Question: Yesterday, Carol, an engineer with Hancock Enterprises, was at lunch with several work friends. Joe, a person Carol has known for a year or so from similar lunches, proudly mentioned that he got a free flight and tickets to a major league playoff game two weeks from now in a distant city. Joe happened to also mention the company; it is Dryer. Carol is aware that Dryer is one of the prime bidders on a major contract to be evaluated by Hancock next month. Upon inquiry, Carol learned that both she and Joe are on the bid evaluation committee. Carol suspects that someone in Dryer has offered Joe the tickets as a consideration for Joe's favorable evaluation of their bid.
a. Carol has determined that she could do one of several things about the situation: recommend to Joe directly that he refuse the tickets; show Joe the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers and let him make his own decision; go to Joe's supervisor and tell her of the situation; go to her own supervisor and inform him of her suspicion; write an e-mail to Joe with a copy to her supervisor recommending that Joe consider the ethical dilemma involved for him; do nothing. Considering only these actions, select the one you think is the best and explain why you chose it.
b. Identify other options for Carol's response at this time and determine if one of them is better that her options outlined above.