You are an engineer with the responsibility for choosing the route for a new highway. You have narrowed the choice to two sites that meet all safety standards and economic criteria (call them Route A and Route B). Route B is arguably slightly superior in terms of both safety and economics. However, Route B would pass by the site of an expensive new house recently built by your favorite niece, and the proximity of the highway would severely depress the value of the house. Since your niece’s last name is different from yours, and you have never mentioned her at the office, you would be unlikely to be “caught” if you chose Route A in order to save the value of her house. What do you do?

a. Choose Route A.

b. Choose Route B.

c. Ask to be relieved from the responsibility because of conflict of interest.

Use the Engineering Ethics Matrix.