Ethics Reflection

A code of ethics is a set of guiding principles intended to assist engineers in carrying out
their work honestly and morally. A code of ethics aids in outlining the organization's mission and
values, the ethical principles based on those values, and the professional standards expected of
engineers.

When faced with an ethical situation, my first action would be to stop and think of ways
to deal with the problem. This is because I do not want to react immediately or let emotions take
over my actions or sanity. My next action would be to ask again about the request or work
handed to us. This is to ensure that I have complete clarity and do not misunderstand the work
given with any unethical misconduct. This may fix the problem, as I either misunderstood the
assignment or the person reconsidered their request in light of the newfound request.

Four issues were discussed during the class. The issues are regarding big data issues,
the design of the Ford Pinto Fueling system, cheating of emission test of Volkswagen cars, and
information release of Amazon Echo. The ethical considerations introduced by the class are
mostly aligned with my personal ethical decisions. Based on my observation of most topics, the
class could agree and reach a consensus on ethical decisions.

One issue that was chosen is the Pinto Issue. Ford Motor Company produced the Pinto
as a subcompact car from 1971 through 1980. Numerous reported instances of Ford Pintos
catching fire after being rear-ended in the 1970s. Ford suffered a beating when it was disclosed
in the media that the company was aware of flaws in the design of the fuel tank system but
never cared to redesign or fix the problem. From my perspective, the company Ford was wrong
and unethical because Ford ignored and disregarded the safety of its consumers and focused
on profits over consumer safety and ethics. For the reflection on the "Virtue of Ethics" about this
issue, I think three virtues related to my chosen topic are integrity, honesty, and responsibility.

I chose integrity because if the engineering employees of Ford company had ethical
integrity, then they would not pursue continuing and releasing defective cars that could harm
their buyers. Due to the company's lack of integrity, many lives were harmed by their actions.
Secondly, honesty is important as an engineer, especially in a company that makes vehicles.
The company and management should be fair, honest, and transparent with their customers.
Hiding away their defective fuel design caused the issue to be a fatal accident. Lastly,
responsibility is also important as an engineer. From the statistics obtained from a website, out
of 3 million vehicles sold, 27 deaths were linked to the Pinto fires (the same number were linked
to a transmission issue). Due to the company being unresponsive, they had put people's lives in
danger to save money, and even though Ford would argue it, the company was aware that it
was endangering lives. Therefore, the company should be accountable for its actions.