Huyen Vy Pham

Iowa State University

Fall 2023

Ethics Reflection Assignment

In the class, we learned about the "Code of Ethics" to understand the moral standards that every
engineer must follow. With an understanding of the fundamentals, I will develop a good habit of
working and maintaining the ethical values of the work. I will also know where and how to find
the related documents in different ethical issue situations.
"Code of Ethics" is a standardized platform to maintain work ethics and quality in one
profession. In the IEEE Code of Ethics, the motivation to develop such code is that the
organization recognizes the significance and impact of technologies in human life and accepts
the personal obligation to the profession (IEEE Code of Ethics, p1). Throughout the document,
each code represents a purpose, in general, to contribute to a better world. For example, the first
code is "To uphold the highest standards of integrity, responsible behavior, and ethical conduct in
professional activities." The purpose of the code is to keep every engineer responsible for their
work and to maintain the good impact of innovation in the world. Without the code of ethics,
there are no standardized working principles to keep engineers accountable and responsible for
their work, especially in such a large community of electrical engineers. It is also fundamental to
all the companies that have electrical engineering work. The code of ethics can be compared with
the "soft law," where engineers might not be punished but be judged for their wrongdoings.
When faced with an ethical situation, I will consult all the ethical documentation before deciding,
especially the workplace's ethics codes. I will determine the risks related to the issue with any
possible ethical violations. After reviewing any related documentation related to the problem, I
will proceed with any existing procedures. If there are no such procedures in-house, I have to
decide to ensure the welfare and safety of the public, society, etc. Factors involved in my
decision-making process are ethical documentation, lawful documentation, the risks/
consequences related to all of the decisions, and personal ethical codes. I mention ethical and
lawful documentation because they outline the best practices in different situations that will
maintain the work and ethical values of the solution. For example, there is a regulation regarding
using user data with a contract between the company and the customers. I must follow the
regulation and the terms in the contract to ensure the integrity and commitment of an engineer. In
addition, I will consult my colleagues or my team to get several ideas and solutions because
having multiple inputs will help me make the best decision.
In the class, we discussed Volkswagen issues related to integrity. The Volkswagen story stresses
the integrity of the company and the accountability of all the stakeholders, including board
members and related personnel. In addition, we also discussed the Pinto Issue. The issue was the
integrity of the company and engineers and the process of building and testing Pinto, which then
caused a tragedy for a customer. Two other issues are Big Data and Amazon Echo. The two
issues share a similar theme, the use of personal data. The Big Data issue mentions the usage and
confidentiality of the data in developing big data projects. The Amazon Echo mentions the
privacy of customer data and the company's responsibility in protecting such information in
different scenarios, such as investigations.

My class's ethical considerations or issues are very similar to mine. We all discussed data-related
issues. My group discussed the Amazon Echo Issue and Big Data Issue. Each of the group
members presented their perspectives on the issues. For each issue, our group agreed on what
people in such a situation should have done to follow the code of ethics. For example, on the Big
Data Issue, a problem with data security and privacy, and how engineers will professionally
handle such matters, we all agreed that Marcus, the main engineer of the project, should have
discussed with his boss and team members how he should handle the new incoming data to avoid
the violation of United States General Services Administration Privacy Act. Before handling the
data, he should have presented his research and knowledge on such ethical matters to his boss.
After figuring out the violation, he should have talked to the boss to report such violations and
then moved with the procedure of working with such information. On the other issue, the
Amazon Echo Issue, we both agreed that Amazon did the right in not giving out the information
recorded to the police. Amazon is keeping its integrity and commitment to its customers. The
privacy of the data should be maintained unless there are special circumstances defined and
agreed upon by the Federal and the People.
Reflecting on the "Virtue of Ethics" after discussing different issues, I think three virtues of
ethics that relate are integrity, honesty, and responsibility. The first virtue of ethics is integrity,
meaning practicing good and ethical judgments. The virtue connects to the issues we discussed
regarding data privacy because each related personnel needs integrity to make the right decision.
For example, Marcus in the Big Data Issue was integrity because he researched data privacy
issues before working on the project. The second virtue is honesty, which is defined as
"truthfulness, fairness, sincerity, and openness" ("Virtue of Ethics"). Virtue is well presented in
both issues. In the Big Data Issue, the best solution for Marcus is to be truthful and open to his
boss and coworkers about the violations to reach a better approach to such matters in the project.
In the Amazon Echo Issue, Amazon keeps the promise/ user terms by not giving out the data.
Amazon is keeping fairness and truthfulness to the customers by committing to the terms and
data privacy. The last virtue is responsibility, which means accountability and recognizing
personal obligation. Two issues related to how engineers and companies are responsible for the
decision and actions they take to solve the problem. I think fidelity, charity, and self-discipline
are three other virtues in the "Virtue of Ethics" that are unrelated. Those issues are not much
about royalty or compassion and mercy to other people or about a person not being self-
disciplined in practicing a profession.