PHIL 333 Assignment 1: Case Study on Ethical Dilemma in
Engineering.
2
Name: Harpreet Kaur
Aulakh PHIL-333
Assignment 1
Case Study Analysis: Rachel Hawks and the Ethical Dilemma in Bridge
Proposal
1. Case Description
Rachel Hawks, a junior engineer working in a small, well-regarded
engineering company in a northern Canadian town, is confronted with an
ethical dilemma in her work. Having moved from her extended family and
her husband's job as a teacher to further her own career, Rachel embarks
on the challenging task of penning a proposal for a new bridge to connect
a nearby municipality to an isolated Indigenous community. This bridge
would be a critical project for both groups, particularly the Indigenous
group, who currently rely on an expensive and limited ice bridge during
winter.
The bridge would save a lot of transportation expenses and improve
accessibility, benefiting the Indigenous group by allowing easier access to
services and products at a lower cost. After working late hours developing
a good proposal, Rachel submits her plan to her boss, Peter Brown, the
owner of the company. But to Rachel's surprise and dismay, Peter
instructs her to reduce the cost of the proposal by $200,000, an amount
that would mean inflating cost estimates and compromising the integrity
and safety of the project.
Peter then shares political matters with Rachel, telling her that a Member of
Parliament in the region is supportive of the project and that the bridge
could be funded by federal funds if the bid were made to fit certain budget
constraints.
Rachel realizes that falsifying the estimates would be unethical, but she
also realizes that Peter will proceed with or without her help. This sets
Rachel in the dilemma of selecting how to go about the ethical dilemma
with an eye on the professional and also personal consequences that her
actions shall have.
2. Statement of the Ethical Dilemma or Ethical Issue
Rachel is faced by a profound ethical dilemma. Alternatively, she has a
professional duty to uphold the integrity of her work and ensure that any
proposal that she makes reflects the true cost and viability of the project.
This entails honesty in the estimates and adherence to safety and
engineering practices. In contrast, she is being requested by her
supervisor, Peter, to falsify the estimates in order to win a lucrative
government contract, which will be beneficial to the bottom line of the
®™
, PHIL 333 Assignment 1: Case Study on Ethical Dilemma in
Engineering.
2
company and ensure its survival under a hostile economic climate.
The key ethical issue is the conflict between honesty and the financial
survival of the company. Must Rachel maintain her professional integrity
and not cheat on the estimates, even if it ruins her career or job? Or must
she compromise her ethical standards for the sake of acquiring a contract
that could help her company and the
®™
Engineering.
2
Name: Harpreet Kaur
Aulakh PHIL-333
Assignment 1
Case Study Analysis: Rachel Hawks and the Ethical Dilemma in Bridge
Proposal
1. Case Description
Rachel Hawks, a junior engineer working in a small, well-regarded
engineering company in a northern Canadian town, is confronted with an
ethical dilemma in her work. Having moved from her extended family and
her husband's job as a teacher to further her own career, Rachel embarks
on the challenging task of penning a proposal for a new bridge to connect
a nearby municipality to an isolated Indigenous community. This bridge
would be a critical project for both groups, particularly the Indigenous
group, who currently rely on an expensive and limited ice bridge during
winter.
The bridge would save a lot of transportation expenses and improve
accessibility, benefiting the Indigenous group by allowing easier access to
services and products at a lower cost. After working late hours developing
a good proposal, Rachel submits her plan to her boss, Peter Brown, the
owner of the company. But to Rachel's surprise and dismay, Peter
instructs her to reduce the cost of the proposal by $200,000, an amount
that would mean inflating cost estimates and compromising the integrity
and safety of the project.
Peter then shares political matters with Rachel, telling her that a Member of
Parliament in the region is supportive of the project and that the bridge
could be funded by federal funds if the bid were made to fit certain budget
constraints.
Rachel realizes that falsifying the estimates would be unethical, but she
also realizes that Peter will proceed with or without her help. This sets
Rachel in the dilemma of selecting how to go about the ethical dilemma
with an eye on the professional and also personal consequences that her
actions shall have.
2. Statement of the Ethical Dilemma or Ethical Issue
Rachel is faced by a profound ethical dilemma. Alternatively, she has a
professional duty to uphold the integrity of her work and ensure that any
proposal that she makes reflects the true cost and viability of the project.
This entails honesty in the estimates and adherence to safety and
engineering practices. In contrast, she is being requested by her
supervisor, Peter, to falsify the estimates in order to win a lucrative
government contract, which will be beneficial to the bottom line of the
®™
, PHIL 333 Assignment 1: Case Study on Ethical Dilemma in
Engineering.
2
company and ensure its survival under a hostile economic climate.
The key ethical issue is the conflict between honesty and the financial
survival of the company. Must Rachel maintain her professional integrity
and not cheat on the estimates, even if it ruins her career or job? Or must
she compromise her ethical standards for the sake of acquiring a contract
that could help her company and the
®™
