CASE STUDIES
Definitions
Etiquette
Laws
Morals
Ethics
Interaction Rules
Etiquette


rules of acceptable personal behavior and courtesy
e.g. proper dress, answering the phone, language,
talking about others
Laws

a system of rules and punishments clearly defined

e.g. legal driving age
Morals


personal rules of right and wrong behavior
e.g. derived from a person’s upbringing,
religious beliefs
Ethics

a code or system of rules defining moral
behavior for a particular society
Professional Engineers Code of Ethics
 Paraphrasing:
“Engineers do not lie, cheat or steal
and always have safety in mind.”
Case Study: Murder
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?


Answers:
 Illegal
 Immoral
 Unethical
 Bad etiquette!
Get Clicker Ready
Case Study: Driving over the speed
limit when you are late for class
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?

Case Study: Driving over the speed
limit when you are late for class
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?


Answers:
 Illegal
 Moral to some, immoral to others
 Unethical
 Bad etiquette if it effects other drivers
Case Study: Driving over the speed
limit when you are having a baby.
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?

Case Study: Driving over the speed
limit when you are having a baby.
Legal?
 Moral?
 Ethical?
 Good Etiquette?


Answers:
 Illegal
 Moral
 Ethical
 Etiquette does not apply
Example
A chemical company develops a new process that
has a waste by product.
 Their internal studies show this by-product is
carcinogenic.
 However, the by-product is not on a government
list of banned chemicals because it is new.


Legal? Moral?
Answers:
Legal but immoral
Example
Government self-regulations require that all
purchases be made through purchasing agents.
 An engineer wishes to purchase an old alternator
from a junkyard and does so with his own
money.
 He reimburses himself with computer disks of
equivalent value.


Legal? Moral?
Answers:
Moral but illegal
Moral Theories

Ethical Egoism
 A moral theory stating that an act is moral provided
you act in your enlighten self-interest

Utilitarianism
 Moral activities are those that create the most good
for the most people

Rights Analysis
 Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you
Engineer Ethics
Settling Conflicts
A conflict is a result of a…

Moral Issue
 if it can only be resolved by appealing to moral
principle.

Conceptual Issue
 if the morality of an action is agreed upon, but
there is no written definition of the company rule
or law

Application Issue
 if it is unclear if a act violates a written rule or law.

Factual Issue
 if more data is needed.
Noise Complaint Example
Source of Sound
Threshold of Hearing
Conversation
Ear Damage Begins
Amplified Music
Jet Airplane at 30 meters
Loudness (db)
0
60
85
110
140
Background Information
City Ordinance: No sounds above
90 decibels after 10:00 PM.
You have a problem with your
neighbor making loud noises.
Identify the type of issue for these
conflicts.

Case 1: You are angry about some loud
music coming from your neighbor’s party.
You both measured the loudness at 1:30AM.
You measured 100db and she measured 85
db. This leads to a heated discussion. What
type of issue lead to this conflict?
A. Moral Issue
B. Conceptual Issue
C. Application Issue
D. Factual Issue

Case 2: You and your neighbor Sam both
complain to the apartment manager about a
car alarms sounding too often in the
apartment complex. Every Saturday
afternoon you take a nap around noon after
working out in the gym. One Saturday Sam’s
car alarm wakes you up. You are upset by
this and go next door to discuss it with Sam.
A. Moral Issue
B. Conceptual Issue
C. Application Issue
D. Factual Issue

Case 3: Your neighbor plays music on
Halloween night at 11:30pm with a loudness
of 70 db. You are worried about that the
children in the neighborhood will be
“emotionally scarred” by the strange music
and call the police.
A. Moral Issue
B. Conceptual Issue
C. Application Issue
D. Factual Issue

Case 4: You live near a company that cleans
glass with ultrasound starting at midnight
when the workers are at home sleeping. The
ultrasound is 110db but is not audible. You
are bothered because it shakes the picture
frames in your home and go to the company
to complain.
A. Moral Issue
B. Conceptual Issue
C. Application Issue
D. Factual Issue

Case 5: You awake at 2:30 AM to find that
your neighbor has started a heavy metal
band. The music is 115db at your doorstep.
You go ask the band if they can play in the
daytime instead but the band refuses. What
type of issue lead to this conflict?
A. Moral Issue
B. Conceptual Issue
C. Application Issue
D. Factual Issue
Settling Conflicts in Business
Final Thoughts
Consider the Golden Rule
 Get a Second Opinion
 Keep a “Cool Head”
 Be a Professional

Engineering
Case Studies
Case Study 1
The fuselage of the DC – 10 Jumbo jet of which the
cargo door is a part was developed by Convair, a
subcontractor for McDonnell Douglas.
Convair’s senior engineer directing the project, Dan
Applegate had written to the Vice president of the
company:
“The Cargo door could burst open, leading to crash of
the plane. Hence the door has to be redesigned and the
cabin floor has to strengthened”.
Top Management at Convair neither disputed
the technical facts or the predictions made by
Applegate. The liabilities and the cost of
redesign were to high.
Two years went by. In 1974 the cargo door of
DC – 10 Jumbo burst open and the jet crashed
near Paris killing 346 .
What issues are involved in this
example?
As an engineer, what would you do?
Would you choice be legal, moral and
ethical and still make money?
Case Study 2
Tom was named the department manager of a large
new chemical process unit which was to be designed
and then constructed. Tom's responsibilities included
forming the process unit staff, looking over the
designers' shoulders to assure the plant was
designed to be safe, operable and maintainable, and
then starting the plant up after construction.
During his previous experience Tom had noted that a
new type of valve and valve operator could often be
used in place of more common gate valves and their
operators. In every case the new valve was less
expensive and often gave a tighter shutoff than the
gate valve. Tom convinced the project designer to
add even more of these valves and operators to the
design. This improved safety, because more flows
could be shutoff more quickly in an emergency.
After a large number of values have
been specified and purchased, the
salesman for the valves (Jim) visits Tom
and gives him a plastic pen with the
name of Jim's company stamped in
gold. The pen is worth about $5.
Should Tom accept the pen?
After a large number of valves had
been specified and purchased, Jim
invites Tom to play golf with him at the
local country club. Tom is an avid golfer
and has wanted to play golf at the
country club for some time since it is
the best course in town.
Should Tom accept the invitation?
After a large number of valves have
been specified and purchased, Jim
offers to sponsor Tom for membership
in the local country club.
Tom is an avid golfer and has wanted to
be a member of the club for some time,
but has not found a sponsor.
Should Tom accept Jim's offer?
After a large number of valves have been specified and
purchased, Jim invites Tom to a seminar on valves to be held in
South America. there will also be opportunities for fishing and
recreation. Tom's company would have to pay for
transportation, but Jim's company will cover all the expenses in
South America. Tom is sure his manager will authorize the trip if
asked, but other managers in the firm, when placed in an
equivalent situation, feel uneasy about these types of offers.
Should Tom ask his manager for the authorization to take this
trip?
After a large number of valves have been specified
and purchased, Jim invites Tom on a very nice fishing
trip to South America. Jim's company will cover all
the expenses. Tom is sure his manager will authorize
the trip if asked, but other managers in the firm,
when placed in an equivalent situation, feel uneasy
about these types of offers.
Should Tom ask his manager for authorization to take
the trip?
Before Tom's decision to recommend any
type of valve, Jim visits and offers Tom a very
nice fishing trip to South America if Tom will
recommend Jim's company's valves. Jim's
valves are the safest and least expensive.
What should Tom do?
The Philip Morris Companies has been testing a microelectronic
cigarette holder that eliminates all smoke except that exhaled
by the smoker. Battery powered, it is expected to cost about
$50. The result of years of research, it cost approximately $200
to develop.
Tentatively called the Accord, the device uses cigarettes that
are 62 millimeters long (compared with the standard 85
millimeters). Users will have to remember to recharge the
Accord’s battery (a 30 minute process, but extra batteries can
be purchased). A cigarette is inserted into the 4-inch long, 1 ½inch wide device. A microchip senses when the cigarette is
puffed and transmits powers to eight heating blades. A display
shows the remaining battery charge and indicates how many
puffs are left in the eight-puff cigarette. The device also
contains a catalytic converter that burns off residues.
Supporters of this product say it will be welcomed by smokers
who currently refrain from smoking in their homes or cars for
the sake of non-smoking family members, guests, and
passengers. Although smokers will inhale the same amount of
tar and nicotine as from conventional "ultralight" cigarettes, 90
percent of second-hand smoke will be eliminated. Furthermore,
the same smoking restriction rules in public places will apply to
the device.
Critics claim that the Accord will simply reinforce addition to
cigarettes. Richard A. Daynard, chair of the Tobacco Products
Liability Project at Boston’s Northeastern University School of
Law, an anti-tobacco organization, asks: "Who would use an
expensive and cumbersome thing like this if they weren’t
hooked? There is something grim and desperate about it. This is
hardly the Marlboro Man, getting on his horse and checking the
battery." He also expresses concern that children might be
encouraged to smoke, since the Accord would enable them to
hide smoking from their parents. However, Philip Morris replies
that the device has a locking device for parents.
1. Imagine that it is several years ago and you have
just received your engineering degree. You are in
search of your first job. You are invited to interview
with a research division of Philip Morris that is about
to begin research to develop the Accord. Would you
have any reservations about accepting such a
position? Discuss.
2. If you would have some reservations, would the
fact that this job pays $10,000 more a year than any
other offer you have convince you to take the Philip
Morris offer?
3. Assuming you took the job, what kinds of ethical
concerns might you have about how the device
should be designed? (E.g., would you agree that it
should have a locking device?)
(Hammurabi’s Code)
If a builder has built a house for a
man and has not made his work
sound, and the house which he has
built has fallen down and so caused
the death of the house-holder, the
builder should be put to death
……………