Each week, you may use the threads to draft your current work, interact with you

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Each week, you may use the threads to draft your current work, interact with your peers, document the progress you have made as a result of your team collaborations, and address course content using the topics below. Please refer to the threaded discussion rubric, so that you are in full compliance.

This week, we looked at two more ethical codes—one for the Project Management Institute, and one for Engineers.
(Find links to these professional codes in the Week 7 Assignment tab along with the Week 7 readings.)

You can see that both of them are much simpler than the Legal code we looked at last week, and even simpler than the Medical code of ethics. Appropriate professional behavior, practice, and discipline varies among professions and reflects the needs and values of the professional society in question.

Let's then assume professional roles as we work on this fictional scenario:

It's 2020, and General Foryota Company opens a plant in which to build a new mass-produced hover-craft. This hover-craft will work using E-85 Ethanol, will travel up to 200 mph, and will reduce pollution worldwide at a rate of 10 percent per year. It is likely that when all automobiles in the industrial world have been changed over to hovercrafts, emission of greenhouse gasses may be so reduced that global warming may end and air quality will become completely refreshed.

However, the downside is that during the transition time, GFC's Hover-Vee (only available in red or black), will most likely put all transportation as we know it in major dissaray. Roadways will no longer be necessary, but new methods of controlling traffic will be required. Further, while the old version of cars are still being used, Hover-vee's will cause accidents, parking issues, and most likely class envy and warfare. The sticker price on the first two models will be about four times that of the average SUV (to about $200,000.) Even so, GFC's marketing futurists have let them know that they will be able to pre-sell their first three years of expected production, with a potential waiting list which will take between 15 and 20 years to fill.

The Chief Engineer of GFC commissions a study on potential liabilities for the Hover-vees. The preliminary result is that Hover-vees will likely kill or maim humans at an increased rate of double to triple over automobile travel because of collisions and crashes at high speeds -- projected annual death rates of 100,000 to 200,000. However, global warming will end, and the environment will flourish.

The U. S. Government gets wind of the plans. Congress begins to discuss the rules on who can own and operate Hover-vees. GFC's stock skyrockets. The Chief Engineer takes the results of the study to the Chief Legal Counsel, and together they agree to bury the study, going forward with the production plans. The Chief Project Manager, who has read the study and agreed to bury it, goes ahead and plans out the project for the company, with target dates and production deadlines.

Our class is a team of young lawyers, project managers, engineers, and congressional aides who are all part of the process of helping get this project off the ground. In fact, according to the first letter of your last name, you are the following team:

T-Z: Congressional Aide

Somebody sent a secret copy of the report to you at your home address. It has no information in it at all, except for the report showing the proof of the increase in accidents and deaths. The report shows, on its face, that the CLO, CE, CPM, and your Congressional Representative have seen copies of this report. On the front there are these words typed in red: They knew — they buried this. Please save the world!

Each of you feel a very loyal tie to your boss and your company/country. You all have mortgages, and families to feed. It is likely if you blow the whistle on this report, you will lose your job and your livelihood. You're not even sure who wrote the study in your envelope or who actually sent it to you.

Now to the task at hand:
Utilizing your profession's code of ethics, what would be your first step? Who would you talk to first? Would you go to the press? Would you go to your boss? Should you do anything at all?

Explanation / Answer

Utilizing your profession's code of ethics, what would be your first step? Who would you talk to first? Would you go to the press? Would you go to your boss? Should you do anything at all?

The first step of my code of ethics would be to be transparent. At the moment, I'm not aware of the authenticity of the report. It says that it has been viewed by my other team members and everyone has viewed it but are trying to bury it. The seals on the paper could be faked. They could make it up to stop this project. In order to prevent any such possibilities I require to authenticate the report myself inquire about it, find out the source and the person who has placed it so that I could see the reports from where he has obtained these data. I could go through the traffic camera and find out the source or put any other resources to find out the person who has put the report in front of my house.

Secondly, since the report is shocking, I cannot completely ignore it. Any truth in it could be dangerous and neither can I go to any police or media, unless the report Is been completely checked through.

Next, since the report says that some of my team members are aware about this, and we as a team confide in one another, I would like to bring in all the people whose names and show them the reports and discuss with them if any of the report is true. I would expect truth from them, as I know them from years. This would go parallel to investigating the report and its authenticity.

Only, after the report has been confirmed, I along with my team members, could think of going to the boss and mutually find ways to resolve the problems along with the client.

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