PROFESSIONAL ETHICS ASSIGNMENT ENGR$425$

INSTRUCTIONS

$1.$ Read Scenario

$2.$ Fill out professional ethics worksheet sections after the scenario. You can use this word file

as is$.$

$3.$ State your answers in the context of the scenario.

$4.$ Use the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers as a guide in your analysis.

$5.$ If you are bothered by incomplete information or knowledge, recognize that ambiguity and

uncertainty are inherent in engineering, then proceed!

$6.$ Write high$-$quality, action$-$oriented, engineering thinking.

$7.$ Submit a PDF copy of this completed assignment on Moodle under the Ethics Scenario

Assignment #$1$ by the assigned due date.

Scenario

You are working as an engineer for Company XYZ in quality control at a computer chip plant.

Your engineering team generally identifies defects in manufactured chips at a rate of $1$ in $150.$ The

general industry practice is for defective chips to be repaired or destroyed. Joe Smith, your

supervisor and an engineer with Company XYZ$,$ announces that defective chips are to be

destroyed, because it is more expensive to repair a defective chip than it is to make a new chip.

You proceed on the basis of Joe$$s instructions. A few months later, Joe informs you that your

quality control engineering team is rejecting too many chips, which is having an effect on overall

plant output and, ultimately, company profitability. Joe advises you and your team to allow a

higher percentage of chips to pass through quality control. Joe notes that in the end, these issues

can be best handled under the company$$s warranty policy under which the company agrees to

replace defective chips based upon customer complaints. You have concerns as to whether this

approach is in the best interest of the company or its clients. What are your ethical obligations

under the circumstances?

OVERVIEW. $[$Provide a short summary of the scenario $(3$ to $4$ sentences$).$ Be sure to clearly identify the ethical

dilemma$($s$)$ involved and relevant facts that impact the decision process.$]$

ISSUES. $[$List the most significant ethical issues. For each issue, explain why this issue is important$]$