Workplace Privacy Between Coworkers - Research Paper Example

HRPOLICY Ethics in research involving employees has traditionally been a fruitful subject in the existing literature. New advances in technology mean new ethical questions for the field of research. Often, data is collaged by the employer on site and turned into data that is stored on computer on site, which is then manipulated and used to make other data. Therefore to increase security and control access to potentially sensitive participant information and data, after the process of relaying the information from the collected data to computer is completed, something that the company’s HR department needs to be protected in terms of privacy. Therefore, in modern research, the questions themselves can be either kept in a secure locked area to which there is a controlled amount of access, or destroyed. The computer on which the data is to be stored may be used by others, but should be accessible to research staff. Confidentiality is also one of the main issues that is often brought up by clients in terms of trust and concern, more so than professional competence issues. Although opinions are mixed about how technology will be in the HRM (human resource management) environment of the future, there is little debate that this is an issue that affects the present deeply and keenly. Some think that based on the present and the advancement of internet access, as well as assessment of adoption of new technology, the challenge of the future can be met in terms of the goal of universal adoption, which will take as long as desired. But whether the change comes in ten or twenty years, it is something that HRM professionals are going to have to be ready for. They are going to have to be able to maintain the employee and client’s confidentiality while at the same time respecting their privacy in terms of the information that is given, and they are going to have to take responsibility. A case of respect for people’s rights and dignity being breached ethically could involve a number of circumstances. Reform measures may do better to concentrate on education and training for those who would otherwise be adrift and unqualified than to concentrate on imposing limits on a situation that is often limited in terms of providing opportunities and resources. The employees often face limitations in terms of human capital, such as the lack of quality education and schooling, the lack of specific job training, and the resultant lack of working experience as a result of these. This also leads to issues like higher rates of alcoholism and substance abuse among the lower socioeconomic status, and also physical and mental health problems which can make employment more difficult. Although this system often makes dealing with electronic HRM more orderly and efficient, some have raised concerns over how the process of keeping these electronic records relates to issues of client confidentiality and privacy. Because there is so much more access to the information electronically, there is also more possibility that the information will wind up in the wrong hands. This was one of the risks I saw working. However, the benefits outweighed the disadvantages overall, and even looking at the problems made me want to work harder, and confront the challenge of the future. It is of vital importance for the research professional to consider reliability and validity. Technology makes the use of statistical information very popular with various types of research theorists, but getting statistics on the future is difficult, and therefore this is another appropriate reason for the subject of technology to be covered in a quantitative manner, rather than grounded theory or qualitative methods. This will still have facets of scientific inquiry however, which relies on hypothesis testing, verification techniques, and quantitative forms of analysis. As Robson implies through the categorical division of validity issues in research, the categorization or coding process is just as important as the research itself in many cases: “Literature discussing similar findings is important as well because it ties together underlying similarities in phenomena normally not associated with each other. The result is often a theory with stronger internal validity, wider generalizability, and higher conceptual level” (Robson, 003). The stronger the validity of the question, the stronger the process will be in eventality in terms of producing definite results. Confidentiality is another issue for research professionals to collude with technology. When the participant is assured that any of their remarks will be made under either explicit or implied confidentiality, it is easier for them to feel like they are taking part in a conversation in which they are respected. A feeling of respect is important for human research participants, who will feel empowered and assured that they are undertaking a professional process in which none of their responses or comments will be shared with others without their express consent. Confidentiality of course, has to be broken if the client does something flagrantly unethical or illegal themselves. But the main concept is based on keeping things between the participant and the researcher as much as possible, and keeping their anonymity. Confidentiality is an important aspect of any professional and modern research relationship. It is intricately involved with the major overriding goal of trust between the participant and the research provider. Many people see in the advent of increasingly complex technology a representation of possible compromise to confidentiality. New systems can keep data for longer periods of time, files are backed up and may not be completely deleted, and passwords often offer only partial protection. Confidentiality is also one of the main issues that is often brought up by research respondents in terms of trust and concern, more so even than professional competence issues. Of course, there must be limits, such as modifications that allow for the discussion of fatal or contagious diseases in relation to confidentiality (Gross, 2010). Issues such as research subject confidentiality (both professional and client-based) are more concretized and differ less among codes of ethics in the research world. These issues represent an important part of clinical and ethical duties in each research based profession. But codes of ethics have not always been around in the research environment, because a lot of people don’t think of all researchers as professionals who have privileged communication on the same level as someone who uses different theoretical methods (Issues, 2010). Overall, as research and technology both evolve in a synchronous relationship, issues of confidentiality, privacy, and privileged communication have a lot of ethical and legal complications. These categories are where the ethical impetus lies. As one source notes, “a public commitment to ethics serves at least two functions: it addresses the concerns of the public and it reinforces a bottom-line-justified interest in ethical behavior on the part of the officers” (Newton and Ford, 2002, p. 31). There are many historical links between technology and ethics, despite what one considers to be information, in regards to the proliferation of misinformation so common today. “There is no shortage of illustrations of the role of social ethics in technology. Consider the question of informed consent in the case of the Challenger. The launch decision was made in the light of a new and considerable risk, of which the crew was kept ignorant” (Devon, 2009). It is of vital importance that research ethics today be based on solid principles of accepting advances of technology and also realizing that it is the research imperative, “in light of digital ontology as well as the epistemological questions raised by the blurring boundary between fact and theory in this field” (Internet, 2009). The challenge of the future must be met full-on, in order for researchers to quickly address new ethical issues when dealing with technology. I think that a principle based system is like a code of ethics. This pattern of choice must start with the individual; there cannot be a group ethic that is in agreement without individual ethics. The individual must make choices regarding how to behave. This behavior can be broken down into two categories: the choice as it effects the society around the person making the decision, and the decision as it effects the self of the individual making the choice. In other words, a person can make a decision that benefits them personally; however, it might not benefit the rest of society, because it represents them cutting corners to get ahead, or seeking credentials in a way that is fraudulent, and will make them ultimately feel bad. An individual could make an ethical choice to behave either in a friendly or an unfriendly fashion. They could choose whether or not to tell the truth. They can make an ethical distinction between giving and taking. They could be goal-oriented and money-motivated enough to excuse behavior such as cheating, or they could regard experiences as being more important than goals. Ethics can be a personal decision that can also be reflected by an external group or group philosophy, and although some would argue against absolutism in ethics, this absolutism is definitely strong in rational theory portrayals. REFERENCE Devon, R (2009). Towards a social ethics of technology. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/SPT/v8n1/devon.html Newton, Lisa H., and Maureen M. Ford (2002). Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Business and Society. New York: McGraw-Hill. Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research. New York: Blackwell. Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) (n.d.). Workplace Privacy. Retrieved November 13, 2010 from http://epic.org/privacy/workplace/ Gross, B. (n.d.). Workplace Privacy Between Coworkers. All Business. Retrieved November 13, 2010 from http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management-employee-records/4113159-1.html Read More