Mahboobin 10:00
R03
ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN ENGINEERING
Maggie Smith (mrs159@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCTION
According to the United States Environmental
Protection Agency, America’s Carbon Dioxide emissions
from fossil fuels have increased by over 16 times from 1990
to 2008, as shown in Figure 1 [1]. These fossil fuels are what
act as catalysts for the decline of our environment. The
emissions from these nonrenewable resources minimize the
world’s overall air quality, increase pollution, and expedite
the production of acid rain [2]. This ever-growing problem
with our country’s carbon footprint has increased awareness
for the advantages of renewable resources compared to
nonrenewable resources. One of the most increasingly
popular choices of renewable resources has been solar
power.
FIGURE 1 [1]
Global Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil-fuels
1900-2008
Solar Energy is becoming more favorable because
it is in unlimited supply and has no harmful effects on the
environment. As stated by Dan Boyce, via a report from the
Energy Law Journal, “Since 2006, solar installations in the
United States have increased by 1600-percent, and the
overall market is expected to grow by a factor of ten
between 2010 and 2016.” [3]. This expected growth has
encouraged engineers to work towards making solar energy
more economically accessible, as to ensure that this growth
continues—along with the growth of a healthier
environment. Such a pursuit to discover the best way to
generate solar energy has produced competition within
companies. If companies can produce solar energy in an
affordable, efficient way, the heightened interest for
renewable energy will spark great success for their business.
However, achieving this great success might also come with
a price.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
Submission Date 2014-10-28
Companies become so consumed with the desire to
have the highest success rate and make the most money, that
integrity fades to the back of their minds. In the case where
the head of the company loses sight of integrity, ethics
become an arising problem for the company’s employees.
They may disagree with the company’s tactics, thus causing
ethical dilemmas. Such a situation is very common in the
engineering field. When faced with an ethical hardship,
engineers must know exactly the right steps to take to ensure
that they are evaluating the situation properly and reacting in
their best interest.
ETHICS IN ENGINEERING
An example of an ethical dilemma would be the
head of a company lying to the public, putting the
company’s reputation at stake. For instance, a solar power
company, Solar Works, is currently in a deeply rooted
competition with another company that also specializes in
solar power, Renewable Life. I, as a chemical engineer in the
former company, have been hard at work trying to discover
the most efficient means of producing solar power in a solar
panel.
Solar panels function by converting the sun’s
energy into electricity through the photoelectric effect. The
photoelectric effect is the process of exposing metals to the
sun’s light, using this light to raise the electrons in said
metal to an excited state, and ultimately producing
electricity. In order to achieve this, chemical engineers will
use a combination of elements that optimize the electricity
being produced. They start with silicon, because of its
tendency to act like both a metal and an electrical insulator,
and they lace it with phosphorus and boron. The
phosphorus-silicon mixture generates an abundance of
electrons, making it negatively charged, while the boronsilicon mixture produces too few electrons, labeling it
positively charged. Each solar panel contains a layer of both
of these mixtures. The photons in sunlight interact with the
silicon, and the excited electrons from the negatively
charged silicon will transfer to the empty spaces in the
positively charged silicon. Such a reaction generates a direct
current (DC) of electricity [4] [5]. This current of electricity
then travels through wire to an inverter. The inverter
transforms the DC current to alternating current (AC) so that
it can be used throughout homes or offices [6].
I personally have been working in our solar lab,
testing the above process for several months. Since the
increase in popularity for solar panels, most companies are
doing the same—especially our highest competitor,
Renewable Life. Because of this, it is imperative that we
work to the best of our abilities, and maintain our valued
Maggie Smith
reputation and status. Our main objective to deplete the
competition was to experiment with other elements other
than silicon, phosphorus, and boron, and see if we could
improve the amount of electricity being produced in a solar
cell. After working on this project for over 9 months, my
team and I settled on a new mixture of elements for our solar
panels that would maximize the amount of power they were
able to store.
Working on this project has forced me to miss
countless events in my family’s life. Though it was not
required of me to do so, I made such a choice because of my
love for the company and my hope that it would allow the
company to maintain its high standards. Because of my hard
work and dedication to the project, the head of my company
chose me to be the spokeswoman for the announcement of
the new product. I was to travel around the country and even
to our foreign markets to talk to our biggest clients and
introduce and explain the work we achieved in the lab. By
agreeing to this position, I would be relying on the integrity
of the project to represent the entire company and myself as
a professional. This position would also mean that I was
getting a promotion. If the project was delivered well to the
public, and received a positive response, I was going to reap
the benefits of our profit and make a bigger salary.
However, it was only after I agreed to the
promotion deal that I learned of the conditions. In order to
ensure our company’s success, and ensure that we beat out
our leading competitors, the departmental head decided to
make a few changes to the finalized research report. They
changed the number of the maximized possible energy that
can be stored in the solar panels we created, and stated that it
was twice that which we discovered in the lab. Though we
did successfully produce a solar panel that would store more
energy than our competitors, this extra power was to
increase our profits even further—and I was to put my name
and the company’s name on the line by delivering this false
information to the public.
Yet, there was still more. Because the product says
that it holds twice the amount it should, it now requires
homeowners to install a separate transferring agent to their
solar energy unit. This transferring unit is supposed to take
the overflow of direct current electricity from the solar panel
and hold it until the main inverter has the capacity to store it.
Not only does buying this transfer agent and paying for its
installation create unnecessary costs for the consumer, since
the solar panel does not in fact produce an overflow of direct
current, but it is a safety hazard. When the transfer agent is
installed, but is not receiving the overflow current that it is
designed for, it has the potential to malfunction. The
malfunction can range from destroying the existing solar
panels, and ultimately a home’s power supply, to starting
fired and destroying homes.
Facing ethical dilemmas is troubling because
engineers have a code of ethics that they have to follow. The
aforementioned scenario goes against several statements
given in the National Society of Professional Engineers code
of ethics and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
code of ethics.
The National Society of Professional Engineers
gives the following duties to engineers when faced with
ethical dilemmas like the one previously mentioned:
- “Issue public statements only in an objective
and truthful manner.”
- “Avoid deceptive acts.”
- “Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly,
ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the
honor, reputation, and usefulness of the
profession” [7].
Similarly, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
provides the following directions to engineers faced with
dilemmas like the one above:
- “Issue statements or present information only
in an objective and truthful manner.”
- “Formally advise their employers or clients if
they perceive that a consequence of their duties
will adversely affect the present or future
health or safety of their colleagues or the
public.”
- “Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare
of the public and protect the environment in
performance of their professional duties” [8].
When struggling with how to approach this ethical
dilemma, these codes provide great insight. If I were to
proceed with the project, despite the changes to the research
report by the departmental head, I would be in violation with
both codes of engineering. Continuing participation would
mean that I agree with the lie, or “deceptive act”; it would
mean that I am okay with issuing a public statement in a
non-truthful manner; it would mean that I do not care for
conducting myself honorably; and it would mean that I do
not care about the safety of the public. Each of these
agreements would be in complete violation of the National
Society of Professional Engineers code of ethics and the
American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Case Studies
If the codes of ethics did not provide sufficient
enough information for engineers to confidently assess their
situation, they also have the opportunity to turn to the stories
of other engineers. There is a significant amount of case
studies that are published, which almost guarantees that
there is a published case study similar to the ethical
dilemmas that an engineer is facing.
For my situation, I looked to 3 case studies for
guidance. The first is titled “A Young Woman’s Struggle for
Peace.” In this case, a woman was doing work on solar
APPROACHING THE SITUATION
Codes of Ethics
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Maggie Smith
present and future and what one has done in the past” [13].
This inspires me to think about what I would be representing
if I were to go along with the company’s lie. I would be
accountable for any harmful events that could happen to
families’ homes due to the falsely advertised solar panels
and I would be accountable for the lie itself, even if I did not
write it, because it is my name that is associated with the
new product.
Even with the diverse set of resources available to
me, whenever I have a difficult decision to make, I turn to
my mom for guidance. She is able to dissect every situation
from an objective view and give me the kind of direction I
need to solve any problem. She knows my personality the
best and she knows my past better than any one, so she is
truly the ultimate source to seek for help [14]. In addition to
my mom, when faced with ethical dilemmas, I turn to my
faith. As a life-long catholic, doing what is right is my
number one objective. Matthew 22:39 states, “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself” [15]. Above any code of
ethics, case study, resource or confidant, my faith will be the
ultimate guide for my judgment, so with this, I would be
able to confidently make my decision.
panels that eventually led her to an opportunity to have a
new and prestigious job that would help her establish a
successful career. However, the woman was strictly against
violence, and the project she was working on was being
funded by the Air Force to use for reconnaissance and
missile guidance. This holds similarities to my situation
because it deals with the same technology, and it deals with
a promotion of sorts and a reputation to uphold [9].
Another case I regarded as helpful was a study
titled “Pinocchio’s Nose.” In this case, a busy college
student lied to his professor in order to have more time for
an assignment. The student had established a respected
reputation with this professor, so he felt that he decision was
justified. This case compares to mine because it is a question
of honesty. It contains a battle between telling a lie for
personal gain versus doing what is honest and right [10].
The final case I looked to is titled “Adoption of a
Safe Component.” In this case, a medical device company
produced a therapeutic device that failed to pass
biocompatibility tests. This dubbed it as harmful to the
public. This relates to my situation because it deals with the
public’s safety [11].
When faced with an ethical dilemma, having other
examples such as these to look towards is a relief. It proves
that many engineers face the same types of predicaments
often, and as engineers, we should not think that we are
alone in any way.
FINAL DECISION
Keeping all my research in mind, when faced with
an ethical dilemma as previously mentioned, I would choose
to go against the company and work towards resolving the
situation, or quitting if I had to. When it comes to deceit and
possible harm to families and their loved ones, I cannot
stand idle. Agreeing to such terms goes against many of my
beliefs and that of the engineering world. Luckily, the
engineering world is so vastly full of opportunities, that if I
were to quit my job due to such a dilemma, I do not think I
would have any trouble finding a new place to explore my
talents.
As a message to any engineer facing an ethical
dilemma, it is better to do what is right than to act selfishly
and deceptively. If all engineers step up and fight against
poor ethical decisions, the number of cases will decrease,
and facing such challenges will come with ease and
understanding.
Additional Help
Fortunately, the amount of resources available to
help in today’s society is almost endless. Besides the code of
ethics and the different case studies, I researched general
articles about ethics in engineering to help me grasp an idea
of how to handle my situation. The first text is titled
Energy, Climate and the Environment: Energy and Ethics:
Justice and the Global Energy Challenge written by
Benjamin K. Sovacool. Sovacool provided an enlightening
perspective by discussing the people that are affected by
energy systems, rather than discussing the actual technology.
He stated that solar panels are what fuel homes. They
directly touch the lives of many. If solar panels were sold
dishonestly, it puts families in danger. Without sufficient
energy, Sovacool explains, families may “suffer the harsh
climates of winter without heat.” Similarly, an increase in
cost of solar panels makes families rely on “coping strategies
such as cutting down on expenses related to food or medical
care to pay for their energy bills” [12]. This truly opened my
mind to a new perspective. Instead of thinking about the
negative effects this dilemma will have on my future, I
might think to reflect upon the every day life of the average
owner of a solar powered home.
In the same way, the book titled Engineering
Ethics: Concepts and Cases holds a positive perspective on
this type of situation. Author Harris tells, “Responsibility
has to do with accountability, both for what one does in the
RESOURCES
[1] (2013). “Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data.”
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (Online
Article).
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.htm
l
[2] K. Stefan. (2011, July 26) “What Are the Effects of NonRenewable Resources on Living Organisms?” Live Strong.
(Online Article).
http://www.livestrong.com/article/157263-what-are-theeffects-of-non-renewable-resources-on-living-organisms/
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Maggie Smith
[3] Dan Boyce. (2014, September 1). “Utilities Push Back
Against Increasing Popularity, Reduced Costs of Solar
Power.” Rocky Mountain PBS News. (Online Article).
http://inewsnetwork.org/2014/09/01/utilities-push-backagainst-increasing-popularity-lower-costs-of-solar-power/
[4] (2012). “How Do Solar Cells Work?” Institute of
Physics. (Online Article). http://www.physics.org/articlequestions.asp?id=51
[5] “Solar Energy.” Sci Show. (2012). (Video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uPVZUTLAvA
[6] “How Solar Panels Work.” GreenLiving Solar. (2012,
November
28).
(Video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dngqYjHfr98
[7] (2007). “Code of Ethics for Engineers.” National Society
of Professional Engineers. (Online Articlce).
http://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/Ethics/
CodeofEthics/Code-2007-July.pdf
[8] “Code of Ethics.” American Institute of Chemical
Engineers. (Online Article).
http://www.aiche.org/about/code-ethics
[9] Brian Schrag. (2014). “A Young Woman’s Struggle For
Peace.” National Academy of Engineering. (Online Article).
http://www.onlineethics.org/cms/6513.aspx
[10] “Pinocchio’s Nose.” Web GURU: Guide for
Undergraduate Research. (Online Article).
http://www.webguru.neu.edu/professionalism/casestudies/pinocchios-nose
[11] “Ethics Case Studies in Biodesign.” Stanford
Biodesign.
(Online
Article).
http://biodesign.stanford.edu/bdn/ethicscases/19safecompon
ent.jsp
[12] Benjamin K. Sovacool. (2013). Energy, Climate and the
Environment : Energy and Ethics : Justice and the Global
Energy Challenge. Palgrave Macmillan. (Print Book). pp.
43.
[13] Charles Harris Jr., Michael Pritchard, Michael J.
Rabins, Ray James, Elaine Englehard. (2013). Engineering
Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Cencage Learning. (Print
Book). pp. 51.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
[14] Mary Kay Smith. (2022, April 15). Conversation.
[15] Matthew 22:39. English Standard Version.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my engineering friends who
stick by me and motivate me with my work. I’d also like to
acknowledge my mother. I know that if I had to face any
type of hardship, she would be right by my side ready to
guide and inspire me to make the best decision.
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