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Bridge Linking Engineering and Society Spring 2017 ENGINEERING ETHICS The BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY Ethics in Business: Every Employee’s Character and Behavior Count Chad Holliday Protecting Dissent in Organizational Contexts Thomas W. Smith III and Tara L. Hoke Engineering Society Codes of Ethics: A Bird’s-Eye View Arthur E. Schwartz Engineering Codes of Ethics: Legal Protection for Engineers Jeffrey H. Matsuura Beyond Protecting the Public from Risk Robert B. Gilbert How Some Scientists and Engineers Contribute to Environmental Injustice Kristin Shrader-Frechette Ethical Implications of Computational Modeling Kenneth R. Fleischmann and William A. Wallace Addressing Corruption in the Global Engineering/ Construction Industry William P. Henry Can Engineering Ethics Be Taught? Deborah G. Johnson The mission of the National Academy of Engineering is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. The BRIDGE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Gordon R. England, Chair C. D. Mote, Jr., President Corale L. Brierley, Vice President Julia M. Phillips, Home Secretary Ruth A. David, Foreign Secretary Martin B. Sherwin, Treasurer Editor in Chief: Ronald M. Latanision Managing Editor: Cameron H. Fletcher Production Assistant: Penelope Gibbs The Bridge (ISSN 0737-6278) is published quarterly by the National Aca d emy of Engineering, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC. Vol. 47, No. 1, Spring 2017 Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bridge, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418. Papers are presented in The Bridge on the basis of general interest and time- liness. They reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily the position of the National Academy of Engineering. The Bridge is printed on recycled paper. C © 2017 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. A complete copy of The Bridge is available in PDF format at www.nae.edu/TheBridge. Some of the articles in this issue are also avail- able as HTML documents and may contain links to related sources of information, multimedia files, or other content. The Volume 47, Number 1 • Spring 2017 BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY Editors’ Note 3 Why Engineering Ethics Matters Deborah G. Johnson and Gerald E. Galloway, Jr. 6 Issue Dedication Features 8 Ethics in Business: Every Employee’s Character and Behavior Count Chad Holliday All employees must think about how their work impacts society, the environment, and the safety of coworkers. 15 Protecting Dissent in Organizational Contexts Thomas W. Smith III and Tara L. Hoke Organizational culture must respect and facilitate dissent to ensure that engineering professionals comply with their ethical obligations. 21 Engineering Society Codes of Ethics: A Bird’s-Eye View Arthur E. Schwartz Engineering societies play a critical role in providing practical ethical guidance to engineers. 27 Engineering Codes of Ethics: Legal Protection for Engineers Jeffrey H. Matsuura Engineers can use codes of ethics to preserve their personal legal rights and reduce their risk of personal legal liability. 30 Beyond Protecting the Public from Risk Robert B. Gilbert Engineers can better serve the public by considering costs and benefits in addition to failure, and by working more closely with the public. 36 How Some Scientists and Engineers Contribute to Environmental Injustice Kristin Shrader-Frechette Flawed or misused analytic techniques for assessing pollution risk can allow environmental injustice, disproportionate health harm to children and to poor or minority communities. 45 Ethical Implications of Computational Modeling Kenneth R. Fleischmann and William A. Wallace Modelers must consider decisions from multiple perspectives, to take account of both their own values and those of their users. (continued on next page) 52 Addressing Corruption in the Global Engineering/ Construction Industry William P. Henry Corruption in engineering/construction is an important problem that national and international resources are available to combat. 59 Can Engineering Ethics Be Taught? Deborah G. Johnson Engineering ethics education increases the likelihood that engineering students will be prepared to handle ethical issues in their professional lives. 65 An Interview with . Sal Khan, Founder, Khan Academy 72 News and Notes 72 Class of 2017 Elected 78 NAE Members Awarded 2016 National Medal of Freedom 79 NAE Newsmakers 81 Message from NAE Vice President Corale Brierley 84 National Academy of Engineering 2016 Donor Recognition 98 New Staff and Mirzayan Fellows Join Program Office 100 Calendar of Meetings and Events 100 In Memoriam 102 Publications of Interest The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an emy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongov- Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to ernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objec- The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 tive analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected Academies also encourage education and research, recognize out- by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. standing contributions to knowledge, and increase public understand- Mote, Jr., is president. ing in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Acad- and Medicine at www.national-academies.org. 3 Editors’ Note Throughout their careers, engineers are guided by rules, procedures, and precedents developed by the organizations in which they work and the professional organizations with which they associate. The manner in which these institutions and organizations deal with ethical issues, create an ethical climate, and provide Deborah G. Johnson is Olsson Pro- models of ethical behavior have enormous influence on fessor of Applied Ethics Emeritus, how engineers come to understand their professional Department of Engineering and roles and ethical responsibilities. Society, University of Virginia Over the last few decades the engineering community has taken steps to better address ethical issues and to establish a climate supportive of ethical behavior. The Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and professional licensing organizations have included ethics education as a requirement on the path to graduation and professional preparation as well as a prerequisite in continuing professional development. Gerald E. Galloway, Jr. (NAE) is Recent decades have also been marked by the accel- Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor eration of technological development and innova- of Engineering, University of tion, and increasing recognition of the powerful role of Maryland, College Park. technology in solving social problems. Unfortunately, the social impacts of rapid technological advances are Why Engineering Ethics Matters not always carefully considered before they are imple- mented. Innovations in geoengineering, bioengineer- As a profession that touches the lives and well-being ing, nanotechnologies, cyber systems, and artificial of people, engineering has long considered itself to be intelligence move society in directions not previously guided by commonly held moral principles. These prin- traveled, and the moral compass for the decisions that ciples can be found in the examinations required of those must be made may not be adequate for these new terrae seeking professional licensing, in the codes of conduct incognitae. that shape and constrain engineering activities, and in The fact that engineers can build or manufacture the thinking and behavior of most engineers. Those something does not mean that the product or process who depend on and are affected by engineering expect necessarily will make an overall positive contribution to (and are entitled to expect) engineers to behave in an society. As the saying goes, “just because something can ethical manner, and this is especially so when engineers be done doesn’t mean it should be done.” engage in activities that have the potential for profound Most products, processes, and services affect different negative consequences. people differently. While cloud dusting might someday One of the challenges for the engineering profession be able to shift the direction of a hurricane away from is to figure out how best to maintain these principles a coastal city, who should decide what areas must then in a complex, diverse, and ever changing world. Those take the brunt of the hurricane forces? Of course, engi- joining the engineering profession today are educated neers must have a role in such decisions, but
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