawing.
and what its purpose was.  Flow chart.
 Conceptual issue: whether the gift is of sufficient
value to influence a decision or whether that influence
is the intent of the gift
 Moral issue: when conceptual issue is clear then
moral issue is often very clear
37 38

techniques
CASE STUDY: LOOKING FOR A JOB
5.6 Applications
 Many ethical issues arise in the course of looking for a job.
5.6.4. Avoiding Bribery Problems Even though as you approach graduation you are still an
 Rules. “amateur,” ethical and professional behavior is expected
 Policies. during your job search. There are many ways to be unethical
 Guildlines.
in searching for a job, such as exaggerating or falsifying your
resume, or overstating expenses when getting reimbursed
for an interview trip.
 Other, less obvious, ethical concerns can occur during
interview trips. Ex., suppose you have had an on-campus
interview with a large corporation. After the interview you
have decided that you aren’t really interested in this
company.
39 40
CASE STUDY: LOOKING FOR A JOB
 The company calls you later and asks you to come to the
company headquarters in Cleveland for a plant visit. You
have a friend in Cleveland who you would like to visit.
– Is it acceptable to go on the plant trip? Why?
– Does the situation change if the plant trip is to Hawaii?
– Does it change if your interest level in the company is low,
but you honestly feel that you could be persuaded?
 How do you decide what is acceptable during your job
search? The easiest thing to do is to honestly discuss your
plans with the recruiter. If she feels that what you want to do
isn’t acceptable, then you shouldn’t do it. If, however, your
plans are acceptable to the company then you can proceed.
In addition, the ethical analysis and problem-solving methods
that we developed in this chapter and have applied to cases
thus far are equally applicable to job searches.
41 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia
41

06-CE Ethics-Ethical Problem-Solving Techniques (W6) 211

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

06-CE Ethics-Ethical Problem-Solving Techniques (W6) 211

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

2 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

5 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 6 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

9 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 10 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

15 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 16 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

 dumping the toxic waste is probably a morally

21 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 22 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

23 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 24

 How do we make the correct choice in this

25 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 26 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

29 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 30 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

1. Bribery corrupts our free-market economic system and

33 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 34 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

35 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 36 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

37 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 38 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

Chapter 5: Ethical problem-solving

39 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia 40 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

41 Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nghia

You might also like