Ethics in Information Technology PDF

Ethics in Information Technology Chapter 1 An Overview of Ethics George W. Reynolds © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole...

Ethics in Information Technology Chapter 1 An Overview of Ethics George W. Reynolds © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 1  Learning Objectives, Part 1 What is ethics? What trends have increased the likelihood of unethical behavior? What is corporate social responsibility, and why is fostering good business ethics important? © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.  Learning Objectives, Part 2 What measures can organizations take to improve their business ethics? How can you include ethical considerations in your decision making? What trends have increased the risk that information technology will be used in an unethical manner? © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.  What is Ethics? Ethics: A code of behavior defined by the group to which an individual belongs Morals: Personal principles upon which an individual bases his or her decisions about what is right and what is wrong Virtue: A habit that inclines people to do what is acceptable Vice: A habit of unacceptable behavior © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 4 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. The Relationship Between Ethics and Morals © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 5 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.  Integrity Acting in accordance with a personal code of principles Extending the same respect and consideration that one expects to receive from others Applying the same moral codes in all situations Consistency can be difficult to achieve in situations that conflict with one’s moral standards. Inconsistency also occurs if one applies moral standards differently depending on the © 2019 Cengage. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password- protected website for classroom use. 6  Difference Between Morals, Ethics, and Laws Morals Ethics Law Personal Code of System of rules, principles an behavior that is enforced by a set individual uses to defined by the of institutions, determine what is group to which that tells us what right and what is an individual we can and wrong belongs cannot do Moral acts Legal acts are conform to what acts that an individual conform to the believes to be the law right thing to do © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 7 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. Legal versus Ethical © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 8 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.  Ethics in the Business World Trends that have increased the risk of unethical behavior: More complex work environments spanning diverse cultures make it more difficult to apply principles and codes of ethics consistently. Today’s challenging economic climate has increased the pressure on organizations to maintain revenue and profits. Heightened vigilance by employees, shareholders, and regulatory agencies has increased the risk of financial loss and lawsuits for businesses that act unethically. © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 9 Who Is Responsible for Instances of Misconduct? © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 1 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 0  Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Organization takes responsibility for the impact of its actions on: Shareholders Consumers Employees Community Environment Suppliers Supply chain sustainability: A component of CSR focused on developing and maintaining a supply chain that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 1 1  Reasons to Foster Corporate Social Responsibility and Good Business Ethics Gain the goodwill of the community Create an organization that operates consistently Foster good business practices Protect the organization and its employees from legal action Avoid unfavorable publicity © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 1 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 2 Reducing the Risk of Unethical Behavior © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 1 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 3  Characteristics of a Successful Ethics Program Employees are willing to seek advice about ethics-related issues. Employees feel prepared to handle situations that could lead to misconduct. Employees are rewarded for ethical behavior. The organization does not reward success obtained through questionable means. Employees feel positively about their company. © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 1 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4  Corporate Ethics Officer Also called a corporate compliance officer Provides an organization with vision and leadership in the area of business conduct Ideally a senior-level manager who reports directly to the CEO Responsibilities: Ensuring compliance with ethical procedures Creating and maintaining the ethics culture envisioned by the highest level of corporate authority Serving as the key contact person for ethics issues © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 1 5  Ethical Standards Set by Board of Directors Conduct themselves according to the highest standards of personal and professional integrity Set the standard for company-wide ethical conduct Ensure compliance with laws and regulations Create an environment in which employees can: Seek advice about business conduct Raise issues Report misconduct © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 1 6  Corporate Code of Ethics A code of ethics: Highlights an organization’s key ethical issues Identifies the overarching values and principles important to the organization and its decision making Organizational code of ethics should: Apply to directors, officers, and employees Focus employees on areas of ethical risk Offer guidance to help employees recognize and deal with ethical issues Provide mechanisms for reporting unethical conduct © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 1 7  Social Audit Organization reviews its ethical and social responsibility goals, and communicates its goals for the upcoming year. Information is shared with: Employees Investors Market analysts Customers Suppliers Government agencies Community © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 1 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 8  Ethics Training for Employees A comprehensive ethics education program: Encourages employees to act ethically Shows employees examples of how to apply the code of ethics in real life Goals of ethics training: Encourage employees to report any misconduct Show employees effective ways of reporting incidents Reassure employees that such feedback will be acted on and that they will not be subjected to retaliation © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 1 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 9  Ethical Criteria in Employee Appraisals Treating others fairly and with respect Operating effectively in a multicultural environment Accepting personal accountability for meeting business needs Continually developing others and themselves Operating openly and honestly with suppliers, customers, and other employees © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 0  Manager’s Checklist for Establishing an Ethical Work Environment QUESTION YE N S O Does your organization have a code of ethics? Do employees know how and to whom to report any infractions of the code of ethics? Do employees feel that they can report violations of the code of ethics safely and without fear of retaliation? Do employees feel that action will be taken against those who violate the code of ethics? Do senior managers set an example by communicating the code of ethics and using it in their own decision making? Do managers evaluate and provide feedback to employees on how they operate with respect to the values and principles in the code of ethics? Are employees aware of sanctions for breaching © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 2 1  Five-Step Ethical Decision-Making Process 1. Develop a problem statement A clear, concise description of the issue Don’t make assumptions; verify “facts” 2. Identify alternatives Enlist help of others 3. Choose alternative Defensible and consistent; consider impact on others 4. Implement decision Transition plan 5. Evaluate results Poor alternative? Bad implementation? © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 2  Concerns About the Ethical Use of Information Technology Surveillance of citizens by governments Email and Internet access monitoring at work Music and movies downloaded in violation of copyright laws Unsolicited email and text messages Identify theft by hackers Plagiarism by students Cookies and spyware used to track users’ online purchases and activities © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 3  Summary, Part 1 What is ethics? Ethics: A code of behavior defined by the group to which one belongs Morals: Personal principles upon which an individual bases decisions about right and wrong A person who acts with integrity acts in accordance with a personal code of principles. Law: A system of rules that tells us what we can and cannot do Code of ethics: States the principles and core values essential to one’s work © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 2 4  Summary, Part 2 What trends have increased the likelihood of unethical behavior? More complex work environments make it more difficult to apply principles and codes of ethics consistently. Organizations may resort to unethical behavior to maintain profits in an uncertain economic climate. Highly successful individuals may fail to act in morally appropriate ways. © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 5  Summary, Part 3 What is corporate social responsibility (CSR), and why is fostering good business ethics important? CSR: An organization takes responsibility for the impact of its actions Supply chain sustainability: Meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs Reasons to foster CSR and good business ethics: - Gain the goodwill of the community - Create an organization that operates consistently - Foster good business practices © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 6  Summary, Part 4 What measures can organizations take to improve their business ethics? Appoint a corporate ethics officer. Require the board of directors to set and model high ethical standards. Establish a corporate code of ethics. Conduct social audits. Require employees to take ethics training. Include ethical criteria in employee appraisals. Create and ethical work environment. © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 7  Summary, Part 5 How can you include ethical considerations in your decision making? Use a five-step model for decision making: 1. Define the problem 2. Identify alternatives 3. Choose an alternative 4. Implement the decision 5. Monitor the results Incorporate ethical considerations into decision making: - Weigh laws, guidelines, and principals. - Consider the impact of the decision. © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 8  Summary, Part 6 What trends have increased the risk that information technology will be used in an unethical manner? The growth of the Internet and social networks The ability to capture, store, and analyze vast amounts of personal data A greater reliance on information systems in all aspects of life The importance of ethics and human values has been underemphasized © 2019 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or 2 otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 9