This unit studys for knowledge and skills development for ICAW4214A Maintain ethical conduct:
- Protect the interests of clients
- Produce quality products and services
- Ensure correct representation
- Produce code of ethics
- Maintain good work practices.
Topics in this unit
There are two topics in this unit to help you develop your knowledge and skills in maintaining ethical conduct.
1. Ethics in ICT
Oliver Burmeister, Chair of the Australian Computer Society's (ACS) Committee on Computer Ethics, discusses the role of the ACS, the ACS Code of Ethics, ethical issues that arise in the ICT industry, resolving ethical issues and adapting a code of ethics within an organisation.
What does ‘professionalism’ and ‘ethical behaviour’ mean in the ICT industry?
Tools such as a code of ethics provide organisations and workers with a common standard for ethical behaviour when dealing with colleagues, clients and the public. The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has developed a code of ethics that is widely adopted within the ICT industry. This code is now under review, with the view to updating the code to reflect the current ICT industry and issues. In this topic you’ll hear about the ACS and the ACS code of ethics, as well as a discussion of some ethical issues that arise in the ICT industry.
This presentation is given by Oliver Burmeister, Chair of the Ethics Committee of the ACS, and Lecturer in Information Technology, Charles Sturt University. Some TAFE students studying IT also contribute their thoughts on some ethical issues.
2. Privacy legislation
Commissioner Les McCrimmon, from the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC), discusses the Federal Privacy Act 1988, and the sweeping reviews to Federal and State privacy laws that the Law Reform Commission is undertaking. This review and impending changes to privacy laws will impact the ICT industry when new legislation is enacted sometime after 2008.
How does the Federal Privacy Act 1988 apply to businesses and how does it govern the handling of information?
In this topic, I heared the Privacy Act 1988 explained in terms of how a business needs to interpret the Act and apply the Principles to its business and IT systems. Importantly, the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) is leading a review of Federal and State privacy (and related) legislation due to the age of the Act and developments in technology since the Privacy Act came into force in 1988.
This presentation is given by Professor Les McCrimmon who is a Commissioner at the ALRC
Activities
Scenarios
For each scenario given here decide whether the behaviour is illegal or unethical.
1. Unethical or illegal?
In this activity you’ll need to determine whether workplace scenarios show unethical or illegal behaviour.
Scenario 1.1
Your boss takes three weeks leave. One of your colleagues takes two days leave during this period. They do not submit the appropriate form for taking leave. You say nothing to your colleague or to your boss when she returns.
A: Unethical; There is no law to say this is illegal. However, this should be managed within the workplace. Other managers may need to take over responsibility to ensure that this practice does not occur.
Scenario 1.2
A colleague buys a cappuccino from petty cash.
A: Illegal: Even though it may sound minor, it is theft, and therefore illegal.
Scenario 1.3
A person starts their own business providing quotes for interior design work for residences. They do not include in their quotes delivery of the goods or installation.
A: Unethical: This is misleading information.
Scenario 1.4
An employee is completing their studies part-time in the evenings. They take stationery from work for their own use, including pens and writing paper.
A: Illegal: It is theft and therefore illegal.
2. Prioritisation or professional judgment?
Scenario 2.1
Read the scenario carefully, then determine which ethical approach was used by Sam to deal with the unethical behaviour: prioritisation or professional judgement. Then select any sections from the two Codes of Ethics that apply to Sam’s situation.
Sam works for ABC Company. His boss has recently been going through a divorce which drained him emotionally and financially. His boss was found to be exploiting the ABC funds: he had written cheques for $5000 for his personal use. The management is sympathetic to his situation. Sam’s boss is now paying back the money on a monthly basis.
The ACS and ACM were advised of the situation. The ACS revoked his membership as he had violated the Code of Ethics 4.10.2 ‘I must not knowingly engage in, or be associated with, dishonest or fraudulent practices’. The ACM revoked his membership as he had violated the Code of Ethics 2.3 ‘Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work’.
Everyone at ABC Company was shocked when they heard the news. Sam’s boss’s colleagues have reacted in different ways. Sam has decided to be civil to his boss. He continues to work with him in the best way possible but does distance himself from him.
A: In this case, the considering that Sam used for his judgement was based on the ACS Code of Ethics 4.10.5 ‘I must distance myself professionally from someone whose membership of the Society has been terminated because of unethical behaviour or unsatisfactory conduct.’
Sam followed the Prioritisation method. Stealing money from a company is illegal. In some circumstances this may cause major problems for anyone in the public who uses their services.
Scenario 2.2
What ethical method has Carlos used, professional judgement or prioritisation? And what has he based his judgement on?Carlos tries to convince his colleagues to attend a 1-week course. None of them can afford it. He approaches his boss to provide funding for the course. He finds out the department has already overspent this year’s budget.
Carlos creates his own 3-day compact version of the course and delivers this to his colleagues.
A: Prioritisation is correct here. ACS Code of Ethics states in 4.9, ‘I must encourage my colleagues, employees and students to continue their own professional development.’
ACM Code of Ethics states in 3.6 ‘Create opportunities for members of the organisation to learn the principles and limitations of computer systems.’
Carlos recognises the importance of the information for his colleagues. He goes beyond encouraging them to attend and creates a compact version of the course.
3. Develop a Code of Ethics
Scenario
You work for the ABC Computer Company. They sell computer hardware and software. They do not undertake repairs or software installation. Computers or components are covered by their 1 year warranty. If there is a problem, they are either sent to another company for repairs, or else replaced.
ABC Computer Company has now decided to create a website to sell their products, as well as a product blog. This is intended for staff to write a commentary on a particular product. As the product becomes obsolete, staff will write about the updated product. The blog will display an image of the product and its price. It will provide a link to the product where the full information can be found. Any reader can leave comments on the product.
The ABC Computer Company Code of Ethics needs to take into account the blog on the website and readers’ comments. For each of the values and ideas in the Australian Computer Society’s Code of Ethics, write a report on how this relates to the blogging section of the website.
- Are the values and ideals appropriate?
- The values and ideals are developed into standards of conduct. How can these be applied to the ABC Company product blog?
A: ABC Company Code of Ethics
Applying a Code of Ethics for staff writing the product blog is appropriate. This can be discussed, applied and controlled within ABC Computer Company. However, all readers may not comply with the Code of Ethics. The ABC Computer Company could restrict access to the blog by only allowing registered users. If any inappropriate material is written, they could then block that person.
The following questions need to be considered when developing your Code of Ethics.
Priorities
- How is the Code of Ethics applied to the blog, and is it appropriate?
- Should any reader’s comments be acknowledged?
- Should there be a policy introduced to have the acknowledgement sent within a week, within a day or immediately?
- Should this be automatically generated and sent immediately, or personally sent by the staff member?
Competence
- How will you know if the reader’s response is competent?
- How will you know that what they say about a product is professional? Maybe they have no idea How to install the product and they leave a comment that the component does not work?
Honesty
Social implications
How does this apply to a reader’s comments?
How will their comments affect the business’s reputation?
Professional development
- The information provided on the product should increase the readers’ knowledge and therefore, add to their professional development.
- Any information the reader can provide will enhance other readers’ professional development.
- Should comments made by the reader be referenced?
IT professional
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