FE4311

BSc Programme
Batch 03
Semester 07
Lecture #5
04th Sept 2023
Eng. Wipula Wimalshanthi

ETHICS IN ENGINEERING 1
Characteristics of a Successful Engineer

1. Insatiable Curiosity

Engineers want to know how things work. They also want to make things better, more efficient, and
more effective. They are the driving force behind innovations in a vast range of industries, but
everything starts with that curiosity of figuring out how and why.

2. Continuously Seeks to Improve

In most fields of engineering, best practices, technologies, and the requirements of customers change
fast. As a result, engineers need to be adaptable, but it is not enough to be open to change. You also
need to constantly work to improve and enhance your skillset through ongoing professional
development. This can be through formal training and development programmes, but it doesn’t have to
be. It is also important that you explore areas of engineering that interest you personally.

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Characteristics of a Successful Engineer

3. Creativity and Innovation

Many engineering problems and projects
require a high degree of creativity and
innovation.

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Characteristics of a Successful Engineer

4. Problem Solving

You know how the saying goes: if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Engineers regularly
encounter problems that must be overcome and solved. Successful engineers have good problem-
solving skills that help them in these situations.

5. Good Soft Skills

Improving your technical skills is important, however, soft skills are important too. These include
communication skills, presentation skills, leadership skills, and more. Successful engineers have these
skills and continuously work to improve them.

6. Team Player

Most engineering projects, involve working in teams. Therefore, being a good team player is an
essential component of being a successful engineer.
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Characteristics of a Successful Engineer

7. Mathematical, Analytical Abilities and Logical Thinking

This is probably the most obvious engineering characteristic on this list, but it is still worth highlighting.
Being a good engineer means being a logical thinker and having excellent analytical and mathematical
abilities.

9. Embrace Change

Nothing stands still in engineering, so it’s important to be open to change. Just because something has
been done a particular way for years doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. Successful engineers
embrace new technologies, processes, and ways of thinking.

10. Optimistic

Engineers face challenges – it’s part and parcel of the job. Those challenges could be a complex
problem which seem difficult to resolve, or an issue with a client that is difficult to fix. Remaining
optimistic in the face of these challenges helps considerably.
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Case Study #6

The Titanic

More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic struck an iceberg in 1912. Over the years, many have
researched and investigated the details of its sinking, and it has been determined that a number of
design issues and poor decisions led to its sinking in just over two and-a-half hours.

As one of the biggest ocean liners of its day, the Titanic featured 16 watertight compartments. If four of
those flooded, the ship would still be able to stay afloat. Six compartments flooded though because the
bulkheads were not tall enough to hold the water. Some potential causes behind the ship’s sinking
include designs that failed to take into account its size and mobility, the speed the ship was traveling,
ignored warnings about the likelihood of icebergs and other factors.

One flaw that is undisputed though: There were not enough lifeboats for everyone on board. The 20
lifeboats would only have had space for roughly 1,200 people, while more than 2,200 passengers and
crew were on board the ship. Additional lifeboats had been removed from the design because the ship
owners were worried that it made the ship look unsafe and seemed packed on the deck.
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Discuss the Engineering ethical issues that led to this disaster. 6
Case Study #7
Borrowed Tools
XYZ Corporation permits its employees to borrow company tools. Engineer Al House took full
advantage of this privilege. He went one step further and ordered tools for his unit that would be useful
for his home building projects even though they were of no significant use to his unit at XYZ. Engineer
Michael Green had suspected for some time that Al was ordering tools for personal rather than
company use, but he had no unambiguous evidence until he overheard a revealing conversation
between Al and Bob Deal, a contract salesman from whom Al frequently purchased tools.
Michael was reluctant to directly confront Al. They had never gotten along well, and Al was a senior
engineer who wielded a great deal of power over Michael in their unit. Michael was also reluctant to
discuss the matter with the chief engineer of their unit, in whom he had little confidence or trust.
Eventually Michael decided to talk with the Contract Procurement Agent, whose immediate response
was, "This really stinks." The Contract Procurement Agent agreed not to reveal that Michael had talked
with him. He then called the chief engineer, indicating only that a reliable source had informed him
about Al House's inappropriate purchases. In turn, the chief engineer confronted Al. Finally, Al House
directly confronted each of the engineers in his unit he thought might have "ratted" on him. When Al
questioned Michael, Michael denied any knowledge of what took place.
Later Michael explained to his wife, "I was forced to lie. I told Al, 'I don't know anything about this’.”
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Discuss the ethical issues this case raises.