CS 101Computers and SocietyLecture 2 Ethics for IT Professionals & IT Users

ReviewEthics is a set of beliefs about right and wrong behaviour.Sometimes it is a matter of opinion. Influences includes:Family influencesLife experiencesEducationReligious beliefsPersonal valuesPeer influences

Ethical Decision MakingGet the factsIdentify stakeholders and their positionsConsider the consequences of a decisionWeigh various guidelines and principlesDevelop and evaluate optionsReview a decisionEvaluate the results of a decision

Philosophical Theories for Ethical Decision MakingVirtue Ethics ApproachYou do what you think is most comfortable or what you think a person you admire may doUtilitarian ApproachBest overall consequences for all peopleFairness ApproachTreats everyone the sameCommon Good ApproachCommon good/common set of values and goals for the society

Ethics in Information TechnologyThe growth of the Internet and greater reliance on information systems increased the risk of using information technology unethically:E-mail, Peer-to-peer networks, Unsolicited e-mail, Hackers, Plagiarism, SpywareThe general public has not realized the critical importance of ethics as applied to ITThe goals of this subject are:To educate To motivateTo provide tools

AssignmentUse the seven-step approach to ethical decision making to analyze the situation discussed previously:You have just completed interviewing three candidates for an entry-level position in your company. One candidate is the friend of a coworker who has implored you to give his friend a chance. The candidate is the weakest of the three but has sufficient skills and knowledge to adequately fill the position. Would you hire this candidate?

ExampleGet the factsYou interviewed 3 candidatesYour co-worker implore you to give his friend a chanceThe candidate is the weakestThe candidate has sufficient skillsEntry-level position

Identify stakeholders and their positionsThree candidatesYou (as interviewer)Your co-workerThe organizationThe team

Example (continued)Consider the consequences of a decisionMake your co-worker happyComplaints possibly may ariseOrganization may sufferMay strain your relationship with co-worker

Weigh various guidelines and principlesIs there a policy?

Develop and evaluate optionsReopen vacancyReadjust qualifications to determine what is to be prioritizePresent to the board for further screening

Review a decisionEvaluate the results of a decision

ObjectivesWhat key characteristics distinguish a professional from other kinds of workers, and what is the role of an IT professional?What relationships must an IT professional manage, and what key ethical issues can arise in each?How do codes of ethics, professional organizations, certification, and licensing affect the ethical behavior of IT professionals?

ProfessionalsProfession is a calling that requires Specialized knowledge Long and intensive academic preparationProfessionalsExercise good judgement in their workContribute to the societyParticipate in a lifelong training programKeep abreast of developmentsHelp develop other professionals

Are IT Workers Professionals?Partial list of IT specialistsProgrammersSystems analystsSoftware engineersDatabase administratorsLocal area network (LAN) administratorsChief information officers (CIOs)

Professional Relationships That Must Be ManagedIT professionals have many different relationships with:EmployersClientsSuppliersOther professionalsIT usersSociety at large

1. IT Professionals and EmployersIT professionals must set an example and enforce policies regarding the ethical use of ITEthical Issues:Software piracyTrade secretWhistle-blowing

2. IT Professionals and ClientsDefining, sharing, and fulfilling each partys responsibilitiesIT professional recommendsHardware, software, or services at a certain cost and within a given time frameRelationship is usually documented in contractual terms

2. IT Professionals and Clients (continued)Ethical problems arise if:IT Professionals recommends its own products or affiliated vendor to remedy problems they have detectedA company is unable to provide full and accurate reporting of a projects statusBreach of contract

2. IT Professionals and Clients (continued)Frequent causes of problems in IT projects:Client changes the scope/requirementsPoor communicationsVendors delivers a system that meets requirements but competitors comes out with a more advanced featuresClient fails to reveal legacy software

3. IT Professionals and SuppliersDevelop good relationships with suppliersDeal fairly with themDo not make unreasonable demandsEthical Issues:Bribery At what point does a gift become a bribe?

4. IT Professionals and Other ProfessionalsMentoring inexperienced colleagues/new membersEthical issues:Rsum inflationInappropriate sharing of corporate information

5. IT Professionals and IT UsersIT user uses the product developed by IT ProfessionalEthical IssuesSoftware PiracyInappropriate use of corporate resourcesInappropriate sharing of corporate information

6. IT Professionals and SocietyPractice their profession in ways that not only causes no harm but provides significant benefitsEthical issue:Safety of the public

The Ethical Behavior of IT ProfessionalsProfessional code of ethics - principles and core values that are essential to the work of a particular occupational groupImproves ethical decision-makingPromotes high standards of practiceEnhance trust/respect from publicProvides an evaluation benchmark

The Ethical Behavior of IT ProfessionalsProfessional OrganizationsDevelop working relationship, exchange ideas, associate with others of similar work experienceAssociation for Computing Machinery (ACM)Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-CS)

The Ethical Behavior of IT ProfessionalsCertificationProcess to prove competency in a set of skillsTaken voluntarilyVendor certificationsSome certifications substantially improve IT workers salaries and career prospectsRelevant for narrowly defined roles Require passing a written examWorkers are commonly recertified as newer technologies become availableMicrosoft (MCSE), Cisco (CCNA, CCNP)

The Ethical Behavior of IT ProfessionalsGovernment LicensingGenerally administered by the governmentProve their practices is in a manner ethical/safe to the publicShould IT Professional be licensed?Growing importance of ITFollow high standards of practicePractice code of ethicsSanctions for violating best practices/codes

What Would You Do?As the VP Marketing, you hired a software contractor to build a web site for your home building supply firm. Unfortunately, the project did not go well. From your perspective, the contractor overcommitted and underdelivered. The initial web site was completed 3 months late at a cost of $2M over the estimated $5M.Before your site went online, a competing manufacturer launched a web site with unique features. You demanded that these features be added to your site. This took another 4 months and cost an additional $1M. To top things off, once your web site went online, it was slow & buggy and got hacked by a former employee of the software contractor. The contractor has estimated that it will cost another $2M to fix these problems. You are considering suing the software contractor; however, you are concerned that this will cause further delays in the delivery of a workable web site. What would you do?

What Would You Do?2. You are in charge of awarding all PC service contracts for your employer. In recent emails with the companys PC service contractor, you casually exchanged ideas about home landscaping, your favorite pastime. You also said you would like to have a few Bradford pear trees in your yard.Upon returning from a vacation, you discover 3 mature trees in your yard, along with a thank-you note in your mailbox from the PC service contractor. You really want the trees, but you didnt mean for the contractor to buy them for you. You suspect that the contractor interpreted your email comment as a hint that you wanted him to buy the trees. You also worry that the contractor still has the email. If the contractor sent your boss a copy, it might look as if you trying to solicit a bribe. Can the trees be considered a bribe? What would you do?

What Would You Do?3. In Italy, raccomandazione is the custom of seeking and receiving special treatment from people in power or from people who are close to power. The ability to solicit favors from someone in a higher place, be it through the chief of police or the chiefs chauffeur, has been part of the Italian art of getting things done for more than 2000 years.In April 2001, Italys highest court of appeal ruled that influence peddling is not a crime. The judges did rule, however, that it is a crime to overstate ones power to exert influence.Your firm is opening a new sales office in Rome and will be using a local employment agency to identify and screen candidates, who will undergo employment testing and interviews by members of your organization. What guidelines would you provide to the agency regarding the practice of raccomandazione to ensure that the agency operates ethically and effectively?

What Would You Do?4. Jacob is the VP of Sales and an important ally of your IT Department. Hes gone to bat for you before the CEO on important IT projects, such as the customer relationship management system, and has valuably assisted in advocating for the use of the latest software packages within the sales organization. Jacob has played a major role in your success so far. However, youve just learned that Jacob & his support staff are using an unlicensed Lotus software suite on their desktops, while the rest of the company is standardized using Microsoft Office. Youve talked to him and the rest of the companys leadership team about the need for standardized software and the risks the company runs if it uses unlicensed software, but no action has been taken. What would you do?

What Would You Do?5. You are the new CIO at small manufacturing company with a total of 500 employees at one plant, 2 warehouses, and a headquarters building, Your manager is the chief financial officer (CFO), who wants you to make it a high priority to establish a set of policies and guidelines on the use of IT resources-the firm currently has none. How would you proceed?