Situational Influences on Quantity Surveyors when Facing Ethical Dilemmas

Abstract

This paper focuses on analyzing the impact of interest considerations of quantity surveyors on their case-specific responses, which is a direct investigation of situational influences upon decisions towards ethical dilemmas. Hypotheses are tested by rigorous statistical techniques such as Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Hierarchical Regression Analysis. It is found that the less experienced the quantity surveyors are, the more emphasis they place on the interest of their colleagues; and the more senior the membership and less educated they are, the more emphasis they would place on the interest of their employer. Moreover, given the same personal profile, the quantity surveyors can be classified as either stressing their self-interest while disregarding the interest of their employer, or emphasizing the interest of their employer while sacrificing their own interest. Post-work ethical training tools enhance quantity surveyors' emphasis on their own interest.