1. ECE 1100: Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering David R. Jackson Professor, ECE Dept. Spring 2008 Notes 7 Slides adapted from lectures by Dr. Dave Shattuck

2. Gilbane Gold Gilbane Gold (video tape): case study of ethics and whistleblowing. This is a fictionalized account of a young engineer named David Jackson, who faces the ethical decision to be a whistleblower. A summary of the video will be put on the class Web page.

3. Gilbane Gold (cont.) Brief synopsis: Gilbane is a small town that markets a profitable fertilizer product called “Gilbane Gold”. This product comes from the city waste treatment facility. Recently, Gilbane attracted a major electronics manufacturer called “Z Corp.” to town. Z Corp. discharges heavy metals (lead and arsenic) into the city sewer (Gilbane knew this ahead of time). Gilbane originally imposed pollution standards that were very strict (10 times stricter than federal regulations).

4. Recently, it has come to the attention of David Jackson that Z Corp. is sometimes exceeding the allowable discharge standard (though not by much). The city cannot reliably detect the violation with its older testing methods. The law apparently is based on the older testing method. Z Corp. has recently been awarded a major contract that will increase production by 500%. This means 5 times more discharge of heavy metals. There is a loophole in the city pollution law. The standard is based on pollution concentration. By increasing the amount of water discharged, Z Corp could meet the city standards. Gilbane Gold (cont.)

5. Points to consider:  Was the corporation presently violating the law?  Was the existing problem serious enough to jeopardize the safety or well being of the public?  Was it Z Corporation’s responsibility to detect any violation, or was this the responsibility of the city?  Did Z Corporation has the ethical responsibility to report the newer testing method to the city? Was Z Corporation acting unethically? Gilbane Gold (cont.)

6. Points to consider (cont.):  Was it ethical for Z Corporation to accept the large contract, knowing that it would have to increase discharge by 500%, without notifying the city?  Was it ethical for Z Corporation to consider trying to meet the city standards by discharging more water along with the pollutants? Was Z Corporation acting unethically? Gilbane Gold (cont.)

7. Points to consider: Did he notify his company of the problem? Did he seek expert advise? Did he try hard enough to resolve the problems internally? Was the existing problem serious enough to jeopardize the safety or well being of the public? Did he document the evidence? Was David Jackson justified in being a whistleblower? Gilbane Gold (cont.)

8. Writing Assignment Write an essay (about 2-3 pages with single- spaced 12 pt. Times Roman font type), discussing whether or not Z Corporation was acting ethically, and whether or not David Jackson did the right thing by being a whistleblower.

9.  Your essay should be typed using a word processor (such as Microsoft Word).  You will be graded on how well you defend your positions (although there are no right or wrong answers).  You will be graded on your writing style, logical flow of your discussion, grammar, sentence structure, and overall appearance of the document.  The length is flexible…make sure it is long enough to adequately explain and defend your position. However, do not make it longer than it needs to be. Writing Assignment (cont.)

10. TITLE: This is at the top of page 1. It adequately describes the assignment (make up a title that is descriptive). ABSTRACT: A section that is typically a few sentences long, that summarizes the overall document and your conclusions. INTRODUCTION: A section in which you introduce the reader to the situation, give background information, and discuss the setup for the ethical dilemma. DISCUSSION: Section in which you discuss your viewpoint on whether or not Z Corporation was acting ethically, and whether or not David Jackson was justified in being a whistleblower. CONCLUSIONS: Section in which you summarize your main conclusions (feeling free to draw from what was said in the previous sections). REFERENCES: You may include the video tape and other sources. Writing Assignment (cont.)

11. Example of references: …The “Gilbane Gold” story [1] is a fictional account of a young engineer named David Jackson and the ethical dilemma he faces at his company. A further discussion of ethics can be found in [2]. REFERENCES [1] Gilbane Gold: A Case Study in Engineering Ethics, The National Institute for Engineering Ethics (part of the National Society of Professional Engineers), 1989. [2] Martin and Schinzinger, Ethics in Engineering, 2 nd ed., McGraw Hill, N. Y., 1989. Writing Assignment (cont.)

12. This assignment will be worth 10% of the total course grade. Writing Assignment (cont.) You are expected to work individually on this assignment. What you turn in must be 100% your own work. Anything else will be considered plagiarism and a violation of the UH Academic Honesty Policy.