Construction Layout and Site Development
Ethics Assignment:
Ethics is a cornerstone of professional construction practice. This assignment is to help students to gain a better understanding of ethics standards through a real-life case study. This assignment is also an assessment of your written communication skills. Please take the time to write well to ensure a high grade.
Instruction:
Read the attached Ethic Case Study and reference any code of ethics adopted by any professional or trades organization to answer the following questions:
Q1. What is the main ethical issue in the case study? Describe any circumstances to help the reader to fully appreciate the issue.
Q2. What caused the issue/problem in the first place?
Q3. Imagine you were in the position of the Engineer Doe, what will you do? Explain your reasons.
1. You will do your job according to your contract and provide the technical study for the company XYZ. Regarding the report of the studies, because company XYZ is financing the study, it has complete ownership and they can decide to prepare a report or not. In addition, they are also responsible about the environmental aspects of their factory and you don’t have any authority over their decisions. You will just do your job and receive your consulting fee.
2. You will report the issue to the related state officials if the company XYZ refrains to give you explanation why they don’t need report from you. At the same time, you have to keep in mind that maybe company XYZ is not breaking the rules and just wants some further studies to be carried out.
Q4. Discuss your rationale for declining the other option.
SITUATION:
Engineers and engineering companies engage in professional practice through a variety of business structures, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, professional corporations, business corporations, limited liability companies, and various other types of entities. The nature of the business structure employed will be based upon a variety of factors, including number of employees, professional practice risk considerations, management control issues, desire for business flexibility, transferability, perpetual existence, and many considerations. These considerations are based upon the requirements of state and/or federal law, and engineers and engineering companies are expected to adhere to those requirements in their professional practice.
XYZ Corporation had been advised by a State Pollution Control Authority that it had 60 days to apply for a permit to discharge manufacturing wastes, into a receiving body of water. XYZ Corporation was also advised of the minimum standard that must be met. In an effort to convince the authority that the body of water, after receiving the manufacturing wastes, would still meet established environmental standards, the corporation employed Engineer Doe to perform consulting engineering services and submit a detailed report. After completion of his studies but before completion of any written report, Engineer Doe concluded that the discharge from the plant would lower the quality of the receiving body of water below established standards. He further concluded that corrective action would be very costly. Engineer Doe verbally advised the XYZ Corporation of his findings. Subsequently, the corporation terminated the contract with Engineer Doe with full payment for services performed and instructed Engineer Doe not to render a written report to the corporation. Thereafter, Engineer Doe learned that the authority had called a public hearing and that the XYZ Corporation had presented data to support its view that the present discharge meets minimum standards.