Technology in Action Alan Evans Kendall Martin Mary Anne Poatsy Eleventh Edition Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 1

Technology in Action Technology in Focus: Information Technology Ethics Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 2

Chapter Topics What Is Ethics? Personal Ethics Personal Ethics and Your Work Life Technology and Ethics: How One Affects the Other Using Computers to Support Ethical Conduct Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 3

Key Issues Related to Technology and Ethics Intellectual property rights Privacy E-commerce Free speech Computer abuse 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

What Is Ethics? Study of general nature of morals and moral choices Morals: conforming to established ideas of right and wrong Difference between fairness and equity Principles are guidelines used to make decisions 5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

What is Ethics? Doesn't Everyone Have the Same Ethical Values? 6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

What is Ethics? Doesn't Everyone Have the Same Ethical Values? Relativism –No universal moral truth –Dictated by cultural tastes and customs Divine Command Theory –All-knowing God sets standards –Conforming to God’s law is good; breaking it is wrong 7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

What is Ethics? Doesn't Everyone Have the Same Ethical Values? Utilitarianism –Actions judged by consequences –Greater happiness is better –Individual happiness is not as important Virtue Ethics –Morals are internal –Strives to behave well spontaneously 8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

What is Ethics? Doesn't Everyone Have the Same Ethical Values? Deontology (Duty-based) –Adherence to moral duties and rights –Applies to everyone equally 9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

What is Ethics? Doesn't Everyone have the Same Basic Ethics? Laws are formal, written standards –Designed to apply to everyone –Enforced by government agencies –Interpreted by the courts Impossible to pass enough laws Ethics is needed to provide a general set of unwritten guidelines Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 10

What is Ethics? Is Unethical Behavior the Same as Illegal Behavior? Unethical Behavior –Isn’t necessarily illegal –Not all illegal behavior is unethical –Not conforming to approved standards Amoral Behavior –No sense of right or wrong –No interest in moral consequences 11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

No universal agreement Most societies use a blend Ethical decision are greatly influenced by personal ethics Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 12 What is Ethics? Which System of Ethics Works Best?

Personal Ethics What are Personal Ethics? Set of formal or informal principles –Some are clear, well- defined –Others are inconsistent or applied differently –Can be challenging to adhere to consistently Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 13

Personal Ethics How do a Person's Ethics Develop? Family Cultural bias Religious affiliation Life experiences 14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Personal Ethics What if I'm Not Sure What My Personal Ethics Are? Describe yourself List the key principles you believe Identify external influences Consider “why” Prepare a statement of values 15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Personal Ethics What are the Benefits to Ethical Living? Society has established rules of conduct –Ignoring or being inconsistent can have immediate impact Health benefits to ethical living –Day-to-day decisions conflict with principles –Stress and anger often develop 16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Personal Ethics What are the Benefits to Ethical Living? Positive psychology –Dr. Martin Seligman –Causes of happiness instead of treating dysfunctions –Identify personal strengths and values –Align your life –Can impact your health and happiness 17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Personal Ethics and Your Work Life How do Employers Affect Personal Ethics? Do your ethics change when you go to work? –Employers expect you to follow ethics and rules of conduct –Do not blindly follow unethical practices 18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Personal Ethics and Your Work Life If You Spot Unethical Behavior at Your Company, What Do You Do? Whistle-blowers expose unethical (but still legal) acts –Do not blindly follow unethical practices –Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 Requires that companies provide mechanisms for employees to report complaints This is to be done anonymously –Often now done online 19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Personal Ethics and Your Work Life How does making ethical choices in a business setting differ from making personal ethical choices? –Most personal ethical decisions involve few people –Ethical choices in business must give consideration to stakeholders –Stakeholders are people or entities affected by the operations of a business Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 20

Technology and Ethics: How One Affects the Other Technology moves faster than rules can be formulated Use of technology is often left up to the individual Ethical considerations are never clear-cut Reasonable people can have different views Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 21

Ethics and Technology Issues Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 22

Social Justice Brain Technology: Creating Cyborgs? A cyborg contains both biological and artificial components Current research –Brain-computer interfaces –Neurostimulation –Neural stem cells Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 23

Social Justice Brain Technology: Creating Cyborgs? Point - Research might alleviate human suffering –Society will dictate what is acceptable –Governments can put controls in place Counterpoint – Cannot be adequately controlled –Might be used for military purposes –Might destroy what it means to be human Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 24

Intellectual Property International Pirates Point – Vigorous enforcement allows developers to make a fair profit –Otherwise a disadvantage in marketplace –Every country needs common understanding Counterpoint – U.S. can’t tell other countries how to conduct internal affairs Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 25

Privacy Can Employers Peer Into Your Personal Life? Point – Privacy is a basic human right –Employers might misuse data or violate law –Privacy settings on social media sites should allow user the ultimate control of data Counterpoint – Business concerns outweigh privacy concerns –In digital age, loss of privacy is inevitable Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 26

E-Commerce Geolocation: Who Knows Where You Are? Point – People comfortable sharing personal information –Businesses would lose revenue –Useful for public safety Counterpoint – Society too complacent with privacy issues –Consumers to be educated and make informed choices Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 27

Electronic Communication Does Free Speech Have a Price? Point – Companies should not try to change laws in other countries –U.S. company can have no impact on reform Counterpoint – Corporations should consider country’s stand on human rights –Financial and political incentives put pressure on other countries Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 28

Computer Abuse Cyberbullying: Who Should Protect Children From Each Other? Point – Individuals are responsible for own behavior –Parents are responsible to protect children –Education is key and needs to be controlled by parents Counterpoint – Society is affected –Educators have more resources than parents Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. 29

Using Computers to Support Ethical Conduct Can use technology to support ethical conduct Charitable organizations use Internet for fundraising Web is a tool for organizing aid to areas in crisis Websites and Facebook can locate friends and family members after disaster 30 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.

Using Computers to Support Ethical Conduct Google Crisis Response Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 31

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