Give a clear analysis of the following case. For the case presented, give both an explanation of the ethics

or failure of ethics in the case, and a clear explanation of your ethical answer to the situation as if you were in the situation

described. You must use course concepts and vocabulary to explain the two sides. This case includes more than one key ethical issue - try to make clear if you are responding to one or more ethical issues:

Case: You work as an engineer for 'APEX aero-space Propulsion' a fictional company developing a new type of engine. You

are responsible for the testing of the new engine and are in the midst of testing safety, efficacy, and reliability. You have extensive

training and experience that was used to set a six month testing cycle before sales of the product would be approved. This round of testing should take six weeks, and the outcome might need to lead to revision and redesign.

Your Boss has just told you that the report needs to be completed this week, but the original schedule included six weeks

longer for testing and evaluation, assuming the product performed perfectly and needed no revision. Simply doing the data analysis on data you gathered about failure rates would take more than the current week timeframe would allow.

Your Boss is quite clear. His own Boss, the division head, has found out a potential customer wants to buy an engine like

this now, and will not wait. He has pressured your Boss to give an answer if the engine is ready, and your Boss said the testing report would be ready to show the customer next week. The schedule is sped up so that a pitch by the sales team can go ahead to this valuable potential customer. You have a prototype that was planned for testing, and it will now be used to show the customers the design. They wish to see a prototype and to be reassured the testing is complete in only eight days.

You are not able to refuse your Boss's new schedule, and no comprehensive testing can be completed in the next seven

days. You can complete a minimal test to check only if it can appear to activate and demonstrate function successfully, to prepare the prototype for the sales meeting, but it may be necessary to falsify the action of the engine, or elements of the testing report to produce the documentation your Boss wants. He says he "doesn't care how you do it, just do it."

Your Boss specifically suggests you ignore all other testing and prepare a testing report on the initial tests that are already

completed so sales will have something to show the buyers. There are only voluntary standards for testing, until it is in an aircraft, at which point the federal regulations would apply to the customer's vehicle not to your engine itself.

You have a new subordinate, your assistant "John" will likely be asked to complete a report and you may be fired if you

refuse or don't meet the new deadline. While "John" is technically a testing engineer on the team, he is inexperienced and not

prepared to complete testing, or to evaluate the tests already completed. You may be able to spend the next week looking at the

data to produce an honest report based on the tests already complete, but it may say the engine functions poorly or is unsafe. If you leave it to your assistant, he is almost certain to pass it as a way to impress the boss. "John" is ambitious, accepting of risk, and eager to please. He will almost certainly do what your Boss asks, and produce a report supporting the success of the new engine.

A) Using a Utilitarian Theory, explain what the right action is, what kinds of consequences for the company, client/purchaser,

your Boss, people in society at large, and for pilots or other users.

B) Please write out an explanation of what you consider you should do, referring to any ethical theory you consider appropriate

but making your explanation of how to proceed connect to multiple weeks readings/concepts from class, and referring to

professional ethics, legal liability, and societal expectations, in the form of an argument to the Sales team to try to get around the

Boss's demand?

C) Consider that your Boss is going ahead with the false report and explain whether you believe you would be ethically permitted

to be a 'Whistleblower" or report to someone outside the company, and what changes or affects the legitimacy of your

whistleblowing?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

A Utilitarian Theory Analysis According to Utilitarianism the right action is to maximize overall happiness or wellbeing In this case Right Action Com... View the full answer