Practice Final

You are a city engineer in charge of receiving bids on behalf of the city council. A contractor's bid arrives with two tickets to a professional football game. The bid is the lowest received. What should you do? A. return the tickets and accept the bid b. Return the tickets and reject the bid c. Discard the tickets and accept the bid d. Discard the tickets and reject the bid

A. Registrants should not accept gifts from parties expecting special consideration, so the tickets cannot be kept. They also should not be merely discarded, for several reasons. Inasmuch as the motive of the contractor is not known with certainty, in the absence of other bidding rules, the bid may be accepted

Whistle blowing is best described as calling public attention to a. your own previous unethical behavior b. unethical behavior of employees under your control c. secret illegal behavior by your employer d. unethical or illegal behavior in a government agency you are monitoring as a private individual

c. "whistle blowing" is calling public attention to illegal actions taken in the past or being taken currently by your employer. While blowing jeopardizes your own good standing with your employer

Which of the following activities is not commonly required by codes of ethics for engineers? a. acting as a faithful agent or trustee for the client b. accepting payment for services only from the client c. submitting competitive bids to the client d. spelling out all known conditions of bids and proposals

c. Codes of ethics do not require engineers to submit competitive bids. In fact, competitive bids were prohibited in most engineering codes of ethics for may years..

Complete the sentence: "obeying direct and specific order from a person with higher authority a. will never result in ethical behavior b. always result in ethical behavior c. is a defense against unethical behavior d. may place you in an ethical dilemma

d. Actions ordered by a military, governmental, or commercial authority may be unethical, immoral, or illegal. Blind obedience to authority is not a valid defense of improper behavior

which of the following could you accept within most codes of ethical behavior? a. a trip to the Bahamas from a vendor to learn about that vendor's products b. a pen-and-pencil set sent by a blueprint reproduction company c. a smoked Thanksgiving turkey sent by a previous client in gratitude for a previous job d. a monetary incentive sent from a vendor in a country where such incentives are legal and common

C technically, any gift, not matter what the value and no matter whether the gift is legal or illegal, is unethical if it influences you or biases you toward the giver. Choices, a, b, and d, are all intended to gain favor for future work. Choice, c, is a method of saying "thank you" for past work.

Which of the following is not a code of ethics? a. The ten commandments b. the ancient code of Hammurabi c. The Rosetta stone d. the scouting creed

C. All choices except, c, describe how you should behave. It is not necessary for a code of ethics to be written. The Rosetta stone described events; it did not describe behavior.

An engineering professor with a professional engineering license and 20 years of experience in engineering education is asked to consul on a building design. Ca the professor accept this request? a. Yes, but she should review and comment on only those portions of the project in which she is qualified by education and experience. b. Es, a professor is a subject ,matter expert and as such should be fully competent to review the design c. Yes, as a licensed professional engineer, the professor has demonstrated her competence in engineering and may review the design. d. No, there is tremendous difference between working in academia and having professional experience. The review should be conducted by a practicing engineer.

A. It is perfectly legal and ethical for the professor to consult on the building design. She should, however, review and comment on only those portions of the design that deal with matters in which she is technically competent; the fact that she is a professor with 20 years of experience does not necessarily mean that she is fully knowledgeable of all current design procedures and practices.

An engineer working for a big design firm has decided to start a consulting business, but it will be a few months before she leaves. How should she handle the impending change? a. The engineer should discuss her plans with her current employer b. The engineer may approach the firm's other employees while still working for the firm c. The engineer should immediately quit d. The engineer should return all of the pens, pencils, pads of paper, and other equipment she brought home over the years.

A. There is nothing wrong with wanting to go into business for oneself. The ethical violation occurs when one of the parties does not know what is going on. Even if the engineer acts ethically, takes nothing, and talks to non on about her plans, there will still be appearance of impropriety if she leaves later. The engineer should discuss her plans with her current employer. That way, there will be minimal disruption to the firm;s activities. The engineer shouldn't quit unless her employer demands it.

Complete the sentence: "it is generally considered unethical to moonlight as a consulting engineer while you are working for your primary employer because a. you shouldn't be competing with your primary employer for clients" b. you can't do a good job for your primary employer if you come to work in the morning tired" c. you might be tempted to use proprietary information from your current employer d. 'double dipping (drawing two paychecks) is unfair to the other engineers in the company

B

Which of the following methods of charging for professional services is unethical? a. lump sum at the start of the job b. per diem, billed monthly in adcance c. per hour, billed at the end of each week d. retainer, plus per hour billed at the end of each weak.

B. A lump sum at the start of the job is probably not wise, but it could be ethical agreement. Billings for actual costs are ethical. It is common to charge a retainer at the start of a contract and to charge a percentage add-on for materials purchased for the benefit of the client. It is probably not ethical to bill for time you intend to spend in the future.

a survey crew is hired by the general contractor on a large government project to verify pertinent data on the owner-supplied plans. While performing their functions, the survey crew is approached by a subcontractor who wants them to perform some work for him on the same project. He states that he will pay for this additional work and notes that it will be easy for the survey crew to perform both services at the same time. What should the survey crew do? a. the survey crew should accept this additional work as long as they have the equipment and capacity to perform both services adequately b. The survey crew should accept this additional work as long as the circumstances are fully disclosed and agreed to by all interested parties c. the survey crew should not accept this additional work as it will be a conflict of interest d. the survey crew should not accept compensation for any additional work because they cannot bill two parties for work performed on the same job

B. it is legal and ethical for the survey crew to work for more than one party on the same project as long as the circumstances are fully disclosed and agreed to by all interest parties, as long as neither of the parties are adversely affected.

While supervising a construction project in a developing country, an engineer discovers that this client's project manager is treating laborers in an unsafe and inhumane (but for that country, legal) manner. When he protests, the engineer is told by company executives that the company has no choice in the matter if it wishes to remain competitive in the region, and he should just accept this as the way things are. What, if anything, would ethics require the engineer to do? A. Take no action-the company is acting in a perfectly legal manner B. Withdraw from the project, returning any fees he may already have received. C. Report the company to the proper authorities for its human rights abuses D. Assist the laborers in organizing a strike to obtain better working conditions

B. the company hasn't broken any laws, so there is no one to report them to, but it is using unethical business practices. The engineer should at the least withdraw from the project as form of protest and serve any business relations with the company. He could go so far as to assist the workers in protesting, but this might actually be illegal in the country in question. In any case, such activism would be a personal choice on the part of the engineer, not something he is obligated to do under a code of ethics.

Two engineers submitted sealed bids to a prospective client for a design project. The client told engineer A how much engineer B had bid and invited engineer A to beat that amount. Engineer A really wants the project and honestly believes he can do a better job than engineer B. What should he do? A. He should submit another quote, but only if he can perform the work adequately at the reduced price. B. He should withdraw from considering for the project. C. He should remain in consideration for the project, but not change his bid D. He should bargain with the client for the cost of the work.

C. It would be unfair and unethical for engineer A to submit another bid. Depending upon the regulating agency, it may also be illegal. He does not, however, have to remove himself from consideration for the project.

Seventeen years ago, Susan designed a corrugated steel culvert for a rural road. Her work was accepted and paid for by the county engineering department. Last winter, the culvert collapsed as a loaded logging truck passed over. Although there was no injuries, there was damage to the truck and roadway, and the county tried unsccuessfully to collect on Susan s company's bond. The judge denied the claim on the basis that the work was done too long ago. This defence is known as A. privity of contract b. duplicity of liability c. statute of limitations d. caveat emptor

C. Most states have statues of limitations. Unless a crime or fradulent act has been committed. defects appearing after a certain amount of time are not actionable.

Complete the sentence: "The US Department of Justice's successful action in the 1970s against engineering codes of ethics that formally prohibited competitive budding was based on the premise that a. competitive bidding allowed minority firms to participate b. competitive bidding was required by many government contracts c. the prohibitions violated antitrust statues d. engineering society did not have the authority to prohibit competitive bidding

C. The US Department of Justice's successful challenge was based on antitrust statutes. Prohibiting competitive bidding was judged to inhibit free competition among design firms.

While working to revise the design of suspension for a popular car, an engineer discovers a flaw in the design currently being produced. Based on a statistical analysis, the company determines that although this mistake is likely to cause a small increase in the number of fatalities seen each year, it would be prohibitively expensive to do a recall to replace the part. Accordingly, the company decides not to issue a recall notice. What should the engineer do? a. The engineer should go along with company's decision. The company has researched its option and chosen the most economic alternative. b. The engineer should send an anonymous tip to the media, suggesting that they alert the public and begin an investigation of the company's business practices c. The engineer should notify the National Transportation Safety Board, providing enough details for them to initiate a formal inquiry. d. The engineer should resign from the company. Because of standard nondisclosure agreements, it would be unethical as well as illegal to disclose any information about this situation. In addition, the engineer should not associate with a company that is engaging in such behavior.

C. The engineer's highest obligation is the public's safety. In most instances, it would be unethical to take some public action on a matter without providing the company with the opportunity to resolve the situation internally. In this case, however, it appears as though the company's senior officers have already reviewed the case and made a decision. The engineer must alert the proper authorities, the NTSB, and provide them with any assitance necessary to investigate the case. To contact the media, although it might be accomplish the same goal, would fail to fulfill the engineer's obligation to notify the authorities.

Which of the following establishes ethical behavior among professionals? a. taxation regulations b. rules of play for professional sports c. Hippocratic oath d. legal contracts

C. ethical restrictions do not carry the force of law. Ethics are not enforced by statutes, referees, umpires, or state troopers. The Hippocratic oath taken by graduating medical students is the earliest known example of a code of ethics for professionals.

Why is competitive bidding often considered to be counterproductive? a. Competitive bidding may reduce the client's cost but will increase the design professional's cost. b. Competition among different design firms is unprofessional, undignified, and unethical c. The best design is not always the least expensive d. A design professional who reduces the final cost in order to be competitive may eliminate important design steps or features.

D. A design professional knows the steps necessary to satisfy the client. Each bidding professional will have a different design, will use different methods and some suppliers, and will work at a different pace. Some professionals, due to the nature of their design capabilities, will be more expensive. To arbitrarily reduce a bid to "beat" someone else's bid (for a different design or method) may require cutting corners later in the design of construction process.

During the day, an engineer works for a scientific research laboratory doing government research. During the night, the engineer uses some of the lab's equipment to perform testing services for other consulting engineers. Why is this action probably illegal? A. The laboratory has not given permission for the equipment use b. the government contract prohibits misuse and misappropriation of the equipment c. The equipment may wear out or be broken by the engineer and the replacement cost will be borne by the government contract. d. The engineer;s fees to the consulting engineers can undercut local testing services' fees because the engineer has a lower overhead.

D. A,B,C, and D all are valid however, the rationale for specific ethical prohibitions on using your employer's equipment for a second job is economic. When you don't have to pay for the equipment, you don't have to recover its purchase prince in your fees for services.

Engineering is considered by many to be one of the learned "professionals" rather than a more fundamental "occupation." Which of the following is not a characteristic of a profession? a. A profession satisfies an indispensable and beneficial social need b. a profession is based on knowledge and skills not common to the general public c. a profession depends to a great extent on the personal judgement of its members d. a profession utilizes entrance exams as a means of limiting its membership to the "elite"

D. Being as dependent as they are on the dissemination of knowledge, professions must be dedicated to both the training and evaluation of potential members of the field. Entrance exams are intended not to limit the membership of the profession, but instead to ensure that all applicants meet a minimum requirement of knowledge and skills.

Which of the following principles is not embodied in codes of ethics for engineering consultants. 1. Consulting engineers will place service to humankind above personal gain. 2. Consulting engineers will serve clients faithfully, honestly, and professionally. 3. Consulting engineers will be fair and will act with integrity and courtesy 4. Consulting engineers will encourage the development of the engineering and consulting profession. a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. neither 1, 2, 3, or 4,

D. Codes of ethics for consulting engineers contain provisions pertaining to all four principles

which organizations typically do not have codes of ethics for engineers? a. technical societies b. national professional societies c. state professional societies d. companies that write, administer, and grade licensing exams

D. Companies that write, administer, and grade licencing exams typically do not have codes of ethics for engineers.

Which of the following terms is not related to ethics? a. integrity b. honesty c. morality d. profitability.

D. Ethical actions may or may not be profitable

Ethics requires you to take into consideration the effects of your behavior on which group(s) of people? I. your employer II. the nonprofessionals in society III. other professionals A. II B. I AND II C. II AND III D. I, II, AND III

D. Ethical behavior places restrictions on behavior that affect you, your employer, other engineers, your clients, and society as a whole.

What is the best description of "going along with the crowd" and "doing what the Romans do" a. Ethical behavior b. legal behavior c. moral behavior d. mob action

D. Group actions may be illegal, immoral, and unethical. The best you can say is that crowd actions are the actions of the group. A mob is a group or crowd that acts with a singular purpose.

an engineer is consulting for a construction company that has been receiving bad publicity in the local papers about its waste handling practices. Knowing that this criticism is based on public misconceptions and the paper's thirst for controversial stories, the engineer would like to write an article to be printed in the paper's editorial page. What statement best describes the engineer's ethical obligations?

D. It is ethical for the engineer to issue a public statement concerning a company he works for, provided he makes that relationship clear and provided the statement is truthful and objective.

plan stamping is best defined as a. the legal action of signing off on a project you didn't design but are taking full responsibility for b. the legal action of signing off on a project you didn't design or check but didn't accept money for c. the illegal action of signing off on a project you didn't design but did check d. the illegal action of signing off on a project you didn't design or check

D. It is legal to stamp plans that you personally designed and/or checked. It is illegal to stamp plans that you didn't personally design or check, regardless of whether you got paid. It is legal to work as a "plan checker" consultant.

16. An engineering firm is hired by a developer to prepare plans for a shopping mall. Prior to the final bid date, several contractors who have received bid documents and plans contract the engineering firm with requests for information relating to the project. What can the engineering firm do? a. The firm can supply requested information to the contractors as long as it does so fairly and evenly. It cannot favor or discriminate against any contractor. b. The firm should supply information to only those contractors that it feels could safely and economically perform the construction services. c. The firm cannot reveal facts, data or information relating to the project that might prejudice a contractor against submitting a bid on the project. d. The firm cannot reveal facts, data, or information relating to the project without the consent of the client as authorized or required by law.

D. It is normal for engineers and architects to clarify the bid documents. However, some information may be proprietary to the developer. The engineering firm should only reveal information that has already been publicly disseminated or approved for release with the consent of the client.

A local engineering professor acts as technical adviser for the city council in a town. A few weeks before the council is scheduled to award a large construction contract, the professor is approached by one of the competing companies and offered a consulting position. Under what circumstances would it be ethical to accept the job? a. Both the company and the council must know about and approve of the arrangement. b. The professor should arrange not to begin work until after the council's vote c. The professor may accept the job if the advisory position to the council is on a volunteer basis. d. The professor must not participate in any discussions concerning the project for which the company is competing.

D. The professor's association with the company is bound to influence any advice given to the board, even if the job doesn't start until later. Regardless of whether the board understands and approves of this situation, the engineer is obligated to withdraw from any of the council's discussion concerning the project.

Mr. SW Frank and PE, is the owner and founder of Frank and Sons Engineering Inc, a state corporation founded in compliance with state laws. None of Mr. Franks' sons or employees are professional engineers. Mr Frank, now 94 years old and with afailing eyesight comes into the office daily and asks questions about the projects. When his sons compete their reports and plans, he applies his engineer's seal to them A. this mode of operation is permitted as long as the company's name contains Mr. Franks name B. This mode of operation is permitted as long as Mr. Frank;s sons work for him C. This mode of operation is permitted as long as Mr. Frank continues to question about the projects D. This mode of operation is not permitted

D. This problem deals with "plan stamping" Although all professional engineers can stamp (seal) plans, the term "plan stamping" is specifically used to describe stamping plans that someone else has developed without verifying the validity of the plans personally. Plan stamping is in biolation of all state engineering acts. In this case, it is unlikely that MR. Frank's questions are suffcient to determine the validity of the plans he stamps.

Complete the sentence "Guidelines of ethical behavior among engineers are needed because a. engineers are analytical and they don't always think in terms of right and wrong b. all people including engineers are inherently unethical c. rules of ethics are easily forgotten d. it is easy for engineers to take advantage of clients.

D. Untrained members of society are at the mercy of the professionals (e.g. doctors, lawyers, engineers) they employ. Even a cab driver can take advantages of anew tourist who doesn't know the shortest route between two points. In many cases, the unsuspecting public needs protection from unscrupulous professionals, engineers included, who act in their own interest

What actions can be taken by a state-regulating agency against a design professional who violates one or more of its rules of conduct? I. the professional's license may be revoked or suspended II. notice of the biolation may be published in the local newspaper III. the professional may be asked to make restitutionn IV. the professional may be required to complete a course in ethics. A. I AND II B. I AND III C. I AND IV D. I, II, III, AND IV

D. all four punishments are commonly used by state engineering licensing boards

Which of the following methods of advertising is most likely to violate an ethical standard for engineering design firms? a. radio or television advertising b. yellow-page (phone book) advertising c. Distribution of company calendars to clients d. company brochures exhibiting self-laudatory language

D. although the standards for what is considered to be ethical advertising are considerably more lenient than they have been in the past, all advertising that is self-laudatory is derogatory to the dignity of the profession and is unethical. Scantily clad women at trade shows and "we're the best" language in company brochures are examples of poor-taste advertising.

An engineering firm specializes in designing wood framed houses. Which organization would it be ethical for the owner of that firm to belong? I. Rotary Club II. local Chamber of Commerce III. national timber-research foundation IV. pro-logging lobbying groupw A. I AND II B. III AND IV C. III D. I, II, III, AND IV

D. The owner should not belong to organizations that would cast the profession in a bad light. Though self serving, non of the organizations listed are illegal or committed to immoral actions. The owner would be able to inform his client of any connections, interests, or affiliations that might influence his judgement. Since the firm specializes in timber construction already, it is unlikely that any of these organizations would cause the owner to favor timber.

An environmental engineer with five years experience reads a story in the daily paper about a proposal being presented to the city council to construct a new sewage treatment plant near protected wetlands. Based on professional experience and the facts presented in the newspaper, the engineer suspects the plant would be extremely harmful to the local ecosystem. Which of the following would be an acceptable course of action? a. the engineer should contact appropriate agencies to get more data on the project before making a judgement. b. the engineer should write an article for the paper's editorial page urging the council not to pass the project c. the engineer should circulate a petition through the community condemning the project, and present the petition to the council. d. The engineer should do nothing because he doesn't have enough experience in the industry to express a public opinion on the matter

a. the engineer certainly has more experience and knowledge in the filed than the general public or even the council members who will have to vote on the issue. Therefore, the engineer is qualified to express his opinion if he wishes to do so. Before the engineer is obligated to make sure that all the available information has been collected.

Without your knowledge, an old classmate applies to the company you work for. Knowing that you recently graduated from the same school, the director of engineering shows you the application and resume your friend submitted and asks your opinion. It turns out that your friend exaggerated his participation in campus organizations, even claiming to have been an officer in an engineering society that you are sure he was never in. On the other hand, you remember him as being a highly intelligent student and believe that he could really help the company. How should you handle the situation? a. You should remove yourself from the ethical dilemma by claiming that you don't remember enough about the applicant to make an informed decision. b. You should follow your instincts and recommend the applicant. Almost everyone stretches the truth a little in their resumes, and the thing you're really being asked to evaluate is his usefulness to the company. If you mention the resume padding, the company is liable to lose a good prospect. c. You should recommend the applicant, but qualify your recommendation by pointing out that you think he may have exaggerated some details on his resume d. You should point out the inconsistencies in the applicant's resume and recommend against hiring him.

c. Engineers are ethically obligated to prevent the misrepresentation of their associate's qualifications. You must make your employer aware of the incorrect facts on the resume. On the other hand, if you really believe that the applicant would make a good employee, you should make that recommendation as well. Unless you are making the hiring decision, ethics requires only that you be truthful. If you believe the applicant has merit, you should state so. It is the company's decision to remove or not remove the applicant from consideration because of this transgression. ,

Complete the sentence: "a professional engineer who took the licensing examination in mechanical engineering a. may not design in electrical engineering b. may design in electrical engineering if she feels competent c. may design in electrical engineering if she feels competent and the electrical portion of the design is insignificant and incidental to the overall job. d may design in electrical engineering if another engineer checks the electrical engineering work,.

c. although the laws vary from state to state, engineers are usually licensed generically. Engineers are licensed as "professional engineers." The scope of their work is limited only their competence. In the states where the license is in a particular engineering discipline, an engineer may "touch upon" another discipline when the work is insignificant and/or incidental