Kareem Eljaam

Instructor Prouty

CPR E 394

11 December 2022

Ethics in Engineering

The purpose of having and following a Code of Ethics is to ensure that everyone in the

organization behaves ethically and responsibly. It establishes the standards for behavior and

decision-making that employees, managers, and leaders must adhere to in order to maintain a

professional and ethical workplace. The Code of Ethics outlines the values, beliefs, and

expectations of the company and its employees while providing guidance on how to make

responsible decisions. It also serves to protect the organization from potential legal and

reputational risks. When I am faced with an ethical situation, I go about making a decision by

considering my personal values, the ethical standards of the organization, and the potential

consequences of my decision. I also take into account the perspectives of my colleagues and

other stakeholders, and consider the potential impact of my decision on them. Additionally, I

think about how my decision will reflect on the organization as a whole. Finally, I think through

any potential legal implications of my decision.

As discussed in class, some major ethical issues came about over the years. These issues

include the Big Data Issue, the Pinto Issue, the Volkswagen Issue, and the Amazon Echo issue.

Most of the issues that were mentioned involved big names or companies. This affects how the

problems/issues were dealt with because when it comes to big companies, the first thing they

think about is how they could lose as little money as possible. This is very different than how I or
other regular people would go about resolving matters. As I mentioned earlier, what matters most

to me is analyzing the situation and figuring out if what I plan to do aligns with my personal

values and the ethical standards of the organization.

The three virtues that I feel are most related to our case study are Respect,

Accountability, and Honesty. Respect is important in this case study because the team of

engineers must respect the opinions of the other engineers in order to move forward with the

research and development of the new technology. By respecting each other’s opinions, the team

can work together to come up with a viable solution. Accountability is also important because

the team must be held accountable for any decisions they make regarding the project. Each team

member must take responsibility for their actions and be willing to accept the consequences of

their decisions. Honesty is important in this case study because the team must be honest about

their intentions and their results. If the team is not honest with each other and the public, then the

research and development of the new technology could be compromised.

The other virtues—Integrity, Courage, and Compassion—are less relevant to this case study

because they are not directly related to the specific actions of the team. Integrity is more of a

personal characteristic and is not necessary for the team to be successful. Courage and

Compassion are not very necessary for the team to achieve their goals, but they can be beneficial

in making sure the team is working together in a respectful and cooperative