Unit I
Unit I
Unit I
INDUSTRY ETHICS
AND LEGAL ISSUES
Course Overview
L T P: 2 0 0 Credits:2
Text Book:
• Reference books:
.
To create an organization that
operates consistently
Consistency also means that shareholders, customers,
suppliers, and the community know what they can expect
of the organization that it will behave in the future much
as it has in the past
• Operate with honesty and integrity, staying true to organizational
principles.
• Operate according to standards of ethical conduct, in words and
action.
• Treat colleagues, customers, and consumers with respect.
• Strive to be the best at what matters most to the organization.
• Value diversity.
• Make decisions based on facts and principles
Example :- Need of 30 megapixel phone
TO PRODUCE GOOD BUSINESS
• Companies that produce safe and effective products
avoid costly recalls and lawsuits.
The recall of the weight loss drug Fen-Phen cost its
maker, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, almost $14 billion in
awards to victims, many of whom developed serious
health problems as a result of taking the drug.
Example :- MAGGI
Avoiding Unfavourable Publicity
• In 2012, Google agreed to pay a fine of $22.5
million to end an FTC investigation into
allegations that the firm utilized cookies and
bypassed privacy settings to track the online
habits of people using Apple’s Safari browser..
• Why did Google agree to pay?
The amount of the fine, while the largest in FTC
history, represented less than one day’s worth of
Google’s profits. Why ?
• The public reputation of a company strongly
influences the value of its stock, how consumers
regard its products and services,
• The degree of oversight it receives from
government agencies,
• The amount of support and cooperation it
receives from its business partners.
Thus, many organizations are motivated to build a
strong ethics program to avoid negative publicity
Lecture 2
Unit 1
Improving Corporate Ethics
Professional ?
Professionals
Professional Employee
The United States Code of federal regulations defines a “professional
employee” as one who is engaged in the performance of work:
One could argue, however, that not every IT role requires “knowledge
of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily
acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction
and study,” to quote again from the United States Code.
Example:
• In 2012, the Alexander Automotive Group paid $325,000 to settle
claims that it was using unlicensed Microsoft software on its
computers. As part of the settlement agreement with BSA, the firm
deleted all unlicensed copies of software from its computers,
purchased the licenses required to become compliant, and agreed to
implement more effective software management procedures. BSA was
alerted to this situation by a report sent to its Web site
Trade secret
• A trade secret is information, generally unknown to the public, that
a company has taken strong measures to keep confidential. It
represents something of economic value that has required effort or
cost to develop and that has some degree of uniqueness or novelty.
Example
• Colonel’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices used to make the
original KFC chicken, the formula for Coke, and Intel’s
manufacturing process for the i7 quad core processing chip.
• Employers worry that employees may reveal these secrets to
competitors, especially if they leave the company. As a result,
companies often require employees to sign confidentiality
agreements and promise not to reveal the company’s trade secrets.
Supporting the Ethical Practices of
IT Users
The growing use of IT has increased the potential for
new ethical issues and problems; thus, many
organizations have recognized the need to develop
policies that protect against abuses.
Establishing Guidelines for Use of Company Software:-
• Clear rules that govern the use of home computers
and associated software
• Companies negotiate contracts with software
manufacturers and provide PCs and software so that
IT users can work at home.
Defining the Appropriate Use of IT Resources:-
• Companies must develop, communicate, and enforce
written guidelines
• Effective guidelines allow some level of personal use
while prohibiting employees from visiting
objectionable Internet sites
Structuring Information Systems to Protect Data and
Information:-
• Organizations must implement systems and
procedures that limit data access to just those
employees who need it.
• For example, sales managers may have total access to
sales and promotion databases through a company
network, but their access should be limited to
products for which they are responsible.
Installing and Maintaining a Corporate
Firewall:
• A firewall can be configured to serve as an
effective deterrent to unauthorized Web
surfing by blocking access to specific
objectionable Web sites
Certification and licensing
• Certification indicates that a professional possesses a
particular set of skills, knowledge, or abilities, in the
opinion of the certifying organization.