Melissa Mulders is a qualified chemical engineer who graduated from the Farbridge
University two years ago. Melissa works for East Island Petrochemical Company. Since
graduation she has been developing a research career and plans to return to university next
year to undertake fulltime Doctor of Philosophy studies. Currently she works in the Research
and Development Division of East Island Petrochemicals. The Research and Development
Division has about 15 staff, including 5 industrial chemists, 3 chemical engineers and 4
? University of Southern Queensland
18 ENG3003 ? Engineering management
technicians. The Division has about 40 research projects underway, mainly looking at either the use of etrochemical products in applications outside their traditional uses, or the use of additives in petroleum fuels. Most of the research is cutting edge technology and is highly
confidential because of its commercial value. Melissa, along with all other staff, had to sign a Confidentiality Agreement when she first joined the Division. Annual ?Intellectual Property
Protection? seminars are held for all staff, and at these events the need for strict secrecy in the work is always emphasised.
The Head of the Division is Walpole Snodgrass, a 44 year old divorcee. Walpole is a known
womaniser and has come very close on several occasions to landing himself in trouble with
sexual harassment charges. However, Walpole is also a very astute business operator when it
comes to recruiting funds for his Division. He knows most of the senior managers in East
Island Petrochemicals very well, and is also friendly with several of the directors of the
company. He is an expert at extracting funds from senior management, and if he is unable to
secure funds for a project in the normal way he is not averse to personally lobbying
individual directors to support his case. Melissa does not have a lot to do with Walpole, for
which she is thankful. The few occasions where she has had to discuss issues with him she
has found him to be lecherous and he tried to grope her on one occasion when they were
alone together.
Melissa?s immediate supervisor is Brian Bunsen, an industrial chemist. Brian is in his early
50?s and has been with the company all his working life. He is fairly apathetic towards his
job, and tends to do the minimum to keep the bosses happy. He feels the company has
overlooked his talents and was particularly upset when Walpole was appointed Head of the
Division five years ago. Walpole was brought in from another section of the company and
Brian, as the most senior research scientist in the Division at that time, had expected to be
named as Head. Brian now reports directly to Walpole and their relationship is often stormy.
Apart from Melissa, the other people in Brian?s section are Roger ?The Revhead? Robinson,
Craig Cattler and Trudy Truesome. Roger is a chemical engineer who graduated from
university 8 years ago. He is known as ?The Revhead? because of his obsession with car drag
racing. Roger has his own dragster which he races in drag meetings all around the state. He
has confided to Melissa that although he finds the drag racing is fun and exciting, he also
likes to be involved in it because of the prize money which he is personally able to keep, and
the fact that the company vice-president, Bill Breezeway, is also keen on drag racing and this
allows Roger to mix with the upper managers and directors of the company.
Craig Cattler is a morose character who is always finding fault with the work of others. He is
an industrial chemist with five years experience and Melissa suspects he has a drinking
problem. Frequently, after lunch, he smells heavily of booze and often disappears into a quiet
part of the laboratory, presumably to have a sleep.
Trudy Truesome is the technician in the section and therefore assists Brian, Roger, Craig and
Melissa in their research projects. She is in her mid 30s, is divorced, and has two small
children (ages 7 and 4 years). Trudy is quite good at her job and is a willing worker, although
she tends to be fairly stressed because of her family situation, and sometimes leaves critical
work undone.
Brian?s section of the Research and Development Division is concerned with research into
fuel additives. One of the projects they have been working on for the last 12 months is the
development of a new additive which will significantly increase the octane rating of normal
automotive fuels. The additive has been coded as KBC32. The project has been going well
and initial trials of KBC32 indicate that the product could be a lucrative money spinner for
? University of Southern Queensland
ENG3003 ? Engineering management 19
the company. Small quantities of KBC32 are stored in the laboratory, and each time some of
it is used the user must record details in a register and sign their name.
Roger has been suggesting to Melissa for some months that she should go along to one of the
Saturday night drag meetings that he is involved in, so that she can see for herself what drag
racing is about and how much fun it is. Melissa has resisted attending a drag meeting because
she is not interested and has always thought how boring it all sounds. However one Saturday
afternoon her friend Brooke Burton suggests that the two of them attend the drag meeting
that night and Melissa agrees so that she finds out what drag racing is about.
The drag meeting is of course quite crowded but eventually she spies Roger in the distance.
She is somewhat surprised when she realises that the woman with Roger is Trudy and they
are acting in a way which indicates that they are more than just friends. As she pushes her
way through the crowd towards Roger she suddenly becomes aware that Roger and Trudy
have been joined by Milton Steiner, head of Steiner Industries, a small but aggressive
petrochemical research company which is a rival to East Island Petrochemicals. This stops
her in her tracks and as she stands and watches she sees Roger handing to Milton a vial filled
with bluish-green liquid. She is shocked and dismayed as she realises that the liquid looks to
be KBC32. Her concern then turns to panic as she realises that the previous afternoon Trudy
had asked her to procure and sign for 25ml of KBC32. Trudy had said that Roger needed the
sample for some further testing, but could not leave what he was doing at that time to get the
sample. Melissa had been fairly busy herself but in order to help Roger expedite his testing
had signed out the liquid for him. If the liquid that Roger is now handing to Milton is
KBC32, then it is probably the sample that Melissa has signed for!
As she stands there stunned she sees Milton reach into his inner coat pocket and bring out a
brown envelope which he hands to Roger.
Identify and discuss the management and ethical issues involved in this case. What courses
of action would be appropriate for Melissa to follow (starting immediately)?
Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.
[order_calculator]