Introduction To Social and Professional Issues PDF

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL AND PROFESSION ISSUES WMSU 1 Introduction Scenario 1: Should a company mine data? Consider the case where Tisetso sells hardware and software to over 100 000 customers per year. She has 10 years of experience....

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL AND PROFESSION ISSUES WMSU 1 Introduction Scenario 1: Should a company mine data? Consider the case where Tisetso sells hardware and software to over 100 000 customers per year. She has 10 years of experience. As part of the billing process she keeps information on customers. She buys and uses a data mining tool to derive useful information about her client’s information such as postal codes, credit card numbers, ID numbers, etc. Most of this information identifies groups and not individuals. She can then use the information to market her wares more efficiently. Is this ethical since customers did not give her the information for this purpose? 2 WHAT IS ETHICS? Defined as the code or set of principles by which people live. Ethics is about what is considered to be right and what is considered to wrong. Each society forms a set of rules that establishes the boundaries of generally accepted behavior. These rules are often expressed in statements about how people should behave, and they fit together to form the moral code by which a society lives Morality refers to social conventions about right and wrong that are so widely shared that they become the basis for an established consensus. Definition of Ethics Morality refers to social conventions about right and wrong that are so widely shared that they become the basis for an established consensus. Ethics is a set of beliefs about right and wrong behavior within a society. Ethical behavior conforms to generally accepted norms—many of which are almost universal Definition of Ethics Virtues are habits that incline people to do what is acceptable. Vices are habits of unacceptable behavior. * Fairness, generosity, and loyalty are examples of virtues, while vanity, greed, envy, and anger are considered vices. * People’s virtues and vices help define their personal value system—the complex scheme of moral values by which they live. Additional information on Ethics..\IT134\IT34 LECTURES AND VIDEOS\Videos-Topic1\yt1s.com - ETHICS.mp4 6 The Importance of Integrity Your moral principles are statements of what you believe to be rules of right conduct. A person who acts with integrity acts in accordance with a personal code of principles. One approach to acting with integrity—one of the cornerstones of ethical behavior—is to extend to all people the same respect and consideration that you expect to receive from others.  Unfortunately, consistency can be difficult to achieve, particularly when you are in a situation that conflicts with your moral standards.  Another form of inconsistency emerges if you apply moral standards differently according to the situation or people involved. To be consistent and act with integrity, you must apply the same moral standards in all situations. The Difference Between Morals, Ethics, and Laws Morals are one’s personal beliefs about right and wrong, while the term Ethics describes standards or codes of behavior expected of an individual by a group (nation, organization, profession) to which an individual belongs. The Difference Between Morals, Ethics, and Laws Law is a system of rules that tells us what we can and cannot do. Laws are enforced by set of institutions (the police, courts, law-making bodies). Legal acts are acts that conform to the law. The Difference Between Morals, Ethics, and Laws Moral acts conform with what an individual believes to be the right thing to do Laws can proclaim an act as legal, although many people may consider the act immoral—for example, abortion.a Morality vs Ethics..\IT134\IT34 LECTURES AND VIDEOS\Videos-Topic1\What Is Morality_ (See link below for more video lectures on Ethics).mp4 13 Creating an Ethical Work Environment Most employees want to perform their jobs successfully and ethically, but good employees sometimes make bad ethical choices. 14 15 16 Creating an Ethical Work Environment Employees must have a knowledgeable resource with whom they can discuss perceived unethical practices. 17 Ethical Considerations in Decision Making 18 Step 1: Develop a Problem Statement A problem statement is a clear, concise description of the issue that needs to be addressed. A good problem statement answers the following questions: – What do people observe that causes them to think there is a problem? – Who is directly affected by the problem? – Is there anyone else affected? – How often does it occur? – What is the impact of the problem? – How serious is the problem 19 Step 1: Develop a Problem Statement One must gather and analyze facts to develop a good problem statement. Seek information and opinions from a variety of people to broaden your frame of reference. Stating of facts as much as possible as “ a neutral, logical exercise” (Kallman and Grillo). 20 Step 1: Develop a Problem Statement Part of developing a good problem statement involves identifying the stakeholders and their positions on the issue. By involving stake holders in the decision, you gain their support for the recommended course of action. – What is at stake for each stakeholder? – What does each stakeholder value, and what outcome does – each stakeholder want? – Do some stakeholders have a greater stake because they have special needs or because the organization has special obligations to them? – To what degree should they be involved in the decision? 21 Step 1: Develop a Problem Statement Good problem statement: Our product supply organization is continually running out of stock of finished products, creating an out-of-stock situation on over 15 percent of our customer orders, resulting in over $300,000 in lost sales per month. Poor problem statement: We need to implement a new inventory control system. Poor problem statement: We have a problem with finished product inventory. 22 Step 2: Identify Alternatives During this stage of decision making, it is ideal to enlist the help of others, including stakeholders, to identify several alternative solutions to the problem. In providing participants information about the problem to be solved, offer just the facts, without your opinion, so you don’t influence others to accept your solution During any brainstorming process, try not to be critical of ideas, as any negative criticism will tend to “shut down” the group, and the flow of ideas will dry up. Simply write down the ideas as they are suggested. 23 Step 3: Evaluate and Choose an Alternative The group attempts to evaluate them based on numerous criteria, such as effectiveness at addressing the issue, the extent of risk associated with each alternative, cost, and time to implement. As part of the evaluation process, weigh various laws, guidelines, and principles that may apply. Also consider the likely consequences of each alternative from several perspectives— – What is the impact on you, your organization, other stakeholders (including your suppliers and customers), and the environment? 24 Four common approaches to ethical decision making 25 Virtue Ethics Approach..\IT134\IT34 LECTURES AND VIDEOS\Videos-Topic1\yt1s.com - Virtue Ethics Ethics Defined.mp4 26 Utilitarian Approach..\IT134\IT34 LECTURES AND VIDEOS\Videos-Topic1\yt1s.com - Ethics Defined Utilitarianism.mp4 27 Fairness Approach..\IT134\IT34 LECTURES AND VIDEOS\Videos-Topic1\Justice _ Ethics Defined.mp4 28 Common Good Approach..\IT134\IT34 LECTURES AND VIDEOS\Videos-Topic1\yt1s.com - What exactly is the Common Good.mp4 29 Step 4: Implement Decision Once the alternative is selected, it should be implemented in an efficient, effective, and timely manner. It is imperative that someone whom the stakeholders trust and respect answer the following questions: – Why are we doing this? – What is wrong with the current way we do things? – What are the benefits of the new way for you? A transition plan must be defined to explain to people how they will move from the old way of doing things to the new way. 30 Step 5: Evaluate the Results After the solution to the problem has been implemented, monitor the results to see if the desired effect was achieved, and observe its impact on the organization and the various stakeholders. – Were the success criteria fully met? – Were there any unintended consequences? 31 ETHICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 32 ETHICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Many employees might have their e-mail and Internet access monitored while at work, as employers struggle to balance their need to manage important company assets and work time with employees’ desire for privacy and self- direction. Millions of people have downloaded music and movies at no charge and inapparent violation of copyright laws at tremendous expense to the owners of those copyrights. Organizations contact millions of people worldwide through unsolicited e-mail (spam) as an extremely low-cost marketing approach. 33 ETHICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Hackers break into databases of financial and retail institutions to steal customer information, then use it to commit identity theft—opening new accounts and charging purchases to unsuspecting victims. Students around the world have been caught downloading material from the Web and plagiarizing content for their term papers. Web sites plant cookies or spyware on visitors’ hard drives to track their online purchases and activities. 34