ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS

SUBJECT CODE:BTAS10102

DR. ZALAK SHAH

ASH DEPARTMENT,
SCET, SU, SURAT.
[Link]@[Link]
 VIEWS ON ENGINEERING

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE)

 NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF ETHICS
What will happen to our society if values are not practiced?

 Loss of life and damage to public property

 Breakdown of families

 No law and order

 Crime and corruption

 Alcohol and drug abuse

 Abuse of women, children and other vulnerable members of society

and indiscreet and wastages of resources.

A TOTAL IMBALANCE IN THE SOCIETY, IF ALL DO NOT

PRACTICE VALUES AND ETHICS
Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE)
 CHAPTER 1:
HUMAN VALUES

4
 HUMAN VALUES
IMPORTANT AND LASTING BELIEFS OR IDEALS SHARED BY
THE MEMBERS OF A CULTURE ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD OR
BAD AND DESIRABLES OR UNDESIRABLES.

• Human values are the virtues that guide us to take into account human
element when one interacts with one other human beings. They are our
feelings for the human essence of others.

• It’s both what we expect others to do to us and what we aim to give to

other human beings. These human values give the effect of bonding,
comforting and reassuring.

• Value guides the selection or evaluate policies, people and events. That
is, values as standard or criteria. Types of values are:

Moral Values, Ethical Value, Professional Value, Social Value,

Psychological Values.

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 5

 MORALS AND ETHICS AND LAWS
Morals:

 Refers to an individual’s own principles regarding right and wrong

 Are up to the individual and differs from person to person, from one
culture to another.

Ethics:

 Rules or principles provided by the external source

 Are specific and do not differ.

Laws:

 Binding codes of conduct

 Formally recognized and enforced company policies

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 6
 MORALITY VS ETHICS

MORALITY ETHICS
MORE GENERAL AND PRESCRIPTIVE SPECIFIC AND DESCRIPTIVE. IT IS A
BASED ON CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS. CRITICAL REFLECTION ON MORALS.
MORE CONCERNED WITH THE RESULTS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE RESULTS
OF WRONG ACTION, WHEN DONE. OF A RIGHT ACTION, WHEN NOT DONE.
THRUST IS ON JUDGMENT AND THRUST IS ON INFLUENCE, EDUCATION,
PUNISHMENT, IN THE NAME OF GOD OR TRAINING THROUGH CODES,
BY LAWS. GUIDELINES, AND CORRECTION.
IN CASE OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE LESS SERIOUS, HENCE SECOND
TWO, MORALITY IS GIVEN TOP PRIORITY, PRIORITY ONLY. LESS COMMON. BUT
BECAUSE THE DAMAGE IS MORE. IT IS RELEVANT TODAY, BECAUSE OF
MORE COMMON AND BASIC. COMPLEX INTERACTIONS IN THE
MODERN SOCIETY.
EXAMPLE: CHARACTER FLAW, EXAMPLE: NOTIONS OR BELIEFS ABOUT
CORRUPTION, EXTORTION, AND CRIME. MANNERS, TASTES, CUSTOMS, AND
TOWARDS LAWS.

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 7

 MORALS

• ‘Moral’ refers to the principals of right and wrong behavior.

1. The Utilitarian Approach

2. The right Approach

3. The Fairness or Justice Approach

4. The Common Good Approach

5. The Virtue Approach

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 8

 THE UTILITARIAN APPROACH
 The ethical action is the one that balance good over harm.

 Example of Terrorism

 It deals with consequences; it tries both to increase the good done and
to reduce the harm done.

THE RIGHT APPROACH

 The ethical action is the one that best protects and respects the moral rights
of those affected.

 This approach starts from the belief.

 The debated list of moral rights.

 It is often said that rights imply duties – in particular, the duty to respect others’ rights.
Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 9
 THE FAIRNESS OR JUSTICE APPROACH:
 All equals should be treated equally.

 People are paid more based on their hard work or the greater amount that
they contribute to an organization

 Debate

THE COMMON GOOD APPROACH:

 The interlocking relationships of society are the basis of ethical reasoning and that
respect and compassion for all others.

 Give attention to the common conditions that are important to the welfare of
everyone.

 This may be
 system of laws,
 effective police and fire departments,
 health care,
 a public educational system,
 public recreational areas.
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 VIRTUE ETHICS
DETERM I NI NG WHAT KI ND O F PEO PLE WE SHO ULD BE

• In virtue ethics, actions are considered right if they support good

character traits(virtues) and wrong if they support bad character
traits (vices).
Is this action honest?
VIRTUE ETHICS
Will this action demonstrate loyalty
to my community and/or my employer?
RESPONSIBLILTY HONESTY
CITIZENSHIP Have I acted in a responsible fashion?
INTEGRITY LOYALTY
RESPECT
VICES
FAIRNESS
CARING
INCOMPETE
NCE
IRRESPONSIBLITY
Civic virtues are the moral DISLOYALTY
duties and rights, as a citizen
of the society. DISHONESTY
An individual may exhibit
Civic virtues by voting,
volunteering and organizing
Dr. Zalak Shah
Welfare (EFE)
groups. 11
 WHY ARE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
IMPORTANT?

• If you cannot be honest with people, you cannot develop long term
meaningful relationships with them, because these is no trust.

• If you are not honest with yourself… if you violate your own values, you
will have difficulty trusting yourself. You will eventually become
overwhelmed with doubt, and with good reason.

• If you do not have principles, or have them but do not hold to them, you
will have difficulty knowing how you will act when tough choices arise in
life.

• If you think that taking a shortcut, and sacrificing your integrity, will
somehow get you more money and success or more fun and pleasure,
think again… You’re thinking short term..

• In the long term, violating trust with others or with yourself is the surest
way to failure.

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Honesty is a virtue, and it is exhibited in two aspects namely,

(a) Truthfulness and

(b) Trustworthiness.

 Truthfulness is to face the responsibilities upon telling truth. One should

keep one’s word or promise. By admitting one’s mistake committed (one
needs courage to do that!), it is easy to fix them.

 Reliable engineering judgment, maintenance of truth, defending the

truth, and communicating the truth, only when it does ‘good’ to others,
are some of the reflections of truthfulness.

 But trustworthiness is maintaining integrity and taking responsibility for

personal performance.

 People abide by law and live by mutual trust. They play the right way to
win, according to the laws or rules (legally and morally). They build trust
through reliability and authenticity. They admit their own mistakes and
confront unethical actions in others and take tough and principled stand,
even if unpopular.
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 Honesty is mirrored in many ways. The common reflections are:

(a) Beliefs (intellectual honesty).

(b) Communication (writing and speech).

(c) Decisions (ideas, discretion).

(d) Actions (means, timing, place, and the goals). and

(e) Intended and unintended results achieved.

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Some of the actions of an engineer that leads to dishonesty
are:

Lying: giving wrong information to right people

Deliberate deception: judge or decide on matters one is not

familiar or with insufficient data or proof, to impress upon the
customers or employers
Withholding the information: hiding the facts during
communication to one’s superior or sub coordinate, intentionally
or otherwise
Not seeking the truth: Some engineers accept the information
or data, without applying their mind and seeking the truth

Not maintaining confidentiality: It is giving right information to

wrong people
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 VALUES
A value is defined as a principal that promoted well-being or prevents
harm

 Guidelines for our success, our paradigm about what is acceptable

 Associate emotions to our experiences and guide our choices,

decisions and actions.

 Are the scales we use to weigh our choices for our actions,
whether to move towards or away from something.

 Human have unique ability to define their identity, choose their

values and establish their beliefs.

The five core human values are:

RIGHT CONDUCT, PEACE, TRUTH, LOVE, NON-VIOLENCE

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Values related to Right conduct are:
a. Self-help skills: care of possessions, diet, hygiene, tidy appearance
b. Social skills: behavior, manners, no wastages, good environment.
c. Ethical skills: courage, duty, punctuality, efficiency, respect for all

Values related to Truth are:

Accuracy, curiosity, fairness, fearless, justice, optimism, purity, trust, honesty
determination

Values related to Love are:

Acceptance, affection, care, compassion, forgiveness, gentleness, sympathy,
friendship, kindness, selflessness, patience, tolerance, consideration, devotion

Values related to Non-violence are:

a. Psychological: happiness, loyalty, morality, universal love, consideration
b. Social: Appreciations of other cultures and religions, brotherhood, care of
environment, citizenship, respect for property, national awareness, social justice

Values related to Peace are:

Attention, dignity, self-control, equality, patience, gratitude, satisfaction,
understanding, discipline
Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 17
 WORK ETHIC
” A SET OF ATTITUDES CO NCERNED WITH THE VALUE OF WO RK,
W HI CH FO RMS THE MO TI VATI ONAL O RI ENTATION”

• The ‘work ethics’ is aimed at ensuring the productivity, safety,

health and hygiene.

• Affirms that, the work is worthy, admirable and valuable at personal

and social levels.

• It improves the quality of life and makes life purposeful, successful

and happy.

• By work ethics, duties to the self, family, society, and nation are
fulfilled.

• Rights of the individuals are respected and nourished.

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 18

 CIVIC VIRTUE
Civic virtues are the moral duties and rights, as a citizen of the village
or the country or an integral part of the society and environment.

The duties are:

1. To pay taxes to the local government and state, in time.

2. To keep the surroundings clean and green.

3. Not to pollute the water, land, and air by following hygiene and
proper garbage disposal.

For example, not to burn wood, tyres, plastic materials, spit in the
open, even not to smoke in the open, and not to cause nuisance to the
public, are some of the civic (duties) virtues.

4. To follow the road safety rules.

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 19

 CIVIC VIRTUE
On the other hand, the rights are:

1. To vote the local or state government.

2. To contest in the elections to the local or state government.

3. To seek a public welfare facility such as a school, hospital or a

community hall or transport or communication facility, for the residents.

4. To establish a green and safe environment, pollution free, corruption

free, and to follow ethical principles. People are said to have the right
to breathe in fresh air, by not allowing smoking in public.

5. People have inalienable right to accept or reject a project in their

area. One has the right to seek legal remedy, in this respect, through
public interest petition.

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 CIVIC VIRTUE
George Washington embodied the civic virtues as indispensable for a
self-governing administration.

These virtues are divided into four categories:

1. Civic Knowledge

2. Self-Restraint

3. Self-Assertion

4. Self-Reliance

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 HOW TO BE RESPECTFUL?
• Smile

• Greetings and eye to eye contact

• Listening intentionally then respond

• Handshake
Respect is Earned
• Nod when understanding Honesty is appreciated
Love is Gained
• Immediate disengagement to gossips Loyalty is returned

• Courtesy

• Respect others’ ideas, words, labor.

• Appreciate colleagues

• Rightful addressing of superior

• Self respect
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 RESPECT SHOULD BE SHOWN…
• From Children toward parents

• Between couples

• From citizen towards the Government

• Towards elders

• To ALL PEOPLE

Where do Young people First learn about Respect?

As children become teenagers Relations with parents change.

Are you smarter than your parents?

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 LIVING PEACEFULLY
જીવો અને જીવવા દો

NUTURE
1. Order in one’s life (self regulation, discipline, and duty)

2. Pure thoughts

3. Creativity

4. Beauty in one’s heart (love, service, happiness, and peace)

GET
5. Good health
ACT
6. Help the needy with head, heart and hands

7. Not hurting and torturing others either Physically, verbally or mentally.

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 LIVING PEACEFULLY

The following are the factors that promote living, with internal and external peace:

1. Conducive environment (safe, ventilated, illuminated and

comfortable).
2. Secured job and motivated with ‘recognition and reward’.
3. Absence of threat or tension by pressure due to limitations
of money or time.
4. Absence of unnecessary interference or disturbance,
except as guidelines.
5. Healthy labour relations and family situations.
6. Service to the needy (physically and mentally-challenged)
with love and sympathy.

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 CARING
“PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER ENJOY DOING
THINGS FOR ONE ANOTHER.”
-ANN LANDERS
 Caring is feeling for others. It is a process which exhibits the
interest in, and support for, the welfare of others with fairness,
impartiality and justice in all activities, among the employees,

 In the context of professional ethics, It includes showing respect to

the feelings of others, and also respecting and preserving the
interests of all others concerned. Caring is reflected in activities
such as friendship, membership in social clubs and professional
societies, and through various transactions in the family, fraternity,
community, country and in international councils.

 In the present day context, caring for the environment (including the
fauna and flora) has become a necessity for our very survival. If we
do not care for the environment, the environment will scare us.
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 SHARING
“THE MORE WE SHARE, THE MORE WE HAVE.”
-LEONARD NIMOY

Sharing is a process that describes the transfer of knowledge

(teaching, learning, and information), experience (training),
commodities (material possession) and facilities with others.

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 SELF CONFIDENCE

The self-confidence in a person develops a sense of partnership,

respect, and accountability, and this helps the organization to obtain
maximum ideas, efforts, and guidelines from its employees. The
people with self-confidence have the following characteristics:

1. A self-assured standing,

2. Willing to listen to learn from others and adopt (flexibility),

3. Frank to speak the truth, and

4. respect others’ efforts and give due credit.

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 COURAGE
Courage is the tendency to accept and face risks and difficult tasks in
rational ways. Self-confidence is the basic requirement to nurture
courage.

The courageous people own and have shown the following

characteristics, in their professions:

(a) Perseverance (sustained hard work),

(b) Experimentation (preparedness to face the challenges, that is,

unexpected or unintended results),

(c) Involvement (attitude, clear and firm resolve to act), and

(d) Commitment (willing to get into action and to reach the desired
goals by any alternative but ethical means).

Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 29

 COURAGE
Doing the right things
even when it’s To learn, unlearn and
uncomfortable or Relearn with an open
unpopular and flexible mind

Being willing to
struggle to gain
understanding and
risk making mistakes

To be yourself
unapologetically
Feeling all your
emotions without guilt or
attachment.

To keep going with resiliency, balance

and awareness
Dr. Zalak Shah (EFE) 30
 CO-OPERATION

• Ensures coherence; blending of different skills

required, towards common goals.

• Promotes collinearity, co-ordination

• Should exist or be developed, and maintained at

several levels; between employees, superiors and
subordinates, organization and customers and
among colleagues.

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 OBSTACLES TO SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION

1. Clash of ego of individuals

2. Lack of leadership and motivation

3. Conflicts of interest, based on region, language and caste

4. Ignorance and lack of interest.

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 COMMITMENT

• Commitment means alignment to goals and adherence to ethical

principles during the activities.

• First of all, one must believe in one’s action performed and the
expected end results (confidence). It means one should have the
conviction without an iota of doubt that one will succeed. Holding
sustained

• interest and firmness, in whatever ethical means one follows, with

the fervent attitude and hope that

• one will achieve the goals, is commitment. It is the driving force to

realize success.

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 EMPATHY
• Sensing what others feel about, without their open talk is the
essence of empathy.

• It includes the imaginative projection into other’s feelings and

understanding of other’s background such as parentage, physical
and mental state, economic situation, and association. This is an
essential ingredient for good human relations and transactions

A leader must have or develop the following characteristics

1. Understanding others: Communication = 22% reading and writing +

23% speaking + 55% listening
2. Service orientation:
BENEFITS:

3. Developing others: 1. GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS

(IN SALES AND SERVICE, IN
PARTNERING).
4. Leveraging diversity: 2. HARMONIOUS LABOR
RELATIONS (IN
MANUFACTURING).
3. GOOD VENDOR-PRODUCER
5. Political awareness: RELATIONSHIP (IN PARTNERING.)
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