Ethics Paper

Submitted By jgrif32
Words: 744
Pages: 3

Ethics or ethical decision-making may not be one of the first topics that someone would think of when discussing engineering practices. However, there are many factors that may come in to play for engineers when doing research or trying to resolve certain situations that can ultimately affect their decisions. Some of these include legal obligations, confidentiality agreements, greed, and morality. Obviously, temptation is an evil item, but it is one that certainly takes its toll on people who are faced with tough, ethical choices in life. There are various situations that a petroleum engineer could be put in, which will place pressure on him/her to make the right choice. When working for an employer or with a client as, for instance, an engineering consultant, one must be aware of any and all requirements that need to be followed for the task at hand. You may be asked to give a quality analysis with limited access to available information, but you learn that a friend has more data that could be beneficial to you. However, it is not within the previous agreement you made to use that data, or it could even be illegal if there were some sort of lawsuit going on. This particular situation is along the lines of one that was discussed in class; it forces you to make a decision as to whether you should discuss things with your friend or hold to your word. While leaving personal relationships out of the work environment may be difficult, one would be expected to stay true and not wrongfully share disallowed information. If put in a situation with circumstances like this, I believe this is the decision that I would make. Imagine you are responsible for reporting your company’s annual reserves. In most cases, there are fairly clear-cut rules establishing what and how you are suppose to report. These annual reports have an impact on the stock value for your company. This is a prime situation in which greed is the primary factor affecting the decision to be made. The reporter is highly skilled and knowledgeable at what he does, therefore, he understands ways to bypass certain rules and find “loopholes.” He goes on to produce faulty reports in hopes of increasing the stock value of the company so that he can make more money. Eventually his mistakes are caught and he is laid off for lying. This is a very dangerous decision that could lead to dreadful consequences for many people. Not only did he lose his job and potentially face jail time, but also he now has put his entire family in a troubling time. Also, this decision is unfair to his coworkers as they could face some scrutiny for working at the same company and with him. Stockholders are done unjustly since they are investing their money in to this company. As you can see, making the wrong decision and not following ethics, or even your own