Parkville
Robin Dorsey is an engineer at CDC, Inc., a large corporation in a crowded metropolitan area. Robin prefers living in a smaller community, but commutes thirty miles daily from home in Parkville, a community of fewer than 5,000 people.
Noted for environmental concerns, Robin is on Parkville's Committee for Environmental Quality, a small but active citizen's group. Last year, the committee successfully spearheaded opposition to rezoning a Parkville recreational and wildlife area for commercial purposes. While acknowledging that commercial development would aid the local economy, the committee convinced the city council that economic progress should not come at the expense of the environment.
Now Robin faces a difficult problem. Robin has learned that CDC needs to expand its operations, which will require a new facility. But the immediate area has little to offer. In surveying surrounding areas, CDC's planning committee has determined that the most desirable location for its new facility would be in nearby Parkville's recreational and wildlife area. The planning committee is now authorized by CDC to approach Parkville's city council.
CDC makes what it considers to be a very generous offer to the city council. Presenting itself as an environmentally conscious corporation, CDC says it will need only 25 percent of the wildlife and recreational area; it will carefully monitor and control emissions into the air and water, using "beyond-the-state-of-the-art" equipment and standards; it will annually contribute funds for the preservation and maintenance of the area. In addition, CDC points out how its presence will increase the tax base of Parkville, create new jobs, and enhance the local economy.
A member of CDC's planning committee learns that one of CDC's engineers, Robin Dorsey, lives in Parkville. He suggests to committee chair Pat Bartlett that someone see if Robin might be able to "soften up" Parkville city council members. Pat thinks this is a good idea and calls Chris Jensen, chief engineer of Robin's unit. "Chris," Pat says, "I'd like you to talk to one of your engineers, Robin Dorsey, about our efforts to secure some land near Parkville." Pat goes on to detail CDC's plans and what Robin would to be asked to do.
Shortly after the conversation with Pat Bartlett, Chris Jensen calls Robin Dorsey into the office and relays Pat's message. Unaware of Robin's participation on Parkville's Committee for Environmental Quality, Chris asks, "Is there anyone on the city council you know well enough to talk to about this?"
Reporting back to Pat Bartlett, Chris Jensen says that Robin Dorsey will not be much help. "Robin doesn't know any council members well enough to talk to them," Chris says.
Much to Chris's surprise, Pat replies, "Guess what I learned just half an hour ago? I had a phone conversation with an old friend who moved away from Parkville last fall. He says Robin Dorsey is on an environmental concerns committee in Parkville. Robin knows city council members all right--Robin and the committee members took on the council last year and blocked its effort to open up commercially the area we want! We're going to have to keep an eye on Robin. Tell Robin to 'cool it' on this one."
Over the next two weeks, Robin Dorsey keeps CDC's plans private. Then Robin receives a phone message indicating that the Committee for Environmental Quality is having an urgent meeting. At the outset of the meeting, the committee chair Terry Turner announces news of CDC's intentions. "We have to act quickly to mobilize against this," Terry concludes.
This case appears (with different names) in Charles E. Harris, Michael S. Pritchard, and Michael J. Rabins, Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases, Wadsworth Publishing Co., Belmont, Mass., pp. 344-345, 1995.