Analyse the various relevant professional code of ethics and conduct that are relevant to your chosen case Study.
It is worth noting that a code of ethics plays a critical role in guiding the operations of companies. Primarily, it is a guide of principles designed to help organizations and professionals to conduct business honestly and with integrity. It outlines and stipulates the mission and values of the profession or industry, and how professionals in the line of work are expected to approach problems, the ethical principles based on the organization’s core values and the principles to which the profession is held. Engineering companies adopts a code of ethics and conduct with the aim of guiding professionals to act and work within certain standards and maintain certain values and missions (Merkel and Burmeister, 2015). The engineering code of conduct helps its members in understanding the difference between right and wrong in order to apply them in their decision making process. In this paper, we shall discuss the various code of ethics and conduct in the engineering profession with particular focus on the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Primarily, the company violated the code of ethics and conduct by infringing their clients’ trust and producing motor vehicles that caused significant environmental pollution while disguising them as compliant to environmental regulations. The paper also discusses the various engineering codes of ethics and conduct and analyses how Volkswagen violated these fundamental rules of practice. It also provides detailed background information of the case and the outcomes after the event.
As members in this line of work, engineers are required to demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and honesty. Mainly, this is due to the fact that the profession has a vital and direct influence on the quality of life of the society. Thus, engineers and engineering firms must provide their services in a manner that reflects impartiality, fairness, honesty and equity. Most importantly, their work must reflect a devotion to the safeguarding of the safety, health and welfare of the society. Furthermore, they must execute their activities under a standard of professional behavior that calls for adherence to the highest principle of ethical conduct (Code of Ethics, n.d.). Today, the fundamental canons of their professional conduct include: To carry out services only in their areas of specialization and expertise. In addition, they are expected to give public statements only in a truthful and objective manner. They are also required to act for each of their clients as faithful agents and trustees (Code of conduct, n.d.). Further, the ethical code necessitates them to avoid any deceptive acts in their operation. Also, they are obliged to conduct themselves responsibly, honorably, ethically, and lawfully in order to enhance and uphold the usefulness, reputation and honor of the engineering profession.
A 2015 article in the BBC News website by Hotten explains the Volkswagen emission scandal. According to the article, many Volkswagen vehicles that were being sold in the US were installed with a software in their engines to change the performance of the engines when they were being tested to alter the results to more acceptable limits. The case began in September 2015 when the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation to the company. According to the environmental agency, Volkswagen purposely programmed a turbocharged direct injection (TDI) diesel engine to activate their emissions control during laboratory analysis in order to meet US environmental standards during the testing process. By the time they were exposed, the company has already placed the software in about eleven million cars worldwide. In America alone, about half a million cars had the program installed. After the incident was exposed in the US, other countries began investigating the company. In Europe, about 1.2 million Volkswagen cars were sold.
Outcomes for the company
The company came under fresh fire after its unethical practices were uncovered. As a result, its stock prices fell significantly just a few days after the uncovering. Afterwards, the CEO of the company resigned. On the other hand, the heads of brand development and the Audi research and development head were suspended. The company also had to recall millions of cars from all over the world. It set aside about millions of dollars to cover these costs. Consequently, the firm registered losses in the year. The company was also fined by EPA a fine of $18 billion. In November 2015, the company announced that 482,000 diesel Audi and Volkswagen owners in the US would receive US $1000 in vouchers (Hotten, 2015). Additionally, it offered a US $2000 to current Volkswagen owners for trade-ins.
In January last year, Volkswagen accepted the criminal charges laid against the company and signed an agreement statement of facts. The statement focused on the results of an investigation that the company had undertaken through the help of US lawyers. The document revealed how Volksagen’s engineers had developed the defeat software due to the fact that all diesel car models produced by the firm could not pass emission tests without them. Thus, they intentionally sought to cover up their use. Due to this offense, a US federal judge ordered the firm to pay a $2.8billion criminal fine for rigging diesel-powered vehicles to cheat on government emissions tests. Notably, the unprecedented plea deal formalized the punishment, a deal that the Volkswagen Company agreed to.
As a whole, the scandal brought the society’s attention to the overly high levels of emissions and environmental pollution caused by diesel-powered cars from a wide range of car manufacturer all over the world. Further investigation revealed that companies such as Renault, Volvo, Citroen, Hyundai, Jeep and Citroen indicated major violations in emission and environmental regulations in the country. All in all, the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal was a major blow for the diesel market. Mainly, one can attribute this to the fact carmakers have been investing a lot of money for the production of diesel vehicles with the conviction that they are less harmful to the environment. However, after the case, analysis showed that this is not the case. In turn, this has brought about a significant drop in the number of diesel sales. The revelations of the scandal caused sharp declines in the demand for diesel engine cars.
Other Effects and Outcomes
It is important to note that the Volkswagen emission scandal is associated with various negative effects to not only the environment but also human wealth. As noted earlier, the firm’s cheating system allowed its cars to emit at least 10 to 40 times more nitrogen oxide than is permitted by the environmental acts (Hall, 2015). According to a research study, the emissions scandal resulted to 60 premature deaths in America alone (Worland, 2015). The research also predicted that about 130 more people would die from the toxic emissions by 2016 if the company does not recall and fix the problem in all affected cars. The problem was worse in Europe are worse as the emissions are associated with greater health implications. Mainly, this is due to the fact that half of the passenger cars on the European roads run on diesel engines compared to the U.S. Further, the research forecasted that the emission problem would result in an increase in social costs by millions of dollars (Team, 2015).
In addition to health issues, the emissions brought about significant environmental pollution. According to an analysis by The Guardian, Volkswagen diesel-engine cars may have caused about one million extra metric tons of pollution annually (Hall, 2015). However, other experts in the field are reluctant to agree that the scandal brought about such significant environmental effects. Regardless, they all agree that the nitrogen oxide emitted from the diesel-powered cars is a vicious pollutant. Once it is released into the air, it transforms into nitrogen-dioxide and then absorbs sunlight which converts into a yellow-brown smog that covers the sky (Surowiecki, 2015). It is noteworthy that this haze is the one that exacerbates health ailments among them bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. Then again, the haze may be washed down in the form of acid rain, thereby killing animals and plants. At times, the acid rain is washed down into water bodies, causing water pollution. When the rain comes into contact with buildings and iron sheets, it corrodes them. Therefore, it is worth noting that the outcome of the Volkswagen scandal emission was significantly negative and it affected the environment and also human health.
Over the years, engineering codes have been structured to include provisions on the environment. However, their influence for many environmental issues still remains unclear. Nonetheless, engineers have a complicated and multifaceted relationship with the environment. On one hand, they have helped create some of the worst environmental issues that affect the human society today. It is worth noting that projects and machines built by engineers produce dangerous chemicals that contaminate the air, land and water bodies. Furthermore, engineers design projects that drain wetlands, flood farmlands, and destroy forests. Then again, they also design projects, products and processes that eliminate and reduce threats to the environment. Thus, even though engineers play a major role in creating environmental problems, they are also part of the solution to these problems. In the case of Volkswagen, engineers designed motor vehicles that pollute the air and cause environmental degradation. However, they were also part of the solution as the vehicles that were recalled were redesigned to fit and meet the required environmental standards and regulations. In the US, for instance their federal environmental law describes the framework in which engineering decisions regarding the environment are made. In most countries, including Australia, environmental law focuses on practices that make the environment clean and protect it as well. Many argue that mandatory obligations should be set for engineers towards the environment in a manner that protects the environment as well as protects human health. Therefore, Volkswagen should have maintained a high regard for the environment and protect it in order to protect human life against the effects of air pollution.
It is worth noting that many professional codes do not make any reference to the environment. However, according to the ASCE, engineers play a critical role in sustainable development. In this context, sustainable development refers to the process of change in which the orientation of technology, direction of investment, allocation of resources is channeled to meet the present aspirations and needs of the firm without endangering the capacity of natural systems to absorb the effects of human activities, and without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and aspirations. Given the magnitude of the scandal, environmental groups took keen interest on the issue. Warden (2016) reports that they demanded for the company to either fix or do away with all the polluting cars. In addition, they demand for the company to make whole and compensate all its customers who believed that the for the pollution that their faulty cars created. Thus, Volkswagen was charged with the responsibility of conduct its operations in a manner that does not violate the principles of sustainable development. Yet, the company failed miserably since it led to significant air pollution problems from massive emissions
By and large, Volkswagen violated significant elements of the code of ethics and conduct in the field of engineering. From the scandal, one notes that the company failed in various capacities to uphold high standards of honesty, integrity, and impartiality in its operations. What is more, the carmaker failed in protecting its clients with regards to their health, safety and overall welfare. This section therefore provides a detailed overview and analysis of the various ways in which Volkswagen violated various elements in the engineering ethics and code of conduct.
One of the most paramount rules of ethics and conduct require that engineers shall hold paramount the safety, welfare and health of its clients and the public at large. Particularly, the codes of ethics dictate that engineers should only approve those engineering documents that are in compliance with the pertinent standards (NSPE Code of Ethics, n.d.). What is more, the conduct requires that engineers should not aid or abet the unlawful practice or engage in fraudulent and dishonest practices. In this case, Volkswagen violated all these rules and standards (NSPE Code of Ethics, n.d.). Firstly, the company neglected its responsibility to put the safety, health, and welfare of the public as a priority by producing cars that violated significant environmental problems that result in a reduction to human welfare. As such, air pollution can result in significant health problems for not only the users of the car but also the society in general. Besides, it results in environmental degradation and dilapidation. Secondly, the firm failed to maintain the required standard of honesty in its dealings by engaging in unlawful and fraudulent practices of altering test results in order to meet the required environmental standards in world markets. As a result, Volkswagen failed significantly in maintaining the required levels of standards. In this regard, the company conducted its business unethically with utter disregard to the code of conduct requirements to uphold the health, safety and welfare of the society while upholding a high degree of integrity and honesty in its operations.
Furthermore, the engineering code of ethics and conduct clearly stipulates that professionals being aware of any alleged violation of the required standards must report them to the appropriate professional bodies and when applicable, to public authorities (NSPE Code of Ethics, n.d.). Therefore, in this regard, all engineers working at Volkswagen at the time failed to uphold this requirement by not blowing the whistle on the illegal and fraudulent practices that were being undertaken by the company. Elgot (2018) believes that it was their fundamental duty to report any irregularities in the manufacturing process of the Volkswagen vehicles However, none of the company’s engineers blew the whistle and only acknowledged the existence of the malpractice after the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation to the company. In this respect, both the company and its employees acted in violation of the codes of ethics and conduct of engineering.
Another fundamental component of the engineering codes of ethics and conduct requires that engineers and engineering firms shall give a public statement only in a truthful and objective manner. In the statement, they are required to include all relevant information regarding the particular project that they are undertaking. Additionally, it is required that they communicate to the public any technical opinions that are founded upon the understanding of facts and competence in the subject matter. In this case, the car company alongside all its engineers failed to fulfill this simple ethical requirement by not revealing all the relevant information regarding their vehicles. In all their marketing campaigns and promotions, they failed to indicate the fact that their cars had been installed with software that altered emission results to meet the technical environmental requirements on emission. Therefore, they undoubtedly violated one of the most basic but important codes of ethics and conduct of the engineering profession.
In addition, Volkswagen failed to maintain the engineering code of ethics and conduct requiring all firms to act as a faithful agent and trustee for all its clients. According to this code, engineers are to reveal all known and potential conflicts of interest as regards to the quality of the services and products that they offer. It is pretty clear that the company neglected to reflect to its clients the fact that the motor vehicles they produced were not of the required standard according to market requirements. Therefore, by not disclosing the information, the company failed to uphold the requirement of to remain faithful to its clients by offering high quality and standard products.
Most importantly, the company violated the rule of practice requiring it to avoid any form of deceptive acts. Specifically, the company and its engineers neglected to portray the truth to its clients by failing to disclose the fact that their cars were fundamentally bad for the environment as they resulted in emissions beyond the permitted level. Thus, according to Warden (2016), the company failed to uphold and operate in an ethical manner By issuing out its cars into the market with software to alter the emission test result, the company engaged in deceptive practices with the aim of cheating the system and attracting clients to purchase their product under the impression that the product was safe for the environment. It is in this regard that one is inclined to say that the Volkswagen company violated major and fundamental requirements and rules of practice as stipulated in the engineering code of ethics and conduct.
Aside from the rules of practices and engagement, engineers are expected to abide by various professional obligations. As a whole, ethical engineering practice calls for judgment, interpretation, and balanced decision-making in context (Our Code of Ethics, 2018). Just like the company violated significant rules of practice of the Engineering code of conduct, its engineers also violated multiple professional obligations as explained below.
The first professional obligation that these engineers violated is the obligation that all engineers shall be guided by the highest standard of integrity and honesty. in Lynch and Santos (2016) this code of ethics also calls for engineers to acknowledge their errors and not distort or alter facts Further, it stipulates that engineers and firms should not promote their own interest at the expense of the dignity and integrity of the profession. Indeed, the company alongside its workers failed to uphold this professional duty and instead acted in dishonesty, and thus failed to act with integrity as required by the professional obligations of engineering.
Apart from honesty and integrity, engineers are charged with the professional obligation to strive and serve the public interest. In this case, they are encouraged to participate in manufacturing activities that work for the advancement of the welfare of their community. Additional, the code of ethics and conduct forbids engineers from undertaking projects that are not in conformity with the applicable engineering principles. Furthermore, they are expected to uphold the principles of sustainable development so as to safeguard the environment for future generations. With this in mind, it is clear that the Volkswagen failed to uphold public interest and work in manner indicates that they have put public interest ahead of their business interest. From Rhodes (2015) we see that the company was interested in making sales by using the software to cheat the system What is more, they failed in their responsibility to protect the environment against pollution as their cars would produce emissions greater than the stipulated environmental standards. In this regard, Volkswagen violated the code of conduct to serve in public interest.
The engineering code of ethics and conduct also stipulates that engineers shall not make any attempts to injure, directly or indirectly, falsely or maliciously the works of other engineers and engineering firms. However, engineers in industrial, governmental and educational capacities are charged with the duty to review and evaluate the work of their juniors when so required by their employment and professional duties. In this case, therefore, the supervisory engineers in charge of overseeing other mechanical engineers in making the final car models that are released into the market failed in their duty to oversee, review and evaluate the standard and quality of the Volkswagen vehicles. Instead, they turned a blind eye as the cheating software was installed in the company’s cars with the aim of fooling the system as well as the clients to believe that Volkswagen cars are compliant to environmental regulations on emissions and pollution.
One paramount code of ethics and conduct in the field of engineering regards to the obligation where engineers are expected to accept personal responsibility for their professional activities. They may also seek indemnification for those services that arise from their practice other than from gross negligence. What is more, this code requires them to abide by state laws in the practice of their profession. It also requires that engineers must give credit work for engineering work where credit is due. Notably, this is the only code of ethics and conduct in the engineering rule book that Volkswagen group of companies upheld and adhered to. Precisely, the company accepted full responsibility for the scandal by issuing a statement that it was aware of the software in their cars that altered emission test results. The CEO of the company accepted the entire blame and resigned from office after the scandal. In addition, the marketing directors were suspended to allow for the federal government to conduct investigations on the case. Generally, the company failed significantly in adhering to all other ethical codes of conduct. However, its top management rose to the occasion and took responsibility for their fraudulent actions that led to the scandal with the intention of remedying and correcting the situation.
While going through the case, one is left to wonder why none of the engineers and workers at the Volkswagen Company did not come out straight with the information and reveal the unethical and fraudulent practices that the company was involve in. Many developed countries have had their share of engineering malpractices and disasters. However, very few have had these occurrences revealed by whistle blowers within the organization. Mainly, this is because of the fact that engineers are bounded by confidentiality clauses in their contracts, and revealing such information to the public would amount to breach of contract. In other cases, Uff (2002) points out that potential whistle blowers are discouraged by the fact that disclosing such information to the public would force them to expose themselves to personal risks in addition to the threat of legal proceedings Many engineers in the field have tried to draw the attention of the public to various ethical malpractices, but instead of being considered heroes they are victimized and end up suffering personal hardship as a result. Hence, one may strongly argue that is this reason why the engineers at Volkswagen chose to remain silent about the malpractices that the company was involved in.
Conclusion
All factors taken into consideration, Volkswagen violated fundamental codes of ethics and conduct of the engineering profession and industry. As part of the scandal, the company used a software to alter gas emission tests and cheat the system. As a result, Volkswagen cars were regarded as being compliant to environmental rules and regulations. From the case study, one notes that the company breached various ethical codes of the profession. Firstly, it infringed the code that requires engineering companies to hold supreme the health, safety and welfare of the public. It also violated the requirements to issue public statements in a truthful and objective manner. They also failed to act in faithfulness for its clients who believed that the company’s cars were compliant to environmental laws. Lastly, the company violated the code of conduct that requires firms to act ethically, honorably and lawfully in order to enhance and uphold the reputation of not only the firm but the engineering profession as a whole.
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