Course Learning Outcomes
Describe positive and negative ways in which computer
technology alters modes of social interaction at the
personal level
Evaluate ethical / social tradeoffs in technical decisions
Evaluate the professional code of ethics from the ACM,
the IEEE Computer Society, and other organizations
Identify contemporary examples of intangible digital
intellectual property
Investigate the impact of technological solutions to
privacy problems
1
Recommended Resources
Ethics for the Information Age, M.J. Quinn, 6th Edition,
Pearson Education
Ethical and Social Issues in Information Age, J. M. Kizza,
5th Edition, Springer-Verlag
Ethics in Information Technology, G. Reynolds, 5th
Edition, Cengage Course Technology
A Gift of Fire, Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for
Computing Technology, S. Baase, 4th Edition, Pearson Inc
2
Assignment Zero
Read “the little book of plagiarism” published by HEC.
3
Plagiarism
What is it?
Positive reasons for not plagiarizing
Copying from single/multiple sources
Paraphrasing, collusion
How to avoid it?
Reference list VS bibliography
Plagiarism detection
Penalty
4
ETHICS IN INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY, FOURTH
EDITION
Chapter 1
An Overview of Ethics
Objectives
As 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?
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 6
Objectives (cont’d.)
Why 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?
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 7
What is Ethics?
Moral code
Set of rules
Establishes boundaries of generally accepted behavior
Different rules often have contradictions
Morality
Social conventions about right and wrong
Widely shared
Form basis for an established consensus
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 8
What is Ethics? (cont’d.)
Morality may vary by:
Age
Cultural group
Ethnic background
Religion
Life experiences
Education
Gender
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 9
Definition of Ethics
Ethics
Set of beliefs about right and wrong behavior
Virtues
Habits that incline people to do what is acceptable
Vices
Habits of unacceptable behavior
Virtues and vices define a personal value system
Scheme of moral values
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 10
The Importance of Integrity
Integrity is a cornerstone of ethical behavior
People with integrity:
Act in accordance with a personal code of principles
Extend to all the same respect and consideration
Apply the same moral standards in all situations
Lack of integrity emerges if you apply moral standards
differently according to situation or people involved
Many ethical dilemmas are not as simple as right versus
wrong
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 11
The Difference Between Morals,
Ethics, and Laws
Morals: one’s personal beliefs about right and wrong
Ethics: standards or codes of behavior expected of an
individual by a group
Law: system of rules that tells us what we can and
cannot do
Laws are enforced by a set of institutions
Legal acts conform to the law
Moral acts conform to what an individual believes is the right
belief of right and wrong
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 12
Ethics in the Business World
Both the likelihood and the negative impact of
inappropriate behavior have increased
Several trends have increased the likelihood of unethical
behavior:
Globalization creating complex work environments
Organizations challenged to maintain profits / revenue
Heightened vigilance by:
Employees
Shareholders
Regulatory agencies
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 13
Ethics in the Business World (cont’d.)
Recent scandals in IT companies
Satyam Computer Services (India)
Hewlett Packard
Computer Associates International
IBM
Not just executives, but even lower-level employees,
can find themselves in the middle of an ethical dilemma
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 14
Why Fostering Good Business Ethics Is
Important
To gain the good will of the community
To create an organization that operates consistently
To foster good business practices
To protect organization/employees from legal action
To avoid unfavorable publicity
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 15
Gaining the Good Will of the Community
Organizations have fundamental responsibilities to society
Declared in formal statement of company’s principles or beliefs
Include:
Making contributions to charitable organizations
and non profit institutions
Providing benefits for employees in excess of legal
requirements
Choosing economic opportunities that might be
more socially desirable than profitable
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 16
Gaining the Good Will of the Community
(cont’d)
Socially responsible activities create good will
Good will makes it easier for corporations to conduct business
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 17
Creating an Organization That Operates
Consistently
Consistency ensures that employees:
Know what is expected of them
Can employ the organization’s values to help them in decision
making
Consistency also means that shareholders, customers,
suppliers, and community know what they can expect of
the organization
Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition 18