development
The contract view
Internal
Whistle
blowing
types
External
Arguments
◆ Argued that external whistle blowing is always
wrong because employees have a contractual
duty to be loyal to their employer and to keep
all the business aspects confidential.
◆ External whistle blowing can be justified only
if other means such as internal whistle blowing
of preventing a wrong has been tried but have
failed
Moral justification for external
whistle blowing
◆ Wrong is serious enough.
◆ Clear substantiated reasonably comprehensive
evidence.
◆ Reasonably serious attempts (if internal whistle
blowing has failed)
◆ Reasonable certain (that external whistle
blowing will prevent the wrong)
Companies whistle blowing
policy
◆ Components are:
– An effectively communication statement of
responsibility for the employees
– A clearly defined procedure for reporting
– Well trained personnel to receive and investigate
reports
– A commitment to take appropriate actions
– A guarantee against retaliation
Ethical dilemmas in
technology management
J k Galbraith defines technology as a
systematic application of scientific or
other organized knowledge to
practical task.
Some technological innovations are
wonders, some other are horrors.
All ethical issues raised by new
technologies are related in one way
or another to question of risk.
Use of IT
Privacy
Accuracy
Property
Accessibility
Specific threats
Loss , theft or corruption of data
Inappropriate use of data
Theft of mainframe computer crime
Theft of equipment / programs
Errors in handling , entering processing
transferring or programming of data
Equipment malfunction
Destruction from viruses and similar
attacks.
Computer crimes
Virus
Trojan horse
Salami slicing
Preventing computer
crime
Hire carefully
Encrypt data and programs
Monitor system transactions
Separate employee functions
Conduct frequent audits
Restrict system use
Educate people in security measures
Protect sources with password or access
cards
Virus detection /eradication software
packages
Main moral dimension of
an info society
Information rights and obligations-spell out
corporate privacy and due process policies
Property rights and obligations- clarify how
corporation will treat property rights of
software owners.
Accountability and control- clarify who is
responsible and accountable for info
System quality- identify methodologies and
quality stds to be achieved.
Ethical analysis as a five
step methodology for
analyzing a situation
Identifying the facts
Identifying the values
Identifying the stake holders
Identifying the options
Consequences of action
Competition and ethics
Perfect competition
Monopoly competition
Oligopolistic competition
Price fixing
Manipulation of supply
Exclusive dealing arrangements
Tying arrangements
Retail price maintenance arrangements
Price discrimination