Engineering Ethics Problems in a Developing Country

The paper draws on case studies of the experiences of successful leading designers in the areas of hardware, software, applications and research to discuss ethical issues related to working in the ICT and automation industry in Poland. The situation both before and after the political and economic changes in 1989 is considered, with developments in the subsequent period based almost exclusively on technology transfer. A number of ethical theories are applied to analyse the action of leading designers, large corporations post-1989 and the authorities in the state-owned firm Elwro pre-1989. Similarities and differences in the experiences of leading designers in the two periods are noted, and various suggestions for surviving while behaving ethically are made.