DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

QUESTION BANK

ACADEMIC YEAR(2022- 2023)

GE8076 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN ENGINEERING

REGULATION 2017

PREPARED BY

Ms.S.Subathra,

Assistant Professor

Department of CIVIL
 GE8076 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

UNIT – I HUMAN VALUES

PART-A

1.Define Spirituality (Apr / May 2021, Apr / May 2019, Nov/dec 2015)

Spirituality is a process of personal transformation, either in accordance with traditional

religious ideals, or, increasingly, oriented on subjective experience and psychological growth
independently of any specific religious context

2. What are the qualities of a self confident people?(Nov/dec 2015)

 Positive Mindset
 Helping tendency
 Spending Qualitative time
 Not comparing with others

3. What are human values in engineering ethics? [Nov / Dec 2016]

Human values are basic moral values one ought to possess to live as a citizen or a person.
Typical human values are love, truth, right conduct, peace, non-violence, etc.

4. List out any two aspects of honesty. [Nov / Dec 2016]

 Truthfulness – Meeting responsibilities concerning truth-telling
 Trustworthiness – Meeting responsibilities concerning trust
5.Write the difference between ethics, morale and values. [Apr / May 2021]
Ethics: defined as the discipline that deals with what is good and bad and with moral duty
and obligation.
Morale: are the welfare principles enunciated by the wise people, based on their experience
and wisdom.
Values: A value is defined as a principle that promotes well-being or prevents harm.
6.Differentiate between sympathy and empathy. [Apr / May 2021]
Empathy: The ability to imagine oneself in another‟s place and understand the other‟s
feelings, desires, ideas and actions.
Sympathy: The sharing of the painful feelings of another person
7.Define work ethics. [Apr / May 2019]
Work ethics is defined as a set of attitudes concerned with the value of work, which forms
the motivational orientation.
8.What is meant by integrity? How is it related to work ethics? [Apr / May 2021, Nov / Dec 2018]
Integrity is defined as the virtue, which reflects a consistency of one‟s attitude, emotions
and conduct in relation to justified moral values. Since work ethics is set of attitudes with the value
of work, then a person having integrity can exhibit a very good work ethics in his profession.
9.Define the term self-confidence. How is it related to character development? [Nov / Dec
2018]
Self-confidence is positive attitude, wherein the individual has some positive and realistic
view of himself, with respect to the situations in which one gets involved. Self-confidence will lead
into character development like embodying the spirits of purity, kindness, patience, diligence,
discipline, generosity of which brings great harmony.
10.What is meant by civic virtue and how is it related to respect for others? [Apr / May
2018]
Civic virtue is morality or a standard of righteous behavior in relationship to a citizen‟s
involvement in society. If we have civic virtue then we are respecting the entire society, for example
our parents, teachers, elders, college rules, traffic laws, family and cultural traditions, other peoples‟
feelings and rights.
11.Define the term empathy and how is it related to Emotional Quotient? [Apr / May 2018]
The ability to imagine oneself in another‟s place and understand the others‟ feelings,
desires, ideas and actions. If a person having empathy then his emotional quotient will be always
above average. (Emotional Quotient means emotional intelligence often as represented by a score in
a standardized test)
12.Define moral values with suitable examples. [Nov / Dec 2020, Apr / May 2017, Apr / May 2015]
 Moral values reside both in the acts of a person chooses to do and in the results of those
acts on the character of the person. They are defined as the ideals and principles that guide
how people act.
 Honesty, respect for others, loyalty, responsibility for personal actions. Generosity and
kindness are all examples of moral values
13.Define the term “ Service Learning” [Apr / May 2017]
Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community
services with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility,
and strengthen communities.
14. What are the values? [May / Jun 2016]
A value is defined as a principle that promotes well-being or prevents harm. Example: Right
conduct, Peace, Truth, Love and Non-violence
15.What is meant by self-confidence and moral leadership? [Apr / May 2015, May / Jun 2016]
Self-confidence is positive attitude, wherein the individual has some positive and realistic
view of himself, with respect to the situations in which one gets involved.
Moral leadership: When the leaders‟ goal is not only permissible but also morally valuable, then it
known as moral leadership.
16.Define ‘Professionalism’. [Nov / Dec 2020, Apr / May 2015]
It is the status of a professional which implies certain attitudes or typical qualities that are
expected of a professional.
17. List the factors that enhance the self-confidence in a person. [Apr / May 2015]
 Positive self-image
 Your view to the world
 Deal your mistakes by yourself
 List your weakness and strength
18.Define compromise.
In a negative sense it means to undetermined integrity by violating one’s fundamental moral
principles. In a positive sense, however, it means to settle differences by mutual concessions or to
reconcile conflicts through adjustments in attitude and conduct.
19. Difference between Mortality and Ethics [Dec 2012]
S.No. Mortality Ethics

1. Based on customs and tradition It is a critical reflection of moral

2. Concerned with wrong action when done Concerned with right action when not
done

3. Top Priority is givenbecause damage is high Less priority & less serious

4. Example: corruption and crime Example: belief about manners

20. Differentiate Self-respect and Self-esteem? [Dec 2013]

Self-respect: It is a moral concept; refers to the virtue properly valuing oneself.
Self-esteem: It is a psychological concept; means having a positive attitude toward Oneself, even if
the attitude is excessive or otherwise unwarranted.

PART- B
1. Explain integrity and honesty in ethics. [Nov 2015]
Integrity
Integrity is defined as the unity of thought, word and deed (honesty) and open mindedness.
It includes thecapacity to communicate the factual information so that others can make well-
informed decisions. Ityields the person’s ‘peace of mind’, and hence adds strength and consistency
in character, decisions, andactions. This paves way to one’s success. It is one of the self-direction
virtues. It enthuse people not onlyto execute a job well but to achieve excellence in performance. It
helps them to own the responsibilityandearn self-respect and recognition by doing the job. Moral
integrity is defined as a virtue, which reflects aconsistency of one’s attitudes, emotions, and conduct
in relation to justified moral values.
Various Types Of Integrity:
Every object in this world has some means of integrity which is to be maintained and not to be
spoiled. The following are some forms of integrity which is also to be followed to lead an ethical life,
since ethics and integrity are closely bonded together.
 Personal Integrity
 Professional Integrity
 Business Integrity
 Academic Integrity
 Research Integrity
1) Personal Integrity
In everyday life, the term integrity is most commonly used in the sense of personal integrity.
Persons are said to have integrity or not, or to have more or less integrity. A person possessing
integrity cannot be bribed, is honest, truthful, i.e., says what she believes and acts in accordance
with what she says. A person possessing integrity is trustworthy; he / she do not fall apart in a real
self and an apparent self. When we say that someone has integrity, we usually mean it as a
compliment.
2) Professional Integrity
 Integrity is essential for maintaining engineering practice excellence and for keeping the public's
trust. Integrity characterizes both individuals and the institutions in which they work.
The concept of integrity cannot, however, be reduced to a simple definition. When used as a
virtue term, integrity' refers to a quality of a person's character. Integrity literally means moral
"wholeness,' a single sense of self across a wide range of circumstances.
3) Business Integrity
Business integrity is the reliability with which the business undertakes its transactions with
the various parties with which it interacts. It is the soundness and honesty with which it conducts its
business transactions and the relationship that it promotes with all parties with which it interacts.
The values of honesty and integrity are the foundation of an organization's reputation. So, in
addition to the personal integrity that each employee brings to work at the company. they need to
demonstrate organizational integrity-ensuring that all of their combined efforts align with
organizational values and commitments. Integrity and ethical behavior are guiding forces behind our
personal and professional conduct.
4) Academic Integrity
Honesty as an engineer begins with honesty in studying to become an engineer. Studies of
colleges and universities reveal alarming statistics about academic integrity. Integrity in research is
about promoting excellence (high quality) in pursuing truth, and this positive em- phasis on
excellence should be kept paramount in thinking about honesty in research.
5) Research Integrity
Research should be guided by what Richard Feynman calls a kind of utter honesty, a kind of
leaning over backwards.
For example, if you're doing an experiment, you should report everything that you think might
make it invalid, not only what you think is right about it: other causes that could possibly explain
your results; and things you thought of that you've eliminated by some other experiment, and how
they worked to make sure the other fellow can tell they have been eliminated.
HONESTY
Honesty- refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes
such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or
theft.
Additionally an honest person will inform others of opportunities for growth and self-
actualization. Secrets allowing people to be harmed, self-deception not being aware of one's own
environment, and remaining silent when duty calls forth an opinion become silences which hurt
others in the long-run. Honesty means being open about one's life.
Honesty could be defined as truthfulness in speech and action. While this sounds simple, it's
surprisingly difficult to practice. Being truthful implies the presence of an active conscience and a
working knowledge of ethics at the minimum. In everyday life, being truthful means listening to, and
obeying, the voice of our conscience.
Importance of Honesty
Honesty is defined as the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness. This term
is so important in everyday life because it as the simple basis of how we carry out routine activities.
Everybody in the world interacts with one another and when honesty is neglected problems
tend to arise. Essentially honesty is the major factor that supports every known source of
information. For example without honesty how would someone actually know the simple truth?
 Each time new information is obtained or we just carry out an ordinary conversation we assume
that honest words are coming out of the other person as mouth and when lies are told controversy
sparks like a match.
The fact that honesty provides accurate information is so influential to every aspect of life.
Sometimes people reiterate false information simply by mistake, but there are others that purposely
condone false information for the fact of pure entertainment or because they feel it as necessary.
Honesty reflects good character because when people know that someone is honest they feel
that they can overall trust that person. It as always comforting and reassuring when you can count
on that person no matter the circumstances.
Honesty in Engineering
As an engineer you are likely to be working for the benefit of a number of different groups of
people, and in many cases you will have a duty to keep these people informed of relevant facts. The
public trusts professionals to provide information that is as complete and accurate as possible.
However, it is not always obvious what information you will need to disclose, and to whom,
particularly when you have conflicting obligations to different groups. You may need to make a
judgment about what you are required to do in order to satisfy the principle of professional honesty.
Honesty is particularly important for engineers when:
 Bidding for projects;
 Disclosing conflicts of interest;
 Deciding whether to draw attention to unethical behavior;
 Answering requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act;
 Disclosing sensitive personal issues;
 Talking about your qualifications, experience, positions of responsibility, etc.
Honesty is not simply a matter of not lying: you may at times need to disclose information which has
not been requested directly, and which in some cases people may not want to hear.
These two interactive case-studies look at honesty and bribery in the context of
procurement and bids for engineering projects.
Role of Honesty in Business
Business runs on trust. Capital trust in running the business. The key to success is honesty,
with capitalize honesty, people will believe in us. Besides honesty we must also work in a
professional manner, thus requiring anyone who we feel satisfied with what we are doing. Honesty
should always be nurtured and in the case.
 Maintain honesty is hard for us to do bad things we're going to be a bad image. This can be
fatal in business that we run. Securities in dishonest is caused from loss of trust elements of our
environment, better living environments and business environments.
 Many people have success with, a business tycoon's right hand began his career with
maintaining the trust of the boss himself. Some of the many that have foundered amid his career,
because a single mistake he did, which was also compounded by the loss of belief error.
 Value trust and honesty is a treasure to be preserved. For example in the recruitment of
employees, companies must look for employees who are honest and trustworthy and have the
dedication and loyalty of their work.
 Believe not only to believe on attitudes or our behaviour, but also the value of an honesty of
what is spoken of and spoken the truth on all forms of deeds. If all elements are already there we
hope people will always believe in yourself.
  In the development of self, in opening a small business we may often encounter
shortcomings in the capital. With a capital of trust which is always possible to looking for people
ready to help. With reason, our confidence will be easy to find better opportunities.
 Previous research has documented that attribution information contained in causal accounts
for success induces impressions of arrogance and modesty. The research further examined the role
of accounts as well as level of success when perceivers know the real reason for success.
 Two studies of university students revealed that honesty strongly decreases arrogance and
increases modesty in the case of effort accounts, and not in situations of communicated ability.
 In addition, honesty was determined not only by the truth value of an account but also by
the extent to which the account induced impressions of arrogance and modesty. The present
findings provide further understanding of the link between attribution information and social
judgments.

2. Explain the role of yoga and meditation in the field of professional excellence and stress
management.Explain the different ways to improve human values.(Nov/Dec 2015)
Yoga and meditation when practiced together strengthen the mind body connection, improving
overall fitness and well-being. Many styles of yoga combine meditation with the physical routines,
which use controlled breathing throughout the yoga poses. You can meditate without practicing
yoga by simply relaxing, clearing your mind and concentrating on controlled breathing. Both yoga
and meditation, when used consistently, have benefits. proven health benefits.
Benefits of Practicing Yoga
Increased Flexibility
Yoga poses focus on stretching and lengthening the muscles. Increased flexibility will help you
with daily movements such lifting and bending, while improving sports performance. Many athletes
incorporate yoga into their workout schedules to improve or maintain flexibility.
Emotional Boost
Both yoga and meditation improve mental focus and provide a general feeling of well-be-
ing. Many yoga disciplines are based around an upbeat theme. A 2012 control study published in
"Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine" found yoga participants happy, peaceful and upbeat
in contrast to the control group who had a decrease in general well-being. Meditation provides an
emotional boost through deep relaxation, and it can be done anywhere. You can give yourself an
emotional boost by taking a 10-minute meditation break right at your desk. Just simply shut your
eyes, focus on relaxing your muscles and practice deep breathing.
Better Diet
Studies suggest that practicing yoga improves fitness and body awareness, leading to bet-
ter eating habits. This in turn leads to increased self-esteem and the desire to take care of your body.
Practicing meditation or yoga is a behaviour modification technique that can help you improve your
overall fitness.
Improved Health
Adding yoga or meditation to your life will improve the quality and possibly the quantity of
your life. Improved health means you can participate in more physical activities and just feel better
in the things you do daily.
Meditation
Meditation is a practice that has been associated with almost all religions and civilizations
across the word. Since it is so closely associated with religion, many people take meditation
to be the same thing as praying
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has two important benefits:
a) Meditation prevents stress from getting into the system
b) Meditation releases accumulated stress that is in the system.
Both of these happen simultaneously, leaving one refreshed and joyful.
Physical Benefits of Meditation
With meditation, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with
more prana (energy). This result in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana in the body
increases.
A physical level, meditation does the following things:
 Lowers high blood pressure
 Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
 Decreases any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia,
muscle and joint problems
 Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
 Improves the immune system
 Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy
Mental Benefits of Meditation
Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The
mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation:
 Anxiety decreases
 Emotional stability improves
 Creativity increases
 Happiness increases
 Intuition develops
 Gain clarity and peace of mind
 Problems become smaller
 Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation
 A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
 An expanded consciousness without sharpness can lead to lack of action/progress.
 The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection
 Meditation makes you aware that your inner attitude determines your happiness.
Other Benefits of Meditation
 Emotional steadiness and harmony: it cleanses and nourishes you from within and calms
you, whenever you feel overwhelmed, unstable, or emotionally shut down.
 Meditation brings harmony in creation: when you meditate, you are in the space of
vastness, calmness and joy and this is what you emit into the environment, bringing harmony to the
Creation/planet.
 Consciousness evolves: with the assimilation of meditation into daily life, your con-
sciousness evolves and in time, is able to experience the higher and refined states of consciousness.
When your consciousness evolves and expands, the disturbances in your life become negligible.
Anger and disappointments become fleeting emotions that occur momentarily and then vanish. You
start living in 'the moment' and let go of the past.
  Personal Transformation: meditation can bring about a true personal transformation. As
you learn more about yourself, you'll naturally want to discover more about the mystery of life, this
universe, etc. Then the questions that arise in the mind are- What is the meaning of Life? What is its
purpose? What is this world, what is love, what is knowledge...? Once these questions arise, know
that you are very fortunate. These questions need to be understood; you cannot find the answers in
books. As you live through answering them you'll witness that life transformation to a richer level.
How to get the Benefits?
To experience the benefits of meditation, regular practice is necessary. It takes only a few
minutes every day. Once imbibed into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best part of your
day!
Meditation is like a seed. When you cultivate a seed with love, the more it blossoms. Similarly,
the sapling of consciousness is within you. It needs to be nurtured with simple meditation
techniques.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reducing your stress level, eating healthier and getting more exercise can only lead to:
better health. Modern life is full of stressful situations, fatigue from long hours and little sleep,
allergies, anxiety disorders and a long list of stress-related diseases.
Regular yoga practice helps to reduce stress responses in your body, according to a study in
the 2010 issue of "Psychosomatic Medicine." Reducing the inflammatory response to stressors on
your body will help reduce your chance of stress-related conditions such as high blood pressure and
cardiovascular disease. Meditation is also an effective stress reducer that is used to help reduce
anxiety, panic disorders and agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder.
De-Stress with Meditation
Do you wish to be stress-free and worry-free? You can enjoy all these benefits and much more, with
meditation. Meditation offers innumerable benefits for your body, mind and spirit. The rest you gain
in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep. The deeper your rest, the more dynamic your
activity is.

 You start living in 'the moment' and let go of 'the past'.

 Taking the path less travelled by exploring your spirituality can lead to a clearer life purpose,
better personal relationships and enhanced stress management skills.

3. Explain work ethics in detail (Nov/Dec 2013)

WORK ETHIC
Work ethic is a value based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit
of work and its ability to enhance character.
Understanding Work Ethics
The term Work Ethic is very difficult to explain in just a couple of sentences. However, in
simple words, work ethics are standard measures that control all functioning in a profes sional
environment. This means, as an employee you are expected to be honest, sincere and diligent about
the work you are assigned. The practices you opt for (to finish the work) should be 'clean',
acceptable and should abide by concerned laws.
On smaller grounds, you should be understanding, just and true towards other colleagues. As an
employee, you should be perceived as hardworking, reliable, honest, diligent and worthy of the
monetary compensation you receive.
Five Characteristics of a Good Work Ethic
In organizations there may be two kinds of employee, some individuals try to get by doing as
little work as possible; others possess a dedication that leads them to give it their all every day.
People who possess a strong work ethic embody certain principles that guide their work behaviour,
leading them to produce high-quality, work consistently.
The following five characters ensure the possession of work ethic in an employee;
a) Reliability
b) Dedication
c) Productivity
d) Co-operation
e) Character
a) Reliability
Reliability goes hand in hand with a good work ethic. If individuals with a good work ethic
say they are going to attend a work function or arrive at a certain time, they do, as they value
punctuality.
Individuals with a strong work ethic often want to appear dependable, showing their em-
ployers that they are workers to whom they can turn. Because of this, they put effort into portraying
and proving this dependability by being reliable and performing consistently.
b) Dedication
Employees with a good work ethic are dedicated to their jobs and will do anything they
can to ensure that they perform well. Often this dedication leads them to change jobs less
frequently, as they become committed to the positions in which they work.
They also often put in extra hours beyond what is expected, and truly dedicate themselves to
their positions.
c) Productivity
Since they work at a consistently fast pace, individuals with a good work ethic are often
highly productive.
They commonly get large amounts of work done more quickly than others who lack their
work ethic, as they don't quit until they've completed the tasks with which they were presented.
This high level of productivity shows the fact that these individuals want to appear to be strong
workers. The more productive they are, the more beneficial to the company they appear to those
managing them.
d) Cooperation
Cooperative work can be highly beneficial in the business environment, something that
individuals with a strong work ethic know well. Because they recognize the usefulness of cooperative
practices such as teamwork they often put an extensive amount of effort into working well with
others.
These individuals commonly respect their bosses enough to work with any individuals with
whom they are paired in a productive and polite manner, even if they do not enjoy working with the
individuals in question.
e) Character
Individuals with a good work ethic often also possess generally strong character. This means
they are self-disciplined, pushing themselves to complete work tasks instead of requiring others to
intervene.
They are also often very honest and trustworthy.
 To demonstrate their strong character, these workers embody these positive traits daily,
likely distinguishing themselves from the rest.
Factors that Demonstrate a Strong Work Ethic
A work ethic is a set of moral principles an employee uses in his job. Certain factors come
together to create a strong work ethic. To experience and maintain a good as well as strong work
ethics in an organization, the following five mandatory factors are to be considered. These are the
factors which influence an employee's sincerity, and dedication in the work assigned to him, also
strengthens his career and adds in his responsibilities.
A strong work ethic can improve your career - A strong work ethic is vital to a company
achieving its goals. Every employee, from the CEO to entry-level workers, must have a good work
ethic to keep the company functioning at its peak.
Integrity -stretches to all aspects of an employee's job. An employee with integrity fosters
trusting relationships with clients, co-workers and supervisors. Co-workers value the employee's
ability to give honest feedback. Clients trust the employee's advice. Supervisors rely on the
employee's high moral standards, trusting him not to steal from the company or create problems.
Sense of Responsibility - A strong sense of responsibility affects how an employee works and
the amount of work she does. When the employee feels personally responsible for her job
performance, she shows up on time, puts in her best effort and completes projects to the best of her
ability.
Emphasis on Quality - Some employees do only the bare minimum, just enough to keep
their job intact. Employees with a strong work ethic care about the quality of their work. They do
their best to produce great work, not merely churn out what is needed. The employee's
commitment to quality improves the company's overall quality.
Discipline - It takes a certain level of commitment to finish your tasks every day. An
employee with good discipline stays focused on his goals and is determined to complete his
assignments. These employees show a high level of dedication to the company, always ensuring they
do their part.
Sense of Teamwork - Most employees have to work together to meet a company's
objectives. An employee with a high sense of teamwork helps a team meet its goals and deliver
quality work. These employees respect their peers and help where they can, making collaborations
go smoother.
How to Increase Employee Work Ethic
A work ethic is typically something ingrained within a person. There are, simply put, lazy
people who are impossible to motivate. However, other factors, both economical and psychological,
can affect an employee's work ethic. Most people can be encouraged to greater performance, once
the right motivating factors are found. This can be a process of trial and error because each
individual may have different motivators. However, there are some basic guidelines you can follow
to increase employee work ethic.
Step 1: Expect your managers to set a good example.
Make sure they are serving as role models for the rest of your employees.
Step 2: Create a public recognition system.
Rewarding an employee's good work ethics can be a great motivator for other employees
who may not be as productive.
 Employee of the month competitions and special rewards for those who do their job well
may encourage those with a poor work ethic to try harder. Human beings thrive on recognition and
feeling appreciated, and these are very powerful motivating factors.
Step 3: Set clear goals and milestones.
In some cases, employees may feel overwhelmed with a project if they are not entirely sure
how to complete it or if it looks insurmountable.
Break apart projects into tasks that have clear goals. Set milestones with clear target dates
so employees know exactly what you expect of them and how long they have to complete the task.
Step 4: Monitor potential troublemakers.
Almost every office has at least one person who is there for the pay check and not much
else. These people can cause dissension among the ranks and bring down not only the morale of the
rest of the staff, but also the productivity levels for the company. current
Weed through new applicants to make sure they will have job dedication, Monitor
troublemakers, set strict guidelines they must follow or encourage them to seek employment
elsewhere.
Step 5: Create a monetary award system.
Some employees will be motivated only by the promise of receiving a bonus or a raise if they
complete certain tasks and improve their performance. While not all companies may have the
resources to give large monetary awards to their employees, even simple gift card challenges and
free products can encourage lackadaisical employees.
Negative Work Ethic
Definition
Negative work ethics may be the behaviour of a single individual or something more
systematic regardless of the specifics, identifying the signs is the first step toward correcting it.
Companies like to promote positive work ethics because it needs results in happier and more
productive employees. Just as it is important to understand a positive work ethic, however, it is
equally important to recognize the signs of a negative work ethic.
Negative Influences of Bad Work Ethics
Lack of Productivity
The most obvious sign of a negative work ethic is a lack of productivity. Lack of productivity
costs the company time and money: essentially paying the employee for doing nothing.
Attendance
A positive work ethic means showing up on time every time, and using sick days for their
designated purpose rather than a vacation by proxy. A negative work ethic, on the other hand,looks
to get the most out of the system.
A good worker, for instance, may arrive late every once in a while, but also stays late to
make up the time. A bad worker will assume that showing up late is normal, and do so beyond the
range of what the company considers acceptable.
Politics
Every company experiences a certain amount of office politics, as different departments
compete for different resources and personal peccadilloes enter into otherwise professional
relationships.
Someone with a negative work ethic, however, may let office politics consume him: stoking
the fires of discontent around a perceived rival and worried more about his comparative standing
than the well-being of the company as a whole. Such employees might even instigate political crises,
forcing senior management to spend time and resources calming everyone down rather than getting
along with the business at hand.
Esprit de Corps
A good company seeks to foster camaraderie and loyalty among their workers: making them
feels like family members as much as employees toiling for a salary. Someone with a negative work
ethic, however, fails to engage in office esprit de corps. It may be a repeated refusal to participate in
company activities such as picnics or mixers.
How to Deal with Bad Work Ethics in Coworkers
One employee's bad work ethic can hamper productivity throughout the workplace. A work
ethic is a set of values people have about the benefits and importance of working hard and being
productive. Values are subjective, so a co-worker doesn't necessarily have a bad work ethic if his
opinions about working aren't in line with yours.
However, you should address a fellow employee's work ethic if he's making it difficult for
you to complete your job duties. Address the problem with the employee directly first, but
sometimes you have to involve a manager.
Step 1
 Avoid the temptation to wait for a co-worker to figure out that his bad work ethic is affecting
you.
 Speak to the co-worker in private, and explain the problem by giving specific examples of
how his failure to complete work hampered your ability to get your job done.
 Explain the problem with a teamwork perspective, pointing out how he and others have an
important role to fulfil in the workplace.
Step 2
 Find out if your co-worker understands how to complete his assigned tasks when you discuss
work-ethic problems with him.
 Employees sometimes get duties from managers that they don't have the skills to ful-fil, so
they avoid those duties.
 Recommend that a co-worker ask a manager for guidance or training on how to complete
tasks he doesn't understand. Help him yourself if you can, but don't do his job for him.
Step 3
 Bear in mind that a co-worker might not be getting his job done because he has personal
problems that are distracting him.
 Don't feel compelled to take on a co-worker's problems, but you can show understanding by
giving him some slack on the job while he sorts out his troubles. . In such cases, ask him to consider
whether taking time off from work would be beneficial in tackling his problems.
Step 4
 Tell your manager about the problems a co-worker's bad work ethic is causing if your other
efforts to help him fail.
 Don't make the issue personal when you tell your manager about the matter.
 Present your manager with business-related reasons the co-worker's poor work habits are
affecting the workplace.
 Consider things such as whether the co-worker's behaviour is creating a backlog of work for
you and others.
4. Explain how character influences one’s personal and professional life.(Nov/Dec 2009) or
Explain character and spirituality and their importance in ethics.
CHARACTER
Character can be referred to the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
Character is the combination of mental characteristics and behaviour that distinguishes a person or
group. Also it is the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a
person or thing. Simply character refers to the distinguishing/unique nature of something.
Character deals with how people think and behave related to issues such as right and wrong,
justice and equity, and other areas of human conduct.
Moral character or character is an evaluation of a particular individual's stable moral qualities.
The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues
such as empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviours or habits.
Moral character primarily refers to the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual
from another- although on a cultural level, the set of moral behaviours to which a social group
adheres can be said to unite and define it culturally as distinct from others. Psychologist Lawrence
Pervin defines moral character as "a disposition to express behaviour in consistent patterns of
functions across a range of situations".
Character and Ethics
Character is the combination of personal qualities that make each person unique. Teachers,
parents, and community members help children build positive character qualities. For example, the
six pillars of character are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
Ethics is the study of human actions. It deals with issues such as defining "right and wrong" as
well as the grey area in between. Ethics seeks answers to questions like what is "good behaviour"
and what should be valued?
Schools often have character education programs that focus on the qualities of character that
are honoured by most cultures and traditions. Character education is the development of
knowledge, skills, and abilities that encourage children and young adults to make informed and
responsible choices.
Ethics are a philosophical reflection of moral beliefs and practices. The Greek and Roman
philosophers were particularly interested in discussions related to ethics. Religions and faiths each
have their own ethical systems to guide their people. Ethical decision making involves the process of
making informed decisions when faced with difficult dilemmas with many alternative solutions.
Characteristics of Ethical People in the Workplace
Of the many characteristics that businesses look for in candidates, ethics is one of the most
important. Human resources officials commonly seek individuals who possess highly defined ethics,
as a strong ethical base improves the likelihood that the worker is a productive and upright
employee. Many of the characteristics associated with an ethical individual are desirable ones that
businesses hope to have in their workforce.
Honesty
Ethical workers value honesty and are honest at all costs. This means that they remain
honest even when being honest isn't the easiest road to take.
For example, if an ethical employee makes a mistake, he does not lie about the situation in
an attempt to make himself seem less culpable. Having an employee who is overtly honest allows
management to trust the employee more implicitly and rely upon him.
Responsibility
Workers who are ethical take responsibility seriously and do all that they can to complete
the tasks with which they are charged.
Reliability
When ethical team members say they are going to do something, they follow through. They
are reliable at all times and can be trusted to complete projects of great importance.
Goal-Oriented
Ethical individuals are often goal-focused and able to dedicate themselves fully to their job
tasks. These individuals often recognize the importance of working to better them and improve the
overall success of their company; they are willing to work toward reaching potentially challenging
goals.
Job-Focused
Ethical employees remain focused on their jobs at all times, not allowing themselves to become
distracted, as doing so pulls them away from the duties of their occupations. These individuals are
never found working on a task that is not related to the job in question; as they recognize that their
on-the-job time is to be spent only doing job-related tasks.
SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality is a process of personal transformation, either in accordance with traditional
religious ideals, or, increasingly, oriented on subjective experience and psychological growth
independently of any specific religious context.
In a more general sense, it may refer to almost any kind of meaningful activity or blissful
experience. It still denotes a process of transformation, but in a context separate from organized
religious institutions, termed "spiritual but not religious".
Spirituality is a way of living that emphasizes the constant awareness and recognition of the
spiritual dimension (mind and its development) of nature and people, with a dynamic balance
between the material development and the spiritual development. This is said to be the great virtue
of Indian philosophy and for Indians. Sometimes, spirituality includes the faith or belief in
supernatural power/ God, regarding the worldly events. It functions as a fertilizer for the soil
‘character’ to blossom into values and morals. Spirituality includes creativity, communication,
recognition of the individual as human being (as opposed to a life-less machine), respect to others,
acceptance (stop finding faults with colleagues and accept them the way they are), vision (looking
beyond the obvious and not believing anyone blindly) and partnership (not being too authoritative,
and always sharing responsibility with others, for better returns).
Spirituality is motivation as it encourages the colleagues to perform better. Remember, lack of
motivation leads to isolation. Spirituality is also energy: Be energetic and flexible to adapt to
challenging and changing situations. Spirituality is flexibility as well. One should not be too
dominating. Make space for everyone and learn to recognize and accept people the way they are.
Variety is the order of the day. But one can influence their mind to think and act together.
Spirituality is also fun. Working is okay, but you also need to have fun in office to keep yourself
charged up. Tolerance and empathy are the reflections of spirituality. Blue and saffron colors are
said to be associated with spirituality. Creativity in spirituality means conscious efforts to see things
differently, to break out of habits and outdated beliefs to find new ways of thinking, doing and
being. Suppression of creativity leads to violence. People are naturally creative. When they are
forced to crush their creativity, its energy turns to destructive release and actions. Creativity includes
the use of color, humor and freedom to enhance productivity. Creativity is fun. When people enjoy
what they do, it is involvement. They work much harder.
Spirituality in the Workplace
Building spirituality in the workplace: Spirituality is promoted in the workplace by adhering to
the following activities:
1. Verbally respect the individuals as humans and recognize their values in all decisions and
actions.
2. Get to know the people with whom you work and know what is important to them. Know
their goals,
desires, and dreams too.
3. State your personal ethics and your beliefs clearly.
4. Support causes outside the business.
5. Encourage leaders to use value-based discretion in making decisions.
6. Demonstrate your own self-knowledge and spirituality in all your actions.
7. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

5. Write a brief note on service learning(Nov/Dec 2009) and What is courage? What are salient
features of courage? (Nov/Dec 2015)
Service-learning is a method of teaching, learning and reflecting, frequently youth service,
throughout the community. As a teaching method, it falls under the philosophy of experiential
education. More specifically, it integrates meaningful community service with instruction and
reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility. encourage lifelong civic
engagement, and strengthen communities for the common good.
Definition
It is defined as "a method under which students or participants learn and develop through
active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of a
community; is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher
education, or community service program, and with the community; and helps foster civic
responsibility; and that is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students, or
the educational components of the community service program in which the par- ticipants are
enrolled; and provides structured time for the students or participants to reflect on the service
experience."
Service-learning is a teaching strategy that offers students opportunities to learn both in the
classroom and in the wider world. This pedagogical tool provides students with chances to directly
interact with local agencies and effect change in the community. Alternatively, the National Youth
Leadership Council defines service learning as "a philosophy, pedagogy, and model for community
development that is used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content
standards."
Key Components
Service-learning combines experiential learning and community service opportunities. It can be
distinguished in the following ways:
 Curricular connections- Integrating learning into a service project is a key to successful
service-learning. Academic ties should be clear and build upon existing disciplinary skills.
  Student voice - Beyond being actively engaged in the project itself, students have the
opportunity to select, design, implement, and evaluate their service activity, encouraging relevancy
and sustained interest. In community settings, this is alternatively called youth voice.
 Students discussion - Students discuss their learning experience during in-class discussions.
 Reflection - Structured opportunities are created to think, talk, and write about the service
experience. The balance of reflection and action allows a student to be constantly aware of the
impact of their work.
 Community partnerships - Partnerships with community agencies are used to identify
genuine needs, provide mentorship, and contribute assets towards completing a project. In a
successful partnership, both sides will give to and benefit from the project. In order for this
partnership to be successful, clear guides must be implemented as to how often a student engages
in service to a particular community agency.
 Authentic community needs - Local community members or service recipients are involved
in determining the significance and depth of the service activities involved.
 Assessment - Well-structured assessment instruments with constructive feedback through
reflection provide valuable information regarding the positive 'reciprocal learning' and serving
outcomes for sustainability and replication.
In 2008, the National Youth Leadership Council released the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for
Quality Practice that used research in the field to determine eight standards of quality service-
learning practice.
The standards are:
 Meaningful Service
 Link to Curriculum
 Reflection
 Diversity
 Investigation
 Partnerships
 Progress Monitoring
 Project Design
 Action
 Demonstration
 Recognition
Further, to distinguish high quality from low quality service learning experiences, Youth Service
California has published the "Seven Elements of High Quality Service Learning" that include:
 Integrated Learning
 High Quality Service
 Collaboration
 Student Voice
 Civic Responsibility
 Reflection
 Evaluation
Types of Service Learning
The following are the four various types of service learning methods followed;
1. Direct Service-Learning: Person-to-person, face-to-face projects in which ser- vice impacts
individuals who receive direct help from students (tutoring, work with elderly, oral histories, peer
mediation, etc.).
2. Indirect Service-Learning: Projects with benefits to a community as opposed to specific individuals
(i.e., environmental, construction, restoration, town histories, food and clothing drives).
3. Advocacy Service-Learning: Working, acting, speaking, writing, teaching, presenting, informing,
etc., on projects that encourage action or create awareness on issues of public interest (i.e..
promoting reading, safety, care for the environment, local history, violence and drug prevention,
disaster preparedness).
4. Research Service-Learning: Surveys, studies, evaluations, experiments, data gathering,
interviewing, etc., to find, compile, and report information on topics in the public interest (i.e.,
energy audits of homes or public buildings, water testing, flora and fauna studies, surveys).
Comprehensive Action Plan for Service Learning (Capsl)
CAPSL Identifies four constituencies on which a program for service learning needs to focus
its principle activities: institution, faculty, students, and community.
CAPSL also identifies a sequence of activities (Planning; awareness; prototype; re- sources;
expansion; recognition; monitoring; evaluation; research; institutionalization) to be pursed for each
of the four constituencies(institution, faculty students, and community).
CAPSL provide a heuristic for guiding the development of a service learning program in
higher education.
Advantages of CAPSL: It is general enough that the execution of each cell can be tailored to local
conditions.
Disadvantages of CAPSL: It is not possible to detail how each step can be successfully accomplished
to take the sequence of activities from the whole CAPSL model and apply it to
any cell in the matrix.
Service Learning in Language Education
Service learning can be used in all standard disciplines and recently has been explored for
use in improving language instruction. A recent study found that integrating environ- mental issues
with foreign language study provides significant opportunities for students to increase their
language proficiency, develop their understanding of concepts related to the environment, and
become more involved in a global community through a virtual ser- vice learning project. Similar
work has found that students can contribute to sustainable development while improving their
language skills.
Effect on Engineering Education
Many engineering educators see service-learning as the solution to several prevalent
problems in engineering education today. In the past, engineering curriculum has fluctuated
between emphasizing engineering science to focusing more on practical aspects of engineering.
Today, many engineering educators are concerned their students do not receive enough
practical knowledge of engineering and its context.
Some speculate that adding context to engineering help to motivate engineering students'
studies and thus improve retention and diversity in engineering schools. Others feel that the
teaching styles do not match the learning styles of engineering students.
Many engineering faculty members believe the educational solution lies in taking a more
constructivist approach, where students construct knowledge and connections between nodes of
knowledge as opposed to passively absorbing knowledge.
 Educators see service-learning as a way to both implement a constructivism in engineering
education as well as match the teaching styles to the learning styles of typical engineering students.
As a result, many engineering schools have begun to integrate service-learning into their
curricula and there is now a journal dedicated to service learning in engineering.
PART- C
1. Explain commitment and empathy.
COMMITMENT
In general commitment can be referred to the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause,
activity, etc. A promise is also a form of commitment by someone to do or not do something.
An ethical commitment is like a duty, or a moral obligation. You are bound to the morals you go
by. A commitment to legal ethics involves a commitment to the introduction of Codes of Ethics or
Standards of Professional Practice.
An example is the standards reflected in the International Bar Association General Principles of
Ethics. However not all jurisdictions have Professional Codes and not all of those that do give
sufficient attention to their enforcement. In any case, the lawyer who acts in accordance with a
professional code of ethics may still be engaging in unethical practice.
Organizational Commitment and Professional Commitment
Organizational Commitment
Organizational commitment is made up of more factors, such as faith and acceptance of the
organization's set of values and objectives, the employee's wish to strive for the organization and a
strong will to keep working within it. Organizational commitment predicts work variables such as
turnover, organizational citizenship behaviour, and job performance. Some of the factors such as
role stress, empowerment, job insecurity and employability, and distribution of leadership have
been shown to be connected to a worker's sense of organizational commitment.
Organizational commitment can be contrasted with other work-related attitudes, such as job
satisfaction, defined as an employee's feelings about their job, and organizational identification,
defined as the degree to which an employee experiences a 'sense of oneness' with their
organization.
Professional Commitment
The concept of professional commitment signifies an attitude reflecting the strength of the
bound between an employee and an organization. Teaching is a profession which needs utmost
commitment since a teacher not only teaches a student the subjects also he/she train them to
behave morally, and mould them into a perfect individual in a society. The qual- ity of teaching
depends a great deal on the level of teachers' involvement in relation to the profession exerted, to
the organization one is part of and the professional satisfaction that one feels.
The shapes of professional commitment and, accordingly, of organizational commitment
represent behavioural predictors of work achievements, absenteeism, fluctuation, but also of the
professional satisfaction.
THREE-COMPONENT MODEL OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT
In 1990, based on observations on several types of organizations, Meyer and Allen develop
"The model of the three components of organizational commitment".
1. Affective Commitment

2. Continuity Commitment
3. Normative commitment
 Affective Commitment (AC) has been considered to be the type of commitment based on
the individual's identification with and involvement in the organization. It is an emotional
commitment, where people that are in a great deal affectively connected to an organization stay
within it because they want to.
Continuity Commitment (CC) is based upon the material and psychological costs involved by
one's leaving the organization, people with such kind of commitment remain- ing within it because
they are compelled to do so. This denomination has been attributed by Meyer and Allen that have
started from the "side-bet" theory, created in 1960 by Becker. Side-bets represent investments in
values of any kind, made both by the employees and the organization, that are not connected
through work, but serve to ensuring certain continuity within the organization.
The benefits offered by the organization usually refer to health insurance or certain systems
of promotion or retirement, which benefits reduce the attractiveness of other employment
opportunities. Actually, Becker referred to this type of commitment as "the individual's tendency to
commit to a consistent line of activity". We may notice the commitment becomes more and more
accountable, reflecting a cumulus of interests of the employees, accepted and fulfilled by the
organization, that "bind" the individual to the organization, leading therefore to a sort of exchange
or informal contract.
Normative Commitment (NC) is based upon an ideology or a sense of obligation towards the
organization, on the individual's moral belief that it is right and moral to continue within the
organisation.
People having a high normative commitment keep staying within an organization, because
they think they should. This feeling of obligation is the result of internalising the norms exerted on
the individual before of following his admission into the organisation, thorough a process of familial
or cultural socialization and, accordingly, organizational socialization.
The studies carried on assess that the organizational commitment may be determined by
two categories of factors:
1. Individual ones: where we may include variables of inclinations like professional values,
type of personality, and demographic variables such as age, gender, educational level, marital status.
2. Organizational factors: structure of the job, type of organization, professional experience
etc.
EMPATHY
The ability to co-experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experience of another
without them being communicated directly by the individual is referred to as empathy. Empathy can
best be described as feeling with the person
To an extent you are placing yourself in that person's place, have a good sense of what they feel,
and understand their feelings to a degree. The idea of empathy implies a much more active process.
Since empathy involves understanding the emotional states of other people, the way it is
characterized is derivative of the way emotions themselves are characterized. If, for example,
emotions are taken to be centrally characterized by bodily feelings, then grasping the bodily feelings
of another will be central to empathy. On the other hand, if emotions are more centrally
characterized by a combination of beliefs and desires, then grasping these beliefs and desires will be
more essential to empathy. The ability to imagine oneself as another person is a sophisticated
imaginative process. However, the basic capacity to recognize emotions is probably innate and may
be achieved unconsciously. Yet it can be trained and achieved with various degrees of intensity or
accuracy.
 Empathy is distinct from sympathy, pity, and emotional contagion.
 Sympathy or empathic concern is the feeling of compassion or concern for another, the wish
to see them better off or happier.
 Pity is feeling that another is in trouble and in need of help as they cannot fix their problems
themselves, often described as "feeling sorry" for someone.
 Emotional contagion is when a person (especially an infant or a member of a mob)
imitatively "catches" the emotions that others are showing without necessarily recognizing this is
happening.
Types of Empathy
Empathy can be divided into two major components: Affective and cognitive empathy
 Affective empathy, also called emotional empathy: the capacity to respond with an
appropriate emotion to another's mental states. Our ability to empathize emotionally is supposed to
be based on emotional contagion, being affected by another's emotional or arousal state.
 Cognitive empathy: the capacity to understand another's perspective or mental state. The
terms cognitive empathy and theory of mind are often used synonymously, but due to a lack of
studies comparing theory of mind with types of empathy, it is unclear whether these are equivalent.
Although science has not yet agreed upon a precise definition of these constructs, there is consensus
about this distinction.
Affective empathy can be subdivided into the following scales:
 Empathic concern: sympathy and compassion for others in response to their suffering.
 Personal distress: self-centred feelings of discomfort and anxiety in response to another's
suffering. There is no consensus regarding whether personal distress is a basic form of empathy or
instead does not constitute empathy.
Cognitive empathy can be subdivided into the following scales:
 Perspective taking : the tendency to spontaneously adopt other’s psychological perspectives.
 Fantasy : the tendency to identify with fictional characters

2. Explain caring, sharing and living peacefully.(Nov/Dec 2015)

Think peace before power. Gandhi said that power based on love is a thousand times more
effective and permanent than the power gained through threat of punishment.
In our daily lives, we often rush through tasks, trying to get them done, trying to finish as
much as we can each day.
Living in peace is about living harmoniously with yourself, others, and all sentient beings
around you. Living in peace is both an outward and an inward process. Outwardly. living in peace is a
way of life in which we respect and love each other in spite of our cultural, religious, and political
differences. Inwardly, we all need to search our hearts and minds and understand the fear that
causes the impulse to violence, for in continuing to ignore the rage within, the storm outside will
never subside.
Ten Ways to Stop Stressing & Start Living Peacefully

Instead of replaying the same old worries day after day, why don't we look at how to stop worrying
and start living peacefully?
1. Take time for silence: Through silence, we can become acquainted with worrying thoughts
and through mindfulness and meditation we can change these thoughts.
 2. Get rid of stuff: Minimalism is a way to put a stop to the gluttony of the world around us.
By adopting a minimalist lifestyle you can throw out what you don't need in order to focus on what
you do need.
3. Give yourself a safe space: Whether your safe space is a room designed for yoga or
meditation or simply your bedroom or office, the point is it should be relaxing, a place where you
can close the doors to the outside stressors and just breathe.
4. Create a budget: Even though it may seem like you'll never have enough money, you need
to stop stressing about it. One way to stop worrying about money is to gain some control over it.
Create a budget and follow it.
5. Organize your time and self: Make effective use of your time; learn how to say no, set a
realistic schedule and forget about the expectations others project onto you.
6. Stop being influenced by media: The media can make us feel like we are not thin, rich, or
successful enough. It also instils fear of war, disease and even coffee. The media can be a fear-based
breeding ground for worry.
7. Be rational: Ask yourself, "Are my worries realistic?"
8. Exercise: It releases endorphins, which make the brain feel good. Exercise also reduces the
body's stress hormones.
9. Express gratitude: Stop worrying about things that may or may not happen and start being
thankful for the things you have right now. Developing an attitude of gratitude can transform our
states of mind. Spend a few minutes each day, listing things for which you are thankful.
10. Trust yourself: Do you worry about whether you're on the right path? Get quiet so that
you can hear the small voice deep inside of you. Your inner GPS won't steer you wrong. Simply tune
into your inner compass; it's guiding you in the right direction.
Remember these things:
a) Worrying accomplishes nothing.
b) Worrying is bad for you.
c) Worrying is the opposite of trust and peace.
d) Worrying puts your attention in the wrong direction.
When worry does grab a hold of you, these fun tips can help stop it;
 Listen to music
 Go to a party
 Read a book
 Have a movie night with your friends
 Go camping
 Have a family outing.
 Spend a day at the beach
 Take a relaxing cleansing breath
CARING
Caring can be defined as an act of feeling and exhibiting concern and empathy for others,
i.e.. feeling or showing care and compassion.

The Self-realization ethics, however, gives greater prominence to self-interest and to personal
commitments that individuals develop in pursuing self-fulfilment. In a community- oriented version,
the self to be realized is understood in terms of caring relationships and communities. Engineers
have capacities for genuinely caring about the public safety, health, and welfare. Engineers are
strongly motivated by self-interest, but they are also capable of responding to moral reasons in their
own right, as well as additional motives concerned with the particular nature of their work.
The following are some basic assumptions underlying the caring process:
1. Caring can only be effectively demonstrated and practised interpersonally.
2. Caring consists of basic processes between people which result in some sense satisfaction
often associated with human needs.
3. Effective caring results in individual health promotion, growth of a family as well as
society.
SHARING
Sharing is the joint use of a resource or space. In its narrow sense, it refers to joint or alternating
use of inherently finite goods, such as a common pasture or a shared residence. It is also the process
of dividing and distributing.
Apart from obvious instances, which we can observe in human activity, we can also find many
examples of this happening in nature. When an organism takes in nutrition or oxygen for instance,
its internal organs are designed to divide and distribute the energy taken in, to supply parts of its
body that need it. For e.g., flowers divide and distribute their seeds.
In a broader sense, it can also include free granting of use rights to goods that can be treated as
non-rival goods, such as information.
Still more briefly, "sharing" can actually mean giving something as an outright gift: for
example, to "share" one's food really means to give some of it as a gift.
Sharing is a basic component of human interaction, and is responsible for strengthening
social ties and ensuring a person's well-being. Share is meant to be a part or portion belonging to,
distributed to, contributed by, or owed by a person or group. It is an equitable portion. Sharing can
be considered as one of the following criteria;
a) To allow someone to use or enjoy something that one possesses.
b) To use or enjoy something jointly or in turns.
c) To talk about personal experiences or feelings with others.
d) To be concerned or partake equally or jointly, as in a business venture.
e) One of the equal parts into which the capital stock of a company is divided.

3. Explain civic virtue and respect for others and also explain importance of cooperation.
CIVIC VIRTUE
Civic virtue is morality or a standard of righteous behaviour in relationship to a citizen's
involvement in society. An individual may exhibit civic virtue by voting, volunteering, organizing a
book group, or attending a PTA meeting.
Civic virtue is the cultivation of habits of personal living that are claimed to be important for
the success of the community. Civic virtue is also the dedication of citizens to the common welfare
of their community even at the cost of their individual interests.

The term civility refers to behaviour between persons and groups that conforms to a social mode
(that is, in accordance with the civil society), as itself being a foundational principle of society and
law.
Importance of Civic Virtue
Civic virtue helps people understand their ties to the community and their responsibilities
within it. Civic virtue both expresses and builds trust and cooperation in the citizenry, and it is these
qualities-"social capital"-that make everything else go well.
RESPECT FOR OTHERS
"The true measure of a man is how he treats you when others are not looking."
Showing other people respect is a critical part of maintaining important personal
relationships. Learning to respect people's efforts, abilities, opinions, and quirks will help keep you
happy and successful in your interpersonal life. Respecting yourself can help you move forward with
the confidence to make a habit of respect and share it with the people around you.
Respect for other individuals can be shown in many forms, but the following four ways may
teach you how to respect others opinions, also the need of self-respect in the society, in an
organization, wherever people being together while working, living, and when they meet publicly.
1. Showing gratitude
2. Respecting other's opinions
3. Respecting your enemies
4. Respecting yourself.
1. Showing gratitude
Thank people for their assistance and their support on a regular basis. It's important to
remember all the people who've helped you on your journey. Show respect by saying thanks.
Remember to thank your parents, siblings, co-workers, classmates, friends, teachers, neighbours.
a) Remember to speak politely to everyone:
Compliment the achievements of others. When others are successful, draw attention to it and
celebrate their ability and their achievement. Learn to recognize when other people put forth extra
effort and achieve something and praise them for it with sincerity.
b) Be sincere.
Always be sincere in your every work, whether it is in your work place or home. Sincere work
definitely gets its reward one day. Sincerity is the first step among the steps to success in life.
c) Respect the abilities of others.
Try to recognize when someone is capable of doing something on his or her own and mind your own
business to show that person the respect he or she deserves.
2. Respecting other's opinions
a) Be a good listener.
Practice active listening to show people that you have respect for their opinions and ideas.
Watch and be quiet when someone else is talking and spend time thinking actively about what
they're saying.
b) Ask lots of questions.
To show respect for other peoples' opinions, question them. Ask open-ended, leading
questions that show you're fully engaged with their ideas and that you're listening closely.
c) Learn about the perspectives of others.
Learning to empathize with other people who have very different experiences and perspectives
than your own will help you learn to show respect. Be proud of your own opinions and perspectives,
but don't assume everyone feels the same way and avoid putting them in an awkward position.
d) Respectfully disagree.
When you have to dissent, do it calmly and by treating your conversation with tact. Respect
the perspective of the other person. Don't insult their opinion or ideas, even if you disagree with
them.
3. Respecting your enemies
a) Don't judge people before you get to know them.
Give people the benefit of the doubt, even people of whom you might have a bad first
impression.
b) Decide to like people.
It's too easy to come up with reasons to dislike someone, to disrespect someone, or to
dismiss them. Decide to like them, and it'll be much easier to show respect.
c) Worry about your own backyard.
Don't get mixed up in other peoples' business and create unnecessary enemies.
4. Respecting yourself.
a) Take care of yourself.
To show respect for yourself, try and give yourself the same consideration that you give
everyone else.
b) Avoid self-destructive behaviours. Drinking to excess on a regular basis or habitually self-
deprecating yourself will tear you down in mind and body. Try to work actively to build yourself up
and surround yourself with encouraging, enlightening, helpful people.
c) Stay healthy.
Make regular visits to the doctor to make sure you're healthy and fit. Exercise regularly and
eat well. Start developing easy routines, even walking a few miles a day or doing some light stretches
to get in touch with your body and maintain it. Cut out junk foods and eat a variety of nourishing
foods.
d) Be ambitious.
Develop plans for yourself and specific steps for carrying them out. Plot an upward trajectory for
yourself to keep yourself moving forward in life and staying satisfied. Show respect for yourself by
being the best version of yourself you can be.
CO-OPERATION
Co-operation is the process of groups of people working or acting together for their
common/mutual benefit, as opposed to working in competition for self-benefit.
The term 'Co-operation' is derived from the two Latin words 'Co' meaning together and
'Operari' meaning to work. Literally, Co-operation means 'joint work' or 'working' together' for a
common goal'.
Social Co-Operation
Cooperation is an associative and basic process of social life. Society cannot exist without
this. It is the very basis of social existence. It is one of the continuous social processes. Merrill and
Hdredge says, 'Co-operation is a form of social interaction wherein two or more persons work
together to gain a common end." According to Fairchild "Co-operation is the process by which the
individuals or groups combine their effort, in a more or less organized way for the attainment of
common objective'. From the above definitions, two characteristics of co-operation become clear.

They are as follows;

1. Organised effort.
2. Common end
Organizational Co-Operation
Organization are working together to accomplish goals. By networking, coordinating,
cooperating, and collaborating, organizations working together can accomplish goals they couldn't
reach working in isolation.
 Groups of people can work together to accomplish amazing tasks. They can figure out ways
to garner the necessary skills, funds, and time to solve community problems and
improve human services. What you need are people who are well-organized, cooperative, and
determined.
When organizations cooperate, they not only share information and make adjustments in
their services they share resources to help each other do a better job. In a cooperative relationship,
organizations may share staff, volunteers, expertise, space, funds, and other resources. For example,
if the school and the community counselling centre share physical space for evening services in
order to better meet the needs of neighbourhood youth, they are in a cooperative relationship.
Another example would be if community organizations in a town shared staff time to put out a
yearly calendar of major events for the whole community.
Cooperating requires more trust and a greater investment in time than either networking or
coordination. In order to enter into a cooperative relationship, organizations also have to let go of
some turf issues. Organizations have to be willing to share the ownership and the responsibility, to
risk some hassles, and to reap the rewards of their efforts together.
 UNIT -II ENGINEERING ETHICS

1. What is Moral Autonomy? (Nov/Dec 2015)

It is the quality of

 Self-determining
 Independent
 Personal Involvement
 Exercised based on the moral concern for other people and recognition of good
moral reasons
2. Mention the various types of inquires. (Nov/Dec 2015)
 Normative Inquiry – Based on values
 Conceptual Inquiry – Based on meaning
 Factual Inquiry – Based in facts

3. Define the term moral autonomy. (Nov / Dec 2018)

Moral autonomy is defined as, decisions and actions exercised on the basis of moralconcern for
other people and recognition of good moral reasons.
4. What is engineering ethics? (Apr / May 2021, Nov / Dec 2020)
Engineering ethics may be defined as the identification, study and resolution of ethical problems
occurring in the practice of the engineering profession.
5. What are the Senses of Engineering Ethics? (April 2014)
 An activity and area of inquiry.
 Ethical problems, issues and controversies.
 Particular set of beliefs, attitudes and habits.
 Morally correct.
6. Define Moral dilemmas. [Nov 2015]
Moral dilemmas are situations in which 2 or more moral obligation and ideas come into
conflict with each other.Moral principles cannot be fully respected in a given situation.Solving 1
moral principle can create 2 or more conflicting applications
7. State Rawl’s principles? (Nov/Dec 2010)
Each person is entitled to the most extensive amount of liberty compatible with an equal
amount for others. Differences in social power and economic benefits are justified only when they
are likely to benefit everyone, including members of the most disadvantaged groups
8. Differentiate Ethical Relativism and Ethical Egoism? [Nov 2015]
Ethical egoism – The view that right action consist in producing one’s own good.
Ethical relativism – The view that right action is merely what the law and customs of one’s society
require.
9. Give the uses of Ethical Theories?(May/June 2009)
 In understanding moral dilemma. They provide clarity, consistency, systematic and
comprehensive understanding.
 It provides helpful practical guidance in moral issues towards the solution.
 Are useful in expressing everyday moral experience and justifying the professional morality
10. State Kohlberg‟s theory. [Nov / Dec 2016]
According to Kohlberg, the people progressed in their moral reasoning through a series of
stages. His theory is based on the foundation that morality is a form of reasoning that develops in
structural stages. The three levels of moral development suggested by Kohlberg are:
 Pre-conventional level
  Conventional level
 Post-conventional level
11. State Gilligan‟s theory. [May / Jun 2016]
According to Gilligan theory, males have a tendency to over-ride the importance of moral rules
and conviction while resolving moral dilemmas; whereas females have a tendency to try hard to
preserve personal relationship with all people involves in a situation.
12. Explain Ethical Egoism (MAY/JUNE 2009)
It deals with self-interest. Each person is the best judge of their own self-interest and is
responsible for maximizing their own interest. Egoism preaches selfishness but morality should
encourage love, compassion etc.
13. Define Ethics. Mention some universally accepted ethical standards. (NOV/DEC 13)
"Ethics" as the "discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and
obligation," "a set of moral principles or value" or "a theory or system of moral values." Ethics assists
individuals in deciding when an act is moral or immoral, right or wrong. Ethics can be grounded in
natural law, religious tenets, parental and family influence, educational experiences, life experiences
and cultural and societal expectations. Ethical Standard such as Focus on ethics, Corporate culture,
Managerial
14. Define moral values with suitable Example. (NOV/DEC 2013),(APR/MAY2015)
Moral values are the standards of good and evil, which govern an individuals behavior and
choices. Individuals morals may derive from society and government, religion, or self-Honesty,
respect for others, loyalty, responsibility for personal actions, generosity and kindness are all
examples of moral values.
15. What is meant by normative enquiry?(APRIL/MAY 2011)
Normative ethics an approach to ethics that works from standards of right or good action. There
are three types of normative theories: virtue theories, deontological theories, and teleological
theories.
16. Define “Professionalism‟. (APRIL/MAY 2015)
Professionalism means behaving in an ethical manner while assuming and fulfilling your rightful
responsibilities in every situation every time, without fail. To get a bit more granular, one can say
that it means, in part, conducting your affairs in such a way as to engender trust and confidence in
every aspect of your work.
17. Explain moral integrity? (MAY/JUNE2008)
Moral integrity is the strength of character on the basis of moral concern and moral values.
Integrity is the bridge that links the responsibilities between personal life and professional carrier.
18. What do you mean by ethical pluralism?(APRIL/MAY 2010)
Ethical pluralism is the view that there may be alternative moral perspectives that are
reasonable, but no one of which must be accepted completely by all rational and morally concerned
persons.
19. Differentiate Moral and Ethics? (MAY/JUNE 2010)
Moral:
 Refers only to personal behavior.
 Refers to any aspect of human action.
 Social conventions about right or wrong conduct.
Ethics:
 Involves defining, analyzing, evaluating and resolving moral problems and
  Developing moral criteria to guide human behavior.
 Critical reflection on what one does and why one does it.
 Refers only to professional behavior
20. What is the significance of engineering ethics? (MAY/JUNE 2011)
An activity and an area of inquiry. Ethical problems, issues and controversy Set of beliefs,
attitudes and habits. Morally correct.

PART-B
1. i)Explain the Gilligan’s theory for moral development
ii)What are the different types of model of professional roles?(Nov/Dec 2015)
i) Gilligan's Theory
 Carol Gilligan found that Kohlberg's theory had a strong male bias.
 According to Gilligan's studies, men had a tendency to solve problems by applying abstract
moral principles.
 Men were found to resolve moral dilemma by choosing the most important moral rule,
overriding other rules.
 In contrast, women gave importance to preserve personal relationships with all the people
involved.
 The context oriented emphasis on maintaining personal relationships was called the ethics
of care, in contrast with the ethics of rules and rights adopted by men.
 Gilligan revised the three levels of moral development of Kohlberg, as stages of growth
towards ethics of caring.
The pre-conventional level, which is same as that of Kohlberg's first one, right conduct, is viewed
in a selfish manner solely as what is good for oneself.
The second level called conventional level, the importance is on not hurting others, and willing
to sacrifice one's own interest and help others. This is the characteristic feature of women.
At the post-conventional level, a reasoned balance is found between caring about others and
pursuing the self-interest. The balance one's own need and the needs of others, is aimed while
maintaining relationship based on mutual caring. This is achieved by context-oriented reasoning,
rather than by hierarchy of rules.
Heinz's Dilemma:
Heinz being poor and a debtor could not buy the costly medicine for his sick wife, at ten
times the normal cost. Initially he begged the Pharmacist to sell at half the price or allow him to pay
for it later. Pharmacist refused to oblige him either way. Finally he forcibly entered the Pharmacy
and stole the drug.
According to Kohlberg study, men observed that the theft was morally 'wrong' at the
conventional level, because the property right was violated.
But men at the post-conventional level, concluded that the theft was 'right', as the life of
the human being was in danger.
But women observed that Heinz was wrong. They observed that instead of stealing he could
have tried other solutions (threatening or payment in installments?) to convince the Pharmacist.
Gilligan however attributed the decision by women as context-oriented and not on the basis of rules
ranked in the order of priority.
ii)MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL ROLES
Promotion of public good is the primary concern of the professional engineers. There a
several role models to whom the engineers are attracted. These models provoke their thinking,
attitudes and actions.
1. Savior
The engineer as a savior, save the society from poverty, illiteracy, wastage, inefficiency ill
health, human (labor) dignity and lead it to prosperity, through technological development and
social planning. For example, R.L. Stevenson.
2. Guardian
He guards the interests of the poor and general public. As one who is conversant with
technology development, is given the authority befitting his expertise to determine what is best
suited to the society.
For example, Lawrence of Arabia (an engineer).
3. Bureaucratic Servant
He serves the organization and the employers. The management of an enterprise fixes its
goals and assigns the job of problem solving to the engineer, who accepts the challenge and shapes
them into concrete achievements.
For example, Jamshedji Tata.
4. Social Servant
It is one who exhibits social responsibility. The engineer translates the interest and aspira
tions of the society into a reality, remembering that his true master is the society at large.
For example, SirM. Viswesvarayya.
5. Social Enabler and Catalyst
One who changes the society through technology. The engineer must assist the manage.
ment and the society to understand their needs and make informed decisions on the desirable
technological development and minimize the negative effects of technology on people and their
living environment. Thus, he shines as a social enabler and a catalyst for further growth.
For example, Sri Sundarlal Bahuguna.
6. Game Player
He is neither a servant nor master. An engineer is an assertive player, not a passive player
who may carry out his master's voice. He plays a unique role successfully within the organization,
enjoying the excitement of the profession and having the satisfaction of surging ahead in a
competitive world.
For example, Narayanamurthy, Infosys and Dr. Kasthurirangan, ISRO.
Profession
Definitions
a) Profession - is defined as any occupation/job/vocation that requires advanced ex- pertise, self
regulation. It brings a high status, socially and economically.
The characteristics of profession are:
 Advanced expertise
 Self regulation
 Public good.
b) Professional-relates to a person or any work that a person does on profession, and it requires
expertise, self regulation and results in public good. The term professional means a 'person' as well
as a 'status.
c) Professionalism is the status of a professional which implies certain attitudes or typical qualities
that are expected to be a professional. The criteria for achieving and sustaining professional status
or professionalism are:
1. Advanced expertise: The expertise includes sophisticated skills and theoretical knowledge in
exercising judgment. This means a professional should analyze the problem in specific known area,
in an objective manner.
2. Self-regulation: One should analyze the problem independent of self-interest and direct to a
decision towards the best interest of the clients/customers. An autonomous judgment (unbiased
and on merits only) is expected. In such situations, the codes of conduct of professional societies are
followed as guidance.
3. Public good: One should not be a mere paid employee of an individual or a teaching college or
manufacturing organization, to execute whatever the employer wants one to do. The job should be
recognized by the public. The concerted efforts in the job should be towards promotion of the
welfare, safety, and health of the public.
Characteristics
The characteristics of the 'profession' as distinct from 'non-professional occupation' are
listed as follows:
1. Extensive Training:
Entry into the profession requires an extensive period of training of intellectual
(competence) and moral (integrity) character.
The theoretical base is obtained through formal education, usually in an academic
institution. It may be a Bachelor degree from a college or university or an advanced degree
conferred by professional schools.
2. Knowledge and Skills:
Knowledge and skills (competence) are necessary for the well-being of the society.
 Knowledge of physicians protects us from disease and restores health.
 The lawyer's knowledge is useful when we are sued of a crime, or if our business is to be
merged or closed or when we buy a property.
 The Chartered Accountant's knowledge is important for the success of recording financial
transactions or when we file the income return.
The knowledge, study, and research of the engineers are required for the safety of the air plane, for
the technological advances and for national defense.
3. Monopoly:
The monopoly control is achieved in two ways:
(a) The profession convinces the community that only those who have graduated from the
professional school should be allowed to hold the professional title. The profession also gains control
over professional schools by establishing accreditation standards
(b) By persuading the community to have a licensing system for those who want to enter the
profession. If practicing without license, they are liable to pay penalties.
4. Autonomy in Workplace:
Professionals engaged in private practice have considerable freedom in choosing their
clients or patients. Even the professionals working in large organizations exercise a large degree of
impartiality, creativity and discretion (care with decision and communication) in carrying their
responsibilities. Besides this, professionals are empowered with certain rights to establish their
autonomy.
 Accordingly physicians must determine the most appropriate medical treatments for their
patients and lawyers must decide on the most successful defense for their clients. The possession of
specialized knowledge is thus a powerful defense of professional autonomy.
5. Ethical Standards:
Professional societies promulgate the codes of conduct to regulate the professionals against
their abuse or any unethical decisions and actions (impartiality, responsibility) affecting the
individuals or groups or the society.

2. Explain the theory of human right ethics and its classification(Nov/Dec 2015)
Rights Theory:
Rights are entitlement to act or to have another individual act in a certain way. Minimally,
rights serve as a protective barrier, shielding individuals from unjustified infringement of their moral
agency by others. For every right, we have a corresponding duty of non interference.
(a) The RIGHTS approach to ethics has its roots in the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant,
who focused on the individual's right to choose for oneself.
According him, what makes human beings different from mere things is, that peo- ple have
dignity based on their ability to choose freely what they will do with their lives, and they have a
fundamental moral right to have these choices respected.
People are not objects to be manipulated; it is a violation of human dignity to use people in
ways they do not freely choose. Other rights he advocated are:
1. The right to access the truth: We have a right to be told the truth and to be informed
about matters that significantly affect our choices.
2. The right of privacy: We have the right to do, believe, and say whatever we choose in our
personal lives so long as we do not violate the rights of others.
3. The right not to be injured: We have the right not to be harmed or injured unless we
freely and knowingly do something to deserve punishment or we freely and knowingly choose to risk
such injuries.
4. The right to what is agreed: We have a right to what has been promised by those with
whom we have freely entered into a contract or agreement.
(b) In deciding whether an action is moral or immoral, we must ask, does the action respect the
moral rights of everyone? Actions are wrong to the extent that they violate the rights of individuals;
the more serious is the violation, the more wrongful is the action.
The RIGHTS theory as promoted by John Locke states that the actions are right,if they
respect human rights of every one affected. He proposed the three basic human rights, namely life,
liberty, and property. His views were reflected in the modern American society, when Jefferson
declared the basic rights as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
(c) As per A.I. Melden's theory based on rights, nature mandates that we should not her mothers'
life, health, liberty or property. Melden allowed welfare rights also for living a decent human life. He
highlighted that the rights should be based on the social welfare system.
(d) Human rights: Human rights are explained in two forms, namely liberty rights and welfare rights.
Liberty rights are rights to exercise one's liberty and stresses duties on other people not to interfere
with one's freedom.
The four features of liberty rights (also called moral rights), which lay the base for Government
Administration, are:
1. Rights are natural in so far as they are not invented or created by government.
 2. They are universal, as they do not change from country to country.
3. They are equal since the rights are the same for all people, irrespective of caste, race, creed or
sex.
4. They are inalienable i.e., one cannot hand over his rights to another person such as selling
oneself to slavery. The Welfare Rights are the rights to benefit the needy for a decent human life,
when one cannot earn those benefits and when those benefits are available in the society.
(e) Economic rights: In the free-market economy, the very purpose of the existence of the
manufacturer, the sellers and the service providers is to serve the consumer. The consumer is
eligible to exercise some rights.
The consumers' six basic rights are:
 Right to Information,
 Right to Safety,
 Right to Choice,
 Right to be Heard,
 Right to Redressal, and
 Right to Consumer Education.
A few rights are absolute, i.e., unlimited and have no justifiable exceptions. Rights ethics is
distinctive in that it makes human rights the ultimate appeal-the moral bottom line.
Human rights constitute a moral authority to make legitimate moral demands on others to
respect our choices, recognizing that others can make similar claims on us.
Thus, we see that the rights ethics provides a powerful foundation for the special ethical
requirements in engineering and other professions.

3. What is moral autonomy and relate it to the work in the psychological theory by Lawrence
Kohlberg?(May/June 2009)
MORAL AUTONOMY
Moral autonomy is defined as, decisions and actions exercised on the basis of moral con
cern for other people and recognition of good moral reasons. Alternatively, moral autonomy means
'self determinant or independent.
The autonomous people hold moral beliefs and attitudes based on their critical reflection
rather than on passive adoption of the conventions of the society or profession. Moral autonomy
may also be defined as a skill and habit of thinking rationally about the ethical issues, on the basis of
moral concern.
Viewing engineering as social experimentation will promote autonomous participation and
retain one's professional identity. Periodical performance appraisals, tight-time schedules and fear
of foreign competition threatens this autonomy.
It appears that the blue-collar workers with the support of the union can adopt better
autonomy than the employed professionals. Only recently the legal support has been obtained by
the professional societies in exhibiting moral autonomy by professionals in this country as well as in
the West.
The engineering skills related to moral autonomy are listed as follows:
1. Proficiency in recognizing moral problems in engineering and ability to distinguish as well
as relate them to problems in law, economics, and religion,
2. Skill in comprehending clarifying and critically assessing arguments on different as pects of
moral issues.
 3. Ability to form consistent and comprehensive view points based on facts,
4. Awareness of alternate responses to the issues and creative solutions for practical
difficulties,
5. Sensitivity to genuine difficulties and subtleties, including willingness to undergo and
tolerate some uncertainty while making decisions,
6. Using rational dialogue in resolving moral conflicts and developing tolerance of different
perspectives among morally reasonable people, and
7.Maintaining moral integrity
 Autonomy which is the independence in making decisions and actions, is different from
authority.
 Authority provides freedom for action, specified within limits, depending on the
situation.
 Moral autonomy and respect for authority can coexist. They are not against each other.
 If the authority of the engineer and the moral autonomy of the operator are in conflict, a
consensus is obtained by the two, upon discussion and mutual under-standing their
limits.
MORAL DEVELOPMENT (THEORIES)
1. Kohlberg Theory:
Moral development in human being occurs overage and experience. Kohlberg suggested
there are three levels of moral development, namely:
 Pre-conventional,
 Conventional, and
 Post-conventional,
Based on the type of reasoning and motivation of the individuals in response to moral
questions.
In the pre-conventional level, right conduct for an individual is regarded as whatever directly
benefits oneself.
At this level, individuals are motivated by obedience or the desire to avoid punish mentor to
satisfy their own needs or by the influence by power on them. All young children exhibit this
tendency.
At the conventional level, people respect the law and authority. Rules and norms of one's
family or group or society is accepted, as the standard of morality. Individuals in this level want to
please or satisfy, and get approval by others and to meet the expectations of the society, rather than
their self interest (e.g., good boy, good girl). Loyalty is regarded as most important. Many adults do
not go beyond this level.
At the post-conventional level, people are called autonomous. They think originally and
want to live by universally good principles and welfare of others. They have no self-interest.
They live by principled conscience. They follow the golden rule, 'Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you'. They maintain moral integrity, self-respect and respect for others.
Kohlberg believed that individuals could only progress through these stages, one stage at a
time. He believed that most of the moral development occurs through social interactions.
4. Apply both kohlberg’s and Gilligan’s theory in Heinz Dilemma and justify your arguments
(May/June 2011, May/june 2012)
i) Kohlberg Theory:
Moral development in human being occurs overage and experience. Kohlberg suggested
there are three levels of moral development, namely:
 Pre-conventional,
 Conventional, and
 Post-conventional,
Based on the type of reasoning and motivation of the individuals in response to moral
questions.
In the pre-conventional level, right conduct for an individual is regarded as whatever directly
benefits oneself.
At this level, individuals are motivated by obedience or the desire to avoid punish mentor to
satisfy their own needs or by the influence by power on them. All young children exhibit this
tendency.
At the conventional level, people respect the law and authority. Rules and norms of one's
family or group or society is accepted, as the standard of morality. Individuals in this level want to
please or satisfy, and get approval by others and to meet the expectations of the society, rather than
their self interest (e.g., good boy, good girl). Loyalty is regarded as most important. Many adults do
not go beyond this level.
At the post-conventional level, people are called autonomous. They think originally and
want to live by universally good principles and welfare of others. They have no self-interest.
They live by principled conscience. They follow the golden rule, 'Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you'. They maintain moral integrity, self-respect and respect for others.
Kohlberg believed that individuals could only progress through these stages, one stage at a
time. He believed that most of the moral development occurs through social interactions.
i) Gilligan's Theory
 Carol Gilligan found that Kohlberg's theory had a strong male bias.
 According to Gilligan's studies, men had a tendency to solve problems by applying abstract
moral principles.
 Men were found to resolve moral dilemma by choosing the most important moral rule,
overriding other rules.
 In contrast, women gave importance to preserve personal relationships with all the people
involved.
 The context oriented emphasis on maintaining personal relationships was called the ethics
of care, in contrast with the ethics of rules and rights adopted by men.
 Gilligan revised the three levels of moral development of Kohlberg, as stages of growth
towards ethics of caring.
The pre-conventional level, which is same as that of Kohlberg's first one, right conduct, is viewed
in a selfish manner solely as what is good for oneself.
The second level called conventional level, the importance is on not hurting others, and willing
to sacrifice one's own interest and help others. This is the characteristic feature of women.
At the post-conventional level, a reasoned balance is found between caring about others and
pursuing the self-interest. The balance one's own need and the needs of others, is aimed while
maintaining relationship based on mutual caring. This is achieved by context-oriented reasoning,
rather than by hierarchy of rules.
Heinz's Dilemma:
Heinz being poor and a debtor could not buy the costly medicine for his sick wife, at ten
times the normal cost. Initially he begged the Pharmacist to sell at half the price or allow him to pay
for it later. Pharmacist refused to oblige him either way. Finally he forcibly entered the Pharmacy
and stole the drug.
According to Kohlberg study, men observed that the theft was morally 'wrong' at the
conventional level, because the property right was violated.
But men at the post-conventional level, concluded that the theft was 'right', as the life of
the human being was in danger.
But women observed that Heinz was wrong. They observed that instead of stealing he could
have tried other solutions (threatening or payment in installments?) to convince the Pharmacist.
Gilligan however attributed the decision by women as context-oriented and not on the basis of rules
ranked in the order of priority.

5. Explain the scope and importance of professional ethics in engineering. (May/June 2011)
Scope:
Engineering is transforming science into useful products for human comfort. Engineering is
something that engineers do, and what they do has profound effects on others. Ethics in engineering
then is the ability as well as responsibility of an engineer to judge his decisions from the context of
the general wellbeing of the society. It is the study of moral issues that confront engineers and
engineering organizations when some crucial decisions are taken. Engineering research and practice
requires that the task being performed considers all the pros and cons of a certain action and its
implementation.
Professional engineering bodies like IEEE, ASME, IEI etc., have evolved comprehensive ethics
codes relevant to their respective professions, based on the rich experience of their members.
Independent organizations like NSPE have prepared value based ethical codes applicable to all
engineering professions. Teaching engineering ethics in academic institutions is undertaken largely
through many case studies for creating awareness interactively among engineering students of all
disciplines. By studying engineering ethics, the students develop awareness and assessment skill of
the likely impact of their future decisions on moral and ethical grounds. Ethical standards in
engineering are influenced by many factors:
1.Engineering as an experimentation for the good of mankind is a notable factor involving
far reaching
consequence,
2. Ethical dilemmas make engineering decisions relatively difficult to make.
3. Risk and safety of citizens as a social responsibility is a prime concern of an engineer,
4. Technological advancement can be very demanding on the engineering skill in the global
context,
5. Moral values and responsible conduct will play a crucial role in decision making.
The study of engineering ethics within an engineering program helps students prepare for their
professional lives. A specific advantage for engineering students who learn about ethics is that they
develop clarity in their understanding and thought about ethical issues and the practice in which
they arise. The study of ethics helps students to develop widely applicable skills in communication,
reasoning and reflection. These skills enhance students' abilities and help them engage with other
aspects of the engineering program such as group work and work placements.
Professional ethics Profession is a commitment to a designated and organized occupation by
virtue of being an authority over a body of knowledge with requisite skills acquired through
specialized training. An occupation becomes a profession when a group of people sharing the same
occupation work together in a morally acceptable way with members setting and following a certain
ethics code. A professional is a practitioner belonging to a specific profession. Professional ethics, as
opposed to personal values and morality, is a set of ethical standards and values a practicing
engineer is required to follow.
It sets the standards for professional practice, and is only learned in a professional school or
while practicing ones own profession. Today, it is an essential part of professional education because
it helps students deal with issues they will face. The scope of engineering ethics envelopes diverse
activities like
1. Engineering as a social experimentation
2. Engineers responsibility for safety
3. Role of engineers, managers, consultants etc.
4. Rights of engineers
5. Moral reasoning and ethical theories
6. Responsibility to employers
7. Global issues and concerns
The best way to teach engineering ethics is by using case studies—not just the disaster cases
that make the news, but the kinds of cases that an engineer is more likely to encounter. Many real
time cases are available or some hypothetical cases can be constructed and there are methods for
analyzing them.
Engineering ethics can be taught in a free-standing course, but there are strong arguments
for introducing ethics in technical courses as well. If the subject of professional ethics is how
members of a profession should, or should not, affect others in the course of practicing their
profession, then engineering ethics is an essential aspect of engineering itself and education in
professional responsibilities should be part of professional education in engineering, just as it is in
law and medicine.

PART-C

1. Discuss in detail the various theories on right action(Nov/Dec 2012)

THEORIES ABOUT RIGHT ACTION (ETHICAL THEORIES)
Ethical Theories/Approaches
Several ethical theories have been developed over different times, each of them stressing
certain ethical principles or features. Each stresses a view and many a times, we find that these
theories converge and reinforce the ethics, in deciding upon the actions and justifying the results.
1. Utilitarian Theory:
The term Utilitarianism was conceived in the 19th century by Jeremy Bentham and John
Stuart Mill to help legislators determine which laws were morally best. They suggested that the
standard of right conduct is maximization of good consequences.
 Good consequences mean either 'utilities' or the 'balance of good over evil'. This approach
weighs the costs and benefits.
Right actions are the ones that produce the greatest satisfaction of the preferences of the
affected persons. In analyzing an issue in this approach, we have to consider the following:
(a) Identify the various courses of action available to us.
(b) Ask who will be affected by each action and what benefits or harms will be derived
from each.
(c)Choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm. The ethical
action is the one that provides the greatest good for the greatest number.
The ACT UTILITARIAN theory proposed by J.S. Mill (1806-73) focuses on actions, rather than
on general rules. An action is right, if it generates the most overall good for the most people
involved.
The RULE UTILITARIAN theory, developed by Richard Brandt (1910-97), stressed on the rules,
such as 'do not steal', 'do no harm others', 'do not bribe', as of primary importance. He suggested
that individual actions are right when they are required by set of rules which maximizes the public
good. The act utilitarian theory permitted a few immoral actions. Hence, there was need to develop
rule utilitarian theory to establish morality and justice, in the transactions.
For example, stealing an old computer from the employer will benefit the employee more
than the loss to the employer. As per Act, utilitarian this action is right. But rule utilitarian observes
this as wrong, because the employee should act as 'faithful agent or trustee of the employees'.
2. Duty Ethics:
(a) The duty ethics theory, proposed by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) states, that actions are
conséquences of performance of one's duties such as, 'being honest', 'not cause suffering of others',
'being fair to others including the meek and week', 'being grate- ful', 'keeping promises' etc.
The stress is on the universal principle of respect for autonomy i.e., respect and rationality of
persons. As per Kant we have duties to ourselves, as we are rational and autonomous beings.
Kant insisted that moral duties are categorical imperatives. They are commands that we
impose on ourselves as well as other rational beings.
For example: We should be honest because honesty is required by duty. A business man is to be
honest because honesty pays-in terms of profits from customers and from avoiding jail ford is
honesty.
(b) On the other hand, the DUTY ethics theory, as enunciated by John Rawl, gave importance
to the actions that would be voluntarily agreed upon by all persons concerned, assuming
impartiality. His view emphasized the autonomy each person exercises in forming agreements with
other rational people,
Rawl proposed two basic moral principles;
1. each person is entitled to the most extensive amount of liberty compatible with an equal
amount for others, and
2. differences in social power and economic benefits are justified only when they are likely
to benefit everyone, including members of the most disadvantaged groups. The first principle is of
prime importance and should be satisfied first. Without basic liberties other economic or social
benefits cannot be sustained for long. The second principle insists that to allow some people with
great wealth and power is justified only when all other groups are benefited.
In the business scenario, for example, the free enterprise is permissible so far it provides
the capital needed to invest and prosper, thereby making job opportunities to the public and taxes
to fund the government spending on the welfare schemes on the poor people.
C.W.D. Ross, the British philosopher introduced the term prima facie duties, which means
duties might have justified exceptions. In fact, most duties are prima facie ones; some may have
obligatory or permissible exceptions.
Ross assumed that the prima facie duties are intuitively obvious (self-evident), while fixing
priorities among duties. He noted that the principles such as 'Do not kill' and 'protect innocent life'
involve high respect for persons than other principles such as, 'Do not lie' (less harmful).
This theory is criticized on the fact, that the intuitions do not provide sufficient guideline for
moral duty. He has listed various aspects of Duty Ethics that reflect our moral convictions, namely:
1. FIDELITY: Duty to keep promises.
2. REPARATION: Duty to compensate others when we harm them.
3. GRATTITUDE: Duty to thank those who help us.
4. JUSTICE: Duty to recognize merit.
5. BENEFICENCE: Duty to recognize inequality and improve the condition of others.
6. SELF-IMPROVEMENT: Duty to improve virtue and intelligence.
7. NON-MALFESANCE: Duty not to injure others.
Rights Theory:
Rights are entitlement to act or to have another individual act in a certain way. Minimally,
rights serve as a protective barrier, shielding individuals from unjustified infringement of their moral
agency by others. For every right, we have a corresponding duty of non interference.
(b) The RIGHTS approach to ethics has its roots in the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant,
who focused on the individual's right to choose for oneself.
According him, what makes human beings different from mere things is, that peo- ple have
dignity based on their ability to choose freely what they will do with their lives, and they have a
fundamental moral right to have these choices respected.
People are not objects to be manipulated; it is a violation of human dignity to use people in
ways they do not freely choose. Other rights he advocated are:
1. The right to access the truth: We have a right to be told the truth and to be informed
about matters that significantly affect our choices.
2. The right of privacy: We have the right to do, believe, and say whatever we choose in our
personal lives so long as we do not violate the rights of others.
3. The right not to be injured: We have the right not to be harmed or injured unless we
freely and knowingly do something to deserve punishment or we freely and knowingly choose to risk
such injuries.
4. The right to what is agreed: We have a right to what has been promised by those with
whom we have freely entered into a contract or agreement.
(b) In deciding whether an action is moral or immoral, we must ask, does the action respect the
moral rights of everyone? Actions are wrong to the extent that they violate the rights of individuals;
the more serious is the violation, the more wrongful is the action.
The RIGHTS theory as promoted by John Locke states that the actions are right,if they
respect human rights of every one affected. He proposed the three basic human rights, namely life,
liberty, and property. His views were reflected in the modern American society, when Jefferson
declared the basic rights as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
(c) As per A.I. Melden's theory based on rights, nature mandates that we should not her mothers'
life, health, liberty or property. Melden allowed welfare rights also for living a decent human life. He
highlighted that the rights should be based on the social welfare system.
(d) Human rights: Human rights are explained in two forms, namely liberty rights and welfare rights.
Liberty rights are rights to exercise one's liberty and stresses duties on other people not to interfere
with one's freedom.
The four features of liberty rights (also called moral rights), which lay the base for Government
Administration, are:
1. Rights are natural in so far as they are not invented or created by government.
2. They are universal, as they do not change from country to country.
3. They are equal since the rights are the same for all people, irrespective of caste, race, creed or
sex.
4. They are inalienable i.e., one cannot hand over his rights to another person such as selling
oneself to slavery. The Welfare Rights are the rights to benefit the needy for a decent human life,
when one cannot earn those benefits and when those benefits are available in the society.
(e) Economic rights: In the free-market economy, the very purpose of the existence of the
manufacturer, the sellers and the service providers is to serve the consumer. The consumer is
eligible to exercise some rights.
The consumers' six basic rights are:
 Right to Information,
 Right to Safety,
 Right to Choice,
 Right to be Heard,
 Right to Redressal, and
 Right to Consumer Education.
A few rights are absolute, i.e., unlimited and have no justifiable exceptions. Rights ethics is
distinctive in that it makes human rights the ultimate appeal-the moral bottom line.
Human rights constitute a moral authority to make legitimate moral demands on others to
respect our choices, recognizing that others can make similar claims on us.
Thus, we see that the rights ethics provides a powerful foundation for the special ethical
requirements in engineering and other professions.
4. The Virtue Theory:
This emphasizes on the character rather than the rights or duties. The character is the
pattern of virtues (morally-desirable features).
The theory advocated by Aristotle, stressed on the tendency to act at proper balance between
extremes of conduct, emotion, desire, attitudes to find the golden mean between the extremes of
'excess' or 'deficiency'.
On the other hand, the Virtue Theory proposed by Mac Intyre, highlighted on the actions aimed
at achieving common good and social (internal) good such as social justice, promotion of health,
creation of useful and safe technological products and services. Five types of virtues that constitute
responsible professionalism, namely public-spirited virtues, proficiency virtues, team-work virtues,
self-governance virtues, and cardinal virtues.
5. Self-Realization Ethics:
Right action consists in seeking self-fulfillment. In one version of this theory, the self to be
realized is defined by caring relationships with other individuals and society. In another version
called ethical egoism, the right action consists in always promoting what is good for oneself. No
caring and society relationships are assumed.
6. Justice (Fairness) Theory:
The justice or fairness approach to ethics has its roots in the teachings of the ancient Greek
philosopher Aristotle, who said that "equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally." The
basic moral question in this approach is: How fair is an action? Does it treat everyone in the same
way, or does it shown favoritism and discrimination?

2. (a).Discuss in detail the various types of Moral issues

(b). Specify the various types of Ethical inquiries available.[April 2014]
VARIETY OF MORAL ISSUES
It would be relevant to know why and how do moral issues (problems) arise in a profession or why
do people behave unethically? The reasons for people including the employer and employees,
behaving unethically may be classified into three categories:
1. Resource Crunch
Due to pressure, through time limits, availability of money or budgetary constraints, and
technology decay or obsolescence.
Pressure from the government to complete the project in time (e.g., before the elections),
reduction in the budget because of sudden war or natural calamity (e.g., Tsunami) and obsolescence
due technology innovation by the competitor lead to manipulation and unsafe and unethical
execution of projects.
Involving individuals in the development of goals and values and developing policies that
allow for individual diversity, dissent, and input to decision-making will prevent unethical results.
2. Opportunity
(a) Double standards or behavior of the employers towards the employees and the public.
The unethical behaviors of World Com (in USA), Enron (in USA as well as India) executives in 2002
resulted in bankruptcy for those companies,
(b) Management projecting their own interests more than that of their employees. Some
organizations over-emphasize short-term gains and results at the expense of themselves and others,
(c) Emphasis on results and gains at the expense of the employees, and
(d) Management by objectives, without focus on empowerment and improvement of the
infrastructure.
This is best encountered by developing policies that allow ‘conscience keepers’ and whistle
blowers and appointing ombudsman, who can work confidentially with people to solve the unethical
problems internally.
3. Attitude
Poor attitude of the employees set in due to
(a) Low morale of the employees because of dissatisfaction and downsizing,
(b) Absence of grievance redressal mechanism,
(c) Lack of promotion or career development policies or denied promotions,
(d) Lack of transparency,
(e) Absence of recognition and reward system, and
(f) Poor working environments.
 Giving ethics training for all, recognizing ethical conduct in work place, including ethics in
performance appraisal, and encouraging open discussion on ethical issues, are some of the
directions to promote positive attitudes among the employees
To get firm and positive effect, ethical standards must be set and adopted by the senior
management, with input from all personnel.
TYPES OF INQUIRIES
The three types of inquiries, in solving ethical problems are:
 Normative inquiry,
 Conceptual inquiry, and
 Factual or descriptive inquiry.
The three types of inquiries are discussed below to illustrate the differences and preference.
1. Normative Inquiry
It seeks to identify and justify the morally-desirable norms or standards that should guide
individuals and groups. It also has the theoretical goal of justifying particular moral judgments.
Normative questions are about what ought to be and what is good, based on moral values.
For example,
1. How far does the obligation of engineers to protect public safety extend in any given
situation?
2. When, if ever, should engineers be expected to blow whistle on dangerous practices of
their employers?
3. Whose values ought to be primary in making judgment about acceptable risks in design
for a public transport system or a nuclear plant? Is it of management, senior engineers, government,
voters or all of them?
4. When and why is the government justified in interfering with the organisations?
5. What are the reasons on which the engineers show their obligations to their employees or
clients or the public?
2. Conceptual Inquiry
It is directed to clarify the meaning of concepts or ideas or principles that are expressed by
words or by questions and statements.
For example,
(a) What is meant by safety?
(b) How is it related to risk?
(c) What is a bribe?
(d) What is a profession?
When moral concepts are discussed, normative and conceptual issues are closely
interconnected.
3. Factual or Descriptive Inquiry
It is aimed to obtain facts needed for understanding and resolving value issues. Researchers
conduct factual inquiries using mathematical or statistical techniques.
The inquiry provide important information on business realities, engineering practice, and
the effectiveness of professional societies in fostering moral conduct, the procedures used in risk
assessment, and psychological profiles of engineers.
The facts provide not only the reasons for moral problems but also enable us to develop
alterative ways of resolving moral problems. For example,
1. How were the benefits assessed?
 2. What are procedures followed in risk assessment?
3. What are short-term and long-term effects of drinking water being polluted? and
4. Who conducted the tests on materials?
3. Explain in detail the traits of Self Interest, Customs and Religions.

SELF-INTEREST

Self-interest is being good and acceptable to oneself. It is pursuing what is good for oneself. It
is very ethical to possess self-interest.

 As per utilitarian theory, this interest should provide for the respect of others also.
 Duty ethics recognizes this aspect as duties to ourselves. Then only one can help others.
Right ethicist stresses our rights to pursue our own good.
 Virtue ethics also accepts the importance of self-respect as link to social practices.
 In Ethical Egoism, the self is conceived in a highly individualistic manner. It says that every
one of us should always and only promote one’s own interest. The ethical egoists do not accept the
well being of the community or caring for others.

However this self interest should not degenerate into egoism or selfishness, i.e., maximizing
only own good in the pursuit of self-interest.

The ethical egoists hold that the society benefits to maximum when

(a) the individuals pursue their personal good and

(b) the individual organizations pursue maximum profit in a competitive enterprise.

This is claimed to improve the economy of the country as a whole, besides the individuals. In
such pursuits, both individuals and organizations should realize that independence is not the only
important value. We are also interdependent, as much as independent. Each of us is vulnerable in
the society.

Self-respect includes recognition of our vulnerabilities and interdependencies. Hence, it is

compatible with caring for ourselves as well as others. Self-interest is necessary initially to begin
with.

But it should be one of the prime motives for action; the other motive is to show concern for
others, in the family as well as society. One’s self-interest should not harm others. The principles of
‘Live and let (others) live’, and ‘reasonably fair competition’ are recommended to professionals by
the ethicists.

CUSTOMS

Ethical Pluralism:

Various cultures in our pluralistic society lead to tolerance for various customs, beliefs, and
outlooks. Accordingly ethical pluralism also exists. Although many moral attitudes appear to be
reasonable, the rational and morally concerned people can not fully accept any one of the moral
perspectives.
 There are many varied moral values, which allow variation in the understanding and
application of values by the individuals or groups in their everyday transactions. It means that even
reasonable people will not agree on all moral issues and professional ethics.

Ethical Relativism:

According to this principle, actions are considered morally right when approved by law or
custom, and wrong when they violate the laws or customs. The deciding factor is the law or the
customs of the society.

Should we accept the principle of relativism or not? A few reasons to accept this are
explained in the following paragraphs:

1. Laws appear to be objective ways for judging values. The laws and customs tend to be definite,
clear and real, but not always. Further moral reasons allow objective criticism of laws, as being
morally lacking.

For example, the Apartheid laws of South Africa violated the human rights of the native Africans.
No legal protection was available for native citizens for a long time. Now, of course, these laws have
been repealed.

2. Ethical relativism assumes that the values are subjective at the cultural level. Moral standards
also vary from culture to culture. The objectivity is supported by the existing laws of that society.

The relative morality accepted, supports the virtue of tolerance of differences among societies.
This argument is also not fully acceptable.

As per ethical relativism, the actions and laws of the Nazis and Hitler who vowed on Anti-
Semitism and killed several million Jews would be accepted as right.

3. Moral relationalism or moral contextualism: According to this, the moral judgments must be
made in relation to certain factors, which may vary from case to case.
The morally important factors for making judgments include the customs and laws. The
virtue ethicists hold that the practical wisdom should prevail upon assessing the facts and in the
judgment.
This principle was accepted by the early anthropologists because they had a specific
tendency to over-stress the scope of moral difference between cultures. The human sacrifices and
cannibalism were accepted.
But the modern anthropologists insist that all cultures shall exhibit the virtue of social
welfare and safety against needless death or physical or mental harm. Moral differences were based
on the circumstances and facts and not on the difference in moral attitudes. For example, the
pharaohs buried the live attendants along with their dead king with the belief that they would
continue to serve the king in his after life.

RELIGION

Religions have played major roles in shaping moral views and moral values, over
geographical regions.
 Christianity has influenced the Western countries, Islam in the Middle-East countries,
Buddhism and Hinduism in Asia, and Confucianism in China. Further, there is a strong psychological
link between the moral and religious beliefs of people following various religions and faiths.

Religions support moral responsibility. They have set high moral standards. Faith in the
religions provides trust and this trust inspires people to be moral. The religions insist on tolerance
and moral concern for others.

Many professionals who possess religious beliefs are motivated to be morally responsible.
Each religion lays stress on certain high moral standards.

For example, Hinduism holds polytheistic (many gods) view, and virtues of devotion and
surrender to high order.

Christianity believes in one deity and emphasizes on virtues of Love, Faith, and Hope.
Buddhism is non-theistic and focuses on compassion and Islam on one deity and adherence of ishan
(piety or pursuit of excellence) and prayer.

Judaism stresses the virtue of ‘tsedakah’ (righteousness). But many religious sects have
adopted poor moral standards, e.g., many religious sects do not recognize equal rights for women.
The right to worship is denied for some people.

People are killed in the name of or to promote religion. Thus, conflicts exist between the
‘secular’ and religious people and between one religion and another. Hence, religious views have to
be morally scrutinized.