PROFFESSIONAL ETHICS

Lecture_2

Prepared by:
Dr. Hebatulla M. Nabil

Text book:
Ethics in Information Technology
for GEORGE W.REYNOLDS
 COURSE AGENDA

 Morals and ethics  Government licensing

 What is applied ethics  IT professional malpractices
 Ethics in business  computing
 Why fostering good business  IT users
 Improving corporate ethics  Common ethics issues for IT users
 Ethics in IT  Supporting ethics practices of IT
users
 IT professionals
 compliance
 Professional
relationships that
must be manage  IT security incidents
 Professional codes of ethics  Why computer incidents are so
prevalent
 Professional organizations
 Types of exploits
 Certifications
 Federal laws of prosecuting
computer attacks
 Implementing trustworthy
 3

Ethics in the Business World

❑ Several trends have increased the likelihood of
unethical/ inappropriate behaviour:

 Globalization creating complex work environments

• Competitional environment, diversity of cultures,
rules norms, values ….
 Organizations challenged to maintain profits /
revenue
• Machinations among employees
 4

Ethics in the Business World (Cont.)

 Heightened vigilance (wake) by employees,
shareholders and regulatory agencies:

• They are increasingly sensitive to violations of

accounting standards, nonconformance with
required health and safety practices, and
production of unsafe or substandard products.

• Such heightened vigilance raises the risk of financial

loss for businesses that do not foster ethical practices
or that run afoul of required standards.
 5

Ethics in the Business World (Cont.)

Not just executives, but even lower-level

employees, can find themselves in the middle
of an ethical dilemma
 COURSE AGENDA
 Morals and ethics  Government licensing
 What is applied ethics  IT professional malpractices

 Ethics in business  computing

 IT users
 Why fostering good business
 Common ethics issues for IT users
 Improving corporate ethics
 Supporting ethics practices of IT
 Ethics in IT users
 IT professionals  compliance
 Professional relationships that  IT security incidents
must be manage
 Why computer incidents are so
 Professional codes of ethics prevalent
 Professional organizations  Types of exploits
 Certifications  Federal laws of prosecuting
computer attacks
 Implementing trustworthy
Why Fostering Good Business 7
Ethics Is Important ?
1. To gain the good will of the community

2. To create an organization that operates consistently

3. To foster good business practices

4. To protect organization/employees from legal action

5. To avoid unfavorable publicity (Negative Propaganda)

 8
1. Gaining the Good Will
of the Community
 Organizations have fundamental responsibilities to
society….
 Declared in formal statement of company’s
principles or beliefs, Including:
 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
 9
1. Gaining the Good Will
of the Community (Cont.)

 Socially responsible activities create good will

 Good will makes it easier for corporations to conduct

business
Why Fostering Good Business 10
Ethics Is Important ?
1. To gain the good will of the community

2. To create an organization that operates consistently

3. To foster good business practices

4. To protect organization/employees from legal action

5. To avoid unfavorable publicity (Negative Propaganda)

 11
2. 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
 12
2. Creating an Organization
That Operates Consistently (Cont.)
 Many companies share the following values:
• Operate with honesty and integrity, staying true to
organizational principles
• Operate according to standards of ethical
conduct, in words and action
• Treat colleagues, and consumers with respect
• Strive to be the best at what matters to the
company
• Value diversity
• Make decisions based on facts and principles
Why Fostering Good Business 13
Ethics Is Important ?
1. To gain the good will of the community

2. To create an organization that operates consistently

3. To foster good business practices

4. To protect organization/employees from legal action

5. To avoid unfavorable publicity (Negative Propaganda)

 14
3. Fostering Good Business
Practices
Good ethics means good business/improved profits
Companies that:
 Producing safe and effective products → avoids
costly recalls and lawsuits
 Provide excellent service → retains customers
 Develop and maintain strong employee relations →
 Suffer lower turnover rates
 Enjoybetter employee morale
(confutable/satisfying work environment)
 15
3. Fostering Good Business
Practices (Cont.)
❑ Bad ethics means bad business/waste profits
Companies that follow bad ethics:
 Can lead to bad business results
 Can lead to bad impact on society
 Can have a negative impact on employees

❑ Suppliers/business partners place priority on working

with companies that operate in a fair and ethical
manner.
Why Fostering Good Business 16
Ethics Is Important ?
1. To gain the good will of the community

2. To create an organization that operates consistently

3. To foster good business practices

4. To protect organization/employees from legal action

5. To avoid unfavorable publicity (Negative Propaganda)

 17
4. Protecting the Organization
and Its Employees from Legal
Actions

 U.S. Supreme Court established that an employer can

be held responsible for the acts of its employees
→ This principle is called “respondeat superior” or “let
the master answer”

 Coalition of several legal organizations argues

establishment of ethics and compliance programs
should reduce criminal liability of organization
 18
4. Protecting the Organization
and Its Employees from Legal
Actions (Cont.)

 Other legal organizations argue that company

officers should not be light sentences if their ethics
programs are ineffective.
Why Fostering Good Business 19
Ethics Is Important ?
1. To gain the good will of the community

2. To create an organization that operates consistently

3. To foster good business practices

4. To protect organization/employees from legal action

5. To avoid unfavorable publicity (Negative Propaganda)

 20
5. Avoiding Unfavourable
Publicity
 Public reputation of company strongly influences:

• Value of its stock

• How consumers regard products and services
• Degree of oversight and control received from
government
• Amount of support and cooperation received
Why Fostering Good Business 21
Ethics Is Important ?
So, organizations are motivated to build strong ethics
programs to:

1. To gain the good will of the community

2. To create an organization that operates consistently
3. To foster good business practices
4. To protect organization/employees from legal action
5. To avoid unfavorable publicity (Negative Propaganda)