Question

Situation 2 You have been requested by Sam the owner of Tron-ineering to review and provide advice on the following fact situation and questions below. Please format your response as a short memo to Sam. Make sure you clearly identify the issues and use relevant material and supporting arguments to support your conclusions. You should not include the fact situation given below as part of the memo but can refer to the facts as required. Use a format that is professional and consistent with a formal memo. Responses should not exceed 800 words Facts Sam is the owner of a small engineering firm "Tron-ineering" in Hamilton and the firm is frequently employed to perform engineering services for local clients and also for the Hamilton City Council. Sam's firm recently responded to a tender process and was selected by the council to provide engineering design work on a major upgrade of the council's water treatment plant. The head engineer at the Hamilton City Council, Kerry, leads the panel that approves the selection of engineering firms responding to tenders. About a month after the work for the water treatment plant was completed, Kerry asks Sam if Tron-ineering would donate engineering services to design a swimming pool on behalf of a local not-for-profit "Kids without Pools" where Kerry volunteers on the governance committee. Before Sam has a chance to reply, Kerry advises Sam that if Tron-ineering donates their services it would "keep Tron-ineering in good graces" with Kerry in the future with regard to future work with the council. Questions Was it ethical for Kerry to ask Sam and Tron-ineering to donate engineering services on behalf of Kids without Pools where Kerry volunteers? Would it be ethical for Sam and Tron-ineering to donate engineering services for the swimming pool design under the circumstances? Please justify your response using the Engineering New Zealand Code of Ethical Conduct.

Answer 1

Q. 1 Answer. It was not ethical for Kerry to ask Sam to donate engineering services on behalf of kids without pool as he has promised to Sam if he donates services free of cost then he will keep him and his company in good grace for working further in council. If Sam donates services then he will definitely take some benefit from Kerry which Kerry has promised, which is not ethical as per Newzeland Code of Engineering Ethics. As per this code Engineer must not promise anything which intends to influence his engineering decision in future.

Q. 2. No it would not be ethical for Sam and Ton'ieering for donating such services in such circumstances as it will be like giving bribe or benefit to Kerry however not personal,for benefit of their company in future. As Kerry is promising them to give benefit their company in future, there is an ethical delimma as in a good faith Sam should donate services as social services on volunteer basis but in such circumstances where Kerry is involved in request for donating services on account of benefits that will be given to their firm, it will not be ethical to donate services. However, if Kerry would have requested Sam and his firm without any benefit to their firm then it will be ethical to donate such services in social interest.