1. Unintended Effects
Is Jack’s company wrong to provide technology to the community when they don’t need it?
I agree with Jack’s idea, because of a few reasons. First, the community does not have the money for
giving maintenance. It is not necessary to apply something they cannot afford, in fact, if they cannot afford
maintenance, the technology will not be used properly. It is just like giving candy and then taking it away.
Second, for me, an engineer is someone who can build the best with the less. So, now the company think
is better to spend more money, instead of taking the way that implies more efficiency, it loses focus on
engineering. So, for me, I support Jack’s idea about giving the necessary using the less but making the best
effort.
2. Whistleblowing City Engineer
How would you respond to this situation?
I would press charges against the whole company, but mostly on James. Because he took Chris’ credibility
instead of taking responsibility for his acts. And I know it would be difficult to talk from Chris’s position,
but that does not mean it is impossible to do it. So, If I were Chris, I would report the incident to someone
above Mario.
How do you assess engineer Mario's actions?
Mario does not take care of the stuff she should. In fact, he is allowing someone to damage the
environment, just for keeping his position. That is bad, because when someone else starts to talk about
the problem, probably they are going to fire Mario. As a consequence, He is not going to be able to apply
to any other position as a legit engineer.
What about James's actions?
James is just making damage without for now any repercussion. That does not mean that he is not going
to get a repercussion later, in fact, means that when it comes, it is going to be a bad one. I would say that
James is just thinking about himself, and does not have any empathy for Chris, who is the one who can
receive all the bad things.
What about technician Chris?
Chris is not thinking clearly about what he had done. This does not mean that he is not responsible for
making all those poor decisions. And, if someone goes to jail, the most probably to get the sentence is
him. Because he is not as powerful as Mario or James, I would ass Chris’ actions as poorly as the rest who
are involved in this problem.
What are engineer Mario's obligations to either James or the Public Works Department?
Mario should be taking care of the city, for that matter, it needs to report when something comes up.
Such as this situation, on other hand, James should be saying to his supervisor what is happening instead
of making Chris responsible for the damages that are causing the bad treatment of water. With that, he
can come up with a solution and prove it.
What are Mario's responsibilities for the environmental health of city residents?
He should be taking care of the water because the people trust in him. That is why he was elected in the
first place for the position he has. I think Mario has the responsibility of making a safe place, where people
do not get sick out of the blue. Because when the environment is not healthy, people can get sick easily.
How might these responsibilities be fulfilled simultaneously?
If Mario takes responsibility, reports, and basically says something about it. Between Chris and Mario can
come up with a solution. In that way, they get more experience in their field, so they can in the future
make another project without risking the environment or the people around them. Therefore, Mario gets
more credibility with people and becomes a better engineer and politician.
Which takes precedence in case of conflict?
In this case, I believe that the damage to the environment is something that is going to happen repeatedly
until someone of the ones that are involved does anything. I think they should think out of the box and
try to make everything by taking care of the water, and if necessary, stop the production until they know
how to act.
What additional information would you like to have, and what difference would it make to your
assessment?
If I knew who Mario’s supervisor was, I could have said something, and then prevent the problem,
before it has begun. And If I knew Chris, I would explained him how he could think a better solution
instead in just taking full responsibility.
3. Insurmountable Differences
Was Cory’s motive to challenge Shawn during the presentation justified?
His ego, He thought it was better than Shawn, and instead of making corrections privately he preferred to
expose him. I think Cory was jealous of Shawn’s achievement, and he thought it was funny to make him
look unprepared. Cory was busier trying to make look bad Shawn’s work and did not take the time to
understand the work.
Should Shawn do anything further with regards to the situation?
No, He acted correctly, because he did not make a scene. He made clear how important was his job, but
If I were him, I would add a limit, and say how uncomfortable was that. In that way, Cory knew that he
should no longer be able to expose people just for fun.
4. Is the customer always right?
What should Brad prioritize: The customer’s safety or the customer’s desires?
If I were Brad, I would try to talk to the customer, because is not ok to “repair” something that is not going
to last. In case the customer says something about not repairing, I would suggest that he looks for another
person. Because I would not be comfortable doing something that probably is not going to hurt someone.
But If the customer says that is ok to change the design, I would end the job. Because safety is first, and
more importantly, when someone can get hurt, it does not matter the cost, or the looks, just the healthy.