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Presented by:
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îefore We Watch Gilbane Gold,
Letƞs Consider:

x How Engineering Addresses Public Needs

x The Importance of Ethical Leadership

x Characteristics of Ethical Leaders

 





Maintenance





Construction
Engineering 
 

Creativity Design

Planning
 What is Important for
Ethical Leaders?
An effective ethical leader willƦ

ƦCreate ƠCandorơ in the workplaceƦ

Ʀan environment where the
engineer feels safe bringing up and
resolving ethical issues.
Effective Ethical Leaders?
An effective ethical leader will Ʀ
Ʀ Foster an environment of ƠTrustơ
among individuals in the WorkplaceƦ
Ʀand this trust will encourage openness
among team members without fear of
retribution.
 Characteristics of Effective
Ethical Leader
An effective ethical leader will:

Treat everyone as intrinsically

valuableƦ

and not as a means to an end.

 How Do We Develop
Ethical Leadership Skills?

To achieve ƠEthical Leadership

Skills,ơ engineering leaders, in both
education and industry,
need to possess the following traits:
Effective Leaders Will Have:

|©nderstanding

... A clear
understanding of
professional ethics
Effective Leaders Will Have:

|Communication Skills

An ability and willingness

to communicate ethical
issues.
Effective Leaders Will Have:

|Ability

to recognize ethical issues.

Effective Leaders Will Have:

|Appreciation

for the frequency at which

ethical issues occur.
Effective Leaders Will Have:

|Awareness

that guidance on ethical

dilemmas is available from a
variety of sources
Effective Leaders Will Have:

|Comprehension ...

ƠKnowing Whatƞs Rightơ

Effective Leaders Will Have:

|The Desire
Willingness &
Courage Ʀ
... to ƠDo Whatƞs Rightơ
Effective Leaders Will Have:
|Ability
to resolve ethical issues by using traditional
engineering methods of inquiry, namely:

|Listing options
|Testing the options
| Making a decision, and
|Most importantly, ½

ºuestion

How does all this tie together?

 SOCIETAL
NEED

ENGINEERING 

 ENGINEERING

ANALYSIS 

 DESIGN

ENGINEERING
KNOWLEDGE

Idea for graphic based on Professional Responsibility: The Role of the Engineer, Jnl. of Science and Engineering Ethics, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1997
by Drs. Steve Nichols and îill Weldon, ©T/Austin
Answers to ethics questions?

| Sometimes there are several right

answers to ethics issues...

| Sometimes there are no right answers...

| îut, like engineering design problems,

there is a personal best answer.
Resources for Leaders

ƥ Text îooks and Articles

ƥ Ethics Centers & Institutes
ƥ Ethics Newsletters Ʀ
ƥexamples |
 Where Can We Get
Guidance?

From:
- Rules of Professional Conduct -
- Codes of Ethics -
 Rules of
Professional Conduct

Expectations of Company
Licensing îoards
Professional Societies
Technical Societies
Guidance from the
National Society of Professional Engineers

îoard of Ethical Review

Over 200 NSPE-

NSPE-îER Cases on the
Internet at www.niee.org
An Interesting Thought

On Engineering Ethics
If the ƠEthics Ropeơ îreaks
Now Letƞs Watch
 Synopsis of Story
Gilbane Gold is the name given to dried
sludge from the city of Gilbane wastewater
treatment plant. It is sold to farmers as a
commercial fertilizer. The annual revenue
generated saves the average family about
$300 per year in taxes.
 Synopsis of Story
å CORP, a computer components
manufacturer, discharges wastewater
containing small amounts of lead and
arsenic into the city sewers. îy current
city test standards, the discharge meets
allowable levels.
 Synopsis of Story

å CORP environmental engineers know of a

newer test which shows that the discharge
may still meet the letter of the law, but
exceeds the spirit of the law.
 Synopsis of Story

Protection of the health,

safety, and
welfare of the public
is the principal concern.
 List of Characters
DAVID JACKSON: Environmental engineer working for å CORP

TOM RICHARDS: Engineering consultant fired by å CORP

PHIL PORT: Manager of environmental department

FRANK SEEDERS: å CORP's engineering manager

DIANE COLLINS: VP in charge of å CORP's Gilbane plant

LLOYD îREMEN: Former commissioner

WINSLOW MASSIN: Professor emeritus, Hanover ©niversity

MARIA RENATO: TV reporter

 Ethical Concepts include:
Protection of public health and the environment
(spirit versus letter of the law)
ºuality of life and welfare of people
(jobs and taxes)
Free enterprise
(profitability & competition in the marketplace)
Personal integrity
(view of self and living up to personal standards)
 Letƞs consider these
concepts and:

Think of them from:

1. A Personal Viewpoint

2. A Responsibility Viewpoint
 Suggested Strategy
for
Study and Discussion
 After Watching Gilbane Gold,
break into small groups and:

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