An engineer is hired by the general contractor on a large government project to
ID: 3494315 • Letter: A
Question
An engineer is hired by the general contractor on a large government project to verify pertinent data on the owner-supplied plans. While performing their functions, the engineer is approached by a subcontractor who wants them to perform some work for him on the same project. He states that he will pay for his additional work and notes that it will be easy for the engineer to perform both services at the same time. What should the engineer do? A. The engineer should accept this additional work as long as they have the equipment and capacity to perform both services adequately B. The engineer should accept this additional work as long as the circumstances are fully disclosed and agreed to by all interested parties. C. The engineer should not accept this additional work as it will be a conflict of interest D. The engineer should not accept compensation for any additional work because they cannot bill two parties for work performed on the same job. Without your knowledge, an old classmate applies to the company you work for. Knowing that you recently graduated from the same school, the director of engineering shows you the application and resume your friend submitted and asks your opinion. It turns out that your exaggerated this participation in campus organizations, even claiming to have been friend has an officer in an engineering society that you are sure he was never in. On the other hand you remember him as being highly intelligent student and believe that he could really help the company. How should you handle this situation? A. You should remove yourself from the ethical dilemma by claiming that you don't remember enough about the applicant to make an informed decision. B. You should follow your instincts and recommend the applicant. Almost everyone stretches the truth a little in their resumes, and the thing you are really being asked to evaluate is his usefulness to the company. If you mention the resume padding, the company is liable to lose a good prospect. c. You should recommend the applicant, but qualify your recommendation by pointing out that you think he may have exaggerated some details on his resume. D. You should point out the inconsistencies in the applicant's resume and recommend against hiring him. While working to revise the design of the suspension for a popular car, an engineer discovers a flaw in the design currently being produced. Based on statistical analysis, the company determines that although this mistake is likely to cause a small increase in the number of fatalities seen each year, it would be prohibitively expensive to do a recall to replace the part. Accordingly, the company decides not to issue a recall notice. What should the engineer do? A. The engineer should go along with the company's decision. The company has researched its options and chosen the most economical alternative. B. The engineer should notify an anonymous tip to the media, suggesting that they alert the public and begin an investigation of the company's business practices. C) The engineer should notify the National Transportation Safety Board, providing enough details for them to initiate a formal inquiry D. The engineer should resign from the company. Because of standard nondisclosure agreements, it would be unethical as well as illegal to disclose any information about this situation. In addition, the engineer should not associate with a company that is engaging in such behavior.Explanation / Answer
27.C