Ethics Case Study

Background / required reading:
- Read the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers (https://www(dot)nspe(dot)org/resources/ethics/code-ethics)
- Read the slides for the Ethical Decision Making (attached file)
- Watch the Henry's Daughters Video (https://player(dot)vimeo(dot)com/video/92405353)
After completing the reading and viewing Henry's Daughters, write a 250-1000 word post in the discussion forum that covers each of the following points:
List the ethical issues you observed in Henry’s Daughters.
From your personal perspective, prioritize these ethical issues from most critical to least critical.
Discuss the movie from these four other perspectives:
Henry’s Perspective: Imagine that you are Henry.
- What specific ethical issues do you face?
- What are some things that you should consider?
- From whom or where should you seek guidance?
Laura’s Perspective: Imagine that you are Laura.
- What specific ethical issues do you face?
- What decisions would you change if you were Laura?
- From whom or where could you seek guidance?
Julie’s Perspective: Imagine that you are Julie.
- What specific ethical issues do you face?
- What decisions would you change if you were Julie?
- From whom or where could you seek guidance?
Responsibility Perspective: If you were in charge and had the authority and the funding to make any changes you wanted to make in your organization policies:
- What specific steps would you take to improve the organization culture?
- Who would you involve in this process?
- How and when would you communicate the organization policies to:
- Your employees?
- Your clients?
- The public?
Which aspects of the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers are relevant to your decision making on this case?
Reply
Respond to the post of another member of the class. Your response should be between 250 and 1000 words. In your response, take the point of view of a lawyer representing a person in a lawsuit. The purpose of this assignment is to take someone else's point of view; your post will be evaluated on how well you do this. Address this question: From the perspective articulated in the original post, which of the three characters in the video (Henry, Laura, or Julie) would you be most confident in defending in court? Why? Make sure you base your discussion on the perspective articulated in the original post, and not on your own perspective.
Classmate's Post that needs a response
The ethical issues observed in Henry’s Daughters are favoritism, nepotism, sexual harassment, revealing proprietary information to people who might not be authorized to have such information, deception, quid pro quo scenarios, and plagiarizing.
The following is the list of ethical issues from most critical to least critical:
Sexual harassment
plagiarizing
revealing proprietary information
deception
nepotism
favoritism
quid pro quo
Henry’s Perspective: Assume you are Henry.
What specific ethical issues do you face?
I face ethical issues due to trying to promote my personal interest for personal gain through flattery and bribery. Thanking someone in a position of authority with monetary gifts can be seen as an unethical practice.
What are some things that you should consider?
I need to consider how this can be perceived by law enforcement and by other authority figures. Also, take the point of view of both my daughters since they are indirectly or directly involved in my personal dealings.
From whom or where should you seek guidance?
From my daughter who currently holds and is practicing her Professional Engineering degree, she has been through ethical training and understands the fine line between being ethical and unethical. Also, from an third party source that has no interest or nothing to gain whatsoever from my conversations and try to get an idea of how this looks from the outside.
Laura’s Perspective: Assume you are Laura.
What specific ethical issues do you face?
The ethical issue I face is feeling comfortable around my family members to the point that I might share proprietary information.
What decisions would you change if you were Laura?
I would keep work related matters separate from my household. Although it is difficult there could be tragic effects if I bring my all my work home and am not careful as to what I share and with whom.
From whom or where could you seek guidance?
I would seek guidance from my manager and also from coworkers in order to make sure that I am not sharing something that they feel would jeopardize my title.
Julie’s Perspective: Assume you are Julie.
What specific ethical issues do you face?
I face issues of plagiarizing work that was shared with me when it should not have been. I also face harassment at work that could endanger how I am perceived professionally.
What decisions would you change if you were Julie?
I would consult with the HR department to make sure that the harassment stops, and also try not to recreate something that could potentially be considered plagiarized.
From whom or where could you seek guidance?
I would seek guidance from my HR department and also from my sister who showed me proprietary information.
Responsibility Perspective: If you were in charge and had the authority and the funding to make any changes you wanted to make in your organization policies:
What specific steps would you take to improve the organization culture?
I would have continuous training of anyone holding a title to ensure that they understand what is ethical and what is not while working and even outside of work. This training would require a certain amount of hours each year that could potential cause the loss of a title or position if not completed.
Who would you involve in this process?
I would involve a legal team and any representative of the NSPE Code of Ethics Engineers.
How and when would you communicate the organization policies to:
Your employees? Through a training HUB and email reminders.
Your clients? Through email notifications of how we operate as an organization.
The public? Through bulletins and brochures of how we hold a high standard of Ethics.
The following aspects of the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers are relevant to my decision making:
Engineers shall not promote their own interest at the expense of the dignity and integrity of the profession.
Engineers shall treat all persons with dignity, respect, fairness and without discrimination.
Engineers shall not complete, sign, or seal plans and/or specifications that are not in conformity with applicable engineering standards. If the client or employer insists on such unprofessional conduct, they shall notify the proper authorities and withdraw from further service on the project.
Engineers shall avoid the use of statements containing a material misrepresentation of fact or omitting a material fact.
Engineers shall, whenever possible, name the person or persons who may be individually responsible for designs, inventions, writings, or other accomplishments.
Engineers, before undertaking work for others in connection with which the engineer may make improvements, plans, designs, inventions, or other records that may justify copyrights or patents, should enter into a positive agreement regarding ownership.