Agenda Week 8 Global Engineering Professional Seminar

1. Agenda Week 8Global Engineering Professional Seminar • Accordion Folders: Please extract your POS envelopes and “cultural differences” hand-out. • Due today: Trip Reports—please attach checklist and place in accordion folders. • Discussion today: Cultural Differences and Values Frameworks • Due next week: Ethics analysis memo • Picture Make-ups (+5 points): TODAY, after class from 3:30 to 4:20 in Room 244. • In class: Hofstede Values Survey • Follow-up Job Fair with “Thank you’s”/”updates”! Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

2. “Profession” Defined Lee Shulman, Stanford University and Carnegie Foundation: “The idea of ‘profession’ describes a special and unique set of circumstances for deep understanding, complex practice, ethical conduct, and higher-order learning.” Historical professions: medicine, law, engineering Contrast: the sciences of biochemistry and physics, and from reasoning systems such as philosophy or mathematics. Professions address critical needs for society: health, justice, safety and productivity Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

3. Steven Brint, In an Age of Experts, Princeton University Press: Two components of professionalism: • Technical: application of broad and complex knowledge [requiring] formal academic study. • Moral: commitment to “important social ends…[and] demanding high levels of self-governance.” Knowledge is not enough. Community is the core of professionalism. Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

4. Professional engineering practice • Examine problems—define problems, design investigations, set up testing, make inferences. • Convey recommendations—propose possible solutions, address short falls—provide technical leadership. • Explain decisions—connect with diverse audiences, unpack issues—deliver professional expertise. • None of the above “answers” are in the back of the book. Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

5. Documents deliver work: • Research mode: usually narrative as in lab report, thesis or journal article--problem first, followed by history of the investigation; conclusions with supporting arguments are last. • Applied mode: usually “top down” as in memo or proposal format—solution first, followed by reasons (arguments), e.g., evidence, limitations, perhaps also counter indications/cautions. Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

6. Conventional Memo Format • Navigating directions: memo heading • Reporting conventions: hierarchy, headings, summary “up front”—contrast with “trip report” narrative organization. • Designed for specificpurpose: single user (or similar users) processing entire text. • Like letter — uses first person pronouns, • Like report—uses structured formality Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

7. Ethical Reasoning Assignment • Formalize your recommendation about the “ethical situation” for this semester in a formal memo that persuasively argues for that course of action (Limit: one page). • Resources: ASME Code, Decision Matrix, Cultural Difference Dimensions. • Due in class next week with checklist. Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

8. Ethical Frameworks, revisited • Dilemmas require hierarchy, one value placed ahead of another. • Professionals are called upon to advocate, to lead, to argue for ethical solutions. • Engineers take on ethical obligations in the exercise of their profession. (The Challenger disaster is a case study in the extreme and oppositional pressures in organizations.) Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

9. “Cultural Differences” Vocabulary • What is polite? “Mores” differ—impacts global mergers such as DaimlerChrysler—now, Daimler AG and Chrysler LLC. • What is right? “Morality” differs across cultures—along at least 5 major dimensions. Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

10. Hofstede’s Five Dimensions • PDI: Power Difference Index • IND: Individualism • MAS/ACH: Achievement • UAI: Uncertainty Avoidance Index • LTO: Long-term Orientation (recent addition) VSM94: taps first four indexes. Please compare your own profile with other countries of interest to you. See: http://www.geert-hofstede.com! Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

11. Continuum Perspective Individualist Collectivist US UK F G R, I, S ME M A SEA/C A-Africa, C-China, F-France, G-Germany, I-India, J-Japan, M-Mexico ME-Middle East, R-Russia, S-Spain, SEA-Southeast Asia, UK-United Kingdom, US, United States Source: Craig Storti, Figuring Foreigners Out, Intercultural Press, 1998, p. 52. Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar

12. Hofstede: U.S. & China Profiles http://www.geert-hofstede.com/ PDI, IND, MAS/ACH, UAI, LTO Cultural Differences Spring 2008 Global Engineering Seminar