P5 Explain the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of business information

Explain how your organisation administers the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of information.

Introduction

This assignment will provide an explanation of the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of information produced by Samsung. A description of how Samsung administers the legal and ethical issue also in relation to their communication methods will also be included. Definitions of the different issues will be contained and how Samsung deals with ethical issues in terms of their policies and code of practice.

How Samsung administers the legal and ethical issues in relation to their information use

In order for the company to run in a certain way and for customers to be satisfied with the products and services provided, legislations need to be set to prevent the company from getting in legal trouble or producing a product without following the correct terms and conditions. There are different legal issues related to the way a business uses their information. These need to be followed correctly as it could lose the company large amounts of money and time if the rules weren’t followed in the correct way. The legal issues will contain terms in basis of the law which are compulsory for a company to undertake. Ethical issues is the behaviour the business obeys to.

http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/corpcitizenship/environmentsocialreport/environmentsocialreport_EthicsManagement.html

The link above provides how Samsung manages ethical issues in terms of their information produced.

a. What is Legal Issues: Explain Data Protection Act 1998, Computer Misuse Act 1990, Freedom of Information Act 2000. Give examples

Legal Issues

The Data Protection Act was enforced in 1998 and monitors how personal information is used by businesses, organisations or the government. The people who are responsible for using data must follow strict rules, known as ‘data protection principles’. There is stronger legal protection for more sensitive information such as: ethnic background, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual health and criminal records. This is due to others becoming offensive or to use this information in the wrong way or to their advantage.

The Computer Misuse Act started in 1990. There are three criminal offences for people who do not follow this act correctly. If people get unauthorised access to certain computer material that is not relevant to them this could be punishable by 6 months imprisonment or fine. Unauthorised access of the information with intent to use it offensively or as blackmail is punishable by 6 months or the maximum fine. Copying programs is also included for this act and if the person has the intention of altering or deleting the information, such as putting in viruses.

Freedom of Information Act was imposed in 2000. This gives people the right to access information stored by public companies. For example at the airport when the member of staff checks you in on the computer you have the right to view what they are including. The Act applies to all public companies including the NHS, Schools, Houses of Parliament and the BBC.

Examples of legal issues for Samsung

What information do we collect about you?

Information you provide directly

Some Services enable you to give us information directly. For example:

A number of our Services enable users to create accounts or profiles. In connection with these Services, we may ask you to provide certain information about yourself to set up the account or profile. For example, you can submit certain information about yourself, such as your name and email address, when you create a Samsung Account.

If you order a product or paid service from us, we may ask for your name, contact information, shipping and billing address (es), and credit card information in order to process your order.

Some of our Services enable you to communicate with other people. Those communications will be transmitted through and stored on our systems.

http://www.samsung.com/my/info/privacy.html

The text provided above is from Samsung’s website. They are informing customers what information they collect specifically about them. This applies to the freedom of information act as customers have the right to know what specific information companies contain about them and where this is then stored. This will also give them reassurance about where their personal details are kept and who has easy access to view them.

What do we do to keep your information secure?

We have put in place reasonable physical and technical measures to safeguard the information we collect in connection with the Services. However, please note that although we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no website, Internet transmission, computer system or wireless connection is completely secure.

http://www.samsung.com/my/info/privacy.html

Samsung also include a passage of text of what they do specifically as a company to keep the customers information secure. This provides more information to assure customers who give out their personal details that it’s securely kept by the company and that no unauthorised person could gain access to it and use it to the individual’s disadvantage.

This company contain details of how they use the customer’s information. This includes: to register them for a service, to provide a service or feature at a request, to produce customised content and recommendations based on past activities on their services and for assessment and analysis of their market. Samsung then specifically contains who exactly any information is disclosed to and the reasons for this.

These are all included on the website as customers have to the right to know if their information is disclosed to any other companies and how the company store the information, such as if its secured well and no unauthorised person could gain access and use this to a disadvantage.

b. What is Ethical Issues: Explain Use of email, internet, whistle blowing, Give examples

d. Also explain how your chosen business deals with ethical issues by means of policies and code of practice.

Ethical Issues

Use of email, Internet usage, whistle blowing and information ownership are all examples of ethical issues that all companies must take consideration and monitor. Use of email will include if employees were to disclose information about the company to an outside organisation or individual that was private. Outside businesses could then use this as an advantage and even use copyright as ideas could be taken and altered specifically for that company. The company however could only speak to the employee about this matter if they are using their business email on the company’s network as if it were to be on their personal email it could be invasion of privacy.

If the employee were to also be using the company’s network in the wrong way such as downloading illegal information on websites or displaying it this would be an ethical issue. This is due to as the information would now all be stored on the company’s search history which outside businesses could display and affect them working together in the future. Internet usage could also include if the individual were to make extra charges without the company’s permission. Information about the company that is also put out onto social media sites using the organisations internet is counted as an ethical issue due to outsiders could then use copyright or store the private information in order to blackmail the company.

The whistle-blowing policy is for employees to raise serious concerns they may have about their employer inside the company rather than with an outsider due to that there not allowed to reveal any personal information. Communication within the company enables staff to raise their concerns and there would be a selected member of staff within the company whose job includes dealing with these issues.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4451fa80-c120-11e3-8578-00144feabdc0.html

(This is an example of whistle blowing for Samsung)

In this article the chief lawyer for Samsung was accused of whistle blowing as bribing had been done through judges, prosecutors and lawmakers. Prosecutors then stated that he was being un-reliable which proceeded to the man fleeing the case and returning back to his home town. Months later when the trial started up again it was clear that the justice minister had received $14,400 in Samsung vouchers.

(Another example of whistle blowing and the punishment for it)

“Other whistle blowers have encountered tougher treatment. Last year a lawmaker and two journalists were given suspended jail sentences for publicizing the contents of discussions in 1997 between a top Samsung executive and the president of the Joongang Ilbo, a newspaper with historical ties to the company.”

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4451fa80-c120-11e3-8578-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3KdNs0f6e

c. Explain the meaning of organisational policies and code of practice, then explain how your chosen business complies with current legislation( that is the legal Acts) by means of policies and codes of practice.

The term organisational policies means what rules or strategies the specific organisation has made which are relevant to them. For example an airline may decide to have the policy for air stewardesses to have their hair tied up neatly. The policies made will only apply to the job roles in the organisation and what works for them. Another example would be that for the employees of Google have the policy to dress casually in their work environment as this is how the company works. All the organisational policies made will for be for a reason that’s relevant to how the company runs or the job roles it includes.

The code of practice is a set of written rules which explains how people working in a particular job or company should behave. This is due to the certain surroundings and circumstances of the organisation as the rules will be made based on these features. It is also set to help employees meet the organisations ethical standards. The ethical standards can also lead to certain values such as trust, kindness and fairness. These values can benefit the business as communication would then become easier and simpler.

Samsung complies with current legislations by means of policies and codes of practice. These are displayed in the link below.

The link includes information about the company’s legal information such as their privacy policies which contains copyright and what people viewing the website can take for their personal use. They also include that appropriate legal action will be taken for any illegal or unauthorised use of their website. The link contains about what customers are not allowed to do, such as posting or transmitting any material to or from their website. Information about what content is transferred to third parties is also clear for customers to read, this also includes if customers click on a third party website they are leaving Samsung’s website and the third party may have different policies.

The terms provided are also from the Rights of Third Parties Act in 1999. Samsung also contain that if any information were to be invalid, this will be looked at by an expert and made sure that it would become correct information for customers to view.

http://www.samsung.com/uk/info/legal.html

Samsung also have a strong policies for the environment and what should be done about it. This is due to the large effects of global warming it’s having. However many changes can be made by people to stop the negative effects of global warming which Samsung have explained. They have included information about recycling and returning any items that could be used again as this means materials are not unnecessarily wasted. This is described on their website as if the behaviour is changed in terms of disposing waste and the financial terms are also looked at, the company can help the environment.

http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/sustainability/environment/takebackrecycling/policyprinciple.htm Codes of practice -

These are the five principles that all Samsung employees must follow in order to work for the company correctly. However these are only the outlines of the conduct which is expected of all workers, individually and working together. The different principles apply to different features and parts of the company which means all the works must apply to all of them, not just one or two. With these principles in place, the company believe they can work well with customers and continue to develop and improve.

Conclusion

I have understood and explained the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of business information and clarified how Samsung manages the legal and ethical issues in relation to the use of information. This has been completed by outlining the different laws and acts by explaining them in detail. I then described what ethical issues are and gave examples from my company Samsung. The assignment finished with an explanation for the meaning of organisational policies and code of practice and how Samsung meet the terms with current legal acts in terms of policies and codes of practice.

P6: Explain the operational issues in relation to the use of business information

Introduction

This assignment will contain an explanation of the operational issues in relative to the use of business information for Samsung. A large company such as Samsung will store and administer numerous pieces of information which will range from high to low importance depending on the content and where it has come from. Companies to monitor that all their information is looked after correctly. This is done through many policies and procedures set in place.

Security of Information

This policy was set in order for the privacy of certain information to be kept and looked after by the right people. For example if a piece of information were to contain private details about the actions of a company and this was then not kept securely, it could end up with the wrong people which would disadvantage the original company and put them at a risk. The security of information applies to both electronic and hard copy due to the large changes of how technology now works.

Due to this policy being made it provides the management team with support for all their information produced throughout the organisation. Availability of information created is also applied to this policy as the area in which it’s stored carries importance. All staff in an organisation has the right to security of their information to protect against negative consequences. The policy is also

reviewed every five years and updated depending on the circumstances to ensure that everything is still relevant.

Samsung would require this policy due to how large the company is and how many different departments they contain. This company also works in many other countries which may include information being transferred through technology and this could increase a risk for security. Samsung are also always coming up with new ideas for using technology in products such as televisions which no other company have invented previously. If a competing technology company were to gain access to Samsung’s information about their new ideas this would put a large disadvantage and risk on the company.

Back upsThe procedure of backing up different types of information is vital for most companies. This is due to if there were any technological faults such as if the network were to brake, the one copy of this file that could contain important information couldn’t be accessed which would put the company at a disadvantage. Another reason for the procedure of backing up is if an employee from a different department were to accidentally delete a file that contained key information that the company needed for a certain purpose they wouldn’t be able to retrieve this.

Back ups can now be completed through different methods such as: the cloud, memory sticks and other websites online where information can be securely stored. This will give companies and individuals reassurance that if their work was lost or deleted, they could regain the information which could contain private details or vital information.

Samsung would require this procedure due to the vast functions and actions carried out and completed on a day to day basis. Work or information produced by this company is most likely to contain private details and large amounts of key information and if these were

to be lost or deleted accidentally, it could put the company at huge risks due to how many companies they work with and the extent of what they produce. The main function of Samsung is to sell their many products to their customers and other companies such as John Lewis. If information were not to be backed up that was for the purpose of a sale pitch for a large company this will leave Samsung at a disadvantage of losing large amounts of money which will affect the future and development of the company.

Health and SafetyEvery company must take into account this policy and carry out the correct procedures when necessary. This is for the wellbeing of all the employees working for the company as if the environment was to not be safe and an accident was to occur this will affect the whole business. Regular checks must be put in place for the office building. This will include the temperature of the work environment and carbon monoxide tests to prevent any illnesses of the employees. As if

employees were constantly unwell due to the working conditions, less work would be done which will affect the profits produced and the work that needs completing.

My chosen company Samsung would need this policy for the welfare and protection of their large amounts of employees. As many new ideas are produced every day by workers of Samsungs and the company make and complete new products regularly, large amounts of work are needed in order for the company to work at a sufficient pace and earn large amounts of profit so that they can develop and continue with their work. If their staff was to be ill or in danger of accidents at work, the process of production would be held up and the whole company would lose money and high risks would occur.

Organisational policiesDepending on the business and what their specific actions are, they will have policies based on their functions. For example sales assistants or employees that work for customer assistance will have a policy to look a certain standard due to their constant communication and contact with customers who bring in the profits. A business in the cooking industry will contain policies to do with hair nets and how it should be tied back as this would become a hygiene issue. These policies will be set by the managers or directors for the benefits of the company and to develop in the positive aspects by continuing with them.

Samsung will require organisational policies as with these put in place the company can work together to improve and continue with their many procedures. As this organisation is very large, it contains many different departments which work on different aspects but if the company follows the same policies more profit could be made and the company would continue to grow. The policies will also help to create an overall structure for all the employees to work from.

Business Continuance PlansProcedures must be made in terms of how a business or company would continue to run if there were to be a large event that would prevent them from running as they normally would. The events could include a fire or burst pipes which could seriously damage the building and prevent the employees from working there. The company must then produce plans in which they can continue with their work in another building or space. This is required as repairs could take a large amount of time and if only small amounts of work were to be completed, the business could lose huge sums of money which will put them at a disadvantage and could lead to closure. If plans were to be set the business could continue as normal using the resources saved and kept.

As Samsung is a very large company and contains many production teams if work could not be done over a long period time, money would be lost and the company would be behind on schedule which could effect their future development. They would need to plan where work could be completed if an event such as a fire were to take place as so much is required of the company and customers will also expect their products to still be at their high standard.

Costs In order for a company to run, costs must be taken into consideration as if money runs out or none is being made the business would have to shut down. To start the business and throughout resources will need to be purchased and money will also need to be taken out for development such as purchasing an office building. All the employees will receive wages and managers or directors will receive higher wages which will come from the money being made. If costs are not managed in a business it will not function and won’t continue.

Costs will need to be considered by Samsung due to the extent of what they produce on a regular basis. They also work with many other companies and employ a very large amount of staff every year which requires more money being carried out. If they plan their costs and what exactly there paying for, they will be able to develop as a company and earn more profits which will expand the business. Communication will need to be involved for this procedure due to the many different departments, such as if one were to go beyond their budget this will leave another department with a smaller amount of money which affects production as a whole. However if costs are split fairly based around the functions of the specific departments, the company can continue to make profit and sell many products.

Conclusion

I have now explained the operational issues in relation to the user of business information. This assignment contains six different policies and procedures with a description of each and why my chosen organisation would require it. Through researching these different policies and procedures and why companies would need them, I have now gained more of an understanding for how companies communicate in order to run successfully and the importance of operational issues.