Confidentiality or confidential information
- Information considered desirable to be kept secret. - Any information that the employer or client would like to have kept secret in order to compete effectively against business rivals. - This information includes how business is run, its products, and suppliers, which directly affects the ability of the company to compete in the market place - Helps the competitor to gain advantage or catch up
Faithful Agent Argument
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code states, “The engineer ………will act in professional matters for client, or employer as a faithful agent or trustee……………He will not actively participate in strikes, picket lines or other coercive action” Meaning that when one is a faithful trustee of one’s employer he cannot actively participate in any collective forcible action. Board of Ethical Review argued that engineers have a higher standard than self-interest and that their ethical duty is to act for their employer as a faithful agent or trustee. Collective bargaining is inconsistent with loyalty to employers because it - is against the desires of the employer - uses force or coercion against the employer and - involves collective and organized opposition. But every instance of such conduct need not be unethical. An example:…
Zone Of Acceptance’ of Authority
‘A subordinate is said to accept authority whenever he permits his behavior to be guided by the decision of a superior, without independently examining the merits of that decision’ - Herbert Simon - Simon notes that all employees tend to have a ‘zone of acceptance’ in which they are willing to accept their employer’s authority. - Within that zone, an individual, relaxing his own critical faculties, permits the decision of the employer to guide him. - Employees generally do not make an issue of questionable incidents on morality, out of a sense of responsibility to give their employer leeway within which to operate and often not to risk their jobs. - The problem increases when employees slowly expand the boundaries of tolerance and rationalize it. This only shows that …
Observations on authority
- An employer who has institutional authority may direct engineers to do something that is not morally justified. - Engineers may feel that they have an institutional duty to obey a directive that is morally unjustified, but their moral duty, all things considered, is not to obey. - To decide whether a specific act of exercising institutional authority is morally justified, we need to know whether the institutional goals are themselves morally permissible or desirable and whether that act violates basic moral duties.
Authority Vs Power
Ineffective persons, even if vested with authority by their institution, may not be able to summon the power their position allows them to exercise. On the other hand, people who are effective may be able to wield greater power that goes beyond the authority attached to the positions they hold. Highly respected engineers of proven integrity belong to this class. Authority - Morally justified
Institutional Authority and Expert Authority
Institutional authority ‘The institutional right given to a person to exercise power based on the resources of the institution’. - It is acquired, exercised and defined within institutions. - It is given to individuals to perform their institutional duties assigned within the organization. There is not always a perfect match between the authority granted and the qualifications needed to exercise it. Expert authority ‘The possession of special knowledge, skill or competence to perform some task or to give sound advice’. Engineers may have expert authority but their institutional authority, may only be, to provide management with analysis of possible ways to perform a technical task, after which they are restricted to following management’s directive about which option to pursue. In large companies, engineers, advisors and consultants in staff function carry expert authority, while institutional authority is vested only with line managers.
Need for Authority
Authority is needed since a) Allowing everyone to exercise uncontrolled individual discretion creates…
Relationship – Professionalism and Loyalty
1. Acting on professional commitments to the public is more effective to serve a company than just following company orders. 2. Loyalty to employers may not mean obeying one’s immediate supervisor. 3. Professional obligations to both an employer and to the public might strengthen rather than contradict each other.
Loyalty – Obligation of Engineers
Agency-Loyalty - Engineers are hired to do their duties. - Hence obligated to employers within proper limits Identification-Loyalty Obligatory on two conditions; 1. When some important goals are met by and through a group in which the engineers participate 2. When employees are treated fairly, receiving the share of benefits and burdens. But clearly, identification-loyalty is a virtue and not strictly an obligation.
Classifications of Loyalty
Agency-Loyalty - Fulfill one’s contractual duties to an employer. - Duties are particular tasks for which one is paid - Co-operating with colleagues - Following legitimate authority within the organization. Identification-Loyalty: - It has to do with attitudes, emotions and a sense of personal identity. - Seeks to meet one’s moral duties with personal attachment and affirmation. - It is against detesting their employers and companies, and do work reluctantly and horribly (this is construed as disloyalty) This means - Avoid conflicts of interest, - Inform employers of any possible conflicts of interest,…
