Ethics Professionals

 

Ethics for IT Professionals and IT Users

Information technology professionals

Many workers in the IT industry are considered to be professionals. A partial lists includes:

v  Programmers
v  Software engineers
v  Database administrators
v  Networks administrators
v  Computers operators
v  Computers sales persons
v  Computers scientist
v  Computers technician
v  Technical writers
v  Graphic designers /illustrator
v  Web developer
v  Consultant
v  Computer trainer/educator
v  Computer security specialist
v  Computer  forensic specialist



 

Professional & Ethical Behavior in the Workplace

by Arnold Anderson, Demand Media

According to Arnold Anderson Professionalism and ethical behavior in the workplace can benefit your career and improve your working environment. Understanding examples of professional and ethical behavior can help you to develop your own effective work habits. Be conscious of how you treat co-workers and your workplace attitude and you can improve your productivity and effectiveness.

Meetings

Business meetings are regular occurrences in the corporate world, and by following meeting etiquette you can improve your professional image. Be prepared to contribute to the meeting by reviewing the agenda in advance and arrive on time. Recognize each speaker that has the floor and do not try to talk over someone else. Be respectful of the meeting chairperson and follow the format of the meeting, which would include using the proper times to ask questions.

Communication

Ethical treatment of your co-workers and managers means being respectful of the need for efficient and accurate communication. Follow the instructions on company memos and ask questions only after you have thoroughly read the information. Asking questions about information that is clearly marked on company correspondence is unprofessional and presents the image of someone who does not follow instructions. Refrain from repeating office gossip, as helping to spread false or demeaning information regarding a co-worker is considered unethical.

 

What is the purpose of a professional code of ethics?

• Professional code of ethics focuses on the protection of the patient and his or her right to appropriate, competent, and humane treatment, etiquette that are considered good manners.

What are the common ethical issues that face IT users?

Many of the ethical issues that face IT professionals involve privacy. For example:

• Should you read the private e-mail of your network users just because you can? Is it OK to read employees' e-mail as a security measure to ensure that sensitive company information isn't being disclosed? Is it OK to read employees' e-mail to ensure that company rules (for instance, against personal use of the e-mail system) aren't being violated? If you do read employees' e-mail, should you disclose that policy to them? Before or after the fact?
• Is it OK to monitor the Web sites visited by your network users? Should you routinely keep logs of visited sites? Is it negligent to not monitor such Internet usage, to prevent the possibility of pornography in the workplace that could create a hostile work environment?


• Is it OK to place key loggers on machines on the network to capture everything the user types? What about screen capture programs so you can see everything that's displayed? Should users be informed that they're being watched in this way?


• Is it OK to read the documents and look at the graphics files that are stored on users' computers or in their directories on the file server?

 

Professional ethics- encompass the personal, organizational and corporate standards of behavior expected of professionals.

Professionals, and those working in acknowledged professions, exercise specialist knowledge and skill. How the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public can be considered a moral issue and is termed professional ethics.

Professionals are capable of making judgements, applying their skills and reaching informed decisions in situations that the general public cannot, because they have not received the relevant training. One of the earliest examples of professional ethics is probably the Hippocratic oath to which medical doctors still adhere to this day.

Some professional organisations define their ethical approach in terms of a number of discrete components. Typically these include:

·Honesty

·Integrity

·Transparency

·Accountability

·Confidentiality

·Objectivity

·Respectfulness

·Obedience to the law

·Loyalty

•  Most professions have internally enforced codes of practice that members of the profession must follow to prevent exploitation of the client and to preserve the integrity of the profession. This is not only for the benefit of the client but also for the benefit of those belonging to the profession. Disciplinary codes allow the profession to define a standard of conduct and ensure that individual practitioners meet this standard, by disciplining them from the professional body if they do not practice accordingly. This allows those professionals who act with conscience to practice in the knowledge that they will not be undermined commercially by those who have fewer ethical qualms. It also maintains the public’s trust in the profession, encouraging the public to continue seeking their services.

 IT Professional
 Reduce costs, connect systems, empower people, and deliver business results  

·         Reduce costs, connect systems, empower people, and deliver business results

IT teams are responsible for the computers, networks, and software applications that manage a company’s operations, track financial transactions, and enable people to communicate and collaborate throughout the company. Without a smooth flow of information through a company’s IT systems, operations would not be efficient or even possible in some cases. IT managers need to monitor the day-to-day health of complex systems while simultaneously tracking innovations in technology that might create competitive advantages

 IT Professionals
 

•Profession is a calling that requires

–Specialized knowledge Long and intensive academic preparation


 Professional Relationships That Must Be Managed
  IT professionals have many different relationships with:

• Employers 

• Clients 

• Suppliers

• Other professionals 

• IT users

• Society at large

 Relationships Between IT Professionals and Employers

• IT professionals must set an example and enforce policies regarding the ethical use of IT

• Software piracy is the act of illegally making copies of software or enabling others to access software to which they are not entitled
• Software piracy is an area in which IT professionals can be tempted to violate laws and policies.

• The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is a trade group that represents the world’s largest software and hardware manufacturers

–Its mission is to stop the unauthorized copying of software produced by its members

 Supporting the Ethical Practices of IT Users

•Policies that protect against abuses:

–Establish boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behavior

–Enable management to punish violators

•Policy components include:

–Defining and limiting the appropriate use of IT resources

–Establishing guidelines for use of company software

–Structuring information systems to protect data and information

–Installing and maintaining a corporate firewall