ETHICAL PROBLEM

SOLVING TECHNIQUES
 PRESENTED BY

Syed Yashal Ahmed Nasr Haider Qari

ME-19187 ME-19184
WHAT ARE ETHICAL PROBLEM SOLVING
TECNIQUES?
To resolve conflicts which cannot be solved by data
and experience some engineering analysis and
ethical problem solving methods are used such as
• Line Drawing
• Flow Charting
• Conflicting Problems
 LINE DRAWING
Line drawing technique is useful for situation in which there
seems to be a grey area about which ethical principle applies.
Line drawing is performed with the help of two paradigms.

Negative Paradigm Positive Paradigm

 INTEL PENTIUM CHIP CASE
In 1994-95, Intel was widely reported to be producing flawed
Pentium chips.
They tried to hide this information but later offered consumer chips
without any flaws.
We can use line drawing to get some insights on this situation.

Knowingly sell Products should

products that are perform as
defective. advertised..
A few examples that we can add to the line,
1. There is a flaw in the chip but it truly is undetectable.
2. The customer is informed about the flaw but no help is offered.
3. A warning label that says the chip should not be used for certain
application.
4. Recall notices are sent out and all flawed chips are replaced.
5. Replacement chips are offered only if customer notices the
problem

Knowingly sell Products should

products that are perform as
defective. advertised..
A few examples that we can add to the line,
1. There is a flaw in the chip but it truly is undetectable.
2. The customer is informed about the flaw but no help is offered.
3. A warning label that says the chip should not be used for certain
application.
4. Recall notices are sent out and all flawed chips are replaced.
5. Replacement chips are offered only if customer notices the
problem

2 1

Knowingly sell Products should

products that are perform as
defective. advertised..
A few examples that we can add to the line,
1. There is a flaw in the chip but it truly is undetectable.
2. The customer is informed about the flaw but no help is offered.
3. A warning label that says the chip should not be used for certain
application.
4. Recall notices are sent out and all flawed chips are replaced.
5. Replacement chips are offered only if customer notices the
problem

2 3 1

Knowingly sell Products should

products that are perform as
defective. advertised..
A few examples that we can add to the line,
1. There is a flaw in the chip but it truly is undetectable.
2. The customer is informed about the flaw but no help is offered.
3. A warning label that says the chip should not be used for certain
application.
4. Recall notices are sent out and all flawed chips are replaced.
5. Replacement chips are offered only if customer notices the
problem

2 3 1,4

Knowingly sell Products should

products that are perform as
defective. advertised..
A few examples that we can add to the line,
1. There is a flaw in the chip but it truly is undetectable.
2. The customer is informed about the flaw but no help is offered.
3. A warning label that says the chip should not be used for certain
application.
4. Recall notices are sent out and all flawed chips are replaced.
5. Replacement chips are offered only if customer notices the
problem

5 2 3 1,4

Knowingly sell Products should

products that are perform as
defective. advertised..
A few examples that we can add to the line,
1. There is a flaw in the chip but it truly is undetectable.
2. The customer is informed about the flaw but no help is offered.
3. A warning label that says the chip should not be used for certain
application.
4. Recall notices are sent out and all flawed chips are replaced.
5. Replacement chips are offered only if customer notices the
problem

P 5 2 3 1,4

Knowingly sell Products should

products that are perform as
defective. advertised..
 FLOWCHARTING
Flowcharting technique is used to analyze conflicts
in which there is sequence of events.
The key to using flowchart effectively is being able
to determine all the possible outcomes for certain
ethical problem.
We can further explain flowcharting with a practical
scenario.
 Union carbide would like to
build plant in Bhopal

Are YES
safety
laws in
India as Design plant as in US
strict as
in US?

NO

Are local YES

law
adequat Design according to
e for safe
operatio local standard.
n?

NO

Decide on minimal standard Build plant anyway

that will ensure safety and assume risk.

NO YES
Is this
Invest elsewhere. cost
effective
Build plant
 CONFLICTING PROBLEMS

Problems with two conflicting moral values each of

which seems to be correct.
There are three ways to solve such conflicts.
• Choosing one with higher significance
• Creative middle way
• Making hard choice
 CASE- Vice President Spiro Agnew and
Construction Kickbacks in Maryland 
In 1973, a US Attorney for Maryland who was looking into
the charges of bribes and kickbacks given to elected
officials by engineering firms in order to be awarded
government projects, came across Lester Matz, a partner in
an engineering firm. Matz had bribed the current Vice
President Spiro Agnew over $100,000 to be awarded
government projects, a deal due to which his firm had
prospered and grew a lot.
They used illegal means in order to pay Spiro in cash. For which
Federal Prosecutors started threatening to indict Matz, Childs
and Associates for tax envision and other charges. They decided
to provide evidence to the government of the wrongdoing of
Spiro Agnew and his successor as county executive. Due to
which Spiro and his lawyers came to an agreement that Agnew
would resign as the Vice President pf the country and plead nolo
contendere for single count of income tax envision and a felony
for payments received in 1967. Agnew was the first Vice
President to have resigned in disgrace.
THANK YOU!