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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #69892
Title: FOUNDATIONS OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING ETHICS

Author
item Alessi, Randolph
item MAYHEW, MICHAEL - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item GOKEY, JOHN - COMPUTING DEVICES INTL
item WALDEN, DAVID - COMPUTING DEVICES INTL

Submitted to: Systems Engineering Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/27/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. One of its responsibilities is to determine "what" to build rather than simply "how." Such a need is becoming more important in our heavily technological world. Therefore, Systems Engineering needs high standards of integrity and ethics integrated within its problem solving methods. Stakeholder responsibilities, environmental impact, product life-cycle issues and personal moral stance are some of the issues discussed. This paper explores various aspects of engineering ethics and presents some requirements for the development of a code of ethics for Systems Engineering. Such a code will protect society and stakeholders from improper or wasteful application of new system technologies.

Technical Abstract: INCOSE has stated the need to develop standards for the integrity of Systems Engineering. Part of what defines this integrity will involve ethics. This paper provides background information to support a search for ethics peculiar to Systems Engineering. Presented are a rationale for considering ethics, the role and responsibility of professional societies to state ethical standards, a historical and theoretical perspective and requirements for development of a Systems Engineering ethics code. An ethics discussion within INCOSE will likely produce tools, such as a code, which distinguish Systems Engineering's role and responsibilities for ethical design and management of complex systems that minimize unintended harmful behavior.