Ethical Issues in Information Technology

Structure of IT- ITES industry

IT Services

IT Enabled Services

IT services
IT Services is the dominant sector of the industry in terms of revenues as well as size. This particular sector can be understood in terms of the value chain of services it offers to its customers. IT Services Tier I: Consultancy and Product Development IT Services Tier II: Infrastructure Management and Systems Integration IT Services Tier III: Application Development and Maintenance

IT enabled services
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is the practice of contracting a third party, by an organization, to carry out a specific activity or process of its business. Broadly, BPO operations can be of two types: Outsourcing front office Back office processes. Front office operations include customer service, marketing etc. Examples of back office operations are logistics, supply chain management etc.

Unique characteristics of ITITES industry

Technology and the Medium of Operation

IT Industrys workforce IT Industrys output process: Information and tools

Ethical perspective of IT-ITES industry

Information security: Lack of information security processes; disclosure of confidential information about customers to unauthorized people; forcing of customers to part with confidential information; hacking; cookies; conspiracy among IT employees/organizations to help clients perform unethical transactions

Ethical perspective of IT-ITES industry

Intellectual property rights: software piracy; violation of EULA (End-user license agreement); illegal use of intellectual properties; reverse engineering of programs to gain access to the business logic and intellectual property of the vendor company.

Ethical perspective of IT-ITES industry

Work culture and environment: leakage of recruitment test question papers; wastage of company time and resources; breach of employment agreements; fraudulent bills; poaching of employees from competitors; unethical means of retaining the employees; unrealistic estimations and plans; breach of privacy of the employee; non-ergonomic working conditions

Computer ethics
Computer ethics is the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology.

IT Ethics Can Span a Broad Range of Concerns

Information Security
Ethical hacking?

Assumptions of Information Privacy

Regulatory compliance

Ethics as Information Security

When do you say No to a customer?

Admin Rights as Ethical Quandary

Just because you can do a thing

Ethics in Information Technology

Public concern about the ethical use of information technology includes:
E-mail and Internet access monitoring Peer-to-peer networks violation of copyright Unsolicited e-mail Hackers and identify theft Plagiarism Cookies and spyware

Ethics in Information Technology

The general public has not realized the critical importance of ethics as applied to IT Important technical decisions are often left to technical experts General business managers must assume greater responsibility for these decisions They must be able to make broad-minded, objective, ethical decisions based on technical savvy, business know-how, and a sense of ethics They must also try to create a working environment in which ethical dilemmas can be discussed openly, objectively, and constructively

Corporate ethics officer

Is a senior-level manager Provides vision and direction in the area of business conduct Tries to establish an environment that encourages ethical decision making

Corporate ethics officer

Responsibilities include:
Complete oversight of the ethics function Collecting and analyzing data Developing and interpreting ethics policy Developing and administering ethics education and training Overseeing ethics investigations

Conducting Social Audits

Social audit
Identifies ethical lapses committed in the past Sets directives for avoiding similar missteps in the future

Requiring Employees to Take Ethics Training

Comprehensive ethics education program encourages employees to act responsibly and ethically
Often presented in small workshop formats

Principle-based decision making is based on principles in corporate code of ethics

When Good Ethics Result in Short-Term Losses

Operating ethically does not always guarantee business success Organizations that operate outside the United States
Deal with a business as usual climate Are placed at a significant competitive disadvantage

Good ethics will prove to be good business in the long term

How Management Can Affect Employees Ethical Behaviour

How Management Can Affect Employees Ethical Behaviour

Managers Checklist

Ethical Issues in Human Resource Management

Definition of HRM
HRM is a management function involving the recruitment of suitable human resources, training, developing and sustaining their competencies, motivating them, offering them rewards on a rational and equitable basis, and ensuring their continued commitment to the organization for achieving its overall objectives.

Growth of Human Resource Management

18901910 Fredrick W. Taylor formulated scientific management, which included a careful selection of employees; finding out the best method of doing the job; systematic training of workers; provision of suitable implements; and giving adequate rewards for good performance. 19101930 Greater importance to welfare of workers, emergence of industrial psychology and improvements in the mode of recruitment procedures

Growth of Human Resource Management

19301945 Principle of Hawthorne studies gains momentum in personnel management in an industrial organization. Greater emphasis given to motivating factors affecting worker productivity. 19451965 More emphasis on collective bargaining and labour relations. Compensation and benefits gained importance as unions negotiated for and obtained paid vacations, paid holidays and insurance coverage.

Growth of Human Resource Management

19651985 Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action became crucial human resource management responsibilities 19852005 Increased diversity of the labour force, in terms of age, gender, race and ethnicity; globalization of business and the accompanying technological revolution; focus on HRM as a strategic function

Big Scope of HRM

Determining human resource needs;

Attracting potential employees; Choosing employees; Teaching/preparing; Rewarding; Evaluating performance; and Creating a positive work environment

Different aspects of HRM

Recruitment Training and development Learning organizations Performance management Pay Team work Motivation

HR related ethical issues

Discrimination issues

Suppression of democratization in the workplace

Privacy issues Recruitment and selection Performance tracking

Privacy issues of computerized employee records Electronic surveillance

Safety and health Performance appraisals

Emerging challenges of HRM

a.Globalization of markets and intensification of competition has made employers and employees conscious of their changing and strategic roles in organizations;

b.Corporate restructuring has become an absolute necessity for organizations; c.Need for reconciling to multiple work ethos as a result of mergers and acquisitions;

Emerging challenges of HRM

e. Emphasis on total quality management;

f. Changing job profiles and the need for and ability to get adjusted to them; g. Adoption to changing workforce profile consequent on structural changes;

Emerging challenges of HRM

h. Increasing role of women employees in organizations;

i. Increasing use of Information Technology that is altering the very nature of work delivery in organizations; and
j. Increasing emphasis on knowledge management and the need for acquisition and use of knowledge to keep pace with the fast changing world.

Role of HRM in creating an ethical organization

The top management should be committed to ethical behaviour They should be the role models to their employees

The organization should evolve codes of ethics for its employees and enforce them.
Ethics committees should be formed with top executives as members to advice on ethical issues.

Role of HRM in creating an ethical organization

Company journals to publish articles on ethical issues and pose hypothetical ethical dilemmas and discussions on how to resolve these An ethics office with ethics officers to oversee the process and help communicate policy to employees.
Organize employee ethics training which can play an integral role in ensuring compliance with the ethics code. A disciplinary system to deal with ethical violations promptly and decisively.

Categories
Employers Employees Government Agency Manpower Consultancy Outside Sources

Discrimination Origin
Age Sex Handicapped Religion or Caste Country of Origin Whimsical No Fixed Reason