structural marketing

huangyhg

structural marketing
i posted this in the ethics forum and wanted to get more of a structural engineering view on this issue:
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 50% of the original team is no longer with the firm?  
at 75%?  
at 90%?
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 to q1: company usually retain a core of personnel with long term/steady services to their core business. in other words, the wise company retains the experiences to avoid undesirable liability issues.
a to q2: as long as one did involve in the project, i don't see anything wrong for claiming the experience (pertaining to what he has done) and credit. most often, the stated experiences would be checked-out on one's new projects with the new employer.
my take on q1: if a project was done by a company, under its logo with a professional seal of an individual who is a former employee or a former partner of that company, it is ethical for the company to advertize that project as one of their own.
q2: when an engineer advertize that they've worked on a particular project from a previous firm, it is ethical to disclose their depth of involvement.  i feel that it is unethical to lay claims on a resume that one has "done" a particular project (architectural rendering/picture of a full building model from a structural software/etc) if he's only strengthened two beams for an new mechanical equipment, for instance.  if an engineer "founds" a new firm, he may advertize all of the projects that he's worked on from previous firms and his involvement provided that due credit be given to the company it was done under.
from an owner's viewpoint, we always questioned an engineering firm about the "key" individuals who were proposed for a new project (such as the project manager, lead structural, civil, electrical, mechanical, construction management, and so on).
we were not concerned about changes in individuals reporting to these leaders. as long as continuity of leadership was maintained from project to project we considered the reference to the past project's success as valid.
there are also some intrinsic non-human knowledge items such as details developed for similar projects e.t.c. that contribute to the companies experience base.
don't forget, when a person leaves, the knowledge goes with him, it doesn't necessarily stay with the firm. i, therefore, feel it is certainly ethical for that particular individual to claim that he worked on a particular project. however, the firm should only claim those projects that it has done.
that is why i am more interested in the individuals working on a project, rather than the firm. the firm is the shell, but the people are the "meat" that drives the project.
as far as i can re  
kslee1000, i've heard your point many times, but the true assetsfff"> of a firm, in my opinion, isn't a set of calculations, or some project photos, or the plans, but the knowledge base of the professionals that did the work.
the asce code of ethics states that an engineer should never knowingly mis-represent themselves as having credentials that they don't really have.
if corporation a shows off a unique project that they did a few years ago, but no one remaining in the firm had anything to do with that project (all have left the firm) then isn't the corporation, as a group of engineers, somewhat mis-representing themselves by suggesting that they "did" that project and currently "possess" that knowledge?
engineer b meanwhile leaves the firm and
1.  uses a picture of the project he worked on in a flyer/brochure
2.  truly has the unique skills to do similar projects
yet i'm hearing here that engineer b is somehow unethical because the project was contracted under corporation a and they have some "right" to ownership of the project experience when in fact they have zero....just the history.
they both have rights to the project. the engineer should honestly advertise what his was role on the project. the company can advertise past projects as long as the knowledge or ability to reproduce a similiar project still exist at the firm. recently the firm i work for won an award for a project that my supervisor did. if he leaves after passing on the sufficient knowledge to me to the point that i had the ability to design a similar structure i think that the firm can advertise it.
jae:
i left my specific knoweledge on the projects i have done/directed, and the firm which receives it has the engineers/directors at no less than my caliber to follow my works or expand my ideas, i don't see any problem with it. and as i said before, an engineer may claim anything he has done for a project, eventually the claims will be tested, and he better perform. otherwise, you know what will follow.