Ethics Reflection

A code of ethics is necessary to set guidelines for all work. Without a code of ethics, bad
actions would have nothing to compare against. Bad work and questionable decisions could
become the norm. That could cause a lack of trust within the engineering community, and
everything could go downhill. A good code of ethics sets the standard for all decisions and work
so that quality engineering can be observed and compared against.

When I am faced with an ethical situation, I think of the outcomes of different paths. I
choose the path that has the best outcomes for all parties involved. I also involve my morals and
lean towards what is morally sound. It is not in my nature to take the easiest but rather the right
path. Honesty and integrity are important to me as they always produce the best outcomes.

The ethical issues discussed during class were home privacy/privacy rights, safety issues,
company negligence, and environmental issues. First, Amazon’s Echo could be listening to all
conversations in people's homes, violating their privacy rights. Furthermore, Amazon could
release the information gathered by the Amazon Echo to the government and potentially
incriminate unsuspecting consumers who didn’t agree to be recorded. Second, Ford knew one of
its cars, the Ford Pinto, had a deadly safety concern. They chose to ignore the concern and
release the vehicle to the market, which led to multiple fatalities. They focused more on the
money and less on the safety of their users. Third, Volkswagen was caught cutting corners and
selling cars that violated emissions regulations. They lied to the public and paid the price with a
decreased reputation and financial repercussions. Lastly, there was a big data issue where the
question of personally identifiable information was pondered. A manager was pressuring a
worker to add information to a study that the worker knew wasn’t right and violated rules.

My opinions on the issues were closely similar to my classmates' ideas. For the Amazon
Echo issue, their device was creepy and could potentially record data from its users without their
knowledge. Ethically, Amazon should work to show that their device isn’t always listening and
recording data. Additionally, they should ensure that the latest software protects it so it does not
get hacked and used for other purposes. Amazon should additionally limit their access to the
devices so they cannot report any of the data recorded to the authorities, possibly incriminating
unsuspecting users. The privacy of the device should be their main focus.

Concerning the Ford Pinto issue, Ford should have done more research and testing on the
safety issue of the car. If they could not fix it, they should have redesigned the car. Safety should
be their number one priority, and everything else should be second. The lives of their customers
should outweigh their profits. Choosing money over safety has damaged their reputation and
sales, which could have easily been avoided with another month of testing and adjustments. The
safety of their cars should be their top priority, and it was unethical to sell their defective cars.

Volkswagen chose to cheat on its emissions tests in the US. They did this to keep their
sales going without increasing their spending on research and development to fix their emissions
problems. This issue upset everyone in the class, and the best action was to fine the company
heavily and make an example out of them. The leadership of Volkswagen should have owned up
to their mistakes and done something to fix them instead of covering them up more. In the end,
Volkswagen was fined significantly, and its name was ruined, which could have been avoided if
it had followed the rules set in place for a reason.

Lastly, the issue of looking at private information for a big data study. The worker felt
like he was violating an issue of medical and private confidentiality, but his boss was pushing
him to move forward with it. He was stuck in a bad situation where he could lose his job if he
pursued the path he knew was ethically responsible. The class agreed that the worker should alert
his boss of the ethical issue and try to come to a common understanding. This solution would
keep them from violating ethics and policies and prevent them from any repercussions of the
data collection.

Integrity, honesty, and responsibility are the three most relatable Virtues of Ethics to the
ethical case studies listed above. These three virtues are important because they relate to ethical
decisions. Fidelity, charity, and self-discipline relate less to the case studies than the other three.
They show more on the virtues of living a good life rather than making sound decisions. Courage
could be another virtue that is not included in the list of the six Virtues of Ethics. Courage is the
virtue of making the right decision in a tough situation. It could relate closer to the big data
situation where the worker could choose to be bold and risk his job to fix the error his boss made.

Integrity relates to the case studies as both the car companies, Volkswagen and Ford,
should have had the integrity to make good decisions, such as not releasing their vehicles in poor
condition they were. They should have known what was right and set their priorities better.
Differently, Amazon had the integrity to not give data when releasing the data gathered by their
Amazon Echo. The police asked for data that could be useful for catching a murderer. It may
seem like common sense for them to give data to the police, but by doing that, they violate the
privacy of their consumers, which could be dangerous to their brand. In the situation of the
worker and big data, the worker had integrity. The case never said the situation's outcome, but he
had enough integrity to know something was wrong and potentially to make the right decision.
Integrity is a virtue of ethics that some case studies needed more of while others were examples
of it.

Honesty is a virtue that relates to the case studies, including Amazon, Volkswagen, and
Ford. Amazon needs more honesty regarding recording unsuspecting customers without their
consent. It is against the law, and they should be honest about their device’s capabilities.
Volkswagen needed to be honest with its customers and government agencies about its
emissions. It should not have tried to cover the emissions up. Volkswagen should have had the
honesty to come out and say that they were in the wrong and pledge to fix it. It would have
reduced the backlash and been more ethical. Ford should have been honest when they found out
about the possible collision issue. They should have redesigned the car or, at the bare minimum,
warned their customers of the potential issues. This solution would have lessened their
repercussions as well.

Responsibility is a virtue that relates the Amazon, Volkswagen, Ford, and big data issues.
Amazon has the responsibility to its customers that their privacy is protected. When consumers
purchase its product, they trust Amazon, and in return, Amazon is responsible for its product and
how it is used. Similarly, Volkswagen is responsible for all emissions produced by its vehicles.
The company executives should have taken responsibility for their actions and chosen to do the
right thing. Instead, they went the opposite route and tried to cover their actions up. They did not
have the virtue of responsibility. Ford was also responsible in the same way as Volkswagen, as
they were responsible for the safety of their customers and chose to avoid keeping them safe.
Ford instead started selling the vehicle with the defect, violating their responsibility. On a
different note, the big data worker knew he was responsible for saying something and doing the
right thing. He understood the virtue and followed it to some extent.

In conclusion, a code of ethics is important as it serves as guidelines to follow when

carrying out any task. Some real-life examples of ethical violations included the Amazon Echo,
Volkswagen emissions, Ford’s defective car, and a big data study. Some of those issues'
outcomes could have been avoided, but they showed a lack of integrity, honesty, and
responsibility. Others were prime examples of those virtues used well. Ethics is an important
topic since it tells what is right and wrong.