The Social Nature of Engineering and its Implications for Risk Taking

Abstract

Making decisions with an, often significant, element of risk seems to be an integral part of many of the projects of the diverse profession of engineering. Whether it be decisions about the design of products, manufacturing processes, public works, or developing technological solutions to environmental, social and global problems, risk taking seems inherent to the profession. Despite this, little attention has been paid to the topic and specifically to how our understanding of engineering as a distinctive profession might affect how we should make decisions under risk. This paper seeks to remedy this, firstly by offering a nuanced account of risk and then by considering how specific claims about our understanding of engineering as a social profession, with corresponding social values and obligations, should inform how we make decisions about risk in this context.

Philosophy of Engineering: What It Is and Why It Matters

“…It is manifested as "the cultivated capacity to make particular judgment 'calls' resourcefully and reliably in all the complex situations that they address," as well as "an ability to recognize situations, cases or problems : : : and to deal with them adequately and appropriately" (Dunne 2005). It also constitutes "a reliable capacity to respond to risk with the appropriate attitude" (Ross and Athanassoulis 2010).…”

Factors Influencing the Regional Concentration of Innovative Processes in Ukraine

“…An analysis of recent research and publications of subject [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] allows us to determine the existence of significant developments in the topics of innovation and scientific and technical activities, as well as engineering services. Unfortunately, within these topics, the issue of regional concentration of engineering organizations often remains beyond the attention of scientists.…”

Insurance of Techno-Organizational Ventures and Procedural Ethics: Lessons from the Deepwater Horizon Explosion

“…Not only such severe industrial accidents in various technology intensive industries with far reaching environmental, health, societal, financial, economic, even political consequences, but also minor incidents since the 1970s have increasingly drawn attention to techno-organizational aspects of enterprise risk management and loss prevention (Reason 1997;Hoffman and Ventresca 2002;Sunstein 2002;Van Loon 2002;Hutter and Power 2005;Power 2003Power , 2007Perrow 2007;Sparrow 2008). Less attention has been drawn to ethical orientations in the involved organizations and among members of professional groups that can be decisive drivers towards effective risk and safety management (Muir Wood 2004;Harris 2008;Macpherson 2008;d' Anjou 2010;Ross and Athanassoulis 2010). It is this aspect, taken up by relatively few authors, which will be discussed here, in connection with insurance.…”