There is an interesting Civil Engineering Source article by Tara Hoke: A Commitment to Zero tolerance requires courage. If not seen – have a look.
The case exposes – as I see it – a professional dilemma an engineer, for that matter any employee, often faces on options to a certain situation.
On one hand – there arises a pressure from a controlling boss to compromise ethics to do something untoward. Needless to say that – such pressures come from the power of authority – which means any violation of the order has the threat of dire consequences.
On the other – there are the societal morals and ethics to which an employee is committed. And there comes the question of the employee's bread-and-butter, family, livelihood and career.
Let us also not forget that – the controlling boss is also committed to such ethics, certainly on paper. But then the greed for power and profit – and the attitude and arrogance that he or she could do away with any consequences, riding on power-connections, political or otherwise – overrule everything.
What one must do. In the referred case – the employee, a chief engineer succumbed to the CEO's threat and complied. As I see it – he was trying to save his job by violating his conscience.
Have a read and reflect. What does courage mean in such a dilemma? Does the courage mean that the engineer should have protested and resigned? Who would have offered him an immediate employment? Does a social system reward such a courage?
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Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD
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