Enginnering Ethics Paper -- Engineering

In order for an engineering concept to be considered innovative it must be a new method or product; but it can also be a modification to an existing method or product. Generally the function of innovation is to overcome a new obstacle or to improve upon a current solution to any design. For the purpose of this paper innovation will not be defined only as an improvement. However, the innovation may cause new problems to arise. Given this situation the engineer may not have taken all the necessary steps to ensure the success of the application of the new design. In this paper one such engineer (William LeMessurier) and design concept will be discussed. The definition of innovation in the engineering field will be developed and the question of whether or not there are additional obligations imposed on the engineer as a result of innovation will be addressed. It was previously stated that innovation produces new problems which still holds true, but the statement may cause confusion given the definition of innovation as compared to the definition of invention. Invention is the generation of an idea while innovation is the attempted implementation of that idea. Having established general definitions an expansion on the definition of innovation is needed. An idea cannot be considered innovative if the application is unsuccessful. In order for a concept to be considered innovative it has to meet the design criteria. An innovative design must possess or more of the following characteristics: unusual, ground breaking, novel or a significant transformation from the previous design. In the field of engineering the distinction between innovative and non-innovative designs is based mostly on pioneering. The purpose of an engineer is to improv... ...tated that the night welding was the result of â€Å"an upgrade to reflect a recent change in the NYC building codes†2. This statement was deceitful but not irresponsible. The public health, safety and welfare were not ignored in association with the Citicorp design. Precautions were taken and information was shared among those in a position to make an impact. Informing the public of a design flaw would most likely cause panic and great economic loss. The engineer LeMessurier acted responsibly on his part. As the lead engineer public relations and press releases are not his responsibility. References 1. "Innovation.†. Britannica Family Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. 2. E. HARRIS and R. JAMES, ENGR 482 Class Notes, Texas A&M University (Fall 2009). 3. HARRIS,PRITCHARD, RABINS, â€Å"Engineering Ethics†, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Belmont (2009)