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Week 8 - Ethical Issues in Computing: Management and Professional Issues

This document discusses ethics and professional codes of conduct in computing. It provides context on what ethics are, examples of ethical dilemmas, and how computing is moving toward being considered a true profession. It also summarizes the key points of several professional codes of conduct, including discussing fundamental principles, areas they cover, and potential issues or advantages of having codes.

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Stylishe Ali
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39 views

Week 8 - Ethical Issues in Computing: Management and Professional Issues

This document discusses ethics and professional codes of conduct in computing. It provides context on what ethics are, examples of ethical dilemmas, and how computing is moving toward being considered a true profession. It also summarizes the key points of several professional codes of conduct, including discussing fundamental principles, areas they cover, and potential issues or advantages of having codes.

Uploaded by

Stylishe Ali
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Management and Professional Issues

 
Week 8 –
Ethical Issues in computing

 
 
BE320004 / VS226
  
What is Ethics?
Ethics deal with personal uncertainties and conflicts
of opinion:
- Which alternative action should I take?
- Is this action fair?

Ethics is concerned with questions of right and wrong


(in an absolute sense), and determining how people
behave in particular situations

Words such as good and bad are used in a wide range


of situations where the significance depends on the
context
Ethics is concerned with right and wrong
in the absolute sense

Micro-ethics – relating to the behaviour


of individuals or small groups

Macro-ethics – relating to major issues of


interest to society as a whole

Important to distinguish between:


- Ethics as crime
- Ethics as quality of service
Ethical or Criminal?

How do ethics differ from laws?

Law:Explicit Legislation by Act of Parliament.


Applies to all equality – all must comply.

Ethics: Subjective – individual decision.

A circumstance is not always ethically applicable to


all professions.
Examples of Ethical Dilemmas

•Disclosure versus personal gain

•Misrepresentation of level of knowledge

•Confidence and safety

•Unauthorised copying of software

•Conflict of interest

•Privacy
Professional Status
Computing is not yet considered a fully fledged classic
profession

Classic professions involve:

•Mental work
•High level of skill
•Lengthy period of training
•Service to society
•Highly organised
•Central body admits members only when a certain
level of skill is reached
•If you are a member of the BCS, for example,
you can be reported for unethical behaviour and
stripped of your membership.

•However, you need not belong to any


professional computing organization.

•But, the widespread use of technology puts a


lot of power into the hands of computing
professionals.
Ethics deals with placing a “value” on acts according to
whether they are “good” or “bad”. Every society has its
rules about whether certain acts are ethical or not. These
rules have been established as a result of consensus in
society and are often written into laws.

When computers first began to be used in society at


large, the absence of ethical standards about their use
and related issues caused some problems. However, as
their use became widespread in every facet of our lives,
discussions in computer ethics resulted in some kind of a
consensus. Today, many of these rules have been
formulated as laws, either national or international.
The Ten Commandments of computer ethics have been defined by
the Computer Ethics Institute.

1) Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.


2) Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
3) Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files.
4) Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5) Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
6) Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not
paid.
7) Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without
authorisation.
8) Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
9) Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the
program you write.
10) Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration
and respect.
IMIS Code of Ethics
The IMIS Code of Ethics sets out our guidelines and policy governing
the ethical and professional practice of information systems
management. It is constantly updated to reflect new developments in
the application and management of technologies.

Preamble to Code
The Institute for the Management of Information Systems has a
vision to see Information Systems Management regarded as one of
the key professions influencing the future of our society. Along with
that recognition, however, comes a responsibility for practitioners to
adhere to professional level standards of training and codes of
conduct.

This Code of Ethics details an ethical basis for the practitioner’s


professional commitment. It does this by summarising the ethical
values that the Institute expects all members to uphold and the
ethical standards that a member should strive to achieve.
IMIS Code of Ethics

It s neither desirable nor possible for a Code of Ethics to


act as a set of algorithmic rules that, if followed
scrupulously, will lead to ethical behaviour at all times in
all situations.

There are likely to be times when different parts of the


code will conflict with each other.
IMIS Code of Ethics

Fundamental Principles
Every Fellow and Member of the Institute (including both
Professional and Affiliate Membership grades) shall employ all his or
her intelligence, skills, power and position to ensure that the
contribution made by the profession to society is both beneficial and
respected. In accordance with this commitment, he or she shall at all
times uphold the following six fundamental principles:
Fundamental Principles

Principle 1: Society
I will uphold the health, safety and welfare of wider society, future
generations and the environment.
Principle 2: Organisations
I will serve my employers and clients honestly, competently and
diligently.
Principle 3: Peers
I will respect and support the legitimate needs, interests and aspirations
of all my colleagues and peers.
Principle 4: Staff
I will encourage and assist those I supervise both to fulfil their
responsibilities and to develop their full potential.
Principle 5: Profession
I will strive to be a fit representative of my profession and to promote
the vision of the Institute.
Principle 6: Self
I will be honest in representing myself and will continually strive to
enhance both my professional competence and my ethical understanding.
Professional Codes of Conduct

• Obliges practitioners to maintain a high level of competence and


to stay within area of expertise
• Set a common standard
• Help practitioners resist pressure to act unethically
• Professional codes of conduct exist to:

1. Allow those within and outside a profession to


evaluate exactly what should be expected from
members of that profession.

2. Provide clear definition of what is and is not


acceptable professional behaviour.

• One of the characteristics of a profession is that it sets and


enforces standards of behaviour for its members. Normally this
is done through some formal code of conduct or ethics
Code of Conduct

The BCS Code of Conduct comprises 22 rules which cover four


main areas:

1 Public Interest
2 Duty to Employers and Clients
3 Duty to the Profession
4 Professional Competence and Integrity
BCS Code of Good Practice 
The BCS Code of Good Practice describes standards of practice
relating to the contemporary multifaceted demands found in IT.

It is intended to help you personally as a member of BCS by


providing a framework of guidance into which your particular
needs can be fitted.

It is intended to help you personally as a member of BCS by


providing a framework of guidance into which your particular
needs can be fitted. It is hoped, however, that the guidance will
be of general use.

The content of this Code of Good Practice has been approved by


the BCS Qualifications and Standards Board, and the Trustee
Board, and shall not be changed or added to in any way without
their express written agreement.
Issues Around Professional Codes of Conduct – anti
•Professional Codes of Conduct are not without their critics.

•Ethical issues are complex but must be resolved by individuals


making decisions.

•Micro-ethics: no justification for any code: dilemmas faced are no


different from those encountered by people in general.

•Macro-ethics: specific codes of ethics serve little purpose.

•Only created to enhance the status of the profession.

•Gives rise to complacency – there are easy answers to ethical


problems.

•Designed to avoid responsibility rather than prevention – no


engagement with problems.
Issues around Professional Codes of Conduct – pro
•However, Professional Codes of Conduct do offer
certain advantages.

•Codes of conduct lay down common standards of


behaviour: clients/companies know the kind of
service/behaviour they can expect.

•A code is important in supporting any refusal to behave


unethically.
Professional Codes of Conduct and Conflict of
Interest
Conflicts of interest can easily occur where a code appears to give
contradictory advice.

The BCS Code contains rules to protect both the interests of the
public at large and the interests of clients and employers.

What happens if there is a conflict between such interests?

Respect the privacy of others


•Threatening emails?
•Fraudulent credentials or qualifications?

Honour contracts, agreements, and responsibilities


•with companies that act unethically?
•misreport productivity to inflate share prices?
•‘borrow’ competitors' ideas
Conclusion
All ethical decisions are ultimately personal. Even if an
individual follows a code of conduct, or seeks advice,
they have to make a choice about following the code or
from whom to seek advice.

They cannot avoid making the decision either directly


or indirectly. It is not possible to decide objectively
how moral dilemmas should be resolved: each individual
has to make his or her own choice knowing that others
might decide differently.

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