Legal, Cultural and Moral Problems of Management Information System - Research Paper Example

BU6009 Management Information Systems Introduction The large scale appearance of the innovative information systems and information technology has comprehensive and remarkable consequences that are greatly raising modern, legal, cultural and moral issues which are directly influencing the association with the handling and administration of information and information systems. This research will present a deep analysis of some of the important features of the legal, cultural and moral problems that are related with the administration of information and information systems and the links between information systems and knowledge as well as business strategies. In addition, this report will try to comprehensively evaluate and analyze some of the main areas of concern and various features which are allied with these attributes. Legal, Cultural and Ethical Issues In this age of science, new and innovative computer technologies designed for the purpose of gathering, storing, reviewing, thoroughly analyzing and exchanging data are transforming the utilization and allocation of data as well as information. Beside the system, they are as well developing moral, legal and cultural predicaments. Additionally, the swiftness and competence of electronic information systems that comprise local as well as worldwide databases, networks and programs designed with the intention of handling and processing particular data and information. So these systems and frameworks compel business personnel and people to tackle entirely with the new rights and various jobs in efficient utilization of information as well as to appraise standards planned and implemented with the intent of using, handling and managing the information, information systems, computers and data communication networks (Lynch, 1994; Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Hutchinson & Sawyer, 2000). It is right to presume that information is an origin of domination as well as, escalating, the procedure to success among those users who have the right to access it. As a result, establishments in information frameworks and information systems to properly employ legal, cultural, ethical, societal and political associations and consequently formulate moral or ethical concerns of how well the information is employed at the entire levels of the organization are very significant. At the present, electronic systems are effectively utilized in all the departments of administration, management centers, as well as into personal lives to a huge extent. New ethical, edifying and legal decisions are important to equalize the requirements as well as fundamental rights of every person. In this new highly developed and sophisticated world with extensive development of the information and information systems, legitimate decisions holdup at the support of technological progress. Moreover, ethics cover up the gap as people consult of how the utilization of electronic information should carried out (Lynch, 1994). Legal, cultural and moral problems are directly associated. Additionally, there exist a lot of exclusive challenges that organizations generally face in this age of the technology based systems (information systems). These issues and challenges are curtailed from the nature of information and data handling and also the provision itself. In this regard, the information is the way in the course of that the minds develop and augments its potential to complete its objectives, frequently as the outcome of an input from another’s mind. Therefore, information shapes the intellectual assets from which human beings shape their lives and protect their self-respect and pride. Although the framework of intellectual assets and capital is susceptible in a lot of ways. For instance, people's intellectual capital is spoiled when they misplace their personal information exclusive of being compensated for it, as they are proscribed the right of entry to the information which is valuable to them or as they comprehend that the information formulated on the basis of their every day working is contingent in error. The social agreement between people in the information age has to deal with this intimidation to dignity and esteem of human beings. In this scenario, the legal, cultural and ethical matters are concerned in a lot of ways and also in diverse situations (Mason, 1986; Stair & Reynolds, 2003; Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). Moral Dimensions of the Information Age Ethics comprise moral opportunities recognized by the individuals concerning the rest of the interacting society, values of reasonable behavior, and strategy leading member of an organization. Additionally, the broad matters pertaining to the electronic information systems comprise control of right to use the information and information systems, confidentiality along with exploitation of data, as well as universal concerns. These overall concerns expand to the electronic databases; electronic networks in addition to more specifically, to the geographical information frameworks. In addition, we can observe that particular problems existing within all of the three areas (legal, cultural and ethical), creates a dire need somewhat to the diverse types of ethical options and decision (Lynch, 1994). Moreover, the main legal, cultural and ethical issues that are significantly elevated through information systems comprise the following legal, cultural and ethical dimensions (Laudon, 2009; Laudon & Laudon, 1999): Information rights and commitments Rights and obligations of the property Answerability and authority Excellence of life Issues Analysis Knowledge of ethics as it concerns to the problems arising from the expansion and exploitation of information systems, that we know how to recognize information ethics, facilitates us to expertly make the decisions in our business as well as professional life. Additionally, the professional information and knowledge is normally assessed to provide a particular accountability in its area. This is the reason why the organizations have developed codes of ethics, which is a collection of standards planned to express the behavior and attitude of the associates of the related profession. However, the basic code of ethics that is proposed for information handling and information systems professionals is offered by the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery Code) for ethics and professional conduct, applied on the associates of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). In addition, the code of ethics should be recognizable for all those individuals whose professional life is influenced extensively by the use of information and information systems (Zwass, 2010; Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Ethical selections are the judgments established by the people who are accountable for the outcomes of their practices and procedures. In this regard, the responsibility is a key component of acts that are related to ethics. Additionally, the responsibility describes that we identify the probable costs, responsibilities as well as commitments planned for the decisions that we formulate. On the other hand, accountability is a characteristic of information and information systems and social organizations. It outlines that systems are prepared to decide who took accountable act, which is answerable to a particular act. Additionally, the information systems and the organizations in which it is not possible to find out that who took what acts are intrinsically not capable for ethical action or else for ethical analysis. In this scenario, the liability enlarges the concept of accountability more to the area of rules and regulations. Liability is a characteristic of political systems in which a group of rules is in a position that permit the people to recover the harms they have suffered from through other existing systems, factors, or businesses. Appropriate course of action is an associated characteristic of cultures that conform to the laws as well as improvements in that rules are recognized and understood and there also exist a competence to demand to the higher and competent authorities to make sure that the regulations are functioning in proper manners (Laudon, 2009; Stair & Reynolds, 2003; Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). Links between information systems & knowledge strategy and business strategy Nowadays, knowledge is believed as the most profitable and significant resource as well as helpful in learning the significant capabilities of the plans for business corporations. Though, a lot of plans and policies are being assumed to build up and make use of the organizational information and knowledge are not openly connected to or surrounded through the corporate policy of the business. In fact, a large amount of business information and plans of knowledge management are observed and mainly considered like the schemes used for information systems development. Consequently administrators obviously and plausibly take into account that strategic benefit which is able to be gained as of knowing further than the challengers; they are not competent enough to openly express the connection between knowledge as well as strategy (Zack, 1999) A lot of business administrative individuals are trying to express the association among their intellectual resources of the business and abilities and its plan of competitiveness. They do not take in well-developed and premeditated policy model which can facilitate them to link knowledge-oriented procedures, technologies and managerial frameworks to the business policy, and also they are unsure of how to understand the purpose of making their businesses much elegant and beneficial into a strategic course of action. They require a realistic, however theoretically dominant model as the knowledge strategy (Haggie & Kingston, 2003) & (Zack, 1999). A knowledge strategy, equalizing the traditional SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, threats) analysis, explicates the general strategy for a business which plans to get or properly support its knowledge resources as well as potentials to the intellectual necessities of its policy. Additionally, it is proficient to be explained adjacent to the two extents depicting its level of aggressiveness. In addition, the primary arrangement with an extent to that a business wants to boost its understanding and knowledge in particular regions. Thus, the vision it can cover to influence available however underexploited business knowledge resources, that is, the degree to the corporate is primarily a creator vs. clients of knowledge. The next element deals with the matter of whether the major sources of corporate information and knowledge are external or internal. Together these characteristics facilitate a corporation to explain and assess its present and preferred knowledge strategy (Zack, 1999) & (Haggie & Kingston, 2003) & (Jones, 2010) . The SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) arrangement is possibly the mainly well-known technique to outline and describe business strategy, encompassing influenced practice and research. In this scenario, the knowledge strategy plans of an organization’s future are formulated on the efficiency of knowledge. A lot of circumstances have been planned for this approach; however most of the clients face difficulty and market ambiguity, rising product difficulty, transfers in competitors, technology, and fundamental product lifecycles. In addition, a strategic background of a business facilitates to recognize knowledge management plans that support its intentions or tasks, strengthen its competitive arrangement, as well as produce shareholder value. Naturally, it builds sense that the corporate that identifies more regarding its clients, technologies, products, markets and their connection should carry out better in getting benefit than competing with other corporations. However, there exists an association between the business strategy and knowledge management (Jones, 2010) & (Zack, 1999). A lot of managerial staff members are striving hard to express the association among their organization's intellectual assets, potentials, and its competitive policy. They do not encompass well-developed strategic representation that can facilitate them to proficiently connect knowledge-oriented procedures, technologies and organizational agenda to the business policy, and they are not sure of how to interpret and perceive the objective of making their associations extra intelligent into a tactical way of action. In this regard, they require a practical, however hypothetically powerful model that is acknowledged as the business knowledge strategy. In this scenario, the knowledge is the basic foundation of marketplace competition. Thus, challenging successfully on knowledge necessitates either take into account the plan to what the business be acquainted with, or expanding the knowledge and potentials needed to up hold a preferred strategy. Thus, taking a premeditated analysis of knowledge has a number of inferences together for an organization’s ways to devise its strategy and appealing in the plans of knowledge management (Haggie & Kingston, 2003) & (Zack, 1999). The range of knowledge management appears to be an inclusive elucidation of probable knowledge management policies and its left-to-right measurement maps to a variety of heuristics in addition to discipline of thought. Additionally, the recognized innovation in knowledge management, corporate substantial need to make a knowledge management arrangement is not far behind from their market competitors. However, by setting the effective strategic foundation, they will be capable to focus and prioritize their savings in knowledge management and go ahead of their competitors who have not stranded their efforts in defining the policy (Haggie & Kingston, 2003) & (Zack, 1999) & (Jones, 2010). Conclusion In this report I have presented a comprehensive analysis of legal, cultural and ethical issues associated with the management of information and information systems and links between information systems and knowledge strategy and business strategy. This report has presented and highlighted some of the main features and areas to critically examine the legal, cultural and ethical issues associated with the management of information and information systems and links between information systems and knowledge strategy and business strategy. In this connection I have also considered some of the main points and aspects for formulating better assessments for the overall topic. References Haggie, K., & Kingston, J. (2003). Choosing Your Knowledge Management Strategy. Retrieved 10 18, 2010, from Journal of Knowledge Management Practice: http://www.tlainc.com/articl51.htm Hutchinson, S. E., & Sawyer, S. C. (2000). Computers, Communications, Information A user's introduction, 7th Edition. New York: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. Jones, P. H. (2010). Knowledge Strategy: Aligning Knowledge Programs to Business Strategy. Retrieved 10 18, 2010, from Origin Technology in Business: http://www.providersedge.com/docs/km_articles/Knowledge_Strategy_-_Aligning_K-Programs_to_Business_Strategy.pdf Laudon. (2009). Chapter 4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems. Retrieved 10 20, 2010, from Organizations, Management, and the Networked Enterprise: http://www.prenhall.com/behindthebook/0132304619/pdf/laudon%20MIS10_CH-04%20FINAL.pdf Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (1999). Management Information Systems, Sixth Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall . Lynch, M. (1994). Ethical Issues in Electronic Information Systems. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from University of Colorado: http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/ethics/ethics_f.html Mason, R. O. (1986). Management Information Systems Quarterly. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from Volume 10, Number 1: http://www.misq.org/archivist/vol/no10/issue1/vol10no1mason.html Stair, R. M., & Reynolds, G. W. (2003). Principles of Information Systems, Sixth Edition. Toronto : Thomson Learning, Inc. Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E., & Wetherbe, J. (2005). Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy . New York: Wiley. Zack, M. H. (1999). Developing a Knowledge Strategy. Retrieved 10 18, 2010, from California Management Review, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 125-145: http://web.cba.neu.edu/~mzack/articles/kstrat/kstrat.htm Zwass, V. (2010). Ethical Issues in Information Systems. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from InformaWorld.com: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a713531966 Read More