Transcript Personal and Organizational Ethics

Business
Ethics and
Technology
Search the Web
If you are interested in ethics conversations regarding
technology, visit http://www.ethix.org
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
1
Chapter Eight Objectives
• Identify the role of technology in business
• Understand the technological environment and
its relationship to ethics
• Identify technological benefits and side effects
• Realize an appreciation of society’s fascination
with technology and its impact
• Differentiate between information technology
and biotechnology and their ethical
implications
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
2
Chapter Eight Outline
• Technology and the Technological
Environment
• Characteristics of Technology
• Ethics and Technology
• Information Technology
• Biotechnology
• Summary
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
3
Introduction to Chapter Eight
This chapter explores questions
surrounding technology and business
ethics, including:
– What does technology mean?
– What are the benefits and challenges of
technology?
– How does ethics relate to technology?
– What are the ethical issues surrounding
information technology and biotechnology?
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
4
Technology and the
Technological Environment
Technology is the means employed to
provide objects necessary for achieving
human sustenance and comfort:
– Macroenvironment of business vs. the
technological environment
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
5
Characteristics of Technology
Benefits of Technology
• Increased production of goods and
services
• Reduced labour to produce these goods
and services
• Reduced injuries in the workplace
• Increased standard of living
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
6
Characteristics of Technology
Side Effects and Challenges of
Technology
•
•
•
•
Environmental pollution
The depletion of natural resources
Technological unemployment
Diminished work satisfaction
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
7
Ethics and Technology
Concern over the ethical use and
implications of technology:
– Avoid amoral applications of
technology
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
8
Ethics and Technology
Society’s Obsession with Technology
• Favour the quick fix
• The fear and worshiping technology
• Blur the distinction between what is real and
fake
• Accept violence as normal
• Love technology as a toy
• Live our lives distanced and distracted
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
9
Information Technology
Two Types of Information
Technology
• Electronic commerce
• Computer technology
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
10
Information Technology
Issues Concerning
Electronic Commerce
• Scams
• Invasion of privacy
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
11
Information Technology
E-Commerce Privacy Issues
•
•
•
•
•
Identity theft
Revealing personal information
Dispersing personal information
Fraudulent websites
Government distribution of
information
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
12
Information Technology
E-Commerce Privacy Issues
• Broadcasting information over the
internet
• Spying –by employer or spouse or
stranger
• Cyberstalkers
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
13
Information Technology
E-Commerce and Government
Protection
• The Financial Services Modernization Act
• Proposed legislation
– Consumer Online Privacy and Disclosure
Act
– Online Consumer Protection Act
– Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail Act
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
14
Information Technology
E-Commerce and Business
Initiatives
• Ethical leadership
• Privacy policies
• Chief privacy officers
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
15
Information Technology
E-Commerce and Questionable
Businesses and Practices
• Pornography
• Gambling
• Downloading
– Napster
– MusicNet
• Monitoring technology
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
16
The Workplace and Computer
Technology
The Employee’s Impression of
Technology
•
•
•
•
Expands job-related knowledge
Increases productivity
Improves communications with clients
Relieves job stress
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
17
The Workplace, Computer
Technology and Surveillance
Types of Monitoring
- e-mail and Internet usage
- fax usage
- workers via video camera
- cell phone usage
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
18
Unethical Workplace Employee
Activities
• Engaging in dangerous activities
• Blaming errors on technology
• Copying company software for home
use
• Accessing corporate files without
permission
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
19
Computer Technology and
Unethical Workplace Activities
•
•
•
•
Computer shopping
Invading a co-worker’s privacy
Visiting porn sites and playing games
Seeking employment on company time
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
20
Biotechnology
• Bioethics deals with ethical issues
embedded in the use of biotechnology.
• Proceduralism deals with elaborate
protocols to ensure classical ethical
dilemmas do not arise, such as informed
consent.
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
21
Biotechnology Nonprofits
• Canadian Bioethics Society • The Council for
www.bioethics.ca/english/
Responsible Genetics
www.gene-watch.org
• Joint Centre for Bioethics
www.utoronto.ca/jcb/
• Bioethics.net
www.bioethics.net
• Council of Canadians
www.canadians.org
• National Human Genome
Research Institute
• American Society for
www.nhgri.nih.gov
Bioethics and Humanities
www.asbh.org
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
22
Biotechnology
Genetic Engineering
• Stem cell research
• Cloning
• Genetic testing and profiling
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
23
Biotechnology
Genetically Modified Foods
• Safety issues
• Labelling issues
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
24
Selected Key Terms
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bioethics
Biotechnology
Chief privacy officer
Cloning
Electronic commerce
Embryonic stem cells
Genetic engineering
Genetic profiling
• Genetic testing
• Genetically modified
foods
• Information
technology
• Surveillance
• Technology
• Technological
environment
• Therapeutic cloning
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
25