Engineering Ethics Case Study Examples

1.0 Project introduction and scenario
1.1 Introduction
In the recent times, ethical issues have dominated the debates and discussions in the considerable number of disciplines such as technology, business and engineering. On a wider note, the engineering field has received important recognition among other disciplines based on the fact that most actions carried by the practitioners are often challenging and therefore need bold decision-making. The moral reasoning is among the significant challenges in engineering as it involves the decisions to decide where to draw the line between permissible and impermissible actions. The case in this project includes the provision or making the payments to the public officials with aims of securing the project assignments in a given nation. A closer look at this action depict a considerable aspects of corruptions as it involves bribing individuals to act in one’s favour. Ideally, many ethical offer the argument that individuals and organizations doing the business in nations where bribery is prevalent should never be expected to comply with the strict ethical practice and standards. In reality, ethics possesses a universal basis and is therefore fundamentally the same across the world.
1.2 Ethical scenario
This project discusses an ethical scenario of whether or not to pay money to a public officer with an aim of securing a particular tender for an American company. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ethics for instances provides an assertion that any involvement of bribery of any kind is improper and unacceptable behaviour for an engineer. The actions depicts a lot of simplicity and consistency with other forms of ethics in the field of engineering. Recent studies have revealed that the activities that people may refers to as bribery in United States are treated as normal and legal actions in other nations. In this case, the stakeholders involve the American Company, the officials in my home country and myself. Various facts exists in relation to the case. First, the scenario depicts the legislations and the legality of the paying money to the public officials with aim of securing various projects. Secondly, it also states the legal stand of the NSPE in relation to issue of payment to people with the motive of providing the assistance in getting tenders and contracts in a particular nation and therefore, the ethical codes of the NSPE forbids such payment.
2.0 The ethical codes and theories
2.1 Professional codes
Before dealing with actual facts, issues and the implications raised in this case scenario, it is important address various ethical codes and theories related to bribery or corruption. Ideally, corruption refers to the payment aimed at inducing an individual do a particular task in one’s favour. According to the NSEP codes various actions constitutes to bribery and may include paying a government official to overlook a defect in the design or wiring in a building, paying a company purchase agent to make orders from a particular vendors. Various NSEP codes highlight the procedures and the conditions under which organizations can be offered different tasks and the projects. These codes and objectives include to accept the responsibility in making the engineering decisions in a consistent manner with the safety, health and the welfare of the public. This is in addition to disclosing factors that may have detrimental effects on the public environment. Another code is to reject the bribery in all forms, and being honest and realistic in giving out estimates for the actual data required.
2.2 Ethical Codes and Theories
This scenario reveals considerable relationships with various ethical theories related to offering payment to induce favourable action towards an individuals. For instance, the utilitarianism theory is an ethical theory that advocates the use of common sense when conducting issues or making decisions. On a wider note, utilitarian theory contends that right and wrong can be determined by the costs benefit analysis. In this way, the engineers need to consider all the good and bad outcomes when determining the rightfulness of an action. Similarly, categorical imperative theory occupies an integral part of the engineering issues depicted in this case. Ideally, the theory asks us to act in ways described or perceived as universal. From a broader perspective, the categorical views acts as to behave in considerably rational ways that would ultimately be reasonable to any other person.
3.0 Alternative Generation and Comparison
3.1 Alternative actions to your scenario
While offering bribes is the common practice and actions in the engineering fields, companies and individuals not receiving money or making payments are solidly subjected to greater disadvantages, though within a short duration. Notably, various alternatives are available in the case. First, I can offer to make payment to the public officials to induce them make decisions in my favour. However, this action has two consequences that include abusing the engineering code of ethics and devastating penalties from various engineering bodies in case of any fatalities occurrences. Secondly, I may refuse to make the payments and find other means of securing the project. However, this action may not guarantee us positive outcomes and the company may end up losing the projects completely. Lastly, consult with other stakeholders involved in the deal and measure the weights of all the actions together. In this alternative, the decisions made whether to pay or not, irrespective of the actions will be implemented. However, this action may also not guarantee us the security of the project.
3.2 Effects on the stakeholders
Ideally, all the action implemented in this case haven on the interested parties and integrate being sued in a court of law in case penalties or casualties occurs. Secondly, the rejection of the offer, the refusal to make payments to the public official and looking for other means of securing the project may also subject the stakeholders for massive losses and deny their company competitive advantages over other businesses. This is due to the fact that all these actions may not guarantee our American Company positive outcomes and the company may end up losing the projects completely.
3.3 Evaluation of the alternatives actions using the professional code of ethics
The actions in this scenario include offering the payment to the public officials to induce them make decisions on my favour as an engineer, refusing to make the payments and find other means of securing the project and thirdly, consulting with other stakeholders involved in the deal and measure the weights of all the actions together. Professionally, refusal to make payments to the public officers and securing other means of enabling the company secure the project is important. The move would enable the company accept the responsibility in making the engineering decisions in a consistent manner with the safety, health and the welfare of the public.
4.0 Action Selection and Justification
4.1 The best Action in the scenario
Of all the discussed actions, the best action in this case scenario will be refuse to make payments to the public officers, but accept the project offer based on the consideration of the company’s past performances, integrity and history.
4.2 Justification
In this case, the decision to reject the offer and accept it in condition that it is offered without payment would depict a firm stand as engineers, and a genuine demonstration of the engineering codes and ethics. In addition, this would depict the responsibility in making the engineering decisions in a consistent manner with the safety, health and the welfare of the public. Lastly, it will demonstrate being honesty and integrity in the company’s operation, and prove to the world that the corporation operations not under the motives of making profit, but ensuring the safety, health and the dignity of engineers are adhered to.