Engineering Ethics MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Engineering Ethics - Download Free PDF

Key Points

• Ethics is a set of principles that guide behavior, distinguishing between right and wrong.
• It plays a crucial role in both personal and professional decision-making processes.
• Ethical principles are often derived from societal norms, laws, and professional codes of conduct.
• Adherence to ethical standards ensures trust, integrity, and accountability in various aspects of life.

Additional Information

• Ethics:
  • Ethics refers to the moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity.
  • It is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also described as moral philosophy.
  • Ethics can be divided into various branches such as normative ethics, meta-ethics, and applied ethics.
  • Normative ethics involves creating or evaluating moral standards; it is the study of ethical action.
  • Meta-ethics explores the nature, scope, and meaning of moral judgments.
  • Applied ethics involves examining specific controversial issues, such as abortion, infanticide, animal rights, environmental concerns, and capital punishment.
• Ethical Dilemma:
  • An ethical dilemma is a complex situation that often involves a conflict between moral imperatives.
  • It occurs when one has to choose between two equally undesirable alternatives or when no clear right or wrong answer is present.
  • Ethical dilemmas often require critical thinking and a balance between various ethical principles to resolve.
• Innovation:
  • Innovation refers to the introduction of new ideas, methods, or products.
  • It is a key driver of economic growth, productivity, and competitiveness.
  • Innovation can occur in various forms such as product innovation, process innovation, and business model innovation.
• Open Communication:
  • Open communication involves the free exchange of ideas, information, and feedback without barriers.
  • It promotes transparency, trust, and collaboration in personal and professional relationships.
  • Effective open communication is essential for the success and growth of any organization or team.

The correct answer is Organisational effectiveness.

Key Points Organizational development is founded on the belief that using behavioral science methods to increase collaborative problem-solving would increase organizational effectiveness. Through behavioral science methods, the employees of the organization will be able to solve various problems which will lead to organizational effectiveness.

Important Points Organizational Development:

Organizational development is the process of advancing or promoting the growth of an organization. Organization is treated as a system that is logically linked to a group of elements, principles, and ideas. A planned organizational strategy helps in bringing long-term change to the organization. These changes have to be implemented in coordination and collaboration. It emphasizes improving and enhancing the performance of the organization.

Five phases of Organization Development:

• Entry: This is the phase where the consultant and the client interact with each other and find out the problem.
• Diagnosis: This is the fact-finding phase where information is gathered about the problem and is reviewed and analyzed.
• Feedback: In this phase, based on the analysis, an action plan is developed that outlines the solution for the problem.
• Solution: This phase focuses on developing the final solution for the problem that occurred and this solution will enhance the organizational effectiveness.
• Evaluation: This stage represents an evaluation of the solution. This evaluation helps in understanding whether the initiative is meeting intended goals or not.

Additional Information Organizational reputation refers to the image that the organization has among its stakeholders.

Organizational turnover refers to the gross revenue and the total sales during a particular period.

Organizational climate refers to atmosphere or the environment in which the organization operates.

Hence, the correct answer is Organizational effectiveness.

The correct sequence of steps in an Organizational Development Process is:

Diagnosis of the state of organization. This step involves identifying the organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Planning and designing interventions. This step involves developing and implementing interventions that will address the organization's needs.
Implementing interventions. This step involves putting the interventions into place.
Evaluating the effects of interventions. This step involves assessing the impact of the interventions and making necessary adjustments.
So, the correct sequence is II, I, IV, III.

Important Points Here is a more detailed explanation of each step:

Diagnosis of the state of organization

The first step in any organizational development process is to diagnose the current state of the organization. This involves gathering information about the organization's culture, structure, processes, and people. The goal of this step is to identify the organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Planning and designing interventions

Once the organization's current state has been diagnosed, the next step is to plan and design interventions. Interventions are actions that are taken to improve the organization. They can be anything from training programs to new organizational structures. The goal of this step is to develop interventions that will address the organization's needs.

Implementing interventions

The third step is to implement the interventions that have been designed. This involves putting the interventions into place and making sure that they are being carried out as planned.

Evaluating the effects of interventions

The final step is to evaluate the effects of the interventions. This involves assessing the impact of the interventions and making necessary adjustments. The goal of this step is to ensure that the interventions are having the desired effect.

The correct answer is:

c) Aristotle

Key Points Virtue ethics was developed by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. He extensively explored the concept of virtues and character in his works, particularly in his ethical writings such as the "Nicomachean Ethics." Aristotle's virtue ethics focuses on cultivating virtuous character traits and achieving eudaimonia, often translated as "flourishing" or "living well," through the development of moral virtues and practical wisdom.

This ethical framework emphasizes the importance of cultivating good habits and virtuous behavior to lead a morally fulfilling life.

Additional Information Virtue ethics is a philosophical approach to ethics that emphasizes the development of moral character and virtues as the foundation for ethical behavior. It is concerned with answering questions about how individuals should live their lives, what constitutes a good life, and how one should make moral decisions. Virtue ethics places less emphasis on rules or consequences and more on the qualities of character and the cultivation of virtues.

The correct answer is Establish rules and norms.

Key Points In the stage of group development known as "Norming," group members establish norms and develop a sense of cohesion and cooperation. During this stage, the following behaviors and dynamics commonly occur:

Development of Group Norms: Group members work together to establish shared norms and expectations for behavior, communication, and collaboration within the group. Norms help guide the group's interactions and create a sense of predictability and order.

Increased Cohesion: As group members become more familiar with each other and their roles, they develop a sense of camaraderie and unity. There is a growing bond among members, and they begin to identify themselves as part of the group.

Enhanced Communication: In the Norming stage, communication among group members tends to improve. Individuals become more comfortable expressing their ideas, opinions, and concerns. Active listening, constructive feedback, and open dialogue become more prevalent.

Collaboration and Cooperation: Group members start working collaboratively towards achieving the group's goals. They recognize the value of teamwork and understand that their collective efforts are essential for success. There is a willingness to support and help each other, sharing resources and knowledge.

Resolution of Conflicts: Conflicts that may have emerged during the Storming stage begin to be resolved in the Norming stage. Group members learn to manage disagreements and find constructive solutions. There is a focus on finding common ground and reaching consensus.

Role Clarification: Roles and responsibilities within the group become clearer during the Norming stage. Group members better understand their individual contributions and how they fit into the overall group dynamics. This clarity reduces ambiguity and enhances productivity.

Hence, the correct answer is Establish rules and norms

The Correct Answer is Option 3 i.e Peter F. Drucker.

• Peter F. Drucker:
  • He is considered the father of modern management.
  • He said the following line - "Ethics is concerned with the right actions performed by individuals". Simply put, Ethics is about principles of right conduct and behavior.
• Emmanuel Kant:
  • His ethical theory is referred to as a deontological moral theory.
  • It means that an action is moral if it can be considered to be a duty with the reason that is universally acceptable.
• Plato:
  • His most fundamental thought is that the moral values of the citizens are governed by the moral values of society.
• Aristotle:
  • He said "Politics is the ethics of state"
  • He says that Individual morality finds its end in the state which is not possible without the state.

Key Points

Utilitarianism:

• It is an ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes. It is a form of consequentialism. So, it is a judgment of an action by the consequences of that action.
• Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number.
• It is also the most common approach to moral reasoning used in business because of the way in which it accounts for costs and benefits.

Important Points

Conflict of interest:

• It is an opposition between the private interests and the official or professional responsibilities of a person in a position of trust, power, and/or authority.
• Such conflicts may result in a situation in which personal, financial, and/or nonfinancial considerations have the potential to influence or compromise professional judgment in service, research, consultation, instruction, administration, or any other professional activity.
• It is important to note that it is not necessary for such influence or compromise to have occurred before a situation can be identified as a conflict of interest.
• It is sufficient for the situation to appear to provide the potential for professional judgment to be compromised.

Micro ethics can be at two levels: Individual and Professional. The individual ethics include honesty, integrity, fairness etc, whereas professional ethics at micro level include adherence to safety, quality etc.

Macro ethics looks at bigger picture issues such as sustainability, poverty, social justice, and bioethics which need to be addressed by the engineering profession (and society) as a whole. Macro ethics is also generally not captured by professional codes of conduct.

Right Conduct require the following skills.

Self-help skills: Care of possessions, diet, hygiene, modesty, posture, self-reliance, and tidy appearance

Social skills: Good behaviour, good manners, good relationships, helpfulness, no wastage, and good environment

Duty of Care: The duty of care is a common law arrangement where the client expects a level of professionalism and standards commonly held by those in the profession.

Malpractice: The breach by a member of a profession of either a standard of care or a standard of conduct.

Professional malpractice: When a person practicing his or her profession improperly performs the duties of that profession, they are liable for injuries their negligence causes.

Ontology: It is the philosophical study dealing with the nature of being.

Epistemology: It is the philosophical field in which one studies knowledge, understanding, wisdom, justification, the ethics of belief, and various domains of knowledge, such as moral, modal, mathematical, self, and external world knowledge.

Entomology: It is the study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and other organisms.

The principle or rule of beneficence refers to a normative statement of a moral obligation to act for the others’ benefit, helping them to further their important and legitimate interests, often by preventing or removing possible harms.

That means all our thoughts and actions must be directed to ensure that others benefit from these thoughts and actions.

Organizational climate is a concept that has academic meaning in the fields of organizational behavior and I/O psychology as well as practical meaning in the business world There is continued scholarly debate about the exact definition of organizational climate for the purposes of scientific study. Important Points

• Organizational climate is deemed to be important: it is perceived, as motivated employee will result in
• Higher productivity and motivational level, greater passion for the business, and a deeper engagement with customers.
• A positive climate encourages employees’ productivity and decrease turnover. 
• Being recognized for good work.
• Developing the right behavior may stipulate the right attitude as in organizational commitment.
• Treating your organizational with utmost respect ensure growth for both components indeed.
• The right organizational climate creates the passion and this is required to impact the commitment level to the organizational well-being.

Hence with the help of above information we can say that the organizational climate affects the productivity level and motivation level.

Additional Information

• Respect for employer and salary, Team spirit and quality of products, Employees’ dedication and salary are also affect the organizational climate but not as much as productivity level and motivation level because these are depends upon employee productivity and motivational level.

• A professional is clear in thinking and focused on the job, while an amateur is confused and distracted from the job.
• A professional can suggest a long-term solution for any problem as they are having high skills in that particular area.