Ethics in Information Technology, Fifth Edition
9781285197159
Chapter 1
An Overview of Ethics
Self-Assessment Questions
1. morality
2. Ethics
3. Virtues
4. code of principles
5. Morals
6. Corporate social responsibility
7. Supply chain sustainability
8. reputation
9. vision and leadership
10. Law
11. Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
12. renew investors’ trust in corporate executives and their firms’ financial reports
13. Code of ethics
14. social audit
15. Formal ethics training
16. development of a problem statement
17. common good
,18. A problem statement
Discussion Questions
1. There are many ethical issues about which people hold very strong opinions—
abortion, gun control, and the death penalty, to name a few. If you were a team
member on a project with someone whom you knew held an opinion different
from yours on one of these issues, how would it affect your ability to work
effectively with this person?
Students’ answers will vary. Students will meet many people in their lifetime who have
opinions and values that are different from their own, and it is important that they
learn to get along with and be able to work effectively with such individuals.
2. Identify two important life experiences that helped you define your own personal
code of ethics.
Students’ answers will vary based on their personal experiences.
3. Create a list of 5 to 10 guidelines for ensuring a successful brainstorming session
to identify potential solutions to a problem.
Students’ answers will vary. During any brainstorming process, one should try not to
be critical of ideas, as any negative criticism will tend to shut down the discussion, and
the flow of ideas will dry up; the ideas should be written down as they are suggested.
4. Do you believe an organization should be able to escape criminal liability for the
acts of its employees if it has acted as a responsible corporate citizen, making
strong efforts to prevent and detect misconduct in the workplace? Why or why
not?
, Students’ answers will vary, but students should consider the following questions in
making their decision:
What was the corporation doing to prevent and detect misconduct in the
workplace?
How egregious were the acts of its employees?
How did the organization respond once it detected misconduct by the employees?
Were the employees involved disciplined?
5. The Ethics Resource Center identified five characteristics of a successful ethics
program. Suggest a sixth characteristic, and defend your choice.
Students’ answers will vary. Possible answers might include the following:
Employees are treated fairly.
Company conducts regular social audits.
Employees are able to report unethical behavior without fear of retaliation.
Employees regularly participate in ethics training.
6. Identify three CSR goals that would be appropriate for a large, multinational IT
consulting firm. Create three such goals for a small, local IT consulting firm.
Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may say that IT consulting firms, both large
and small, should have the following goals:
Safe-guarding the environment
Bringing transparency in its dealings
Strengthening its ethical standards
Filing all required reports on time
Protecting its customers’ privacy
, 7. It is a common practice for managers to hold people accountable to meet
“stretch” goals, quotas, and budgets. How can this be done in a way that does not
encourage unethical behavior on the part of employees?
Employees must have a knowledgeable resource with whom they can discuss perceived
unethical practices. The organization must have a code of ethics, and the employees
must know how and to whom they can report violations safely and without fear of re-
taliation. Managers can set an example by communicating the code of ethics and using
it in their own decision making. Employees should be aware of sanctions for breaching
the code of ethics. Employees can be rewarded with bonuses of some sort when meet-
ing “stretch” goals while not violating their code of ethics.
8. Describe a hypothetical situation in which the action you would take is not legal,
but it is ethical. Describe a hypothetical situation where the action you would
take is legal, but not ethical.
Students’ answers will vary. An example of an action which is not legal but is ethical is
stealing food in order to feed a starving person. An example of an action which is legal
but is not ethical is when U.S. companies outsource their operations to developing
countries (in order to avail the lower labor rates), where employees work in conditions
that would not be acceptable in most developed parts of the world.
9. Hypothesis: It is easier to establish an ethical work environment in a nonprofit
organization than in a for-profit organization. Provide three facts or opinions
that support this hypothesis. Provide three facts or opinions that refute the
hypothesis.
Students’ answers will vary based on their beliefs or experiences with different organi-
zations. Students may tend to agree that it is easier given that the board of directors in
a nonprofit organization reports directly to the local communities that the nonprofit
serves.
10. This chapter discusses four approaches to dealing with moral issues. Which
approach is closest to your way of analyzing moral issues? Now that you are
9781285197159
Chapter 1
An Overview of Ethics
Self-Assessment Questions
1. morality
2. Ethics
3. Virtues
4. code of principles
5. Morals
6. Corporate social responsibility
7. Supply chain sustainability
8. reputation
9. vision and leadership
10. Law
11. Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
12. renew investors’ trust in corporate executives and their firms’ financial reports
13. Code of ethics
14. social audit
15. Formal ethics training
16. development of a problem statement
17. common good
,18. A problem statement
Discussion Questions
1. There are many ethical issues about which people hold very strong opinions—
abortion, gun control, and the death penalty, to name a few. If you were a team
member on a project with someone whom you knew held an opinion different
from yours on one of these issues, how would it affect your ability to work
effectively with this person?
Students’ answers will vary. Students will meet many people in their lifetime who have
opinions and values that are different from their own, and it is important that they
learn to get along with and be able to work effectively with such individuals.
2. Identify two important life experiences that helped you define your own personal
code of ethics.
Students’ answers will vary based on their personal experiences.
3. Create a list of 5 to 10 guidelines for ensuring a successful brainstorming session
to identify potential solutions to a problem.
Students’ answers will vary. During any brainstorming process, one should try not to
be critical of ideas, as any negative criticism will tend to shut down the discussion, and
the flow of ideas will dry up; the ideas should be written down as they are suggested.
4. Do you believe an organization should be able to escape criminal liability for the
acts of its employees if it has acted as a responsible corporate citizen, making
strong efforts to prevent and detect misconduct in the workplace? Why or why
not?
, Students’ answers will vary, but students should consider the following questions in
making their decision:
What was the corporation doing to prevent and detect misconduct in the
workplace?
How egregious were the acts of its employees?
How did the organization respond once it detected misconduct by the employees?
Were the employees involved disciplined?
5. The Ethics Resource Center identified five characteristics of a successful ethics
program. Suggest a sixth characteristic, and defend your choice.
Students’ answers will vary. Possible answers might include the following:
Employees are treated fairly.
Company conducts regular social audits.
Employees are able to report unethical behavior without fear of retaliation.
Employees regularly participate in ethics training.
6. Identify three CSR goals that would be appropriate for a large, multinational IT
consulting firm. Create three such goals for a small, local IT consulting firm.
Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may say that IT consulting firms, both large
and small, should have the following goals:
Safe-guarding the environment
Bringing transparency in its dealings
Strengthening its ethical standards
Filing all required reports on time
Protecting its customers’ privacy
, 7. It is a common practice for managers to hold people accountable to meet
“stretch” goals, quotas, and budgets. How can this be done in a way that does not
encourage unethical behavior on the part of employees?
Employees must have a knowledgeable resource with whom they can discuss perceived
unethical practices. The organization must have a code of ethics, and the employees
must know how and to whom they can report violations safely and without fear of re-
taliation. Managers can set an example by communicating the code of ethics and using
it in their own decision making. Employees should be aware of sanctions for breaching
the code of ethics. Employees can be rewarded with bonuses of some sort when meet-
ing “stretch” goals while not violating their code of ethics.
8. Describe a hypothetical situation in which the action you would take is not legal,
but it is ethical. Describe a hypothetical situation where the action you would
take is legal, but not ethical.
Students’ answers will vary. An example of an action which is not legal but is ethical is
stealing food in order to feed a starving person. An example of an action which is legal
but is not ethical is when U.S. companies outsource their operations to developing
countries (in order to avail the lower labor rates), where employees work in conditions
that would not be acceptable in most developed parts of the world.
9. Hypothesis: It is easier to establish an ethical work environment in a nonprofit
organization than in a for-profit organization. Provide three facts or opinions
that support this hypothesis. Provide three facts or opinions that refute the
hypothesis.
Students’ answers will vary based on their beliefs or experiences with different organi-
zations. Students may tend to agree that it is easier given that the board of directors in
a nonprofit organization reports directly to the local communities that the nonprofit
serves.
10. This chapter discusses four approaches to dealing with moral issues. Which
approach is closest to your way of analyzing moral issues? Now that you are
