Another Ethics Article 2

It's good to see that the trade publications are beginning to publicize these issues.

http://www.informationweek.com/825/ethics.htm

Jeff

If everything seems to be going well: you don't have enough information.......

 

[Alt255]

Timely information, Jeff!

Should we keep our "Eyes Wide Shut"? Or follow our hearts?

Alt255@Vorpalcom.Intranets.com
Klatu barada nikto, y'all.
​

 

[iza]

yes -
but the "need for more training in ethics" is .... well ... stupid ... shocking ... i mean, we are adults, we know what we can and can't do, we also are responsible for our actions .... why would i need someone to tell me what i already know ??? hey it's my job, if i wasn't aware of ethical issues i guess i wouldn't keep it .... this training idea sounds like a manager one : "hey ! i've just discovered this 'ethical' idea ! hey ! maybe we're not very ethical ... ahy !!! maybe we could make more money, selling training course in ethics !!!!! great !!!"

 

[edfair]

Top level management needs the training. Until they understand what is being done or what can be done they have no idea of the ramifications of their policy decisions and how it is implemented by IT.
No matter how ethical and moral 99% of the employees are, the 1% can create an unhealthy environment. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[MasterRacker]

Alt, I suppose it depends onhow much you are willing to sacrifice to keep a job.

Iza, All you have to do is look at a newspaper to see that not everyone see ethics the same way.

Ed, I would expand and say that everyone needs the training, but I would then agree and say that upper mgmt. cannot exclude themselves as you see so often in training initiatives.

There is a fine line between agressive business and unethical business. Any group of 10 people will probably draw that line in 8 different places. Companies need to clearly formulate their policies and attitudes then educate everyone who works there on them. Each individual must then decide if they can follow them or not. If not, it's time to move on. Jeff

If everything seems to be going well: you don't have enough information.......

 

[iza]

i agree, jeff ... but only for the manager training part ! ... as ed says ...
to my mind, someone working in IT and not aware of ethical issues yet shouldn't be working on IT - a few years ago, maybe; but now you just CAN'T ignore these - and training won't change anything : someone not aware of it NOW doesn't WANT to be aware of it, and training won't change this state of mind, will it ?
while i write this i'm thinking maybe i'm beeing too rude ... but i really think this is one of the most important issues, and it's quite a few years we're having informations on this, and ignoring that is un-professional ...
once again maybe i'm beeing too ... i'm asking for too much from people - also, as i don't speak a veeery good english, it's though to explain ;-)

 

[edfair]

The problem is too many gray areas. And once you start making exceptions for gray areas it becomes easier to make exceptions and then you start sliding down the slope. Management makes policy choices and leaves implementation to others. And if the others don't have high standards and are willing to stand up for them at the potential cost of their job, then who knows what will be implemented.
Iza, you're OK. Don't apologise for the language. Your feelings show through the communications difficulties. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[MasterRacker]

Iza, you're not being rude. Ed's got it right though. My point was that it's all gray. There is no black & white line that let's you absolutely label a behavior as unethical. Some of it is personal and some is cultural. For example, a normal everyday business practice in Japan may look completely unethical to a Canadian.

Short of actually killing employees to save money, there's not much that can be absolutely labeled ethical or unethical.

As a side note, I recently got an e-mail from a friend who is taking graduate level business classes. His exact words: "The fun stuff we study in Biz School. This semester we hit corporate resposibility (can't call it ethics)..." Jeff

If everything seems to be going well: you don't have enough information.......

 

[iza]

ok so i see the point now
i am a dreamer - i want only top professional to work for IT
you are more realistic, you'd let anyone work for IT, but want to make sure they'll be able to, so you'd have to train them ...
maybe that's why i'll never be a manager then ;]]]]]

( i *know* that a world with only adult & responsible people can't exist, but still, i keep thinking it should !!)

 

[Ruairi]

iza,
I think you are right on the money. It's not about training. Managers and employees alike know very well what is ethical in any given situation. Unfortunately ethics and profit are often diametrically opposed, as in the case of internet companies selling off consumer information when they can't seem to find another way to be profitable. It's an unfortunate fact that faced with this choice most successful business people will choose profit, if the breach of ethics is one they can get away with. Thats what made them successful. Show me someone who puts ethics over profit and i'll show you someone who isn't in a management position at a fortune 500 company. Ruairi

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