Engineering Ethics Problems in a Developing Country - Ethical Engineering for International Development and Environmental Sustainability - page 254

8.3 Ethical Issues in the Post-1989 Period

The ICT and automation technology providers in Poland generally ignored the best
available people in the country and employed people with limited technical exper-
tise and not very competent managers. This approach is typical of colonialism with
its lack of respect for local people. The methods used, including bullying and
harassment, false allegations and even theft, are reminiscent of those used by the
WPR system. Discrimination against and the refusal of overseas firms to use local
experts on account of their knowledge and expertise pushed Poland into the position
of a colonised country which was totally dependent on foreign countries.
This does not meet any of the conditions of good practice in technology and
knowledge transfer described below and can be considered to be based on bad rather
than good practice. Good practice should involve the following factors (Roberts
2000 ; Souder et al. 1990 ; Thrupp 1989 ; Wanderson 2003 ):

Local Issues

• Active role for local individuals, organisations and individuals.
• Use of local knowledge.
• Consideration of and adaptation to the context.

Relationship Between the Transfer Agency and Recipient

• Full commitment by the transfer agency to the technology and appropriate tech-
nical ability.
• Long-term partnership between the transfer agency and the recipient.
• Transfer of complete and useful information about the technology, including
tacit knowledge.
• Appropriate transfer mechanisms, which may require face-to-face meetings to
transfer tacit knowledge.

Recipient

• A plan and adequate resources and business acumen by the technology
recipient.
• The technology is low cost and low risk for the recipient and will perform reli-
ably in their applications.

Benefits

• The technology has positive impacts.
• The technology is transferred in a way that builds on and adds to local capacity.

The technology transfer process in Poland resulted in what can be characterised
as a lose-lose situation. Pioneers and other technical experts were prevented from
doing the work they loved, and rather than benefiting from the technology transfer
process, the country was disadvantaged by it and there was no resulting increase in
prosperity. Even the overseas corporations lost out, since their projects failed or
were less successful than they could have been due to not using the best local people.