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CASE 53

Why Wont They Read?

Ata TURAN

Uduak Daniel EKONG

ILE 335Ethics Course / Group 1/ Case Study #1

CASE STUDY PRESENTATION 22/04/2013


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1st Case

Sid Fisher was fuming.

The manager of mechanical engineering research

for XYZ had spent most of the morning in a research

project review. He had listened patiently at first, thenimpatiently, to two young engineers review their

research efforts on the development of a more

efficient heat transfer surface.

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1stCase (Cont...)

Realizing they were reporting efforts which had beenunsuccessful, he finally interrupted and exclaimed,

"Do you men realize that you have gone down the

same blind path that Edwards and O'Malley did

about five years ago? Their detailed research reportis in our technical library.

"Did you read it before you began your

work?"

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1stCase (Cont...)

The two engineers admitted they had not heard ofEdwards and O'Malley's previous work, had not read

the report covering it and, in fact, had made no effortto check the current technical literature for related

publications.

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1stCase (Cont...)

Sid thought about these wasted efforts and themoney the unproductive research had cost his

company.

He remembered, painfully, at least two other recentefforts where inadequate literature research had cost

XYZ the expense of wasted research and

development activities. In one case a team of XYZ

engineers worked hard for two years on a projectonly to discover that one of XYZ's competitors

had a four-year-old patent covering almost

precisely the same innovation they were

developing.5 22.04.2013


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1stCase (Cont...)

Until one of XYZ's patent attorneys called attentionto the competitive patent after reading a monthly

research report mentioning the engineers' project,

none of the engineers on the development team

had made any effort to review the patentliterature.

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2nd Case

In the second case, there had been a long, tediousresearch effort to modify the properties of a material

for use in a new component part of one of XYZ's

products. No progress at all was made until one of

XYZ's scientists got a clue at a technical societymeeting that it might be useful to check an article in

a foreign technical journal. The article provided major

help in accelerating the materials development

significantly.

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2ndCase (Cont...)

Sid thought to himself, "Why won't my engineersread?"

Certainly XYZ provided the wherewithal--a modern

technical library adequately supplied with current

and past engineering and scientific journals, facilitiesfor computerized literature searching and a staff to

assist engineers and scientists in using literature

resources. Most of his engineers seemed to lack the

incentive to read the literature, Sid thought. At bestthey seemed to confine their reading to a current

trade journal or two.

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2ndCase (Cont...)

Looking for clues to cure the "won't read"syndrome, Sid call an old friend, who was head of

the mechanical engineering department at a nearby

university. He asked him what sort of reading

requirements were part of an engineer's course ofstudy at present.

The department head explained that engineering

students, because of demanding course loads,did well to read the assigned textbooks and

related technical handbooks and computer

manuals.

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2ndCase (Cont...)

Significant outside reading began only in theM.S. or Ph.D. thesis research program.

Not overly encouraged by this response, Sid began

to think about what he could do to encourage greateruse of available technical literature on the part of his

engineers.

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Discussion and Question Part

Discuss the responsibilities XYZ engineers have tokeep up with readings relevant to their research.

What responsibilities does Sid Fisher have in this

regard?

What might Sid Fisher do to deal effectively with this

problem?

Do university engineering programs have any

special responsibility to help companies like XYZ

with this problem?11 22.04.2013


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Discussion Part

Discuss the responsibilities XYZ engineers haveto keep up with readings relevant to their

research.

When we discuss the responsibilities of XYZengineers;

Firstly, NSPE Fundamental Canons section says

"Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and

lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulnessof the profession."

At the beginning, XYZ engineers should research and read

some articles or literatures related to the "Development of A

More Efficient Heat Transfer Surface Project".12 22.04.2013


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Discussion Part (Cont)

When engineers reading articles or literatures, theycollect informations which are useful for the

development project.

Then engineers use these informations for thedevelopment project should improve.

At the end of the research, engineers would increase

the probability of success the development project.

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Solution Part

What responsibilities does Sid Fisher have inthis regard?

Sid Fisher should provide information about the previous

studies.

When explain the previous studies, he should explain all

the informations and give access permission to engineers

for access the all research informations.

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Solution Part (Cont)

What might Sid Fisher do to deal effectively withthis problem?

Sid Fisher would have to take precautions against

the possibility of failure of the project.

A staff member who has served in previous studies would

have to include the current project development group

and provide collaboration.

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What might Sid Fisher do to deal effectively withthis problem? Sid Fisher constantly making decisions must be calm.

Sid Fisher should encourage engineers to conduct

research.

The concept of risk is not at all well understood by thepublic. Instead of providing assistance in understandingthis concept, many engineers and managers like SidFisher have encouraged unrealistic expectations by theirattitudes. The public has become more intolerant of failureand more suspicious of the technical experts who areunable to deliver the promised risk-free society.

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Do university engineering programs have anyspecial responsibility to help companies like XYZ

with this problem?

Engineering education is the activityof teaching knowledge and principles related to the

professional practice of engineering. It includes the initial

education for becoming an engineer and any advanced

education and specializations that follow. Engineering

education is typically accompanied by additionalexaminations and supervised training as the requirements

for a professional engineering license.

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Do university engineering programs have any special

responsibility to help companies like XYZ with this

problem?

In this case, these type of developing projects may be give to

students for a research project case study in university.

Each student has found different documents and each student

has a different opinion/solution about the research project.

In this way, students will be directed to research.

By the way, they learn research methods and how to do

research.18 22.04.201

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THANK YOU

VERY MUCHFOR YOUR KIND

ATTENTION

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QUESTIONS ?

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