AFAB 130 MIDTERM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
What is Ethics? - Answers - In its simplest terms, Ethics is the study of "how to live life
well" (Beabout & Wennemann)
-6 Moral principles upon which decisions or actions of an individual or a group are
based.
*The principle of autonomy - Respect the autonomy of others
*The principle of non-maleficence - Do not inflict harm on others
*The principle of beneficence - Promote the good of others
*The principle of justice - Give others what is owed or due to them; give others what
they deserve
*The principle of truth-telling - Disclose all relevant information honestly and intelligibly;
do not intentionally deceive
*The principle of promise-keeping - Be faithful to just agreements; honor contracts
What are Morals? - Answers - Concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in
human behavior
What is Safety Ethics? - Answers - Don't do any harm, be honest in your dealings, do a
good job
Personal safety ethics are considered to be safety related ethics that an individual
strongly believes in.
Professional safety ethics are more company mandated, and don't necessarily align
themselves with personal safety ethics.
What is meant by "whistle blowing'? - Answers - The disclosure by a person, usually an
employee in a government agency or private enterprise, to the public or to those in
authority, of mismanagement, corruption, illegality, or some other wrongdoing.
What is meant by "pencil whipping"? - Answers - It is signing for a job that has not been
performed.
What is meant by "not knowing when to act"? - Answers - Procedural violations in
aviation maintenance are inevitable because:
-There are too many procedures
-Maintenance procedures are part of federal regulations
-Practically impossible for management or the FAA to ensure consistent compliance
-Increased emphasis on on-time performance rather than safety has encouraged
shortcuts
, What are the 5 theories of ethics (Beabout & Wennemann)? What are the problems with
applying each? - Answers - Egoism:Selfishness or pursuit of self-interest.
Conventional Morality:Morality based on the conventions of one's society or social
circles.
Utilitarianism: Judging actions by their ability to produce the greatest benefit for the
greatest number of people.
Duty Ethics: Duty-based judgment of actions; to do one's moral duty.
Virtue Ethics: To act in accordance with certain basic human virtues such as , wisdom,
justice, temperance, and prudence.
What is meant by "professionalism"? - Answers - The ability to work in teams with an
emphasis on interpersonal communication and goal sharing
The ability to maintain high individual and systemic reliability under varying levels of
degrading factors
Dedicated to using one's skills for the betterment of others
What are Kohlberg's 3 categories of decision makers? - Answers - Level 1: Self-
Interest:decision makers tend to abide by the published rules such as regulations or
corporate policies out of fear of prosecution if these rules were violated.
Level 2: Conformity to One's Society: tend to abide by the unpublished rules of their
social groups - the rules that enable acceptance or membership of the desired group.
Level-3 Principle of Respect: are risk-based decision-makers who are able to ascertain
the risks involved in their decisions and then choose their course of action.
What are three characteristics that enable a person to stand up against unethical or
legal violations? - Answers - Personal confidence in own skills
Professional pride
Strong support system
What is "Data-Smoothing"? - Answers - Term used to falsify data so that it is within
certain allowable limits.
What are the 12 Human Factors? - Answers - Lack of Communication - This is simply
the failure to exchange information. The training should focus on not only how this
comes to happen, but also what safety net will prevent it. Very simply, in good
communication, "the mental pictures must match."
ANSWERS
What is Ethics? - Answers - In its simplest terms, Ethics is the study of "how to live life
well" (Beabout & Wennemann)
-6 Moral principles upon which decisions or actions of an individual or a group are
based.
*The principle of autonomy - Respect the autonomy of others
*The principle of non-maleficence - Do not inflict harm on others
*The principle of beneficence - Promote the good of others
*The principle of justice - Give others what is owed or due to them; give others what
they deserve
*The principle of truth-telling - Disclose all relevant information honestly and intelligibly;
do not intentionally deceive
*The principle of promise-keeping - Be faithful to just agreements; honor contracts
What are Morals? - Answers - Concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in
human behavior
What is Safety Ethics? - Answers - Don't do any harm, be honest in your dealings, do a
good job
Personal safety ethics are considered to be safety related ethics that an individual
strongly believes in.
Professional safety ethics are more company mandated, and don't necessarily align
themselves with personal safety ethics.
What is meant by "whistle blowing'? - Answers - The disclosure by a person, usually an
employee in a government agency or private enterprise, to the public or to those in
authority, of mismanagement, corruption, illegality, or some other wrongdoing.
What is meant by "pencil whipping"? - Answers - It is signing for a job that has not been
performed.
What is meant by "not knowing when to act"? - Answers - Procedural violations in
aviation maintenance are inevitable because:
-There are too many procedures
-Maintenance procedures are part of federal regulations
-Practically impossible for management or the FAA to ensure consistent compliance
-Increased emphasis on on-time performance rather than safety has encouraged
shortcuts
, What are the 5 theories of ethics (Beabout & Wennemann)? What are the problems with
applying each? - Answers - Egoism:Selfishness or pursuit of self-interest.
Conventional Morality:Morality based on the conventions of one's society or social
circles.
Utilitarianism: Judging actions by their ability to produce the greatest benefit for the
greatest number of people.
Duty Ethics: Duty-based judgment of actions; to do one's moral duty.
Virtue Ethics: To act in accordance with certain basic human virtues such as , wisdom,
justice, temperance, and prudence.
What is meant by "professionalism"? - Answers - The ability to work in teams with an
emphasis on interpersonal communication and goal sharing
The ability to maintain high individual and systemic reliability under varying levels of
degrading factors
Dedicated to using one's skills for the betterment of others
What are Kohlberg's 3 categories of decision makers? - Answers - Level 1: Self-
Interest:decision makers tend to abide by the published rules such as regulations or
corporate policies out of fear of prosecution if these rules were violated.
Level 2: Conformity to One's Society: tend to abide by the unpublished rules of their
social groups - the rules that enable acceptance or membership of the desired group.
Level-3 Principle of Respect: are risk-based decision-makers who are able to ascertain
the risks involved in their decisions and then choose their course of action.
What are three characteristics that enable a person to stand up against unethical or
legal violations? - Answers - Personal confidence in own skills
Professional pride
Strong support system
What is "Data-Smoothing"? - Answers - Term used to falsify data so that it is within
certain allowable limits.
What are the 12 Human Factors? - Answers - Lack of Communication - This is simply
the failure to exchange information. The training should focus on not only how this
comes to happen, but also what safety net will prevent it. Very simply, in good
communication, "the mental pictures must match."
