978-1285197159 Chapter 2 Some of them could say that they would prefer qualified

Unlock access to all the studying documents.

View Full Document

Ethics in Information Technology, Fifth Edition 9781285197159

Chapter 2

Ethics for IT Workers and IT Users

Self-Assessment Questions

Discussion Questions

1. Would you rather be known as a person of modest means with an impeccable ethical charac–

ter or as an unscrupulous person of wealth? Why?

2. How do you distinguish between misrepresentation and embellishment of one’s professional

accomplishments in order to win a contract to complete a major project? Provide an example

of an embellishment that would not be considered misrepresentation.

3. Do laws provide a complete guide to ethical behavior? Can an activity be legal but not ethi–

cal?

4. In filling an open position in a U.S.-based IT organization, do you think that preference

should be shown for qualified candidates from the United States over qualified candidates

from foreign countries? Why or why not?

5. Does charging by the hour encourage unethical behavior on the part of contract workers and

consultants?

6. Describe a situation in which there could be a conflict of interest between an IT worker’s self–

-interest and the interests of a client. How should this potential conflict be addressed?

7. Should all IT professionals be licensed or certified? Why or why not?

Students’ answers will vary. Most of them will say that licensing and certification should be the re–

8. Go to two or more of the Web sites identified in Table 2-3, and read the code of ethics found

there. What commonalities do you find among the IT professional codes of ethics that you

read? What differences are there? Do you think there are any important issues not addressed

by these codes of ethics?

9. You are caught in the middle of a dilemma. You have been subpoenaed to be a witness in a

work-related sexual harassment case involving your boss and a coworker. On many occa–

sions, you heard your boss make statements to this employee that could be interpreted as sex–

ual advancements. Your boss has made it clear that he will make things difficult for you at

work if you testify in favor of the employee. You could choose to testify in a manner that

would make it appear that your boss was not serious and that the employee was overreacting.

On the other hand, it was clear to you that your boss was not joking with the employee and

that he was harassing her. What kind of repercussions could there be if you testify in favor of

your coworker? Would you be willing to risk those repercussions? Does it really matter if the

case is dismissed because of your testimony?

10. What is the difference between breach of contract and material breach of contract? In a

breach of contract dispute, what recourse can the nonbreaching party take?

Breach of contract occurs when one party fails to meet the terms of a contract. However, a material

11. Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, under what conditions is a bribe not unlawful? Ex–

plain, and provide an example.

What Would You Do?

1. Students’ answers will vary. They can say that the ethical thing to do would be to note the sales for

2. Students’ answers will vary. They can say that this situation could pose to be a problem in their

3. Students’ answers will vary. They can offer to review the résumé before getting it to the right per–

son and putting in a good word. As a friend, it is their responsibility and obligation to let him know

4. Students’ answers may vary, but the most important thing is to be fair and impartial. If they do not

5. Students’ answers will vary. In most cases, students should consider this as a bribe. They could ex–

press their appreciation but explain that it was not their intention to receive this gift. They could

then offer to reimburse the money or politely decline this offer.

6. Students’ answers will vary. It is very important that the consultant spells out, in writing, what his

7. Students’ answers will vary. They would have legitimate concerns about résumé inflation and

Cases

Case 1: Whistle-Blower Claims Accounting Shenanigans at SuccessFactors

1. Students’ answers may vary. Some of them might say that the whistle blower would get hurt as

Case 2: IBM and the State of Indiana Involved in a Breach of Contract Dispute

1. Students’ answers may vary. Some of them may say that the fact that IBM encountered problems

Case 3: When Certification Is Justified

1. Students’ answers may vary. Some of them might say that organizations and vendors can ask candi–

dates to design an application to exhibit their skills and core knowledge. This would be a good pa–