Lecture 1

Introduction

Professional Ethics

By: Dr. Qudsia Jabeen

Ph.D. (HRM) COMSATS University.
MS (HRM, Gold Medalist) Air University, Islamabad.
qudsia.jabeen@numl.edu.pk
  Ethics may be defined as the set of moral principles that
distinguish what is right from what is wrong.

 Ethics has a twofold objectives:

1. It evaluates human practices by calling upon Moral
standards.
2. It may give prescriptive advice on how to act morally in a
given situation.
Moral standards
 Introduction to Computer Ethics
 Computers are involved to some extent in almost every
aspect of our lives
 They often perform life-critical tasks
 Computer science is not regulated to the extent of
medicine, air travel, or construction zoning
 Therefore, we need to carefully consider the issues of
ethics
Computer Ethics

 Computer ethics are morally acceptable use of

computers

 i.e. using computers appropriately

 Standards or guidelines are important in this

industry, because technology changes are
outstripping the legal system’s ability to keep up.
 Computer Ethics
• A branch of philosophy that deals with
computing-related moral dilemmas
– defines ethical principles for computer
professionals
– professionals must try to avoid unethical
behavior whether it is illegal or legal
 Ethics for Computer Professionals
Computer Professionals:
 Are experts in their field,

 Know customers rely on their knowledge, expertise, and

honesty,
 Understand their products (and related risks) affect many

people,
 Follow good professional standards and practices,

 Maintain an expected level of competence and are up-to-

date on current knowledge and technology, and

 Educate the non-computer professional
 Computer Ethics
 Four primary issues
 Privacy – responsibility to protect data about individuals
 Accuracy - responsibility of data collectors to
authenticate information and ensure its accuracy
 Property - who owns information and software and how
can they be sold and exchanged
 Access - responsibility of data collectors to control access
and determine what information a person has the right to
obtain about others and how the information can be used
 Computer Ethics
• Today there are numerous
illegal and unethical actions
that can arise through computer
usage
– Plagiarism and copyright
– Software Piracy
– Computer crimes,
– Unauthorized computer access
 Computer Ethics
• As a professional you
should
– Safeguarding secure
information
– Use Email and the Internet
responsibly
 Computer Ethics:
Standards of Conduct
 The Top Ten Rules of Computer Ethics
1. You should not use a computer to harm
other people.
2. You should not interfere with other
people's computer work.
3. You should not snoop around in other
people's computer files.
4. You should not use a computer to steal.
5. You should not use a computer to bear
false witness.
 The Top Ten Rules of Computer Ethics
6. You should not copy or use proprietary software for
which you have not paid.
7. You should not use other people's computer resources
without authorization or proper compensation.
8. You should not appropriate other people's intellectual
output.
9. You should think about the social consequences of the
program you are writing or the system you are
designing.
10. You should always use a computer in ways that ensure
consideration and respect for your fellow humans.
 Ethical decision making
• Decision making refers to making choices among alternative
courses of action
• Ethical decision making-important because often a situation
may come along that questions one's morals.
• It is "the process of identifying a problem, generating alternatives, and
choosing among them.
• So, that the alternatives selected maximized the most important
ethical values while also achieving the intended goal”.
• When choosing one ethical action over another, we should select the
one that does the most good and least harm.
• For example, if the cashier at the grocery store gives me too much
change, I may ask myself, if I keep the change, what harm is caused?

6-step approach to ethical decision making:

1. State or define the problem/issue
2. Gather information ("facts") from all sides
3. Delineate all possible resolutions.
4. Apply different values, rules, principles, regulations to the
different options.
5. Resolve conflicts among values, rules, etc.
6. Make a decision and act.
7 steps of Ethical decision making
 Specific values that guide decision-making,
• Caring.
• Honesty involves truthfulness and not deceiving others.
• Accountability refers to accepting responsibility for all decisions.
• Promise keeping means adhering to one's commitments.
• Pursuit of excellence means that one must strive to be as good as he/she can be.
• Loyalty, faithful to all those with whom one deals.
• Fairness involves open-mindedness and a willingness to admit error.
• Respect for others means that one should recognized each other's rights and respect
human dignity.
• Responsible citizenship means that one's actions should be in accordance with societal
values.
Based on these values, Principles and rules for
ethical decision-making are:

1. Treat all individuals with fairness

2. Do to others as you would have them do to
you
3. Act in such a way that you will produce the
maximum good
4. Act in such a way as to work towards general
human and social success
Ethics of Computer usage and Islam
• Ethical issues?
1. Use of time
2. Honesty and Integrity
3. Privacy
4. Intellectual Property right
5. Computer crime
 Kaizen 2006 - 2007

Sources and Other

Information
• Bynum, Terrell, "Computer Ethics: Basic Concepts and Historical Overview", The
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2001 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2001/entries/ethics-computer>
• Ethics in Computing: http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/
• Computer Ethics Institute http://www.brook.edu/its/cei/cei_hp.htm
• Ethics and the Management of Computer Technology – E. W. Michael Hoffman,
Jennifer Mills Moore Cambridge, MA: Oelgeschlager, Gunn & Hain, Publishers,
Inc., 1982
• Computer Ethics – Forester, Tom and Perry Morrison Cambridge, MA: the MIT
Press, 1990
• Ethical Decision Making in Everyday Work Situations – Guy, Mary: New York:
Wuorum books, 1990
Computer Ethics_ A story