Is it Necessary to Compromise Engineering Ethics to Remain Competitive?

The obvious and politically correct answer to the question is “No,” which may seem to be incompatible with the business realities of engineering. Compromising ethics certainly may make it easier to remain competitive. Ultimately, though, it will threaten the engineer's credibility and therefore his or her competitiveness. Educating the client is one of the engineer's principal responsibilities, especially when the client is not an engineer. The engineer must realize that while education can help clients better understand engineering issues, it will not eliminate a client's concern about cost. The engineer should remain sensitive to cost and realize that a finished product that exceeds the client's cost expectations may be considered a failure, regardless of the quality. In some instances quality‐based selection undoubtedly suffers from intense price competition. But when the client truly understands what is necessary to protect the public safety, health, and welfare, the engineer will be less likely to feel pressure to compromise his or her ethics to remain competitive.