Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25
Ethics and Professionalism
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sinan Kutluay

8/5/2024
Engineering has been described as

“the strategy/skill for causing the best change in a
poorly understood or uncertain situation within
available resources”
The realm of ethics and professionalism entails very

real, poorly understood problems that are
as challenging as any technical problems an
engineer will face
This chapter presents
✓ Heuristics (rule of thumb –pratik kural)
✓ Objective functions
✓ Constraint identification strategies
All heuristics are;
➢ Fallible (questionable)
➢ Incapable of justification
➢ Merely plausible (credible) aids or directions

toward the solution of a problem
Keep in mind the four characteristics of any heuristics
1. A heuristic does not guarantee a solution.
2. It may contradict other heuristics.
3. It can reduce the time to solve a problem.
4. Its acceptance depends on the immediate context

instead of on an absolute standart
Ethics and
Professionalism
The purpose of this chapter is to help to develop

strategies to make the best choice when faced
with an ETHICAL problem.
NOT ABSOLUTE, CHANGEABLE
The set of strategies developed will be different
for each person
Ethics
Whenever chemical engineers do anything
• Develop products
• Design processes and equipment
• Manage processes operations
• Communicate within other engineers and

nonengineers
-their choices of action are based on ETHICS
Ethics
Whenever chemical engineers do anything

• Develop markets and sell products
• Lead other engineers
• Interact with clients
• Represent their firms to the government or to
the public
-that impacts the lives of anyone
-their choices of action are based on ETHICS
Ethics
Even when we are faced with two different

equations, we select one equation, based in part
on our ethical values
• Does the precise equation include a safety factor
that lowers the risk to our employer, employees,
public ?
• Do we spend more time to do more rigorous
calculations, costing the firm more money but
providing a better answer to the client?
How do we decide???
Ethics
In each of these circumstances above

Engineers apply their own moral standards
mindful of the legal requirement
using their personal code of ethics
to make the decision.
Ethics
Three types of reasons for ethical behaviour are

identified to help in the development of a personal
code of ethics :
➢ Moral
➢ Legal
➢ Ethical
Ethics
a
Ethics
Although nearly all people share some fundamental

moral ideas, each engineer has his or her own
distinct set of moral principles
shaped by
➢ religion
➢ conscience
➢ especially early chilhood family experiences
Ethics
The importance of continually reminding oneself to

be true to one’s moral values as one works through
ethical problems should not be ignored.
The LEGAL SYSTEM (which includes government

regulations) is a collection of rules of conduct for a
society to assist orderly transactions between
people.
Ethics
The aspect of ETHICAL DECISION making is
commonly referred to as engineering ethics.
There are generally accepted codes of conduct for
engineers, although, as will become clear, they are
too broad to be used alone as prescriptions for
engineering choices in difficult situations.
Engineering ethics is the system of principles and
strategies that engineers use to solve complex
problems involving other people’s lives.
Ethics
It includes
aspects of moral principles
legal responsibilities,
as well as recognised codes of ethics
and generally accepted norms of engineering
and business behaviour.
Ethics - Moral Autonomy
The goal of this chapter is not UNIFORMITY of

decisions by all engineers but AUTONOMY of
each engineer to make the right decision.
The right decision can be identified by the use

of HEURISTIC
Ethics
Moral Autonomy
The right decision is one that is:
✓ Consistent with engineer’s moral principles
✓ Consistent with the generally accepted codes
of engineering conduct
✓ Consistent with the obligations that the
engineer has accepted
✓ Consistent with the law
✓ Consistent with the applicable Code of Ethics
But, most importantly,
THE RIGHT DECISION IS ONE THAT

THE ENGINEER CAN LIVE WITH.
The ability to make one’s own ethical

decisions is known as moral autonomy
Ethics Moral Autonomy
Moral autonomy does not require that you are

able to look back and always be confident that the
choice made was the best of all possible choices
Although this is the goal, it is a
moving target
(An idea or situation that continuously changes as you are trying to deal with)
You are exercising moral autonomy

• If you are in control of your decision
• If you make the choice based on a reasonable
analysis of the potential consequences consistent
with your moral, legal, and ethical beliefs, rights,
duties and obligations.
You cannot claim to be exercising moral autonomy

• If you do not understand your moral principles,
• If you have no strategy for ethically analyzing a
situation, or
• If you defer your own ethical responsibilites to
others.
Previewing the kinds of ethical problems

that you are likely to have to resolve is the
most powerful tool you can use to learn about
and
to develop your moral autonomy.
Ethics Rehearsal
When learning any new skill, one usually practices

or rehearses
Ethics Rehearsal
Understanding the theory behind the ideal gas law is

no guarantee that one will be able to solve applied
problems.
Some people can and some people cannot. But few
would argue that one can solve a problem as quickly
as easily, or as correctly as the “n” th time one solves
it.
Such is the power of rehearsal
Ethics Rehearsal
Rehearsal becomes more important when desicions

must be made quickly, extremely accurately, or under
great stress.
Great stress often accompanies ethical problems.
Ethics
Rehearsal
Example Falsified Data

Jay’s boss is an acknowledge expert in catalysis.
Jay is leading a group developing a new catalysis
system .
Search narrowed to catalyst A and B.
Boss is certain that A is the choice, but directs test
be run on both,”Just for record”.
Ethics Rehearsal
Test results show B is the better catalyst.

Test results are challenged and due to time table there
is no time to repeat the tests.
Boss directs Jay to work maths backward and come up
with phony data to substantiate choice of catalyst A,
a choice that the group together with Jay agrees with.
Jay writes the report.
Ethics Rehearsal
The first time we see the situation,

we would like to be in a low-cost environment.
If we make the wrong decision, it does not matter.
The second time we could make a better choice.

Ethics Rehearsal
In early education and in skills training at any level,
the goal of rehearsal is to work with through a

scenario that is likely to occur in the future and to
develop the best response we can.
Ethics Rehearsal
In advanced professional education especially

in engineering education,
The goal of rehearsal is to work through a

scenario representative of a broad range of situations
that are likely to occur in the future and to develop a
strategy for responding to the broad range of problems
Many of which cannot be imagined
Ethics Rehearsal
For ethical decision making, this strategy must be

powerful, adaptive, and personal.
Throughout your career,

new ethical problems will arise.
The key is to rehearse frequently, using example

and homework problems and conceiving your own
representative scenarios.
Ethics
Reflection
in Action
A
POST-MORTEM Analysis
is the self-imposed study of events that have occured
in one’s professional life
and is called as
REFLECTION OF ACTION.
Ethics - Reflection in Action
The person sits down and

• reviews the case
• analyses the facts,
• the missing information,
• the constraints,
• the unnecessary perceived constraints,
• the options considered and not considered,
and
• strategy used to arrive at the decision.
There are many reasons why reflection in action

is so powerful, but we focus on two:
• Forces one to analyze the strengths and weakness

of one’s own strategy.
• Provides continual opportunities and encouragement

for rehearsal.
Example Reflection on the Falsified Data
Using McMaster five-step strategy
1.Define
Was the problem well defined by the participants?
• Was the real problem that the experimental
results were unexpected?
• Was the real problem that now things were more
uncertain than before?
• What is the real problem?
• If the problem is defined differently , would the solution
be different?
• Would it have been a better conclusion?
2. Explore
What alternatives were explored?
• Requesting additional time
• Looking into possible inaccuracies
• Making detailed analysis of experimental &
theoretical discrepancy
• Would a more careful exploration of alternatives
have been helpful in this case?
• What brainstorming techniques would have been
helpful?
3. Plan
Did the participants develop an adequate plan?
What would (should) you have done differently?
4. Do it .
Did the participants execute the plan well?
5. Look Back
Would it have been helpful, if the participants,
. had reflected on past experiences?
. had projected what could happen as a consequence of
their decision, and
. had analysed expected effectiveness of their approach?
Not knowing the outcome of the Falsified Data

case, Plan and Do It stages cannot be analysed
fully.
When full case is reflected upon, we could, and

would, do just that.
At the end of any rehearsal or reflection, one

should develop a list of heuristics to use in future
ethical problem solving.
These could be the heuristics that had been used

effectively (in the case of a reflection)
or new heuristics that can be used (in the case of a

rehearsal).
Ethics
Reflection in Action
for Example 2 we might identify the following heuristics
• Use a traditional problem-solving strategy for solving

ethical problems.
• Consider the possibility that inexperienced people can
be right.
• Debrief people fully before assuming fact about their
actions.
• Consider what will happen if a specific decision is
based on a false assumption.
• Be honest.
• Be concerned about the welfare of your company.

• Be concerned about the welfare of your employeers
• Do not let other people make ethical decisions for you
●
●
Ethics - Mobile Truth
It is quite naturel for people to assume that groups

to which they belong are
right, and
other groups are wrong.
This is due to;

loyalty, strong family pride
and duty, willful obedience,
and leadership.
The strength of collective action depends on this

response, which, in terms of ethical decision making in
engineering, manifests itself in mobile truth.
Starting to work for an organization, you begin to

develop attitudes towards it similar to bonding
within families, nationalities, and schools.
The faster these bonds develop, the faster you will

be accepted. The stronger these bonds are, the
more loyal you will become.
Example 3
You are working for a PE Co. (A)
& You know that Type-A PE is the best.
Because of promotion , higher pay, desired relocation,
you moved to Co. (B).
Almost immediately, type(B) PE becomes the best.
Not because of your great Chemical Engineering virtues but
it is probably because of mobile truth.
World did not changed,

your frame of reference
and
yur LOYALTY has CHANGED:
When your affinity to a group clouds

your ethical decision making,
you are being affected by mobile truth.
The point is to learn to recognise the truth

and
to filter it out of ethical decision making.
The point is not just to make the process more

“objective” or “fair”,
but rather
to try to see the situation from the point of view
of those outside the organisation.
Here are a few heuristics for avoiding being misled by

mobile truth.
• Ask yourself if your decision would be different if you
worked for another part of the company or for
another company.
• Imagine that you live just outside the plant fence
• Imagine that you work for EPA.
• Ask for the opinion for someone else in your
organisation. Explain the situation, suggesting that
the facts pertain to a different organisation. The
response is likely to be less affected by mobile truth.
The concept of mobile truth is the concept of post-

rationalisation.
Since complex ethical problems can be analysed and

evaluated in so many different ways, it is often easy
to fool oneself into thinking that one has acted
ethically.
BUT ONE MUST KEEP IN MIND, the frame of

reference or point of view of others
(outside your organisation)
If you want to be sure that

what you have done or about to do is ethical,
imagine how
someone outside the organisation would view the
decision.
If there is a difference, chances are you

were post-rationalizing (or pre-rationalizing)
Nonprofessional Responsibilities
Each chemical engineer has personal responsibilities;

to family
to friends
to oneself
These responsibilities, like professional responsibilities,

will change dramatically throughout one’s life.
The obvious example is one’s family situation, which is

likely to grow and change over a 40-year career.
In general it is easier to make ethical choices when

they affect only oneself.
Choices that affect one’s nuclear family are especially

difficult.
Some choices may cost you your job, make you a

social outcast, compel you to move from your home,
even estrange you from your family.
Generally, one can mitigate consequences by
• Thinking early about the effects of your decisions

on your family
• Taking into account likely changes in your family
situation
• Most importantly, talking with your family about
your decison.
It would be wise to consider a hypothetical situation
before a real ethical problem arise
Think about various options of whom to tell what and
when
Rehearsal can be done
-with one’s family
-with a peer group or
-by oneself
Whichever you choose, it should make any conflict
easier to resolve to everyone’s satisfaction.
The crutial impact of one’s family is not fully

appreciated until one is married or becomes a parent.
In using rehearsal to prepare for difficult ethical

situations, one should anticipate potential changes in
the family situation that might affect the decision.
➢ Whenever possible, it is better to form non-

homogenous groups for rehearsal of ethical
scenario.
➢ While discussing ethical scenarios, financial and

other concerns also must be considered.
o Some choose to live more frugally, others choose

jobs that require fewer or less difficult ethical
choices.
o Those who become overcommitted-for example,

financially- and then feel compelled to make the
choice to perform an act that consider ethically
wrong, seldom would claim to be morally
autonomous,
Example 4 - A Question of Integrity Under the Hazardous

Wastes Control Regulation of Turkey all chemicals were
required to be placed on an inventory list. To produce a
chemical not on the list, or new chemical, a manufacture
must submit a pre-manufacturing marketing notification
to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and
Climate Change
(Çevre, Şehircilik ve İklim Değişikliği Bakanlığı)
This is to ensure that production will in compliance with the

health and enviromental regulations and use of this chemical
will not be detrimental to human health and the environment.
Ayşe supervises a unit that has started to produce a “new”

chemical (not on the list) and becomes aware that a pre-
manufacturing notification has not been filed.
If Ayşe “blows the wistle”, her career with the company

could be over, despite laws to protect wistlebowers. If
Ayşe does nothing , workers may be exposed to
chemicals and be harmed. If the Co. was caught, Ayşe’s
reputation could be stained.
• Should Ayşe discuss this ethical issue with her family?

• What financial or other hardships might result if she
reports the situation?
• What obligations does she have,
to her family in this regard?
to the company?
to the community?
Duties and Obligations
Throughout ethical problem solving, all the duties and

obligation that the person is responsible should
always be kept in mind.
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers

estimates that ONLY 0.05 % of U.S. Citizens are
Chemical Engineers.
One’s duties and obligations form the basis for some
additional important heuristics in ethical problem solving:
• Remind yourself of relevant duties and obligations

that you have accepted and not accepted.
• When accepted duties and obligations are necessarily
in conflict, rank these responsibilites.
• If you choose a solution that violates an obligation,
discuss the decision with those to which the obligation
was made and determine the consequences.
CODES OF ETHICS
Codes of ethics are formal obligations that persons

accept when they join organisations or when they
are allowed to enter a profession
In chemical engineering, there are three main types

of codes of ethics:
employer
technical society
government
CODES OF ETHICS
The employer-based codes of ethics are usually

incorporated into the Codes of Business Conduct
that one agree to upon employment with a
particular firm.
The government-based codes are the

Professional Engineer rules, regulations and laws
that exist in territories of Turkey and their
counterparts throughout the world (EU).
CODES OF ETHICS
CODES OF ETHICS
The first code

The most important technical society code for US
chemical engineers is the Code of Ethics of the
American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Similar codes have been adopted by other

engineering socities.TMMOB in Turkey.
When you sign your application for membership in

AIChE, you agree to abide by this code (Fig. 21.1.)
CODES OF ETHICS
AIChE Code of Ethics
Chemical Engineering is the profession in which a

knowledge of mathematics, chemistry and other
natural sciences gained by study, experience, and
practice is applied with judgement to develop
economic ways of using materials and energy for
the benefit of mankind.
CODES OF ETHICS
Goals
Uphold and advance the integrity, honour and
dignity of the engineering profession by:
• Being honest, impartial and serving with
fidelity their employers, their clients, and the
public
• Striving (aim) to increase the competence
and prestige of the engineering profession;
• Using their knowledge and skill for
enhancement of human welfare;
CODES OF ETHICS
Responsibilities
1. Hold paramount the safety, health and
welfare of the public in performance of their
professional duties.
2. Formally advise their employers or clients if
they perceive that a consequence of their
duties will adversely affect the present or
future health or safety of their colleagues or
the public.
3. Accept responsibility for their actions and
recognize the contributions of others; seek
critical review of their work and offer
objective criticism of the work of others.,
CODES OF ETHICS
Responsibilities
4. Issue statements or present information only
in an objective and truthful manner.
5. Act in professional matters for each
employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees, and avoid conflict of interest.
6. Treat fairly all colleagues and co-workers,
recognizing their unique contributions and
capabilities.
CODES OF ETHICS
Responsibilities
7. Perform professional services only in their
ares of competence.
8. Build their professional reputations on merits
of services.
9. Continue their professional development
throughout their careers, and provide
opportunities for the professional
development of those under their
supervision.
CODES OF ETHICS
Responsibilities
10. Never tolerate harassement.
11. Conduct themselves in a fair, honorable and
aaarespectful manner.
CODES OF ETHICS
AIChE Code of Ethics is divided into three parts:
First part defines the profession of chemical
engineering In this context, one might paraphrase
it as:
“Whenever anyone who is a member of AIChE

performs any service that others might reasonably
identify as chemical engineering, that conduct is
under the AIChE Code of Ethics.”
“if you call yourself a chemical engineer, you will
be held to the standards of chemical engineering,
both technical and ethical”
CODES OF ETHICS
In AIChE Code of Ethics Second part called the GOAL’s
Describes 4 basic tenets of chemical eng. and places
the the profession in its proper perspective in relation to
the society at large.
This section serves at least 2 important purposes.
1- Realizing the goals the very broad responsibilites to the

society that may not be apparent in day to day work-are a
powerful tool in helping chemical engineers to do the right
thing.
2- All the goals cannot be met simultaneously all of the
time. In fact, one frequently encounters ethical
dilemmas, in which no choice is a perfect choice,
completely satisfying all of our moral, legal, and ethical
responsibilites.
CODES OF ETHICS
In AIChE Code of Ethics Third part of the code of ethics:
Concerns 11 relatively specific responsibilities of

chemical engineers.
There are two principles that are sometimes overlooked

by beginning engineers. Both refer to continuing
education.
CODES OF ETHICS
Need for continuing education
Principle 7 makes it obvious. For example if one has to
work on certain fields of electrical engineering then he
has to get the significant education in the relevant area
of electrical engineering. This is valid within chemical
engineering.
Principle 9 makes it clear that chemical engineers
continue their professional development throughout
their careers;
• Training programs
• Taking continuing courses by AIChE Univ. & org.
• Reading technical journals
• Consulting with experts
CODES OF ETHICS

Therefore, througout one’s career, one is required by
the Code to evaluate one’s own chemical engineering
capabilities continuously and to acquire any needed
education before accepting an assignment in any
area of chemical engineering.
A governmental agency may certify you as a

Professional Engineer after you pass some day-long
examinations and a multi-year internship, but you are
still the responsible party for your own chemical
engineering competence.
CODES OF ETHICS
During B.Sc. Experience, one learns

how to attack PROBLEMS.....
and some of the greatest of these PROBLEMS
• are to evaluate one’s knowledge, to decide what

new material needs to be learned,
• and to develop and implement a plan to acquire

that new knowledge
CODES OF ETHICS
Principle 7 and 9 are about “ethical considerations”.

a chemical engineer should be competent to earn the
trust of employers, clients and employees; that is
society in general.
CODES OF ETHICS
it is an ethical responsibility for chemical engineer to

practice within a scope of competency that can be
defined completely only by that engineer as most
people do not have the background to judge the
competence of a chemical engineer.
and, as technology expands, a chemical engineer’s

capacity must expand just to maintain a given scope
of competency.
CODES OF ETHICS
The second code
There are two other codes that are used in

Chemical Engineering. One is called the
Engineer’s Creed.
CODES OF ETHICS
MÜHENDİSLİK YEMİNİ:
Bugün bana verilmiş bulunan Kimya Mühendisliği

Ünvanına layık olmaya; onun bana kazandırdığı
yetki ve sorumlukların her zaman bilincinde
olarak, hangi şartlar altında olursa olsun, onları
ancak iyiye kullanmaya; yurduma ve insanlığa
yararlı olmaya; kendimi ve katıldığım mesleği
maddi ve manevi sahada yükseltmeye çalışacağıma
namus ve şerefim üzerine yemin ederim.
MEZUNİYET
DİPLOMA- İmza
CODES OF ETHICS
The Engineer’s Creed is a very much more general

and “moral” (as opposed to ethical) obligation than
the AIChE Code of Ethics.
CODES OF ETHICS
The third code
The third common Code of Ethics is that of the
National Society for Professional Engineers (NSPE)

(Fig. 21.2).
This code is more detailed and more specific than is

the AIChE Code of Ethics.
CODES OF ETHICS
AIChE Code of Ethics includes

canons
principles
The NSPE Code in addition to canons and

principles includes specific actions to take in
certain circumstances.
CODES OF ETHICS
NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers
Preamble
Engineering is important and learned profession.
Engineers are expected to exhibit highest standard of
honesty and integrity.
Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the
quality of life for all people.
CODES OF ETHICS
Preamble
Accordingly services provided by Engineers require
honesty,impartiality,fairness and equity,and must be
dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety,
and welfare.
Engineers must perform under a standard of

professional behavior that requires adherence to the
highest principals of ethical conduct.
CODES OF ETHICS
Fundamental Canons:
Engineers in fulfillment of professional duties, shall:
1. Hold paramount the safety,health,and welfare of
the public.
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and
truthful manner.
CODES OF ETHICS
Fundamental Canons:
4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents
or trustees.
5. Avoid deceptive acts.
6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly,
ethically and lawfully so as to enhance the honor,
reputation and usefulness of the profession.
CODES OF ETHICS
Rules of Practice
1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,

health, and welfare of the public.
CODES OF ETHICS
Rules of Practice
2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas

of their competence.
CODES OF ETHICS
Rules of Practice
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an

objective and truthful manner.
CODES OF ETHICS
Rules of Practice
4. Engineers shall act for each employer or client as

faithful agents or trustees.
CODES OF ETHICS
Rules of Practice
5. Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts.

Professional Obligations
1. Engineers shall be guided in all their relations by

the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
2. Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the

public interest.
.
3. Engineers shall avoid all conduct or practice that

deceives the public.
4. Engineers shall not disclose, without consent,

confidential information concerning the business
affairs or technical processes of any present or
former client or employer, or public body on which
they serve.
5. Engineers shall not be influenced in their

professional duties by conflicting interests.
6. Engineers shall not attempt to obtain employment or

advancement or professional engagements by
untruthfully criticizing other engineers, or by other
improper or questionable methods.
7. Engineers shall not attempt to injure, maliciously or

falsely, directly or indirectly, the professional
reputation, prospects, practice or employment of other
engineers. Engineers who believe others are guilty of
unethical or illegal practice shall present such
information to the proper authority for action.
8. Engineers shall accept personal responsibility for

their professional activities, provided, however, that
Engineers may seek indemnification for services
arising out of their practice for other than gross
negligence, where the Engineer's interests cannot
otherwise be protected.
9. Engineers shall give credit for engineering work to

those to whom credit is due, and will recognize
the proprietary interests of others.
WHISTLEBLOWING
When a chemical engineer notices behaviour that is
possibly or potentially unethical,
the question is,
what action should he or she take?
There are specific avenues for action in the form of

heuristics (as noted in AIChE, NSPE).
WHISTLEBLOWING
WHISTLEBLOWING
“Chemical engineers formally advice

their employers or clients
if they perceive that a consequence of their
duties will adversely affect the present or future
health or safety ot their colleagues or the public”
(responsibility 2 of AIChE code)

WHISTLEBLOWING
“Chemical engineers offer objective critism of the

work of others”
(Responsility 3 of AIChE code)
“Chemical engineers shall issue statements or

present information only in an objective and
truthful manner”
(Responsibility of AIChE code 4)

WHISTLEBLOWING
It is clear that one has the responsibility to tell

those who engage one’s professional services
when there is a problem.
It is clear that one should be truthful
What is not so clear is what a chemical engineer

should do if, after such disclosure, the situation
persists,
WHISTLEBLOWING
Deciding that further disclosure is warranted
and then making that disclosure is called
“whistleblowing”
WHISTLEBLOWING
Most instances of “whistleblowing”
share the following characteristics:
• Whistleblowing rarely results in correction of the
specific situation; however, it sometimes changes
the prevailing strategy for decision making and
thus reduces the chance of a further occurance.
• Whistleblowing often brings about severe
personal and professional problems for the
whistleblower.
GAMBAZ- HAİN- Jurnalci

WHISTLEBLOWING
All three codes of ethics require chemical engineers

to dedicate their skills to the public welfare, and
whistleblowing has led to:
- improved automobile safety,

- safer nuclear and chemical plants,
- better control of toxic wastes,
- reduced government waste, and
- other laudable results.
WHISTLEBLOWING
Whistleblowers themselves have stated that they

could not stand the stress of nondisclosure, which
they viewed as an abdication (abandonment) of
their ethical responsibilities.
In other words, they could be morally autonomous

only by “whistleblowing”.
Some laws have been created that protect some

whistleblowers in some circumstances
WHISTLEBLOWING
One may go through one’s entire chemical engineering

career without whistleblowing,
but it is unlikely that one would go through a 40 year
career without having to face the question
of whether to whistleblow or not.
Thus, to be able to have the moral autonomy to make
the decision, one must consider what one should do.
WHISTLEBLOWING
1) What should one do to solve the problem without

whistleblowing? The assumption here is that a
resolution of the problem through normal
channels is likely to be more effective, more
timely and less stressful then whistleblowing
would be. The AIChE and NSPE codes require
that one attempt these avenues, if they are likely
to be successful. Furthermore, most
whistleblowers (successful or not) indicate that
whistleblowing should be a last resort
WHISTLEBLOWING
2 ) Is whistleblowing likely to solve the problem-One

needs to be reasonably certain that there is a
problem and that the disclosure outside normal
channels will resolve it. Although merely exposing a
problem may make you feel virtuous, such action
would not be considered whistleblowing unless the
problem were, in the view of the whistleblower,
serious, and unless the disclosure were likely to
effect a change for the better.
WHISTLEBLOWING
3) What whistleblowing actions should one take?

Some whistleblowing occurs within an
organization, the most common being “going
over your boss’s head.” Other whistleblowing
involves disclosures (anonymous or attributed)
to the news media. Many levels of action
between these examples are possible. One must
consider the action that is most likely to effect
the change that one wants, consistent with the
risks that one willing to take.
The goal is to change the situation for the better, not

just to expose it.
WHISTLEBLOWING
4) What are the potential consequences to one’s
personal and professional life?
The consequence of disclosure are often serious
• Loss of one’s job is a clear possibility.
• Identification as a whistleblower can derail or and
one’ s carrier
• Finding another job may be very difficult
• If the disclosure results in a plant closing, loss of
jobs, or financial loss to the company or to other
property owners, those affacted may be very
angry with the whistleblower.
• One’ s family may encounter cruel treatment for
those who consider the whistle blower to be the
WHISTLEBLOWING
4) What are the potential consequences to one’s
personal and professional life? continue
• One’ s family may encounter cruel treatment for
those who consider the whistleblower to be the
problem
• on the other hand non disclosure could result in
danger to employees or to the general public
financial damage to share-holders or to tax
payers, or charges of a coverup
• Most whistleblowers recommend early
discussion of any potential whistleblowing action
with one’ s family nearly all wish they had legal
protection from retribution.
EXAMPLE 21.5
One day Lee a process engineer in an acrylonitrile
Plant runs in to a former classmate at a technical
Society luncheon. The friend has recently taken a
Job a regional compliant officer for OSHA and revials
After several drinks that there will be an announced
Inspection of this plant. In a telephone conversation
a few days later the friend metions that the inspection
will occur on the fallowing Tuesday. Lee believes that
Unsafe practices are to often tolerated in the plant,
Especially in the way that toxic chemicals are handled.
However although there have been many small spills
no serious accident have occurred in the plant during
The past few years
EXAMPLE 21.5
What should Lee Do? Let us suggest a problem-
solving strategy. For this scenario leaving the
details to a class discussion
1. Define: Determine what the problem is and
what the ethically desired final outcome should
be.Reread the relevant code of ethic .What are
Lee’s obligations according to AIChE Code of
Ethics? According to NSPE Code of Ethics?
are there conflicting obligations
2. Explore: Brainstorm for solution in a small
group. Consider internal (within the company)
action, external action and non-action.
EXAMPLE 21.5
3. Plan: Rank the possible actions according to
their likelihood to bring about the ethically desired
result. Determine the most effective order for this
actions. Which should be done first? Under what
circumstances should you go to the next step?
When would you involve your family and others?
Remember that internal actions, is effective, are
often the faster of method to reach the desired
solution.
EXAMPLE 21.5
4. Do it: Imagine that you followed true with your
plan.
5. Look back: Consider the consequences of the

proposed action. Do the likely consequences of
the actions change the ranking or the ordering?
Predict the final outcome of the action plan.
Evaluate the outcome based on your moral, ethical
and legal responsibilities.
ETHICAL DILEMMAS
Some ethical problems can be solved easily. In fact,
one does this every day. Some problems have no
“perect” solution. Whistleblowing for example, may
satify one ethical obligation while violating another.
A simple example that many would judge an ethical
dilemma is Example 21.6
Robin is a senior seeking employement. In January.
Robin is offered a job by Company X for
$4000/month and given 10 days to accept the offer.
Robin accept this offer. Two weeks later. Robin
receives an offer of $4500/month and a more
exciting position from Company Y. What should
Robin do?
ETHICAL DILEMMAS
At first many may think the answer is obvious.
Some will wonder if this example is even an ethical
dilemma. Yet if you ask 5 people what they
responses would be, you are likely to get more than
one answer. What are the student’s obligations to
Company X after accepting employment but before
be coming an employee? Some companies have
rescinded job offers after they have been accepted.
Those this fact change Robin’ s obligations? Should
Robin’ s responsibilities affect the solution?
ETHICAL DILEMMAS
When faced with an ethical dilemma, one must
necessarily rank one’s ethical obligations. This is
perhaps the important heuristic in solving ethical
dilemmas, but here are some more
•Rank order your ethical obligations again after brainstorming for
solutions
•Admit that you may not be able to satify all of your obligations,
but then try to satisfy them all
•Combine the individual actions identified in the brainstorming
into action plans. Evaluate each entire plan (rather than
individual actions) for its consequences and effectiveness
•At some point in the decision-making process, involve those
who are most affected by the consequences but who are not
active participants in the solution (often family, friends, trusted
colleagues)
OTHER RESOURCES
Three are a myriad of resources on engineering ethics.
The following are a few of the most helpful
• Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science
www.onlineethics.org
•Ethics Help-Line
•Ethics Cases
•Exemplary Behavior
•Instructional Resources
• Engineering Ethics at TAMU
http://ethics.tamu.edu
• National Institute for Engineering Ethics (NIEE)
www.niee.org
• American Chemical Society
• National Society of Professional Engineers
www.nspe.org
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
One to be recognized as a chemical engineer and to offer such
services to public, one must be a licensed (registred)
Professional Engineer.
In the language of law, anyone in “responsible charge” of
engineering work must be licensed.
There are many reasons to become a licensed Professional
Engineer
• One cannot be in “responsible charge” without a license
•The “corporate exemption” is under review in many states and
could be eliminated
•Many states now require all government employees to be PE’s
-Engineering design professors to be registred
•Professional Engineer registration is an indication to potential
employers, as well as to the general public, of one’s
competence in the field
There are two steps to becoming registered:
Engineer-in-Training and Professional Engineer
Engineering-in Training (EIT): one may begin to acquire
engineering experience as an employee, but one may not offer
services as an engineer directly to public.
To obtain EIT certification
one must take and pass the Fundamentals of
Engineering (FE) Exam ( 8 hours 120 questions in
morning and 120 in the afternoon, closed book, multiple-
choice examination on a wide range of technical subjects
typically covered in engineering program.
The examination is written by National Council of Examiners for
engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
To sit for FE exam
one must have completed a B.S. İn an engineering field
from a department that is accredited by ABET
Registered Professional Engineer
After becoming an Engineer-in-Training, one must acquire
considerable engineering experience before one can take the
Principles and Practice Examination (often called the PE Exam)
In most states, four years of responsible work must be certified
by engineers for whom the applicant has worked or engineers
who have reviewed the applicant’s work in detail and can attest
to its quality. Generally, only registered Professional Engineers
may certify experience. Character references are also required.
The Chemical Engineering Principles and Practice Exam is an

eight-hour, open book, multiple choice examination. 40 question
in the morning and 40 questions in the afternoon session
The questions are design oriented
Many applicants take a refresher course which is avaliable
through AIChE local sections and commercial services
Subject Categories for the Chemical Engineering PE Exam
Subject Average Number

of Questions
Mass and energy balances 16
Heat Transfer 12
Fluids 12
Thermodynamics 8
Mass tarnsfer 12
Kinetics 8
Plant Design 12
To renew a PE license, one must demostrate continuing

professional competency by documenting fifteen professional
development hours (PDH) per year or two year for some states
Typical activities that can count (under specific rules) for PDH’s
are taking course, attending seminars, publishing articles or
books, and receiving a patent
A PE license can be revoked by the State Board for violation of

the Engineering Code of Ethics for that state. Such revocation
becomes a matter of public record.
Legal Liability
Chemical engineers often encounter legal liability for their work.
Seek the advice of a licensed attorney if you have any doubts
about your legal rights, obligations, or liabilities.
Throughout a chemical career one will deal with government
agencies
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Department of Transportation (DOT)
The regulations cover for example

Maximum concentration for waste water discharge
Approved process safety procedure
Requirement for transportation of hazardous materials
Chemical engineers can and will read understand and follow
these regulations
Legal Liability
Contracts are another form of legally binding document, in
which two or more parties each agree to accept one or more
obligations.
Upon obtaining employment, one may asked to sign an
employment contract in which consideration (salary) is offered
in return certain chemical engineering service to the firm and
for adherence to specific codes of contact.
If any aspect of the contact is unclear, one should obtain legal
counsel.
Finally chemical engineer can face criminal prosecution for
such actions such as falsifying records submitted to federal
regulatory agencies or will fully subjecting employer to
hazardous environment. While such actions are rare penalties
are severe
BUSINESS CODES OF CONDUCT
Most firms have formal codes of contact that must be adhered
to as a condition of employment.
Often one is asked to sign these on the first day of work. As
with any contract, it is important to read and to understand all
of the details and to fulfill all the obligation undertaken. If an
employee does not adhere to the code, he or she may be fired.
In consideration for employment, a chemical engineer (or any

employee) accepts what called fiduciary responsibilities. This
means that trust has been place in the engineer to act faithfully
for the good of the firm (Principle 5 of the AIChE Code of
Ethics)
Related to fiduciary responsibilities is the avoidance of the
conflicts of interest.
For example, if you own stock in a valve manufacturer, it would

be conflit of interest if you were to order valves from that
company for your present employer, if there were another
supplier of equal quality valves at a lower price.
In typical business code of conduct, one agrees to keep

personel information confidential. That is,one agrees not to
release such information to anyone outside the firm.
In the business code of conduct or in a proprietary secrecy or

patent agrement, the employee agrees that certain knowledge
gained and discoveries made through emploment are the
property of the firm and may not be divulged to others.
A final aspect of business conduct that must be considered, and

that might be included in the code of conduct, is employee
relations. Specific guidelines for hiring and firing employees
must be followed to avoid legal difficulties.
Whenever you are in a position to hire or fire, you must be

proactive to learn appropriate company procedure.
Most business codes of conduct now include requirements to

avoid any discriminatory or harassing behavior.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jeffrey S. Wigand
Born December 17, 1942) is a former vice president

of research and development at
Brown & Williamson in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville,
who worked on the development of reduced-harm
cigarettes.
He lectures around the world as an expert witness

and consultant for various tobacco issues,
and devotes time to his non-profit organization
Smoke-Free Kids Inc, an organization that attempts to
help children of all ages make better decisions and
healthy choices regarding tobacco use.
Wigand became nationally known as a whistleblower
regarding the company's decisions involving the
selection of ingredients in their cigarettes when on
February 4, 1996 on the CBS news program 60
Minutes, he stated Brown & Williamson intentionally
manipulates the tobacco blend to increase the amount
of nicotine in cigarette smoke, thereby increasing the
'impact' to the smoker.
He was portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 film

The Insider directed by Michael Mann, which also
stars Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer.

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CHAPTER 25

Ethics and Professionalism

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sinan Kutluay

Engineering has been described as

The realm of ethics and professionalism entails very

All heuristics are;

➢ Merely plausible (credible) aids or directions

Keep in mind the four characteristics of any heuristics

1. A heuristic does not guarantee a solution.

2. It may contradict other heuristics.

3. It can reduce the time to solve a problem.

4. Its acceptance depends on the immediate context

The purpose of this chapter is to help to develop

Whenever chemical engineers do anything

• Design processes and equipment

• Manage processes operations

• Communicate within other engineers and

Whenever chemical engineers do anything

Even when we are faced with two different

In each of these circumstances above

Three types of reasons for ethical behaviour are

Although nearly all people share some fundamental

The importance of continually reminding oneself to

The LEGAL SYSTEM (which includes government

The goal of this chapter is not UNIFORMITY of

The right decision can be identified by the use

THE RIGHT DECISION IS ONE THAT

The ability to make one’s own ethical

Moral autonomy does not require that you are

You are exercising moral autonomy

You cannot claim to be exercising moral autonomy

Previewing the kinds of ethical problems

When learning any new skill, one usually practices

Understanding the theory behind the ideal gas law is

Rehearsal becomes more important when desicions

Example Falsified Data

Test results show B is the better catalyst.

The first time we see the situation,

The second time we could make a better choice.

In early education and in skills training at any level,

the goal of rehearsal is to work with through a

In advanced professional education especially

The goal of rehearsal is to work through a

For ethical decision making, this strategy must be

Throughout your career,

The key is to rehearse frequently, using example

The person sits down and

There are many reasons why reflection in action

• Forces one to analyze the strengths and weakness

• Provides continual opportunities and encouragement

Not knowing the outcome of the Falsified Data

When full case is reflected upon, we could, and

At the end of any rehearsal or reflection, one

These could be the heuristics that had been used

or new heuristics that can be used (in the case of a

for Example 2 we might identify the following heuristics

• Use a traditional problem-solving strategy for solving

• Be concerned about the welfare of your company.

It is quite naturel for people to assume that groups

This is due to;