Ethically responsible engineers

The Ethically Responsible Engineer Concepts and Cases for Students and Professionals, First Edition. Robert McGinn. 2015 The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Published 2015 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. 

This is tantamount to the rule cited in Chapter 3, that when there is a conflict between private and public interests, the latter must take precedence over the former. The question, however, is this should LeMessurier be viewed without qualification as an ethically responsible engineer, or did he do anything problematic that has hitherto been overlooked and that should have been taken into consideration in striving for a balanced ethical assessment of his engineering conduct ... 

The final case to be presented is an unusual but important one. Unlike a number of the preceding cases, there is no hint in this one of any engineering misconduct. On the contrary, the actions of the engineer at the center of this case are clearly in accord with the pertinent FEREs and he appears to have acted with laudable intent. After reading this case, the reader will in all likelihood agree with the author that the individual in question is an impressive example of an ethically responsible engineer. 

Whether someone becomes an ethically responsible engineer depends partly on her/his personal values, ideals, and resolve. However, society can encourage engineers to be ethically responsible in their professional practice by introducing appropriate incentives, social innovations, and legislation to enable, benefit, and protect those who want to fulfill their ethical responsibilities. In the contemporary United States, the social infrastructure supportive of ethically responsible engineering practice is modest. Nevertheless, would-be ethically responsible engineers should be aware of the resources and options available to them. Discussion follows of three kinds of relevant resources and options, two societal and one individual in nature. ... 

Organizational resoiu ces refer to both organizations that are presumably supportive of ethically responsible engineering practice and innovations within organizations that could foster such practice. 

Apart from its unprecedented BART amicus brief, IEEE s support for ethically responsible engineering practice has been infrequent. Most of that support has come from CSIT, its former Ethics Committee, and its Member Conduct Committee. ... 

Committee in 1997 and 1998, offers a more persuasive socioeconomic account of why professional engineering society support of ethically responsible engineering practice has been modest ... 

An engineer concerned about ethically responsible engineering practice at her/his workplace can attempt to forge alliances or form united fronts with other key, like-minded engineers at her/his company, with a view to opposing company misconduct as a group when it occius. The efficacy of this strategy will depend on whether the company in question would be more reluctant to... 

An engineer determined to ensure that her/his professional practice is ethically responsible could decide to start her/his own company and make it one in which conscientious, ethically responsible engineering practice is a cornerstone cultural value and behavioral norm. 

The modest social infrastructure currently in place in the contemporary United States to support ethically responsible engineering practice suggests that in most cases an engineer-employee s decision to be an ethically... 

---