The engineer’s conundrum

Quote: “In spite of their ‘pseudo person’ legal status, corporations do not make decisions, individuals and/or groups of individuals do. Within the corporate structure, individuals, including engineers, have input to decisions but do not normally have veto powers. Given that the corporation does not have the constraints of a licensed professional, the ultimate corporate decisions will probably be more driven by profit potential than the ‘contribution to society’ that was/is the intended role of ‘professionals.’ The real question is, can/do individuals hide behind the veil of corporations when it comes to accepting responsibility for decisions? More specifically, can/do engineers hide behind the corporate veil when decisions that clearly violate their professional responsibilities are advanced as corporate policy or corporate products?”

From “Engineering Philosophy 101, Life in the Corporate World,” by M.G. (Ron) Britton, P.Eng., The Keystone Professional, Summer 2014, p. 11. Published by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM).