Introduction
Project management engineers face various ethical dilemmas in every single project they undertake. Ethics may be defined as that which is good and just not just for an individual but also for the society at large (Jonasson & Ingason, 2013). The reality of these ethical dilemmas exists in almost all the phases of a project. The specific phases that a project undergoes include: planning, design, construction and operation (Oberlender, 2000). The project design phase is one of the most important phases of any project; from it, the direction which a project should take is drawn. The design stage sets project objectives, tests and analyzes feasibility and evaluates both the positive and negative impacts of the project (Ensmenger, 2005). It is at this phase of a project that both the welfare of the general public and requirements of the authorities in relation to the project are identified. Due to the sensitivity exhibited by some projects, unethical issues such as falsification or hiding of negative feasibility findings are highly notable at the design phase. Every engineering project design personnel have to observe the moral principles and procedures obligations outlined in the Code of Ethics for Engineers (Negulescu & Doval, 2012).
Ethical situation
Several ethical issues may arise in the course of project design. This paper is going to focus on the ethical issue of information distortion to hide the negative impacts that a project may have on public safety and welfare. Driven by greed, conflict of interests and lack of respect to public welfare, project design engineers may decide to hide or eliminate unwanted feasibility study results, falsify information, deform conclusions, give non-existing information and fabricate the results (Negulescu & Doval, 2012). All these project information distortions at the design stage predispose the public to danger and possible harm in the course of project implementation. This may happen even if the interests of the project managers are served.
Engineering/ Management dilemma
Engineers, whether acting as project owners or employees always find themselves caught up in the pressures of conflicting interests with what is regarded as public good. These conflicting interests may either arise out of personal bias, societal needs or profession requirements (Ensmenger, 2005). When caught up with the need to address or be answerable to project hindering mistakes, the temptation to falsify the underlying issues is most often than not inevitable (Ensmenger, 2005). The question is, would you still be truthful even when it hurts or even when it will force you to abandon the project? It is ethical to be honest even in such circumstances.
Sometimes the end does not justify the means. One has to evaluate the means to ensure that even if the end has been sighted, the path towards the end does not harm others. Serious consequences can occur when ethical concerns are not taken into consideration (Jonasson & Ingason, 2013). It is understandable that project managers and executives may be out to make money and that a given project may provide that opportunity. Nevertheless, the safety of those involved including the public must be considered in the process of project design. Falsifying or hiding information from the general public or the environmental management authorities on a project that would otherwise be harmful is not only bad but also very unethical (Negulescu & Doval, 2012).
Potential actions/decisions to address ethical issues
Engineers have an obligation to the code of ethics to ensure that their actions lead to both individual and public (Jonasson & Ingason, 2013). Therefore, hiding information on the harmful impact of a project is unethical and may consequently lead to danger. It is courageous and humble to admit that there are potential risks in a project and seek help even if it means from the concerned stakeholders; the general public included, on how to address the identified risks rather than cover them up. The conspiracy to cover-up such risks by hiding information may not only be treated as felonious but may later on lead to greater risks.
Discussion on ethical outcomes
Consideration of ethics should encompass principles such as the responsibility to care, preventing harm and striking a balance between project benefits and its potential risks (Wagner, 2012). Wagner (2012) stresses the following questions when it comes to considering the project design process: Are the stakeholders permitted to participate in the design decision-making process? Do the process’s, methods and tools encourage stakeholders to learn and also be evaluated? How is the welfare of each set of stakeholders taken care of? And how are losses and problems approached and sorted? Unlike normal laboratory experiments, an engineering project is a large-scale experiment where people are directly involved (Ensmenger, 2005). And as such it should be designed and undertaken with a lot of precaution for safety’s sake. Ensmenger (2005) encourages the view of the possible outcomes of such a project through the eyes of honest ethics. The design of a project should thus address any doubts of social uncertainty.
References
Ensmenger, N. (2005). Ethics & Engineering Design. University of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania.
Jonasson, H. I., & Ingason, H. T. (2013). Project Ethics. Gower Publishing.
Negulescu, O., & Doval, E. (2012). Ethics Issues in the Management of the Projects. Review of General Management , Volume 15 (Issue 1).
Oberlender, G. D. (2000). Project Management for Engineering and Construction (Second Edition ed.). Oklahoma: McGraw -Hill Higher Education.
Wagner, I. (2012). Ethics in System Design. University of Oslo, Oslo.
