Ethics in Information Technology

A Practical Guide

G. K. Awari, Sarvesh V. Warjurkar

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781032249759
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000573213
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

This reference text introduces concepts of computer and Internet crime, ethics in information technology, and privacy techniques.

It comprehensively covers important topics including ethical consideration in decision making, security attacks, identification of theft, strategies for consumer profiling, types of intellectual property rights, issues related to intellectual property, process and product quality, software quality assurance techniques, elements of an ethical organization, telemedicine, and electronic health records.

This book will serve as a useful text for senior undergraduate and graduate students in interdisciplinary areas including computer science, information technology, electronics and communications engineering, and electrical engineering.

1 An Overview of Ethics

DOI: 10.1201/9781003280989-1

Learning Objectives

• To understand how different people see their own interests in business circumstances.
• To enable readers to form their own, well-considered opinions on corporate ethical problems.
• To encourage the readers to become more deliberate, disciplined thought while attempting to resolve ethical concerns in business.
• To introduce the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and discuss how it relates to ethical business practices.
• To equip readers to contribute to the ethical considerations of organizations with which they may be associated in a positive way.
• To look at the ethical responsibilities and ideals that exist in the interaction between employers and workers.

1.1 Definition of Ethics

Ethics is a set of values that define what is and is not acceptable behavior in a certain society. Ethical behavior is described by a set of widely agreed standards, many of which are almost universal. Lies and stealing, for example, are immoral. Opinions of what constitutes ethical action differ dramatically. For example, software piracy, which is the act of making unauthorized copies of software, is considered ethical in some countries but not ethical in others. With a piracy rate of 94%, Vietnam continues to be the region’s most piracy-prone nation. China was the country with the second highest piracy rate, at 92%. The United States (27.9%), Japan (21%), and New Zealand (22%) consistently rank among the countries with the lowest rates of piracy.

Children master complex tasks when they are awake, such as walking, communicating, swimming, and writing the alphabet, which they repeat for the rest of their lives. People often build patterns that help them distinguish between what culture finds good and poor. A virtue is a habit that encourages people to do what is right, and a sin is a habit that encourages people to do what is wrong. Virtues such as fairness and honesty are some of the examples of virtues, while envy and rage are examples of vices. In other words, ethics is a subset of philosophy concerned with principles related to human behavior, specifically the rightness and wrongness of such acts, as well as the goodness and badness of the intentions and purposes of certain actions. It is then subdivided into two sections:

1. Ethics based on axiology: an area of ethics concerned with the relative goodness or worth of the motivations and outcomes of any behavior.
2. Deontological ethics: a subset of ethics concerned with right conduct and the essence of duties, regardless of the goodness or worth of motivations or the desirableness of the ends of every act.

1.2 Ethics in Business World

Market ethics is that type of implemented ethics or professional ethics that governs ethical principles and morals in the workplace. Philosophical ethics are reflected in business ethics. One of them is to figure out what a company’s fundamental goals are. If a company’s goal is to increase shareholder value while minimizing benefit to others, it is violating its duty. Corporate NIT’S are constitutionally regarded as a corporate parson of rights and responsibilities. The Importance of Ethics in the Corporate World: as business ethics is used as a guiding philosophy, employees make smarter choices in less time, which raises effectiveness and overall employee morale. The whole organization wins as employees carry out their duties with integrity and honesty (Figure 1.1).

FIGURE 1.1 Ethics in business world.

A system of spiritual and ethical principles that govern a company’s beliefs, actions, and choices, as well as the values, behaviors, and decisions of its workers, is referred to as business ethics. Environmental regulations, minimum wage legislation, and bans on stock trading and collusion are all instances of the government setting minimum business ethics standards. Company ethics has developed through time, and the different areas of ethics are important to every business.

1. Leadership for integrity
   1. The executive committee establishes the tone for how the business operates on a daily basis. When a company’s dominant management philosophy is focused on ethical values and behavior, leaders will set a precedent for their employees and encourage them to make decisions that favor both them and the company as a whole. Long-term advantages of establishing and maintaining a positive identity in society include the capacity to attract and retain highly qualified workers and the ability to create and maintain a good image in society. Running a business responsibly from the top down improves executive team ties, which contributes to the company’s overall stability.
2. Employee integrity
   1. When it comes to managing a company ethically, employees follow in the footsteps of managers. With corporate principles as a driving philosophy, employees make more decisions with less time, which improves performance and morale. The whole organization wins as employees carry out their duties with integrity and honesty. Employees who work for a business that maintains a high level of organizational honesty in all areas of management are more likely to perform well and remain loyal.
3. Ethics differ depending on the industry
   1. Business ethics differ from industry to industry, as well as from nation to country. The nature of a company’s operations has a significant effect on the regulatory issues it must address. When a customer’s best option and their money do not coincide, the brokerage pays the maximum charge, for example, an ethical dilemma occurs for the brokerage. A broadcasting organization that produces children’s television programming may have a moral imperative to uphold positive ideals and avoid using off-color material in its programming. Companies such as Amazon and Google, who perform the majority of their business online, are not subjected to environmental scrutiny. When it comes to protecting the identity and welfare of their clients, though, their ethics are scrutinized.

1.2.1 Corporate Social Responsibility

It is a management concept that stresses the need of companies acting as responsible corporate citizens, not only by obeying the laws but also by conducting manufacturing and selling activities in a manner that does not damage the environment or deplete precious Earth capital. Some companies have started to act more socially conscious, partly because their executives wish to, and partly because they are afraid of environmentalist and customer pressure groups, as well as the media, and are concerned for their public profile. It is proposed that socially conscious action will pay dividends in the long run, even though it means sacrificing any short-term profits.

To be socially conscious, a company must first be accountable to itself and its shareholders. Companies that use CSR systems have often progressed to the point where they will give back to society. As a consequence, CSR is basically a business strategy. Furthermore, the more well-known and competitive a firm is, the greater its responsibility to establish ethical standards for its colleagues, rivals, and customers.

Starbucks has long been lauded for its commitment to environmental and community welfare, as well as a strong sense of CSR. Starbucks claims that it has achieved all of its CSR objectives since its inception. According to the company’s Global Social Impact Report for 2019, these accomplishments include achieving 99% ethically sourced coffee, establishing a global network of producers, pioneering green building in its markets, donating millions of hours of community service, and launching an innovative college curriculum for its partner/employees.

Starbucks plans to hire 10,000 immigrants by 2020 and beyond, as well as reduce the environmental footprint of its cups and include its staff in environmental foresight. There are several socially conscious businesses, such as Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Ever lane, a clothes chain, have products that are recognized for their CSR systems.

There are some factors that have made immoral activity more likely. Greater globalization has developed a much more dynamic work world that encompasses a wide range of cultures and economies, making it much more difficult to apply ethical values faithfully. Companies in the United States, for example, have gotten bad press for relocating businesses to third-world nations, where workers live in circumstances that would be unacceptable in other developed countries. Organizations are finding it difficult to sustain sales and earnings in today’s recessionary economy. To maintain profitability, some businesses are tempted to engage in immoral acts. The Peanut Corporation of America, for example, is accused of shipping contaminated goods from its Georgia factory, which resulted in an epidemic in 2008 that killed at least 8 people and sickened over 550 people in 43 states.

Importance of Business Ethics

There are at least five compelling causes for businesses to promote a job climate where workers are empowered to make ethical business choices.

1.2.2 Reasons for Good Business Ethics

1. Obtaining the community’s goodwill
2. Establishing a dependable company
3. Promoting ethical corporate practices
4. Defending the company and its staff from legal prosecution
5. Avoiding negative attention

1. Obtaining the community’s goodwill
   1. Organizations have certain basic societal obligations. These obligations are sometimes stated in a written declaration of their company’s values or convictions. Many companies start or fund socially conscious program, such as donating to charitable causes and nonprofit organizations, giving incentives to staff who go beyond and above legal standards, and allocating money to initiatives that are more socially desirable than lucrative. As a result, many businesses start or endorse socially conscious initiatives, such as donating to charity organizations and nonprofit entities. In 2011, IBM workers in 120 countries volunteered 3.2 million hours of voluntary service.
2. Creating an organization that operates consistently
   1. Values are developed and adhered to by organizations in order to establish a corporate ethos and identify a cohesive commitment to meeting the interests of their stakeholders, who include owners, staff, consumers, vendors, and the environment. Employees will realize what is required of them and will be able to use the organization’s principles to guide their decision-making. Despite the fact that each company’s belief structure is unique, all of them share the following principles:
      • Operate with honesty and integrity, according to organizational values
      • Operate in accordance with ethical conduct standards, both in words and deeds
      • Treat colleagues, clients, and consumers with respect
      • Strive to be the best at what matters most to the company
      • Value diversity
      • Foster good business practices
        1. Companies that provide excellent service retain their customers instead of losing them to competitors. Employee productivity and unemployment rates are lower in companies that establish and retain good employee relationships. Working with businesses that act in a fair and ethical way is also a concern for suppliers and other business partners. Bad ethics, on the other hand, will lead to poor business outcomes.
      • Defend the company and its employees from legal action
        1. Establishing appropriate ethical and management systems is one way to discourage and detect workplace discrimination. Indeed, the Department of Justice published parole guidelines in 1991 that say that accused executives should be treated more leniently if their businesses have ethics policies. When an agency has developed an integrity compliance scheme that cooperates with police, fines for disciplinary offences will be reduced by up to 80%.
      • Keep negative press at bay
        1. The valuation of a company’s stock, how investors perceive its goods and services, the level of regulatory scrutiny it enjoys, and the extent of funding and assistance it receives from its corporate partners are all influenced by its public image. As a result, many businesses are inspired to develop a robust ethical policy in order to escape bad attention. Customers, corporate associates, lenders, consumer groups, financial firms, and regulatory authorities are more likely to see a company positively if it is considered to be acting ethically.

1.3 Ethical Consideration in Decision Making

Since they include inherent contradictions between a collection of economic and self-interest considerations and an opposing set of ethical, social considerations, and legal considerations, most important decisions in institutions are not only complicated but may be called dilemmas. Different solutions are favored by these conflicting factors. Although coming up with innovative solutions will help to minimize friction, some stress is almost always present. Some argue that organizations and ma...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Table Of Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Authors
• Chapter 1 An Overview of Ethics
• Chapter 2 Computer and Internet Crime
• Chapter 3 Organization Privacy
• Chapter 4 Intellectual Property
• Chapter 5 Ethics of IT Organization
• Chapter 6 Impact of IT on Quality of Life
• Chapter 7 Case Studies
• Index