Question 1
Cody’s fiancé has familial ties to a company that has sold parts to Cody’s company in the past and might do so in the future. Is this a conflict of interest?

No, it is not morally relevant.

No, but it is a potential conflict of interest.

No, it is not and could never be a conflict of interest.

Yes, it is an actual conflict of interest.

Question 2
Veronica is the chairperson of the Pressure Vessel Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). She makes a ruling that benefits her firm, but she does so because she believes it is the best ruling from a professional standpoint. She:

is still in a conflict of interest situation, because she has a private interest in supporting her firm that threatens the integrity of her professional judgment

has a potential conflict of interest, because at some future time someone might point out that her decision benefited her employer

is not in a conflict of interest situation as long as she discloses the fact that her ruling favors her firm.

is not in a conflict of interest situation if she makes the best judgment from a professional standpoint

Question 3
The limits of confidentiality are controversial and often difficult to determine.
True
False

Question 4
Which statements are true about international professionalism?

None of the answers are correct

The Washington Accord is an agreement among engineering bodies throughout the world.

The Eur Ing designation is accepted in France, but in no other country as of yet.

The Sydney Accord and the Dublin Accord set international standards for engineers working in Australia and Europe, respectively.

Question 5
Some people cite the list of human rights proposed by the United Nations (UN) as a good basis for an international ethics for resolving disputes. One of the problems with the UN list of rights is that:

it includes “negative rights” but no “positive rights.”

“positive rights” are somewhat more controversial in the United States and “negative rights” are somewhat more controversial in many countries other than the United States.

it includes “positive rights” but no “negative rights.”

Some countries may not have economic resources to support the claims to the rights

Question 6
Fred is a young chemical engineer who has been hired to design and supervise the construction of a chemical plant in Mexico. During the design and construction, he encounters many ethical issues.

Many of the construction workers live in substandard housing with poor sanitation. Fred is considering a plan to construct a small village near the plant site with clean water and sanitation. Fred’s boss says the plan is too expensive and too “paternalistic” and would be “treating the workers like children.” If Fred takes an attitude of weak paternalism, which of the following responses might he make?

“I am going to do what is best for the workers whether they like it or not.”

“The workers are too swayed by their emotional ties to their present homes to make a rational decision as to what is in their own interests.”

“The workers do not understand the effects of poor sanitation, so they cannot make an informed decision.”

Both b and c

Question 7
Attitudes and beliefs of the lay public about risk often differ from those of engineers. In what ways?

The lay public puts more emphasis on the just distribution of risks and benefits.

The lay public puts less emphasis on informed consent to risk than engineers.

The estimates of risk by the lay public are generally more accurate than the estimates of engineers.

Both b and c

Question 8
While cost-benefit analysis can be a useful tool in risk analysis, it has some disadvantages from a moral standpoint. These include:

cost-benefit analysis gives too much emphasis to informed consent, neglecting other considerations.

cost-benefit analysis gives too much emphasis to informed consent, neglecting other considerations.

cost-benefit analysis in its usual applications makes no allowance for the distribution of costs and benefits

Both a and b

Question 9
The concept of the “standard of care” is often used in legal proceedings against engineers. Which statement is true about this standard?

It refers to the level of work done by normally competent engineers.

It refers to a sincere dedication to doing the best that one can.

It refers to the virtue of caring for the welfare of the public.

It refers to engineering work that involves no errors or omissions.

Question 10
According to some critics, one of the issues in these cases is the presence of “groupthink.” Which of the following situations illustrates this concept?

The belief of virtually all engineers at NASA that the organization was so corrupt that dissent was useless.

None of these

The failure of any engineer at Morton Thiokol to challenge the launch decision in the teleconference the night before the launch of the Challenger.

The failure of any engineer to seek in-flight photographs of the Columbia that might have revealed the damage.

Question 11
Which of the following statements having to do with sustainability are true?

Sustainability is a contested term that has different meanings in different settings.

Sustainable development is defined by the Brundtland Report as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The achievement of sustainability is challenging in part because of entropy.

All answers are correct

Question 12
The modern international focus on environmental issues probably began with which of the following events:

United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

The publication of this book in 2009

The Clean Air Act of 1970

Question 13
The CERES principles were voluntarily adopted by a number of oil companies to express a progressive attitude toward the environment. After which major environmental disaster were they first adopted?

Exxon Valdez, Prince William Sound, 1989.

Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Gulf of Mexico, 2010.

Gulf War oil spill, Persian Gulf, 1991.

Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana and Mississippi, 2003.

Question 14
One of the reasons cited in favor of the Challenger launch being a management decision was:

Engineers should focus on technical issues

Management is looking out for the wellbeing of the organization

Management has the authority to make important decisions

The engineers were not unanimous in their opinions.

Question 15
Questions about the justification for whistle-blowing are clear cut and easy to decide.
True
False

Question 16
Which of the following is characteristic of a whistle-blower?

One who forms a union within the organization

One who files a lawsuit against an organization because of policy violations

One who reveals information that the organization does not want to be shared

One who quits their job because they don’t like the managers

Question 17
In the line-drawing method:

the “features” selected should help to determine whether the test case resembles the positive or negative paradigm more closely.

the “features” selected should describe either the positive or negative paradigm, but not both.

the “features” selected should describe the positive paradigm and not the negative paradigm.

the “features” selected should describe the negative paradigm and not the positive paradigm.

Question 18
A manager orders a young engineer to remain silent about the discovery of emissions from the plant that might be dangerous to for people living nearby. If the manger was willing to allow her supervisor to give her a similar order, this would be an example of:

Respect for Persons Approach

Rights Test

Golden Rule Test

Self-Deafeating Test

Question 19
Which of the following accurately represent virtue as Aristotle used the term?

Humans naturally recognize it because it is almost always is accompanied by sensual pleasure.

It is whatever makes anything an exceptional specimen of its kind.

For most actions, it is a mean found between deficiency and excess.

All answers are correct

Question 20
A character trait that can support aspirational ethics is______________________.

Self-interest

Independent conscientiousness

Cognitive Ambition

Environmental conscientiousness

Question 21
According to the reading,_ protect public health, safety and welfare (best answer).

Managers

Technicians

Professors

Engineers

Question 22
According to the definition in the lecture, which one of the following would not be considered a profession?

Doctor

Factory Line Worker

Engineer

Lawyer

Question 23
Which company was not included in our reading as an example of a disruptive technology?

Uber

Wal-Mart

Amazon

Apple

Question 24
In the chart for Systems Integration: Economic Political, and Social, which one of the following is in the outer circle?

Educational curricula

Values by design

Stakeholder inclusion

Leadership values alignment

Question 25
Which one is not a strategy of a human-centered approach:

engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders

appreciating and shaping the moral role of technologies

adopting a systems view of technologies

enhancing globalization of ethics