Engineering Ethics class Assignment

Engineering Ethics Midterm Nassif 2015

Steve is updating the HVAC system in his house. The house is older and quite

large. It will likely require new zoning as temperatures vary considerably

throughout the home. His friend, Terry, owns a small HVAC company and tells

Steve that new zoning is going to be difficult without doing major construction.

However, there are some things that could be done to improve the temperature

disparities throughout the house but “it will be far from perfect.” He quotes Steve

a very favorable “friend discount” for the job.

For good measure, Steve enlists a larger and more reputable firm to bid on the job

as well. The company sends out their best project engineer, Bobby, to see if

anything can be done to zone the house effectively and efficiently.

Bobby spends the day at the house trying to come up with a creative solution for

the problem. Bobby appears very committed to finding a solution and is genuinely

excited and enthusiastic about the challenge.

A week later Bobby returns with an elaborate and creative proposal for Steve.

Bobby assures Steve that this solution will correct the temperature disparities and

guarantees that he will work above and beyond to make sure the job is done to near

perfection. Steve is very impressed with the design that Bobby has come up with

but needs to think about it because the cost is more than he intended to spend.

Steve tells his friend Terry about the proposal and Terry says that it is a “genius”

idea. He also tells him that he will do the job using Bobby’s design for half the

price.

Steve did not sign any agreement with Bobby’s company; however, Bobby

invested a tremendous amount of time and energy on the design. Bobby is very

committed to his job and as has a tendency to trust people as evidenced by the fact

that he let Steve make a copy of his detailed proposal that included his drawings.

Bobby’s philosophy is to trust people “unless they give you a reason not to.”

Using two moral theories, one of them being Kant’s deontology, try to

determine the best course of action for Steve by constructing a brief ethical

argument. Also, make sure to include the perspective of all three parties

involved.

Grading Rubric

1. All aspects of the case study are addressed in a thorough manner -25

Points

2. All arguments are logically strong and not fallacious -25 Points

3. At least two moral theories were used effectively 25-points.

4. The case study was analyzed from multiple perspectives and all conflicts

were addressed - 25 points.