Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
actions and be affected by them. Few people reach the
''postconventional'' stage, wherein they have an even
broader perspective: Their moral decision making is
guided by universal moral principles; 58 that is, by prin-
ciples that reasonable people would agree should bind
the actions of all people who find themselves in similar
situations.
The moral need to consider the impact one's actions
will have on others forms the basis for a normative
model. Pursuing an activity with the goal of obeying the
law has as its driving force the avoidance of punishment,
and pursuing an activity with the goal of improving
profitability is a goal clearly in line with stockholders'
desires; presumably customers', suppliers', and em-
ployees' desires must also be met at some level. And fi-
nally, pursuing an activity with the goal of ''doing the right
thing,'' behaving in a way that is morally right and just,
can be the highest level of engineering behavior. This
normative model of ethical engineering can be illustrated
as in Figure 8.1-5 .
There is a striking similarity between Kohlberg's
model of moral development ( Table 8.1-2 ) and the
model engineering professional growth. Avoiding pun-
ishment in the moral development model is similar to
the need to avoid problems early in one's career. The
preconventional level and early career experiences have
similar driving forces.
At the second level in the moral development model is
a concern with peers and community, while in the pro-
fessionalism model the engineer must balance the needs
of clients and fellow professionals with those of society at
large. Engineering services and products must be of high
quality and be profitable, but the focus is shifting away
from self-centeredness and personal well-being toward
external goals.
Finally at the highest level of moral development
a concern with universal moral principles begins to
govern actions. The driving force or motivation is trying
to do the right thing on a moral (not legal or financial)
basis. These behaviors set the example for the whole
profession, now and in the future.
Professional growth is enhanced when engineers and
technical managers base their decisions on sound
business and engineering principles. Ethical content is
never an afterthought, but is integrated within the
business and design decision-making process: That is,
the engineering exemplars recognize the broad impact
their decisions may have, and they act in a way such
that their action is in the best interest of not only
themselves and the organization they represent, but
also the broader society and even future generations of
engineers.
Much of the ethics training to date has emphasized
preconventional thinking; that is, adherence to codes,
Kohlberg's
Engineering
theory of
professionalism
moral
model
development
Examples:
Grey beards, founding
Members, members of the
Academy
Postconventional level:
Concern for wider society;
universal ethical principles
Engineering exemplar:
Oriented toward wisdom,
being a role model and
setting tone for future
generations of engineers
Conventional level:
Concern about peers;
concern about
community
Leader and expert:
Oriented toward leading
customers,
suppliers, employees,
and engineering profession
Partners, full members of
societies, mentors,
professional engineers
(PE)
Legal, career,
reputation:
Oriented toward
staying out of trouble,
gaining knowledge,
making money
Preconventional
level:
Avoid punishment
Future engineers (FE)
Engineers in training (EIT),
Designers
Figure 8.1-5 Comparison of Kohlberg's moral development stages to professional development in engineering.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search