3-5 Page paper on decision-making frameworks to IT-related ethical issues

Apply Decision-making frameworks to IT-related ethical issues using one of four common approaches to ethical decision making:

 

Virtue ethics approach – the ethical choice best reflect moral virtues in yourself and your community

Utilitarian approach – the ethical choice produces the greates excess of benefits over harm

Fairness approach – The ethical choice treats everone the same and shows no favoritisim or discriminiation

Common good approach –  the ethical choice advances the common good

 

(Attached is the decision-making framework)

IFSM 304 – Ethics in the Information Age

Learning Portfolio Assignment Descriptions

Here are the detailed Assignment Requirements and Summary (Reflection Paper) that comprise activities for a Learning Portfolio for IFSM 304. These activities, along with class discussion and any other assignments your professor may require will enable you to achieve the course objectives and demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and apply this understanding to real-world digital ethics topics and situations. Understand that your work will comprise a Learning Portfolio for the course and these assignments are linked! You will be faced with work that advances with a progression from a general basic framework for decision making to more specific analysis and critical thinking about more complex ethical issues.

Paper A: Project Description (15%)

Apply decision making frameworks to IT-related ethical issues

There are four common approaches to ethical decision making elaborated in your textbook (Chapter 1, Table 1-5; see also Appendix A) which help decision makers find the right balance concerning the acceptability of their actions. (Note: these approaches are also elaborated further in WebTycho Course Module I.) For this paper, the following elements must be addressed:

 

· Describe a current IT-related ethical issue; and define a problem statement

· Apply the decision-making process—see especially the Framework in Reynolds, pp. 16 – 20. Note: A framework provides a methodical approach for developing a problem statement, identifying alternatives, evaluating and choosing alternatives, and implementing the decision, and evaluating results.

· Consider the impact of the decision on you, your organization, stakeholders, your customers and suppliers, and he environment

· State the approach that comes closest to your ethical decision an dprovide your rationale using one of the four common approaches.

This process may be applied to real-world situations. First, apply the model; then use one of the four common approaches in implementing your decision.

Here are some suggested issues–

1. Privacy on the Web. What is happening now in terms of privacy on the Web? Think about recent abuses and improvements. Describe and evaluate Web site policies, technical and privacy policy protections, and current proposals for government regulations.

2. Personal Data Privacy Regulations in Other Countries. Report on personal data privacy regulations, Web site privacy policies, and governmental/law enforcement about access to personal data in one or more countries; e.g., the European Union.  This is especially relevant as our global economic community expands and we are more dependent on non-US clients for e-business over the Internet.

3. Spam. Describe new technical solutions and the current state of regulation. Consider the relevance of freedom of speech. Discuss the roles of technical and legislative solutions.

4. Computer-Based Crimes. Discuss the most prevalent types of computer crimes, such as Phishing. Analyze why and how these can occur. Describe protective measures that might assist in preventing or mitigating these types of crimes.

5. Government surveillance of the Internet. The 9/11 attacks on the US in 2001 brought many new laws and permits more government surveillance of the Internet. Is this a good idea?

6. The Digital Divide. Does it exist; what does it look like; and, what are the ethical considerations and impact?

7. Privacy in the Workplace: Monitoring Employee Web and E-Mail Use. What are current opinions concerning monitoring employee computer use. What policies are employers using? Should this be authorized or not?

8. Medical Privacy. Who owns your medical history? What is the state of current legislation to protect your health information? Is it sufficient?  There are new incentives with federal stimulus financing for health care organizations to develop and implement digital health records.

9. Software piracy. How many of you have ever made an unauthorized copy of software, downloaded software or music (free or for a fee), or used copyrighted information without giving proper credit or asking permission? Was this illegal or just wrong? How is this being addressed?

10. Predictions for Ethical IT Dilemma in 2020. What is your biggest worry or your prediction for ethical concerns of the future related to information technology?

11. Consumer Profiling. With every purchase you make, every Web site you visit, your preferences are being profiled. What is your opinion regarding the legal authority of these organizations to collect and aggregate this data?

12. Biometrics & Ethics. Your fingerprint, retinal-vessel image, and DNA map can exist entirely as a digital image in a computer, on a network, or in the infosphere.  What new and old ethical problems must we address?

13. Ethical Corporations. Can corporations be ethical? Why or why not?

14. Social Networking.  What are some of the ethical issues surrounding using new social networks?  How are these now considered for business use?  What are business social communities?  Are new/different protections and security needed for these networks?

15. Gambling in Cyberspace. Is it legal? Are there national regulations and/or licensing? What are the oversight and enforcement requirements? Are there international implications? What are the social and public health issues?

16. Pornography in Cyberspace For example, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling protecting as free speech computer-generated child pornography

17. Medicine and Psychiatry in Cyberspace. Some considerations include: privacy issues; security; third-party record-keeping; electronic medical records; access to information, even by the patient (patient rights); access to information by outsiders without patient knowledge; authority to transfer and/or share information. Are there any policies proposed by professional organizations?

18. Counterterrorism and Information Systems Your protection versus your rights

19. Open-source Software versus Closed-source Software Ethical ramifications and impact on intellectual property law

20. Creative Commons Licenses How do they work and what are the legal and ethical impacts and concerns?

21. Universal ID Card. What is the general position of the U.S. government about issuing each individual a unique ID Card? Which individual U.S. government agencies have already provided a unique ID Card? What steps have been taken to include individual ID information electronically in passports? How is privacy and security provided?

22. Federal and State Law Enforcement’s Role to enforce computer-based crime.

(Thanks to Professor Julie Mehan and John Thoren for these ideas!)

Select one of these leading ethical issues to explore using the decision-making framework.  Please be specific about the issue that you are focusing on in your narrative. Prepare a minimum 3- 5 page, double-spaced paper and submit it to your Assignments Folder as an attached

Microsoft Word file.

Remember to select one of the four common approaches to ethical decision making [elaborated in your textbook (Chapter 1, Table 1-5; see also Appendix A)] and explain why you chose that approach—how it fits with the issue—to help decision makers find the right balance concerning the acceptability of their actions.

Indicate appropriate American Psychological Association (APA) reference citations for all sources you use.  In addition to critical thinking and analysis skills, your paper should reflect appropriate grammar and spelling, good organization, and proper business-writing style.

Microsoft Word file.

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