Factors influencing ethical decision making: A view through engineering consultancy firm in Malaysia

Abstract

Nowadays, many unethical issues are surrounding the construction industry, such as professional negligence, fraud, conflict of interests, bribery and a few to be named. Engineers who are categorised as a professional group are highly exposed to this wrongdoing environment and are always facing an ethical dilemma when making decisions. The decision making made by individual construction practitioners in an organisational context, for instance, the managers of the engineering consultancy firms has certain effects on the ethical implications and consequences to the society. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that affect ethical decision making in the construction industry, particularly in the engineering consultancy firm. The results provide the practitioners with a framework for understanding key drivers of ethical decision-making among the professional engineers employed in engineering consultancy firms.