It seems that in recent years there has been an increase in the frequency of engineering professionals changing jobs, either volunarily or involuntarily. This got me to thinking about the ethics of marketing your firm to others based upon past project experience.
A firm might do a large project and put a team of professionals on that project for its duration. Some time after the project is completed, some, or all, of the team members leave the firm.
At what point does it become unethical for a firm to represent itself as having "done" a specific project?
When [green]50%[/green] of the original team is no longer with the firm?
At [red]75%[/red]?
At [blue]90%[/blue]?
Yes, the corporation was the contracting entity that provided the professional services, but when no one is left at the firm can they (or should they) ethically tell other potential clients that they "did" that project?
And on the flip side, for those who left the firm, can they lay claim to having that project as one they can advertise as representative of their experience since it was their previous firm's project?
A firm might do a large project and put a team of professionals on that project for its duration. Some time after the project is completed, some, or all, of the team members leave the firm.
At what point does it become unethical for a firm to represent itself as having "done" a specific project?
When [green]50%[/green] of the original team is no longer with the firm?
At [red]75%[/red]?
At [blue]90%[/blue]?
Yes, the corporation was the contracting entity that provided the professional services, but when no one is left at the firm can they (or should they) ethically tell other potential clients that they "did" that project?
And on the flip side, for those who left the firm, can they lay claim to having that project as one they can advertise as representative of their experience since it was their previous firm's project?