BUSINESS AND IT PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Business and IT professionals have enough in common that they can share a universal code of ethics.

A UNIFORM CODE OF ETHICS:

The last 20 years have seen a tremendous technology infusion into business, education, and society. Virtually all elements of society have been transformed by the use of technology. This change is important from an ethical perspective in terms of who IT workers are today and what their tasks are. In the 1980s, IT workers were mainly limited to technical fields such as programming, data processing, server administration, and phone services. Today, IT workers are integrated into every department, function globally, and have access to a wealth of knowledge and information.
comprehensive code of ethics does not yet exist. IT professionals, like those in all walks of life, should behave ethically. In this article we discuss basic principles found in both business and IT ethics, and we present a single code of ethics that applies to both arenas.

Given the ubiquitous role of the IT professional, it is unfortunate that a

BY

Dinah Payne A N D Brett J.L. Landry

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DEFINING MORALITY Values can be defined as the views expressed as statements describing objects or features of objects that have worth [12], and can be viewed in terms of being desirable in either a social or personal context [5]. Values shed light on what one thinks is right or wrong. Values help decision makers determine what is important or worthy and are influenced by ones membership in a community or culture. If business and IT professionals derive their values from the same community or culture in which they are socialized, it follows that their basic approach to what is valuable or desirable would also be similar, if not the same. From this, it can be further surmised that their professional codes of ethics would value the same or similar ethical principles. Carroll [3] defines ethics as the concept of what is right and fair conduct or behavior. The ability and desire to make moral or ethical judgments implies that the decision maker is concerned with the spirit of the law, rather than just the letter of the law. As defined by De George [4], business ethics are the interaction of ethics and business. Business ethics is a field of special ethics, that is, the review of the ethical practices of a very specific field of study, like medical ethics, engineering ethics, or IT ethics. Velasquez [12] states that business ethics is a study of moral right and wrong, concentrating on moral standards as applied to business practices. Various authors in the area of IT ethics have presented similar definitions of professional ethics. Ethics has been described by IT ethicists as a rational system designed to determine right and wrong in specific contexts; it has also been defined as the freely made choices of informed and rational people who accept accountability and liability for their actions [2, 7]. These IT professionals writing on ethics have assessed the concept of ethics in similar terms to those used by wellknown business ethicists like De George [4] and Velasquez [12]. BUSINESS ETHICS: TRADITIONAL THEORIES We used two frameworks as a foundation to support the premise that business and IT ethics are similar enough to be used to develop a uniform code of ethics for both business and IT professionals. The Kantian analysis [6] and the analysis formulated by Raiborn and Payne [11] present the necessary principles to make this determination. The Kantian analysis was chosen as one benchmark framework because it is widely known among ethicists, both philosophers and business ethicists alike. It was also chosen because it represents the deontological rule that one should do unto others as others do unto one, a key idea inte82
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grated into all the codes of ethics presented here. The Raiborn and Payne analysis was chosen for this article because it represents a more modern, particularly business ethics approach to making moral decisions; it was developed by an accountant and an attorney specifically to address current ethical dilemmas in business. The Kantian analysis can be reduced to three simple questions. If the answer to all three questions is yes, a moral duty to act or not to act is imposed. First, the action should be universally consistent. This first test of the Kantian analysis requires that the actor treat everyone the same; it also requires that the actor would find such treatment acceptable if visited upon himself. The second prong of this three-part test requires that the action to be undertaken must respect individuals as inherently or innately valuable. This prong of the test recognizes that the person acted upon is due respect by virtue of his existence as a human member of society. Finally, the autonomy of all persons is deserving of respect; that is, their freedom to make voluntary and informed choices must be recognized. In short, Payne and Landry [9] argue that Kantian ethics can be reduced to something approximating the well-known Golden Rule. Raiborn and Payne [11] proposed a code of ethics that considers certain ethical values deemed important to society, and identified integrity, justice, competence, and utility as important values. Integrity incorporates the values of sincerity, honesty, and candor into the decision-making process. Equality and fairness are inherent qualities of a just system of decision making. Ability is the central principle of the value of competence, adherence to which helps workers maintain state-of-the-art knowledge in their fields. Lastly, utility requires that the decision maker will actively seek information on the impact its decisions will have on all parties and it will weigh this information equally. [10]
IT ETHICS Codes of ethics have been developed by several IT professional societies in recent years. Four such codes are examined by Oz [8]; this work builds upon Ozs examination of these codes. Using Ozs work and using the basic concepts of the Kantian analysis [6] and the Raiborn and Payne [11], we generated a potential uniform code of ethics for IT professionals. The four codes reviewed by Oz were formulated to attempt to impose some system of guidance to the IT professional who has encountered an ethical dilemma. Oz compared and contrasted these codes, which include the codes of the Institute for Certification of IT Professionals (ICCP), the Association for

Table 1. A comparison of IT professionals codes of ethics [8, 9].

ICCP Code

ACM Code

AITP Code
AITP Prin. 1: AITP members should promote managements understanding of information processing methods and procedures AITP Prin. 2: AITP members should uphold the high

ICCP Prin. 1: The IT professional ACM Prin. 1: ACM members should act will embrace a high standard of with integrity skill and knowledge ICCP Prin. 2: The IT professional ACM Prin. 2: ACM members should strive

maintain a confidential to increase their competence and the ideals of the AITP, cooperate with each other and treat Computing Machinery will relationship with people served competence and prestige of the profession each other with honesty and respect (ACM), the Association of ICCP Prin. 3: The IT professional ACM Prin. 3: ACM members should AITP Prin. 3: AITP members should participate to the recognize public reliance accept only those assignments for which best of their abilities in the dissemination of knowledge Information Technology will upon the standards of conduct there is reasonable expectation of pertaining to the general development and understanding and established practice achieving the re q uirements or specification of information processing and should not use knowledge Professionals (formerly the of the project and perform his assignments of a confidential nature to further their own interests. in a professional manner A ITP members should not violate private or confidential Data Processing Manageinformation entrusted to them or that they may gain access to ment Association (DPMA)), ICCP Prin. 4: The IT professional A C M Prin. 4: A C M members should act A ITP Prin. 4: AITP members should uphold the and the Information Tech- will observe an ethical code educational institutions ethical and moral principles with professional responsibility nology Association of Amer- Table 3. A UniformAC AITP Prin.and 5: AITPIT members owe trust to their M Prin. 5: of ACM members should Code Ethics for use Business Professionals employers to guard the employers interests and to specialized knowledge and skills for the ica (ITAA). advise the employers wisely and honestly advancement of human welfare The ICCP code of ethics AITP Prin. 5: AITP members should respect their countries and the chosen way of life of those countries involves a code of conduct and act accordingly and a code of good practice, both of which are designed to Basic ICCP ACM AITP Uniform IT Code Code Code Professional help strengthen the profes- Professional Ethical Principle Principle sions status as an ethical pro- Consistency ICCP Prin. 2: TheLandry IT ACM Prin . 3: ACM 1 (11/06) AITP Prin. 2: AITP members Treat constituents fairly, table professional will members should accept should uphold the ideals of the AITP, with uniformity in fession. There are four basic Respect for maintain a confidential assignments for which work with each other and treat consistent situations, relationship with there is expectation of others with honesty and respect regarding safety, principles set out in the individuals people served achieving reasonable AITP Prin. 4: AITP members should knowledge and good ICCP Prin. 4: The IT results and perform his uphold educational institutions faith Assure freedom ICCP code of ethics. First, Autonomy professional will assignments in a moral principles AITP Prin. of choice by providing o b serve an et h ical code professional w ay 6: AI TP mem b ers s h ould respect information that is the IT professional will ACM Prin. 4: ACM their countries and act accordingly; accurate, relevant mem b ers s h ould act AI TP mem b ers s h ould up h old t h e and complete to all embrace a high standard of with professional ideals of the AITP, work with each appropriate responsi b ility ot h er and treat ot h ers w it h sta k e h olders skill and knowledge. Sechonesty and respect ondly, the IT professional Integrity ICCP Prin. 2: The IT AITP Prin. 3: AITP members should Use good faith in ACM Prin. 1: ACM professional will members should act disseminate knowledge about the decision making and must maintain a confidential Justice maintain a confidential with integrity development and understanding of assessment activities relationship with information processing relationship with people people served AITP Prin. 5: AITP members should ICCP Prin. 4: The IT guard the employers interests and served. Additionally, the IT professional will advise the employers wisely observe an ethical code and honestly professional should recognize Utility ICC P P rin . 1: Th e I T AC M P rin . 2: AC M AITP Prin. 1: AITP members should Assess utility and that there is public reliance professional will members should strive competence of project promote managements Competence em b race a h ig h to increase t h eir and self in light of understanding of information upon the standards of constandard of skill and competence and the processing methods and procedures the social and individual k no w ledge ICC P competence and prestige needs and abilities duct and established practice Prin. 3: The IT of the profession of stakeholders professional w ill AC M P rin . 5: AC M and society that he or she uses. Finally, recognize public members should use reliance upon t h e speciali z ed k no w ledge the IT professional must standards of conduct and skills for the and established advancement of observe the ethical code. practice human welfare The ACM code of ethics Table 2. A synthesis of that the ACM IT professional act with professional contains five basic canons [8]. frameworks of ethical First, ACM members should concepts [9]. responsibility. Finally, the IT professional should use his or her specialized knowledge and skills for the act with integrity. They advancement of human welfare. should also strive to increase Thetable AITP Code of Ethics is based upon six obligatheir competence and the competence and prestige ofLandry 3 (11/06) the profession. Third, ACM members should accept tions to specific stakeholders to which IT professionals only those assignments for which there is reasonable are bound [1]. The obligation to management is to proexpectation of achieving the requirements or specifica- mote managements understanding of information protion of the project. An additional element of this edict cessing methods and procedures. The obligation to is that the ACM IT professional should perform his or fellow members of the AITP involves upholding the , cooperating with fellow memher assignments in a professional manner. Closely high ideals of the AITP related to the third canon is the fourth, which requires bers, and treating them with honesty and respect. AITP

IF BUSINESS AND IT PROFESSIONALS DERIVE THEIR VALUES FROM THE SAME COMMUNITY OR CULTURE IN WHICH THEY ARE SOCIALIZED, IT FOLLOWS THAT THEIR BASIC APPROACH TO WHAT IS VALUABLE OR DESIRABLE WOULD ALSO BE SIMILAR, IF NOT THE SAME.

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members obligation to society is to participate to the emerged. First, consistency, respect for individuals and Table 3. A Uniform Code of Ethics for Business and IT Professionals best of their abilities in the dissemination of knowledge autonomy were grouped. These principles were found pertaining to the general development and understand- to be similar in that they represent a form of the ing of information processing. They must refrain from Golden Rule as delineated by Kant [6]. Second, the using knowledge of a confidential nature to further their principles of integrity and justice were grouped, as reflecting basic principles of Basic ICCP ACM AITP Uniform IT good faith, sincerity and fairProfessional Code Code Code Professional Ethical Principle Principle ness, as proposed by Raiborn Consistency ICCP Prin. 2: The IT ACM Prin. 3: ACM AITP Prin. 2: AITP members Treat constituents fairly, and Payne [11]. Finally, utilprofessional will members should accept should uphold the ideals of the AITP, with uniformity in Respect for maintain a confidential assignments for which work with each other and treat consistent situations, ity and competence were individuals relationship with there is expectation of others with honesty and respect regarding safety, people served achieving reasonable AITP Prin. 4: AITP members should knowledge and good grouped: they fit together Autonomy ICCP Prin. 4: The IT results and perform his uphold educational institutions faith Assure freedom professional will assignments in a moral principles AITP Prin. of choice by providing well from a standpoint of observe an ethical code professional way 6: AITP members should respect information that is ACM Prin. 4: ACM their countries and act accordingly; accurate, relevant pragmatism, since social utilmembers should act AITP members should uphold the and complete to all with professional ideals of the AITP, work with each appropriate ity is served by competence. responsibility other and treat others with stakeholders honesty and respect After consolidating these AITP Prin. 3: AITP members should Use good faith in Integrity ICCP Prin. 2: The IT ACM Prin. 1: ACM principles, the principles promembers should act disseminate knowledge about the decision making and professional will with integrity development and understanding of assessment activities Justice maintain a confidential mulgated by the various IT relationship with information processing AITP Prin. 5: AITP members should people served professional societies were guard the employers interests and ICCP Prin. 4: The IT advise the employers wisely professional will aligned. The final column of and honestly observe an ethical code Table 3 represents the uniICCP Prin. 1: The IT ACM Prin. 2: ACM AITP Prin. 1: AITP members should Assess utility and Utility promote managements professional will members should strive competence of project form codal provisions that understanding of information embrace a high Competence to increase their and self in light of processing methods and procedures the social and individual standard of skill and competence and the would not only serve the purknowledge ICCP competence and prestige needs and abilities Prin. 3: The IT of the profession of stakeholders professional will ACM Prin. 5: ACM and society poses of general codes of recognize public members should use reliance upon the specialized knowledge business ethics, but also purstandards of conduct and skills for the and established advancement of sue ideals held by IT profespractice human welfare sionals. Thus, a fit has been established between the codes of business ethics and Table 3. A uniform code of own interests, and they must the codes of several IT professional organizations. c ethics for business and IT not to violate private or confiprofessionals. dential information they gain REFERENCES About AITP: Code of Ethics, retrieved Jan. 20, 2004; access to or are entrusted with. The obligation owed to 1. AITP. www.aitp.org/organization/about/ethics/ethics.jsp. Landry table 3 (11/06) ones educational institution is that of upholding the 2. Berdichevsky, D. and Neunschwander, E. Toward an ethics of persuasive technology. Commun. ACM 42, 5 (May 1999), 5159. institutions ethical and moral principles. The fifth obligA.B. A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate perforation, owed to the employer of the AITP member, is for 3. Carroll, mance. Academy of Management Review 4, 4 (1991), 497505. the member to endeavor to fulfill this fiduciary relation- 4. De George, R.T. Business Ethics. Simon & Schuster, Upper Saddle River, N.J., 1999. ship to the best of his or her ability, to guard the employ5. Joyner, B.E. and Payne, D. Evolution and implementation: a study of ers interests and to advise the employer wisely and values, business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics 41 (2002), 297311. honestly. Finally, the AITP members must respect their Kant, I. Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals. In R.P. Wolff, Ed., country and the chosen way of life of their country and 6. Bobbs-Merrill Co, Indianapolis, IN, 1969. act accordingly. 7. Laudon, K.C. Ethical concepts and information technology. Commun.
CONCLUSION Business and IT professionals clearly share the same fundamental values. Table 2 is a tabular representation of the substantive elements of each code of business ethics and IT ethics. It presents evidence of the similarities between the codes sufficient to merit a development of one universal code of ethics for implementation by IT professionals or anyone faced with an ambiguous ethical dilemma. The seven values or key concepts comprising any code of ethics are: consistency, respect for individuals, autonomy for all, integrity, justice, utility, and competence. Of these seven, three groups of like principles
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ACM 38, 12 (Dec. 1995), 3340. 8. Oz, E. Ethical standards for computer professionals: a comparative analysis of four major codes. Journal of Business Ethics 12 (1993), 709727. 9. Payne, D. and Landry, B.J.L. Similarities in business and IT professional ethics: The need for and development of a comprehensive code of ethics. Journal of Business Ethics 62, 1 (2005), 7385. 10. Raiborn, C.A. and Payne, D. Corporate codes of conduct: a collective conscience and continuum. Journal of Business Ethics 9 (1990), 879889. 11. Velasquez, M.G. Business Ethics: Cases and Concepts. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1999.

Dinah Payne (dmpayne@uno.edu) is a professor of management and a Seraphia D. Leyda University Teaching Fellow at the University of New Orleans, LA. Brett J.L. Landry (Dr.BrettLandry@Gmail.Com) is an associate professor of IT at the University of Dallas, Irving, TX.
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