DP2

DecisionPoint
http://proethica.org/ontology/cases#DecisionPoint

DP2

Should Engineer B accept the franchiser's successor design engineering contract while Engineer A's contract remains active, or refrain from accepting the successor engagement until Engineer A's contract has fully expired?

Engineer B was retained by the franchiser to conduct a peer review of Engineer A's active design work while Engineer A's contract remained in force. Following the review, Engineer B accepted the franchiser's full successor design engineering contract. The ethical question is whether Engineer B's acceptance of the successor contract — obtained in part through knowledge and professional positioning gained during the peer review — was permissible, and whether the timing of that acceptance relative to Engineer A's contract expiration is the dispositive ethical boundary.

Refrain from accepting any successor design engineering engagement from the franchiser until Engineer A's contract has fully expired, ensuring that the peer review relationship is not used as a vehicle for competitive positioning while the incumbent's contractual relationship remains active.

Accept the franchiser's successor design engineering contract during the active review period, treating the franchiser's right to manage its own contractor relationships and the at-will employment symmetry principle as sufficient authorization for the concurrent engagement.

Accept the successor contract after Engineer A's contract expires, but only after having fulfilled all collegial notification duties during the review phase — treating timely and complete notification of Engineer A as a prerequisite condition that must be satisfied before the successor engagement can be ethically accepted.

Engineer B