Engineering Ethics and Professional

Conduct
Sample Questions

Note: Italic shows answers tips

1. What is Engineering Ethics?
2. What are the two approaches to Engineering ethics?
(Microethics, Macroethics)
3. What is the scope of engineering ethics? (ethics of
workplace, ethics related to product or work
4. List different meanings of ethics.
5. List the key trends in engineering ethics

{The world of work is changing. Five key trends in engg.

and mgt. have become apparent, namely,
a) Understanding other peoples point of view is becoming
increasingly important in a globalised knowledge
economy.
b) People will have more responsibility at an earlier age for
managing their own careers -ethically.
c) Organisations are changing in ways which create new
ethical challenges.
d) The world is becoming increasingly diverse in matters of
values and faiths, creating an increased demand for
tolerance.
e) The complexity of our skills and knowledge raises new
ethical questions in respect to technology and practice.
f) The emerging WTO regime calls upon professionals
including engineers to qualify as per internationally laid
down and recognised norms to facilitate their global
mobility.
6. What is morality?
7. Distinguish between morality and ethics
8. Explain the term respect for others
9. What should one do or not to do live peacefully?
10. What are the factors for one to work peacefully?
11. Define honesty (virtue, exhibited in truthfulness and
trustworthiness).
12. List the objectives of this course professional ethics?

(understand, resolve moral issues, justify moral

judgement) (Improvement of cognitive skills (skills of
intellect, in thinking clearly), and act in morally desirable
ways (moral commitment and responsible conduct))

ETHICS Questions

Page 1

13. Define Engineering Ethics.

14. State the senses of engineering ethics. (normative
sense and descriptive sense)
15. Why do people behave unethically? Or why and how do
moral problems arise in a profession? (Resource crunch

Pressure, through time limits, money or budgetary

constraints, Opportunity Double standards employer,
emphasis on results and gains only MBO, Attitude of
employees due to low morale, lack of promotion or
absence of recognition and reward system, poor
working conditions)
16. Explain the term, moral dilemma.
17. What are the situations when moral dilemmas arise?

(problem of vagueness, problem of conflicting reasons,

problem of disagreement)
18. What are the difficulties in solving moral problems?
(vagueness, conflicting reasons, disagreement)
19. List the steps in confronting moral dilemma?

(identification of factors, collection of information,

ranking, generate alternatives, discussion, decision)
20. Explain the terms, Profession, Professional, and
Professionalism.
(Profession: Occupation that requires advanced skills and
knowledge, Self-regulation, concerted service to the public.
(Professional: Relates to a person or any work which
requires skills and knowledge, self- regulation and results in
public good. It means a person as well as a status)
(Professionalism: Qualities expected of a professional)
21. List the criteria to achieve professionalism.
22. List the five characteristics of professionals.

(training, knowledge and skills, monopoly in service,

degree of autonomy in work place, regulation by code of
ethics)
23. List the models of professional roles.

(savior, guardian, bureaucratic servant, social servant, social

enabler, game player)
24. Define a professional engineer.

Professional engineer is a person who is entitled to undertake

ETHICS Questions

Page 2

independent practice on planning, research, design, analysis,

execution, manufacturing, maintenance, testing, evaluation,
quality assurance, management and/or guidance thereof,
certification work and such other matters as required for
professional abilities in engineering and technology.
25. What are the types of responsibility? (moral, causal,
job, legal)
26. What is Social Responsibility?
(well-being of employees, investors, customers, dealers,

supplier, local communities, government, and business

owners. Protecting the work environment, training workers)
27. What is moral integrity? Write on its significance.

(unity of thought, word, and deed, owning responsibility on

wrong actions)
28. List the uses of ethical theories.

(Understanding moral dilemma, in justifying obligations and

ideas and in relating ordinary and professional morality)
29. Name three conditions for duty ethics, as per Immanuel
Kant.

(To show respect for persons, duties binding on everybody

and duties prescribe certain actions categorically)
30. List the different tests for evaluating ethical theories.

(Clear, internally consistent, theory and its defense depend

only upon facts, comprehensive, and compatible with moral
convictions)
31. What are the reasons for a person to accept ethical
relativism? (a) Laws and customs seem to be definite,
real, and clear-cut (b)
Believes that the values are
subjective at the cultural level
(c) Accepts that the moral standards vary from one culture
to another
32. What is engineering experimentation?
33. Why does engineering have to be viewed as
experimental process?

(assumed model is uncertain, final outcomes are uncertain,

material behavior is uncertain and not constant, nature of
user environment is uncertain, and unintended side effects in
use)
34. List the responsibilities of engineers to society OR What
are the elements that should make an engineer a

ETHICS Questions

Page 3

responsible experimenter?

(commitment to moral values, comprehensive perspective

on relevant information, Unrestricted personal involvement
in all steps, in product development and accountable for
results of project)
35. What does the codes of ethics exhibit?

(Rights, duties, and obligations of the professional)

36. Name the roles of codes of ethics.

(Inspiration and guidance, Support to engineers, Deterrence

and Discipline, Education and mutual understanding,
Create good public image, and protects status quo)
37. What are the limitations of codes of ethics?

(vague wordings, not applicable to all situations, have

internal conflicts, they can not be treated as final authority,
only a few enroll as members in professional society and
non- members can not be compelled, different societies have
different codes, codes are said to be coercive)
38. Distinguish between the codes of ethics and codes of
conduct?
Codes of ethics are aspirational the codes of conduct are
more oriented to professional and ones attitudes.
39. Give two conditions, essential for valid informed
consent.

(Consent is voluntary, all relevant information shall be

presented in a clearly understandable form, and consenter
shall be capable of processing information and make
rational decisions)
40. What is meant by informed consent when bringing an
engineering product to market? (Let the customer know
about the product, risks and benefits of use, and all
relevant information on product, such as how to use and
how not to use)
41. Define institutional authority with an example.

(authority within the organization. It is the right of the

employer to exercise power on the employees and force
them to achieve their goals. Ex.: resource allocation, policy
decisions, recommendation, supervision, issue orders on
subordinates. line managers)

ETHICS Questions

Page 4

42. What is expert authority?

(Possession of special knowledge, skills and competence to

perform a job thoroughly and advice on jobs. They direct
others, e.g., Advisers, Experts)
43. What is meant by confidentiality?

(Keeping the information on the employer and clients,

as secrets is confidentiality)
44. How do the ethical theories justify confidentiality?

(1. Right based: Right of stakeholders, Right to IP of the

company.
2. Duty based: Employees and employers have duty to
keep up mutual trust.
3. Utilitarian based: Rule utilitarian thy. holds good when
confidentiality produces most good to most people. Act
utilitarian thy. focuses on each situation, when the
employer decides on a matter as confidential)
45. What is the difference between bribe and gift?

(Test criteria: timing, cost, quality of product, is

giver a friend? and motive)
46. What is meant by apparent conflict of interest?
47. List various provisions under human rights.

(right to pursue legitimate personal interest, right to make a

living, right to privacy, right to property)
48. List the provisions under professional rights.

(right to form and express professional judgment, right to

refuse to participate in unethical activities, right to warn the
public about dangers, right to fair recognition and
remuneration for profnl. services, right to talk publicly about
the job and right to engage in the activities of professional
societies.
49. What is meant be discrimination?

(making difference in ones treatment of people or giving

preference on the basis of sex, race, and religion)
50. What is meant be sexual harassment?

(continuous annoying and attacks on women, on the basis of

sexual considerations. Includes physical and psychological
attack, coercion, misuse of authority or any undesirable and
indecent actions)

ETHICS Questions

Page 5

51. What is meant by whistle blowing?

(process by which an employee conveys information about a

significant moral problem to a person in a position to take
action on the problem, outside the approved organizational
channel)
52. List the features of international human rights.

(freedom of movement of people, ownership of properties,

freedom from torture, fair trial on the products, freedom
from discrimination on the basis of race or sex, physical
security, freedom of speech, have minimum education,
political participation, to live and exist)
53. Define technology transfer.

(process of moving technology to a new setting and

implementing it there. Technology includes hardware and
techniques (technical, organizational, and managerial skills
and procedures), i.e., moving from lab to the field/factory
or one country to another)
54. Define appropriate technology.
(identification, transfer, and implementation of most suitable

technology for a set of new situations. Appropriate is value

based and it should ensure fulfillment of the human needs
and protection of the environment)
55. What are the duties of an engineer as an experimenter, in
environmental ethics?
(Study how industry and technology affect environment, how
to fix tolerable and actual pollution levels, protective
measures for immediate implementation, and how to
educate people)

ETHICS Questions

Page 6