Computational Thinking Between Philosophy and STEM—Programming Decision Making Applied to the Behavior of “Moral Machines” in Ethical Values Classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Miguel Seoane Pardo
Author(s):  
Snehasish Mishra

Biomedical engineering is an advanced and relatively new field in the healthcare sector. Owing to the very nature of the various professional challenges faced by healthcare professionals, the moral and ethical values seem to have taken the backburner. The factors contributing to it may include a sound knowledge of the healthcare professional on the legally-permissible ethical values, and the desperate situations requiring precise split-moment decision-making. No technological advancement without a human face is worth it, and hence, during the course of the degree, a biomedical engineering student needs to be exposed to various ethical issues through theory, live cases and demonstrations. Being intrinsically multi- and inter-disciplinary, biomedical engineering lacks precise ethical rules that delineate and delimit professional responsibility, thus blurring the ethical understanding of biomedical engineering. The solution seems to lie in giving due place to human virtues. In the coming days, bioethical issues are expected to be increasingly complicated and dominating the decision-making process owing to the advancements in sciences, and the ever-complicated cases handled by healthcare professionals. A global healthcare and ethics-related online open-access portal may serve as a common platform for all the stakeholders in the interest and ethical growth of biomedical engineering in particular and medical sciences in general.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Klopotan ◽  
Ana Aleksić ◽  
Nikolina Vinković

AbstractBackground: Research in business ethics shows that individual differences can influence one’s ethical behaviour. In addition, variability in attitudes towards ethical issues among different generations is emphasized. Still, results are inconclusive and call for an additional examination of possible generational differences with regard to ethics and ethical values.Objectives: Our objective is to test if the perception of the importance of business ethics, attitudes towards ethical issues and aspects influencing ethical behaviour, differ among the four generations currently present in the workforce.Methods/Approach: Theoretical implications are empirically tested on a sample of 107 individuals, members of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z.Results: In general, the results indicate that there are little or no generational differences related to the analysed aspects of business ethics. The significant difference is present only in the importance given to factors that influence ethical decision-making: (i) formal rules and procedures, (ii) performance management system and (iii) job pressures, between the members of Generation Z and older generations.Conclusions: In spite of employee diversity, ethics continues to present an important aspect of the business environment. Thus, organizations need to be oriented towards creating ethical leaders and a positive ethical climate that ensures that ethical values and behaviours are present throughout the organization.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monte Wynder ◽  
Kirsty Dunbar

Purpose – This paper aims to explore two factors that may moderate the relation between an individual’s ethical values and their evaluation of competing ethical and financial outcomes. It is argued that distance (i.e. low proximity) attenuates moral intensity, thereby inhibiting ethical decision-making (EDM). In contrast, it is argued that presenting outcomes in a separate social and environmental perspective in the balanced scorecard (BSC) increases EDM. Design/methodology/approach – In an experiment, participants evaluated social outcomes presented in a BSC. Proximity and scorecard format were manipulated in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Findings – The results indicate that physical and social proximity increase the extent to which performance evaluation is influenced by the ethical values of the evaluator. Contrary to expectations, BSC format did not influence the EDM of the evaluator. Research limitations/implications – Participants were undergraduate students which may limit the generalisability of the results. Further research should be conducted with practicing managers. The study focused on a particular ethical issue, hiring and training from the local community. Further research is necessary to consider the effect of personal ethical values on other aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Practical implications – This study indicates that ethical values will be less salient when the outcomes relate to distant locations. There are important implications for multinational corporations seeking to avoid the liability of foreignness in their distant operations. Originality/value – Previous CSR research has focused on the institutional level. The focus of the authors on the individual’s decision-making process increases our understanding of the biases that can affect EDM.


Author(s):  
David Wolf ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson ◽  
Xiaolong Luke Zhang

Thanks to recent advances in computing power and speed, designers can now generate a wealth of data on demand to support engineering design decision-making. Unfortunately, while the ability to generate and store new data continues to grow, methods and tools to support multi-dimensional data exploration have evolved at a much slower pace. Moreover, current methods and tools are often ill-equipped at accommodating evolving knowledge sources and expert-driven exploration that is being enabled by computational thinking. In this paper, we discuss ongoing research that seeks to transform decades-old decision-making paradigms rooted in operations research by considering how to effectively convert data into knowledge that enhances decision-making and leads to better designs. Specifically, we address decision-making within the area of trade space exploration by conducting human-computer interaction studies using multi-dimensional data visualization software that we have been developing. We first discuss a Pilot Study that was conducted to gain insight into expected differences between novice and expert decision-makers using a small test group. We then present the results of two Preliminary Experiments designed to gain insight into procedural differences in how novices and experts use multi-dimensional data visualization and exploration tools and to measure their ability to use these tools effectively when solving an engineering design problem. This work supports our goal of developing training protocols that support efficient and effective trade space exploration.


Author(s):  
B. Landheer ◽  
G. van der Molen ◽  
B. H. M. Vlekke ◽  
John A. Thivy ◽  
Kweè San Liat ◽  
...  

1961 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Ignaz Seidl-Hohenveldern ◽  
B. Landheer

Author(s):  
Maria A. Leach-López ◽  
Claire A. Stammerjohan ◽  
William W. Stammerjohan ◽  
Megan M. Leach

A study to measure ethical decision making of Mexican business students compared to their US counterparts. Results suggest that Mexican students’ ethical decision-making frameworks differ from those documented by Keller et al. (2007) in their study of US students. Mexican students were not found to be highly religious, but subscribed more to utilitarian, deontological and hermeneutical frameworks for their ethical values. It is suggested that multinational firms doing business in Mexico might want to schedule ethics training of managers and to have a set of standards that employees can follow.


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