Engineering Professional Seminar

Ethics

This Ethics Writing Assignment is meant to encourage you, the aspiring engineer, to examine how you will deal with potential ethical conflicts you will encounter in your career. You are encouraged to be thorough in developing your answers and discussion. While there is no single correct answer for this assignment, there are wrong answers,as well as incomplete answers.

Length: The submission should be as long as it takes to answer the questions and no longer. 

Poor grammar, incorrect spelling and excess verbiage may earn a score of 0.

1)  Refer to NSPE's Code of Ethics for Engineers (posted on Blackboard)

A) Identify at least 2 different internal inconsistencies within the code and explain the conflict. Refer specifically to canon that could contradict another. 

B) Provide a detailed scenario (be creative) that illustrates at least one of these potential conflicts.

2) Compare the NSPE code to the Code for your discipline (Civil, Biomedical, Mechanical or Electrical; ET students should use the Code for the discipline most closely related to their professional interests).  Does the Code for your discipline help resolve any of the conflicts discussed in Q1?

3) Read the case study below and answer the questions.  Justify your responses using

a) thespecific canons/principles/rules of practice in the NSPE Code and/or the Code for yourdiscipline

and

b) one (or more) of the following ethical philosophies: Utilitarianism; Respect for Persons; Virtue Ethics.

Business Trip

A) You are an engineer licensed in Pennsylvania.  You work for Municipal Consultants, Inc. (MCI), and your job includes specifying pumps and valves for various municipal clients.  Pump Valve, Inc (PVI), a pump and valve manufacturer, would like you to attend a one-day sales seminar at which PVI will demonstrate their new product line.  The seminar will be held in Allentown, PA (a mid-size city about 60 miles north of Philadelphia) and your company (MCI) offers to pay your way. 

Is it ethical for you to go to the seminar in Allentown?

B) The one day PVI seminar will be held in Las Vegas.  PVI offers an all-expense paid, 3 day trip to Las Vegas for you and your family so you can attend the one day seminar.

Is it ethical for you to go to Las Vegas?