Exploring Factors for Ethical Decision Making: Views from Construction Professionals

Abstract

The construction industry has experienced malpractice, which is a significant cause for concern. Does the nature of the industry provide some hint for tracing the underlying reasons of the relatively severe ethical problems in construction? Can one of the most influential stakeholders in the industry, the professionals, improve the situation? This study was conducted in Hong Kong to investigate what kinds of ethical problems are faced by construction professionals, and to explore the factors influencing their ethical decision making. Statistical factor analyses identified six intuitive underlying factors that affect ethical decision making when construction professionals are facing ethical dilemmas in the industry. Four of them influencing decision making are “deontological factor,” “consequential factor—egoism,” “consequential factor—utilitarianism,” and “legal requirement.” Two other factors are “oneself/family” and “stakeholders.” Results show that construction professionals’ ethical behavior is guided by legal requirements. When making ethical decisions, they adopt an egoism approach that prioritizes their self-interest and their families’ interests higher than the public’s interest; they would consciously evaluate the consequences of any unethical behavior.