Chapter 4: Engineers in Organizations
1.
Which of the following is true of DeGeorge’s criteria for whistleblowing?
a. They are based on complicity avoidance.
b. They can conclude that some acts of whistleblowing are impermissible.
c. They obligate reporting of serious wrongs, even if they are based on hearsay.
d. They require that the employee remain anonymous.
2.
What is the historical source of the employment at will doctrine?
a. Aristotelian virtue ethics
b. Common law
c. Constitutional law
d. Engineering codes of ethics
3.
Before the launch of the Challenger, a dispute arose as to whether the launch decision should be a management or an
engineering decision. What arguments could have been made that the decision should be based on management
considerations?
a. The critical issue was that the performance of O-rings was correlated with the temperature.
b. NASA officials were unhappy with an initial recommendation not to launch, and future business might have
been at risk with another delay.
c. Engineers had no evidence that the insulating foam had damaged the space vehicle.
d. There had never been evidence of blow-by leaking of the O-ring seals in the past, and was no reason to
believe the seals would leak this time.
4.
Studies of organizations and organizational cultures identify “schemas” and “scripts” as important influences on individual
behavior. Which statement(s) about “schemas” and “scripts” are true?
a. They are primarily stated in a code of ethics of the organization and tend to encourage ethical action.
b. They tend to determine what aspects of a situation one sees and what one is not aware of.
c. They are characteristic of engineer-oriented companies, but not customer-oriented or finance-oriented
companies.
d. Both a and c
5.
The “public policy exception” to “employment at will” is still being formulated by the courts. As of now, what are some of
the reasons the courts accept to justify the exception?
a. To protect professionals when there is a difference in professional judgment with managers.
b. To protect the performance of a public obligation such as jury duty.
c. To protect a professional when he is asked by a manager to do something that violates his conscience.
d. Both a and b
6.
Which of the following accurately depicts the difference between Richard DeGeorge’s and Michael Davis’ whistleblowing
criteria?
a. Davis’ criteria are utilitarian; DeGeorge’s are RP.
b. Davis’ criteria differentiate between permissible and obligatory whistleblowing; DeGeorge’s do not make
such a distinction.
c. Davis’ criteria seek complicity avoidance; DeGeorge’s seek to prevent harm.
d. Davis’ criteria are considered difficult to satisfy; DeGeorge’s are much easier to satisfy.
7.
Some controversy exists as to whether Roger Boisjoly’s actions on the night before the launch of the Challenger should be
considered as whistleblowing. Why?
a. Because his telephone call to the President to warn him of the dangers with the O-rings was not
acknowledged in Congressional hearings.
b. Because Robert Lund, the engineering vice-president, did not participate in the protest and ordered Boisjoly
to keep quiet.
c. Because his protest was anonymous.
d. None of the above
8.
Several important court decisions regarding the rights of employees in the workplace have been made over the past 30 years.
Which statements are true about these decisions?
a. In the Paul Lorenz case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Lorenz, an engineer, had the right to break his
contract with his employer because he was dissatisfied with his job.
b.
c.
d.
9.
Several state court decisions have ruled that the traditional doctrine of “employment at will” no longer
applies at all to professional employees.
The courts have ruled that the codes of state regulatory boards cannot be used by professionals to defend
themselves in court.
None of the above
These cases raise important issues about whistleblowing. Which of the following statements are true about whistleblowing?
a. Roger Boisjoly’s testimony before the Rogers Commission is more clearly a case of whistleblowing than his
protest the night before the launch, because his testimony before the Commission was public and outside
channels.
b. Richard DeGeorge presents some utilitarian-oriented criteria for whistleblowing, including the idea that
whistleblowing is only justified when otherwise one’s moral integrity will be damaged.
c. Richard DeGeorge presents some utilitarian-oriented criteria for whistleblowing, including the idea that
whistleblowing is only justified when one’s work for the organization is voluntary.
d. All of the above
10. One of the issues in the Challenger and Columbia cases is the nature of organizations and the relationships between
managers and engineers. Which of the following statements is true about this issue?
a. According to Robert Jackall, managers tend to separate private moral commitments from decisions about the
organization.
b. Engineer-oriented firms tend to emphasize cost and marketing as the paramount concerns.
c. One argument that the decision to launch the Challenger was not a paradigm case of a proper engineering
decisions is that engineers did not have firm data on the behavior of the O-rings at low temperatures.
d. Both a and c
Two of the most famous cases in engineering ethics are about the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The following two
questions are related to these cases:
11. One of the issues in these cases is the nature of organizations and the relationships between engineers and managers. Which
of the following statements is true about these issues?
a. According to Robert Jackall, managers place great importance on being a “team player.”
b. The decision not to have in-flight photographs of the Columbia was a paradigmatic Proper Management
Decision, because no issues related to engineering professionalism were involved.
c. NASA was an engineer-oriented organization, because considerations of safety and allowing engineers the
right to dissent were always given priority.
d. Both a and c
12. These cases raise important issues about whistleblowing. Which of the following statements are true about whistleblowing?
a. Richard DeGeorge, taking a utilitarian approach, believes it is not even permissible to blow the whistle until
one has reported the problem to superiors, determined that the harms that might be prevented are serious, and
exhausted other sources of complaint.
b. Michael Davis, taking an approach informed by Respect for Persons, holds that assessing the seriousness of
the harms to be prevented is a crucial requirement for justified whistleblowing.
c. Several NASA engineers went public in an attempt to get in-flight photographs made of the Columbia
shuttle, but were unsuccessful in the attempt.
d. All of the above