We need to keep practicing ethics

By Craig D. Capano

Is ethics in construction another oxymoron for our industry? Much has been written and discussed on this subject, especially in light of some recent and local developments. Does the building industry perform in an ethical manner and with integrity? I believe, in general, it does and must continue to practice this.

With the pressure of an uncertain economy and the increase of participants in competitive bidding, the lure of big projects and big money may tempt some to get a pricing advantage. But this should not be at the expense of ethical conduct.

Recently, I heard a student argue vehemently that bid shopping or peddling shouldn't be considered an unethical practice. He reasoned that this was only good business and trying to get a better price using someone else's submitted price only seemed fair, since we do it in all other aspects of life. Take for instance a car repair. We typically wouldn't just agree to the first quote given, and we may even shop around using the lowest quote as barter.

As constructors, we know that a lot of effort, time and expense goes into preparing bids, and when submitted they should be held confident. We trust that there is no collusion, rigging or shopping and that the quotes will be the lowest possible from the start. Now, there is of course nothing wrong with qualifying a bid, but there is a line that should not be crossed. Using subcontractors as pawns against each other is just wrong, unethical and lacks integrity. The contractors that pursue this practice are quickly revealed in the bidding community.

Where do construction ethics come from? Well, right from the beginning, construction programs teach ethics to the future leaders of our industry. All programs accredited by the American Council for Construction Education are required to have a component of study on ethics. Students who leave these programs do have a good grasp of ethical practices.

Another indication that ethical behavior is expected lies in the American Institute of Constructor's Code of Ethics. There are seven parts to this code, which all members of AIC and certified professional contractors must subscribe to. Ethic Two states, "A member shall not engage in any deceptive practice, or in any practice that creates an unfair advantage."

The American Society of Professional Estimators also realizes the importance of ethical behavior in the bidding environment. It too has developed a code of ethics to which members and certified professional estimators must adhere. The code is comprised of a number of cannons, two of which deal specifically with bidding practices.

As can be seen, fellow professional members do not tolerate unethical behavior in the contracting and bidding environment. The practitioners of these despicable acts are unfortunately fully aware of their deeds. They make a choice to circumvent the rules that the rest of us play by. A wise elder statesman in the local contracting community once told me that, "Ethics and integrity are doing the right things when no one else is looking." Those words ring true and should be practiced, practiced and practiced.