$3.$ Reflect on the challenges presented in sections $9\mathrm{.}6$ to $9\mathrm{.}12$ of Chapter $9$ and identify which you perceive as the most formidable if faced in your professional career. Provide a detailed analysis of why this challenge stands out to you, and suggest strategies for overcoming it$,$ drawing on both theoretical concepts and practical approaches. $8\mathrm{.}7$ PAYING FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT: THE PROBLEM

OF BRIBERY

Bribery is one of the most common issues faced by U$.$S$.$ engineers when they prac$-$

tice in host countries. In response to the problem of bribery, the U$.$S$.$ Congress

passed the FCPA in $1977.$ The act is limited in its scope. It only prohibits bribery

of government officials and it allows some extortion payments to protect in$-$place

property. Nevertheless, it was a landmark piece of legislation and has prompted simi$-$

lar legislation in other countries.

In engineering work, a bribe is typically made to a government official in

exchange for violating some official duty or responsibility. The payment might result,

for example, in an official's making a decision to buy a product because of a bribe,

rather than because of its merits. The following is a typical or paradigmatic case of

bribery. An executive of Company A hopes to sell $25$ airplanes to the national airline

of Country X$.$ The deal requires the approval of the head of the ministry of transpor$-$

tation in Country X$.$ The executive knows that the official, who has a reputation for

honesty, can make a better deal elsewhere, but the official is also experiencing

personal financial difficulties. So the executive offers the official $$300,000$ to autho$-$

rize the purchase of the planes from Company A$.$ The official accepts the bribe and

orders the planes to be purchased. ${?}^{17}$

On the basis of this paradigm case of bribery, we can give the following definition

of a bribe: "A bribe is a payment of money $($or something of value$)$ to another per$-$

son in exchange for his giving special consideration that is incompatible with the

duties of his office, position, or role."$18$

A bribe also induces one person $($the person given the bribe$)$ to give to another

person $($the person giving the bribe$)$ something that he does not deserve. Keep in

mind that bribes presuppose an agreement that the bribe must be in exchange for a

certain kind of conduct. If this agreement is not present, then it is difficult to distin$-$

guish bribes from gifts or rewards.

Both giving and receiving bribes are forbidden by professional engineering codes,

including the WFEO cited earlier in the text. There are several good reasons for this.

First, if an engineer takes a bribe, she is creating a situation that will most likely cor$-$

rupt her professional judgment and tarnish the reputation of the engineering profes$-$