Divided Loyalties: Whistle-blowing at BARTThis study provides a detailed, in-depth analysis of a single incident rooted in the effort of a group of professional employees to serve the public welfare. It reveals in microcosm the interplay of political forces, economic interests, personal ambition, organizational structure, and professional ethics that culminated in an act of whistle-blowing. The incident took place during the final construction phase of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART), designed to be America's first attempt at space-age mass transportation. Three BART engineers, convinced of the lack of responsiveness of management to their concerns about the system's safety, were fired for insubordination and other organizational sins. Based upon repeated interviews with the engineers, with BART managers and directors, and with the professional societies involved, as well as upon an extensive body of documents and court depositions, legislative reports, media reports, and institutional memoranda. Divided Loyalties sets a theoretical context for the issues, traces the incident from its beginning, examines the aftermath of the engineers' dismissal, and concludes with a set of recommendations that should be considered by public and private organizations, professional associations, agencies of government, and individual professional employees. |
Contents
Crisis | 107 |
Confused Role of Professional Societies | 207 |
10 | 214 |
Copyright | |
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action Alameda amicus curiae Area Rapid Transit asked ATC system automatic train control B. R. Stokes BART engineers BART management BART organization BART system BART's BARTD Board Bay Area Rapid Bill Jones Blankenzee's Board of Directors Burfine Report California Society California State Senate called Code of Ethics concern consulting Contra Costa County contract CSPE David Hammond Diablo Chapter Direc District Ed Walker employees employment Fendel fired Gil Verdugo gineers Hammond Helix Hoc Committee Holger Hjortsvang IEEE interest involved issue Justin Roberts Kramer Legislative Legislature management's March matter Max Blankenzee meeting ment November NSPE operation organizational PBTB position President problems profes Professional Engineers professional societies questions recommendations responsibility Robert Bruder Roy Anderson San Francisco Senate Public Utilities Silliman sional Society of Professional specific staff supervisor talk technical things three engineers Tillman tion train control system Transbay Tube USAC Utilities and Corporations Wargin Westinghouse