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Ethics in Information Technology, Third EditionLecture#4Chapter 1An Overview of Ethics Romana Rafi1Lecture 2Chapter 1Ethics in Information Technology,2ObjectivesEthics in Information Technology,3As you read this chapter, consider the following questions:What is ethics, and why is it important to act according to a code of ethics?Why is business ethics becoming increasingly important?What are organizations doing to improve their business ethics?

3Objectives (contd.)Ethics in Information Technology,4Why are organizations interested in fostering good business ethics?What approach can you take to ensure ethical decision making?What trends have increased the risk of using information technology in an unethical manner?4Creating an Ethical Work EnvironmentEthics in Information Technology,5Good employees may make bad ethical choicesMay be encouraged to do whatever it takes to get the job doneEmployees need a knowledgeable resource to discuss perceived unethical practicesA managerLegal or Internal Audit DepartmentBusiness Units legal counselAnonymously through internal Web site

5Creating an Ethical Work Environment (contd.)Ethics in Information Technology,6

6Including Ethical Considerations in Decision MakingEthics in Information Technology,7Steps in a decision-making processDevelop problem statementIdentify alternativesEvaluate and choose alternativeImplement decisionEvaluate resultsSuccess

7Ethics in Information Technology,8

Develop a Problem StatementEthics in Information Technology,9Clear, concise description of the issueAnswers these questions:What causes people 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?Most critical step in decision-making processGather & analyze factsSeek information and opinions from a variety of peopleNo assumptionsIdentifying stakeholdersDevelop a Problem Statement (contd.)Ethics in Information Technology,10Example of a 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.Examples of poor problem statements: We need to implement a new inventory control system. (possible solution, not a problem statement)We have a problem with finished product inventory. (not specific enough)Identify, Evaluate, and Choose an AlternativeEthics in Information Technology,11Enlist help to brainstorm alternative solutionsEvaluate by weighing laws, guidelines, and principlesConsider likely consequences of each alternativeAlternative selected must: Be ethically and legally defensibleBe consistent with policies and code of ethicsTake into account impact on othersProvide a good solution to problemEvaluate, and Choose an AlternativeEthics in Information Technology,12Alternatives are evaluated on numerous criteria:effectiveness at addressing the issuethe extent of risk associated with each alternativeCost to implementTime to implementDecision MakingEthics in Information Technology,13Philosophers have developed many approaches to aid in ethical decision makingprovide a framework for decision makers to reflect on the acceptability of their actions and evaluate their moral judgmentsPeople must find the appropriate balance between all applicable laws, corporate principles, and moral guidelines to help them make decisionsCommon Approaches to Ethical Decision MakingEthics in Information Technology,14Table 1-5 Four common approaches to ethical decision making

14Virtue Ethics ApproachEthics in Information Technology,15Virtue ethics approachFocuses on concern with daily life in a community Focuses on how you should behave and think about relationships if you are concerned with your daily life in a community.People guided by virtues to reach right decisionMore effective than following set of principles/rulesBravery etc.ProblemsDoes not provide guide for actionVirtue cannot be worked out objectively; depends on circumstancesUtilitarian ApproachEthics in Information Technology,16Utilitarian approachChooses action that has best overall consequencesFinds the greatest good by balancing all interestsFits concept of value in economics and the use of cost-benefit analysisProblemsMeasuring and comparing values is often difficultPredicting resulting benefits and harm is difficultFairness ApproachEthics in Information Technology,17Fairness approachFocuses on fair distribution of benefits/burdensGuiding principle is to treat all people the sameProblemsDecisions can be influenced by personal biasOthers may consider the decision unfair

Common Good ApproachEthics in Information Technology,18Common good approachWork together for common set of values and goalsImplement systems that benefit all peopleeffective education system, a safe and efficient transportation system,and accessible and affordable health careProblemsConsensus is difficultSome required to bear greater costs than othersImplement the Decision and Evaluate the ResultsEthics in Information Technology,19Implement the decisionEfficient, effective, timely implementationCommunication is key for people to accept changeTransition plan made easy and pain-freeEvaluate the resultsMonitor results for desired effectObserve impact on organization and stakeholdersReturn to Develop problem statement step if further refinements may be neededEthics in Information TechnologyEthics in Information Technology,20Public concern about the ethical use of information technology includes:E-mail and Internet access monitoringDownloading in violation of copyright lawsUnsolicited e-mail (spam)Hackers and identify theftStudents and plagiarismCookies and spyware20Ethics in Information Technology (contd.)Ethics in Information Technology,21The general public does not understand the critical importance of ethics as applied to ITImportant decisions are often left to technical expertsGeneral business managers must assume greater responsibility for these decisions by:Making decisions based on technical savvy, business know-how, and a sense of ethicsCreating an environment where ethical dilemmas can be discussed openly, objectively, and constructively

21Ethics in Information Technology (contd.)Ethics in Information Technology,22Goals of this textTo educate people about the tremendous impact of ethical issues in the successful and secure use of information technology To motivate people to recognize these issues when making business decisions To provide tools, approaches, and useful insights for making ethical decisionsSummaryEthics in Information Technology,23Ethics is important because the risks associated with inappropriate behavior have increasedOrganizations have at least five good reasons for encouraging employees to act ethicallyTo gain the good will of the communityTo create an organization that operates consistentlyTo foster good business practicesTo protect the organization and its employees against legal actionTo avoid unfavorable publicity23Summary (contd.)Ethics in Information Technology,24Organizations require successful ethics programsThe corporate ethics officer ensures that ethical procedures are installed and followedManagers behaviors and expectations can strongly influence employees ethical behaviorMost of us have developed a simple decision-making model that includes five stepsEthical considerations must be incorporated into decision making

24Summary (contd.)Ethics in Information Technology,25Four common approaches to ethical decision makingVirtue ethics approachUtilitarian approachFairness approachCommon good approachEthics in Information Technology,26The End