Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Local technical experts and other local personnel are advised to be very careful
in their dealings with such corporations. This is particularly important in situations
where there are no or only limited controls on these firms on the part of govern-
ments and other regulatory authorities. Such experts are advised to, if at all possible,
aim to obtain employment from local firms or institutes. They are also in a potential
position to draw on their technical expertise to support campaigns for greater
national control of the technology transfer process and control and restriction of the
activities particularly of large overseas corporations.
9
Conclusions
This chapter has drawn on the Polish experience to discuss ethical issues associated
with the technology transfer process, as well as those associated with carrying out
technical work in exploitative WPR (who has power is right) systems. These ethical
issues have been introduced through case studies of the experiences of several lead-
ing designers of ICT and automation both before and after the political and eco-
nomic changes which took place in Poland in 1989. The actions of some of the
leading designers, authorities under the pre-1989 WPR system and large corpora-
tion post-1989 have been evaluated using some of the ethical theories presented in
Chap.
2
of this topic.
It should be noted that, despite the differences on the surface in their political and
economic philosophies, there is considerable similarity between the behaviour of
the pre-1989 authorities and the post-1989 large corporations. The results of the
ethical analysis of their actions were also very similar. However, it should be noted
that the experiences of leading designers post-1989 was even worse than that pre-
1989. Pre-1989, most of them were at least allowed to lead one project before being
pushed out, whether through promotion out of engineering and design or through
bullying and harassment. Post-1989, they were not even allowed to lead one project
and bullying and harassment started much earlier. Naturally, the prosperity of
Poland suffered in both periods.
While a number of ethical theories are relevant to the experiences both pre- and
post-1989, virtue ethics and the ethics of care are probably particularly relevant.
Virtue ethics is about ethical behaviour which develops good character and which is
typical of someone of good character. A narrow focus on self-interest at the expense
of a whole country, never mind individual experts, is clearly not associated with
good character. The ethics of care is based on maintaining relationships. The experi-
ences both pre- and post-1989 showed a total lack of respect for technical experts
and the country as a whole, as well as the relationships within design teams.
The case studies in this chapter relate to the specific experiences of leading
designers in the area of ICT and automation in Poland. However, it is of much wider
relevance to other domains of expertise and professionals other than leading design-
ers. It can also be extended outside Poland, though some of the details will differ.
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