The Adoption of Ethical Conduct in the Professional It Culture - Case Study Example

IT Culture Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Executive Summary The adoption of ethical conduct in the professional IT culture has brought a great impact on the dissemination of information technology infrastructures to the market. Ethics play a significant role in creating an enabling environment for practicing consumer-oriented behavior that enhances the relationships between the business organizations and the consumers in both the local and the global market (De George, 2006). Through the application of ethical theories, businesses have managed to create an effective IT culture in their operations. The application of the ethical theories such as the utilitarianism, deontological ethics, rights-based theory, and character-based theory, have redefined the IT culture in business organizations. The paper examines the impact of the adoption of ethical theories on IT culture using the ethical theories. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Ethical Analysis 4 Application of ACS code of ethics 7 The Primacy of the Public Interest 7 Enhancement of Quality of Life 8 Honesty 8 Professionalism 8 The Defense on ethical grounds 8 Recommendations 9 References 10 Introduction According to the case study, an electric car company has hired John, an Artificial Intelligence consultant to oversee a project that involves introducing self-driven vehicles into the market. John has, however, detected that the cars could cause accidents and thus result in injury or even death of human beings unless the accident scenarios are modeled before releasing into the market. The company’s managers and the IT managers have, however, refused to heed the consultant’s advice citing late introduction of the new product into the market and subsequent losses for the company. Hence, the ethical dilemma that the AI consultant faces is whether he should commission the self-driven car as safe for use by the consumers in the market or he should refuse to release the cars into the market and prevent any cases of fatal accidents. If John allows the cars to be used on the roads, they may cause accidents and result in the death of the people. However, if he refuses to release the electric vehicles, the CEO and the IT managers will be angry and terminate his contract. Ethical Analysis The Artificial Intelligence consultant should, therefore, adopt effective measures so as to prevent a negative impact on the consumers. According to the utilitarianism ethical theory, the morality of an act is determined by its effect on the larger population. If an act brings happiness to a lot of people, therefore the act is moral (Floridi & Sanders, 2002). Therefore, if the AI consultant agrees to release the vehicles without the testing process, the cars may cause accidents on the roads thus leading to injury and death of the majority of the society. Thus the consequences of such a measure will result in an adverse effect. The consumers’ lives may be endangered by commissioning the vehicles for market use. John should, therefore, refuse to commission the vehicles since it will result in the prevention of road accidents that can have a negative impact on the people. However, such a measure will also have a devastating effect on John. The consequences, therefore, will depend on the action that the artificial intelligence consultant undertakes. John, however, should undertake an action that will bring happiness to most people as opposed to acting that will only please a few people. For instance, if the consultant goes ahead and releases the vehicles without proper modeling, the managers of the car company will be happy since they will be the first to introduce the self-driven cars into the market. The company, therefore, will penetrate the market and acquire a larger share of the market before its competitors can release their products. Such a scenario will result in the high demand and the subsequent generation of a lot of profits. However, the cars are likely to cause accidents that will harm the public who are the majority. The application of ethical principles can also play a great impact on the process of finding a solution to the dilemma. According to the deontological ethics, it is the duty of every person to do what is morally upright (Himma, 2003). Hence a moral behavior is not dictated by its effect or the cause but by the obligations and rules that an individual is entitled to follow. Therefore, the artificial consultant has the duty of doing what is right in the company. Through refusing to release the vehicles for public use before modeling the remaining issues, the consultant will be doing his duty. The duty-based ethical theory expects every individual to undertake actions that aim at ensuring equality among the people in the society (Ramadhan et al. 2011). In case the consultant heeds the advice of the company’s managers, the vehicles can result in injuries and even loss of life on the roads. Therefore, John has the obligation of doing what is right in the company through refusing to commission the vehicles for public use in the market. Although such decision will be opposed by the company’s managers, it is John’s duty to ensure that he undertakes actions that are expected by the society or actions that adhere to the societal rules. Besides, the rights-based principle can also be used to evaluate the dilemma facing John and the electric car company. According to Anderson (1992), the contractarianism ethical theory posits that the moral rights are based on the contractual agreement between two or more parties. The agreement between John and the company was that the former undertakes an artificial intelligence examination of the self-driven cars before their release into the market. Hence it is not logical for the company’s managers to force John to sign off the vehicles as fit for use by the consumers if they know that anything that happens will be under John. The AI consultant, therefore, can use the contracts and rights theory to disagree with the decisions of the company’s managers and to leadership. John should, therefore, should present the agreement to the CEO and the IT managers and outline the terms and conditions of the contract. Through following the provisions in the contract, the two parties can prevent possible litigation in the case of road accidents due to a premature introduction of the vehicles into the market. The agreement should remind the company that they should not force the AI, consultant, to release the vehicles before proper modeling are undertaken to ensure safety. The situation can also be examined according to the typical response of a caring person. The character-based ethical theory argues that the character development plays a tremendous role in shaping the behavior of an individual (Leidner & Kayworth, 2006). How an individual develops his or her character over a period can influence how he reacts in different situations. Therefore, John, as a caring person can develop his character and tailor it to providing care to the consumers and the general public. The AI consultant should adopt a measure that aims at the provision of care to the relevant stakeholders. To provide care for the consumers, the consultant should refuse to commission the vehicles until the modeling processes are completed. This will ensure that the necessary measures are undertaken to boost the safety of the vehicles. The company’s management decisions to release the vehicles without the examination of their safety shows that it does not care for the welfare of the public. This is because the consultant has recommended that proper modeling should be undertaken to ensure that the vehicles do not cause injury or event death to the users and the general public. According to Tavani (2003), lack of moral education and effective character development can hinder the adoption of good characters that can boost the relationship between two or more parties. Application of ACS code of ethics The ACS code of ethics and the requirements that are relevant to the case study include: The Primacy of the Public Interest The code of ethics requires that an individual identifies the people who are impacted by the action. The preservation of the integrity and security of the public is important. For example, the AI consultant should refuse to release the electric cars into the market since they are not safe for public use. Enhancement of Quality of Life This code is also relevant to the case study. John aims at improving the quality of life through suggesting that the cars should not be released until they are safe for public use (Calley, 2009). The requirements include the need to protect the health and safety of the people. Honesty Another code that applies to the case study is honesty. The requirements include distinguishing personal and professional advice, rejecting bribery and the provision of realistic estimates. Professionalism The consultant has also shown professionalism through refusing to release the vehicles before proper modeling. The requirements include taking action against an inappropriate action, ensuring corporate compliance, and maintaining a professional image. The Defense on ethical grounds The defense of the AI consultant should be based on the agreement that he made with the company and the performance of his duty. The consultant was hired to oversee the introduction of self-driven electric cars into the market. John went ahead and designed the various modeling that was to improve the efficiency of the vehicle. The consultant further warned the management that it is better for the vehicles to undergo extra modeling to prevent any accidents on the roads (Kling, 2009). Therefore, even if John commissions the sale of the vehicles due to the demand of the management, he has done his duty in the company. His actions should not be taken as morally wrong. Moreover, according to the deontological ethics, every individual is expected to undertake his duty. The actions of a person should, therefore, be driven by the desire to perform one’s duty and not the consequences. Recommendations The Artificial Intelligence consultant should, therefore, undertake measures that adhere the professional code of ethics (Grunwald, 2001). For example, John should adamantly refuse to release the vehicles until the remaining modeling is undertaken. Through observing the contracts theory, John should adhere to the agreement that expected him to evaluate the effectiveness of the vehicles on the market. Hence the consultant should refuse to release the vehicles to prevent being held responsible in case of any accident. If the company goes ahead and introduce the vehicles without John's approval, then the latter will not be held responsible The application of ethics is, therefore, crucial to the operations of business organizations. The code of ethics creates an enabling environment within the IT culture resulting in the achievement of sustainability and the improvement of operations. Ethical behavior has led to the implementation of business policies that aim at improving the relationship between the stakeholders in an organization. The adoption of advanced technology has also brought the need for the observation of professional codes of ethics. The observation of ethical theories such as the deontological, consequentialist, and the character based theories can play a tremendous role in shaping the IT culture in an organization. References Anderson, R. E. (1992). Social impacts of computing: Codes of professional ethics. Social Science Computer Review, 10(4), 453-469. Calley, N. G. (2009). Promoting a contextual perspective in the application of the ACA Code of Ethics: The ethics into action map. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87(4), 476-482. De George, R. (2006). Information technology, globalization and ethics. Ethics And Information Technology, 8(1), 29-40. doi:10.1007/s10676-006-9104-4 Grunwald, A. (2001). The application of ethics to engineering and the engineer’s moral responsibility: Perspectives for a research agenda. Science and Engineering Ethics, 7(3), 415-428. Floridi, L., & Sanders, J. W. (2002). Mapping the foundationalism debate in computer ethics. Ethics and information Technology, 4(1), 1-9. Himma, K. (2003). The relationship between the uniqueness of computer ethics and its independence as a discipline in applied ethics. Ethics And Information Technology, 5(4), 225-237. doi:10.1023/b:etin.0000017733.41586.34 Leidner, D. E., & Kayworth, T. (2006). Review: a review of culture in information systems research: toward a theory of information technology culture conflict. MIS quarterly, 30(2), 357-399. Kling, R. (Ed.). (1996). Computerization and controversy: value conflicts and social choices. London: Morgan Kaufmann Press. Ramadhan, A., Indra, D., & Murni, A. (2011). e-Government Ethics: a Synergy of Computer Ethics, Information Ethics, and Cyber Ethics. International Journal Of Advanced Computer Science And Applications, 2(8). doi:10.14569/ijacsa.2011.020816 Tavani, H. T. (2003). Ethics and technology: Ethical issues in an age of information and communication technology. Journal of Professional ethics in IT. 7(1) 23-27 Read More

If an act brings happiness to a lot of people, therefore the act is moral (Floridi & Sanders, 2002). Therefore, if the AI consultant agrees to release the vehicles without the testing process, the cars may cause accidents on the roads thus leading to injury and death of the majority of the society. Thus the consequences of such a measure will result in an adverse effect. The consumers’ lives may be endangered by commissioning the vehicles for market use. John should, therefore, refuse to commission the vehicles since it will result in the prevention of road accidents that can have a negative impact on the people.

However, such a measure will also have a devastating effect on John. The consequences, therefore, will depend on the action that the artificial intelligence consultant undertakes. John, however, should undertake an action that will bring happiness to most people as opposed to acting that will only please a few people. For instance, if the consultant goes ahead and releases the vehicles without proper modeling, the managers of the car company will be happy since they will be the first to introduce the self-driven cars into the market.

The company, therefore, will penetrate the market and acquire a larger share of the market before its competitors can release their products. Such a scenario will result in the high demand and the subsequent generation of a lot of profits. However, the cars are likely to cause accidents that will harm the public who are the majority. The application of ethical principles can also play a great impact on the process of finding a solution to the dilemma. According to the deontological ethics, it is the duty of every person to do what is morally upright (Himma, 2003).

Hence a moral behavior is not dictated by its effect or the cause but by the obligations and rules that an individual is entitled to follow. Therefore, the artificial consultant has the duty of doing what is right in the company. Through refusing to release the vehicles for public use before modeling the remaining issues, the consultant will be doing his duty. The duty-based ethical theory expects every individual to undertake actions that aim at ensuring equality among the people in the society (Ramadhan et al. 2011). In case the consultant heeds the advice of the company’s managers, the vehicles can result in injuries and even loss of life on the roads.

Therefore, John has the obligation of doing what is right in the company through refusing to commission the vehicles for public use in the market. Although such decision will be opposed by the company’s managers, it is John’s duty to ensure that he undertakes actions that are expected by the society or actions that adhere to the societal rules. Besides, the rights-based principle can also be used to evaluate the dilemma facing John and the electric car company. According to Anderson (1992), the contractarianism ethical theory posits that the moral rights are based on the contractual agreement between two or more parties.

The agreement between John and the company was that the former undertakes an artificial intelligence examination of the self-driven cars before their release into the market. Hence it is not logical for the company’s managers to force John to sign off the vehicles as fit for use by the consumers if they know that anything that happens will be under John. The AI consultant, therefore, can use the contracts and rights theory to disagree with the decisions of the company’s managers and to leadership.

John should, therefore, should present the agreement to the CEO and the IT managers and outline the terms and conditions of the contract. Through following the provisions in the contract, the two parties can prevent possible litigation in the case of road accidents due to a premature introduction of the vehicles into the market. The agreement should remind the company that they should not force the AI, consultant, to release the vehicles before proper modeling are undertaken to ensure safety.

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