Discussion Post Response
Respond to two or more of your classmates in one or more of the following ways:
• Offer your thoughts on where the example codes of conduct provided by your colleague either assisted or could have assisted in preventing negative consequences. Support your position by suggesting potential scenarios to which the code of conduct/ethics may apply.
• Offer specific examples from your experience or observations/research of situations where such codes would have made decision making simpler or kept individuals from making bad choices in the use or management of information or information systems.
• Compare the findings of your colleague with your own. What insights did you gain or can you offer as a result of your comparison? Did your colleague take a stand regarding the value of establishing a code of conduct/ethics related to information and information systems that was different from yours, and if so, was the argument made persuasively, or do you think your stand is still more appropriate? Defend your position with evidence and specific examples.
• Offer your insights on how a code of conduct can assist businesses operating globally when there are potential compromises as a result of different cultural norms, practices, expectations, or regulations. Provide examples of where global practices might differ and what managers may need to ensure their employees are not compromised in various situations that may occur. Provide specific examples from your experience or observations.
POST 1
A lot of these things are ethical issues first everything from developing codes of conduct for the use and management of information, to confidentiality with partners in e-business (Brooks, 2010). The importance of code of ethics in my opinion is simple it provides structure to an organization. Code of ethics is essential so that individuals can understand and know what expectable behavior is expected of them. It is like a guide to aligning the goals of an organization with decision making of an organization.
Ethical challenges deal with many different areas like fraud, right of privacy for consumers, social responsibility, and trade restrictions (Brooks, 2010). Technology is continuously evolving and it provides organizations with new capabilities to operate programs and this is why policies are a must for protection. Either there are no policies for conduct in situations of this nature of or policies that maybe in existence are inadequate (Brooks, 2010).
Teaching ethics is not about teaching right versus wrong teaching ethics is about teaching informed discernment, conscientious decision making, and balanced living (Brooks, 2010). IT workers have an abundance of knowledge and are integrated in almost every department and having code of ethics to guide them is what provides them with the discipline and honesty that is needed.
As a manager I will ensure that conduct is being followed by having the necessary monitoring that is needed for my organization. It is known that within organizations there are restrictions and limitations to what is appropriate to you can do on a desktop. In order to make sure everyone follows the guidelines what is done on computers will be monitored and any inappropriate sites will be denied and notification will be given. That way everyone knows what they can and cannot do.
POST 2
A code of ethics is vital to the success of any organization. Without ethics, you will not earn and keep customers. Ethics or values is what allows outside consumers to feel protected in their business dealings with your company (Spielthenner, 2014). By having sound business practices that revolve around ethical behavior you ensure the long-term reputation of your organization with the public. You also avoid potentially harmful situations for yourself, your team, and your customers. While it was important to protect consumer information previous to the age of technology, it is more important now as so much of our information is accessible and can be easily used if in the wrong hands.
Technology is also vital to success of organizations today. The rapid developments in technology allow for quicker communication and easier access to what consumers need (Kubra & Sadi, 2016). The use of technology and the steep learning curve associated with it allow for mistakes to be made that were unintended. An inadvertent screen shot that contains personal information or unintended unauthorized access are items that needs to be addressed when businesses structure their needs with technology (Kubra & Sadi, 2016). My organization has a very structured approach when it comes to data compromise. We have time limits and reports in place for reporting potential breaches. These policies are in place to protect us and our clients from potential damages. Dependent upon what information has been breached and the potential implied damages we have policies in place for what we can do to assist clients in protecting themselves. Some of these are fraud indicators on consumer reports or with financial institutions, other cases involved future credit monitoring.
A point of discussion in my organization recently has been the use of social media and the rules that must be followed to ensure we are protecting ourselves and our clients. Once information has been posted on social media you can likely never fully undo it. As such, care and caution needs to be exercised when using these outlets. It has been suggested that for use of social media for items such as employment opportunities that like things should be considered the same. For example, if you would previously run a newspaper advertisement for an opportunity the same rules would apply when posting it to an electronic source (Swirsky, 2017). A newspaper posting would require an application contact the business and privately discuss the opportunity, the electronic media source should do the same. Private information can be inadvertently disclosed when public postings are used for back and forth conversations. Business practices in place, such as the "like to like" treatment allow us some protection in not overstepping the use of electronic sources.
The main observations I found in my research was the idea that consumer information should be protected at all costs. The potential failing of this in a publicly traded company has potential impacts to its vulnerability on the market and its earnings. A very clear report of steps to be utilized in the event of unethical behavior should be posted in the employee handbook, any contract agreements, and available when requested by governing authorities. Proper training of these procedures should be done periodically to keep all employees up to date.
As a manager, I would ensure that all new hires are put through training that pertains to what is considered a breach of ethics and what needs to be done if/when a breach occurs. The team would know that potential outcomes would include termination and possibility of persecution if the breach was intentional. Annual training would include ethics testing to ensure that the team continually know how to report issues and how to avoid inadvertent issues. As a role model, I would also be involved in the annual training and I would keep my office area set up in a manner that does not allow an inadvertent issue, such as keeping files in locked cabinets and having my computer screen turned away from customer eyes. I would also ensure that I am utilizing all proper forms of data storage and destruction - locking my computer when I get up from my desk, shredding all documents.