Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Case Competition

Lockheed Martin, in partnership with the Center for Professional Responsibility in Business and Society has collaborated on three annual Ethics in Engineering Case Competitions. The events take place at the Lockheed Martin Headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, and feature a tour of their state-of-the-art Global Vision Center in Arlington, Virginia.

Competition Objectives

The competition aims to prepare undergraduate students from technical disciplines to face the ethical challenges of the 21st century. To this end, Lockheed Martin prepares a case with engineering, ethical, and business implications. Each team receives a brief summary of the case before the competition and is asked to analyze it from a variety of different perspectives and present their recommendations during the competition.

Competition Logistics

Each of the invited schools can bring one team of two undergraduate students and a faculty advisor. Because the case will address an engineering issue, we recommend that at least one of the students be studying engineering.

Lockheed Martin's Partnership with the Center and Gies Business Featured in Industry Week:

An Industry Week article "Ethics for Engineers: Lockheed Martin Challenges the Next Generation" by Leo S. Mackay Jr. (senior vice president of Ethics and Enterprise Assurance at Lockheed Martin) provided the latest details on Lockheed's Ethics in Engineering Case Competition. The article addressed the competition's objectives in "fostering critical thinking around technology and ethics" and further highlights the Center for Professional 

“Through Lockheed Martin’s Ethics in Engineering Case Competition, undergraduate students studying engineering and business explore ethical dilemmas in the workplace. They are introduced to a wide variety of situations that could arise in the complex world of technology, and they learn the importance of voicing their values. We developed the program with support from the Center for Professional Responsibility, Gies College of Business and the University of Illinois; institutions that brought strong expertise on how to set up the competition.” (Mackay, Industry Week 2020).

The Importance of Leadership

“Ethical leadership is critical to Lockheed Martin’s ability to sustain a culture of innovation and accountability, which in turn impacts profitability, talent recruitment, and our reputation with multiple stakeholders. The decisions we make every day have the potential to affect our customers, our communities, our country, and the world.” (Mackay, Industry Week 2020).

“We hope by sharing this commitment to high ethical standards with the next generation of engineering and business talent that they will put integrity at the forefront of their professional endeavors.” (Mackay, Industry Week 2020).

The Third Annual Competition in 2020

Most recently, teams from over 21 colleges and universities visited Lockheed’s corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland to partake in the third annual competition. The ethical topic centered around artificial intelligence, and Brigham Young University took home the top prize.

Judges

All rounds of the competition are judged by Lockheed Martin leaders and academic experts familiar with the facts of the case.

Cost to Participate

The cost to participate is $450 per team. Participants are responsible for their travel to/from Bethesda and for their 2-3 night hotel stay. All meals during the event, as well as transportation during the competition, are covered as part of the registration fee.

Contact

For any questions about the Lockheed Martin Ethics in Engineering Case Competition, please contact David Gebler, Lockheed Martin Corporate Ethics Office, at david.m.gebler@lmco.com