Blowing the Whistle | How can a whistleblower hotline be effective?

How can a whistleblower hotline be effective? Explain.

For a whistleblower hotline to be effective trust must exist between employees and the employer. This trust means that the information can be given anonymously and without fear of retaliation, even if the identity of the whistleblower is revealed during the investigation. The organization can make all the promises in the world, but until that first report is completely and thoroughly investigated, the hotline may never ring again.



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Blowing the Whistle | What factors can make a whistleblower lose legitimacy in the eyes of viewers?

What factors can make a whistleblower lose legitimacy in the eyes of viewers?

If there is evidence that the employee is motivated by the opportunity for financial gain or media attention, or that the employee is carrying out an individual vendetta against the company, then the legitimacy of the employee's whistle-blowing must be questioned.

Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Ethcis & Technology | Explain the difference between thin and thick consent

Explain the difference between thin and thick consent.

Thick Consent:  When jobs are plentiful and the employee would have no difficulty in finding another position, then the employee has a realistic alternative if he or she finds a monitoring policy unacceptable, and consent can be classified as thick.

Thin Consent:  When an employee receives formal notification that the company will be monitoring all email and Web activity. Either at the time of hire or during employment and is made clear in that notifications that his or her continued employment with the company will be dependent on the employee’s agreement to abide by that monitoring. 

Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Ethics & Technology | Compare the employer and employee positions on electronic monitoring at the workplace

Compare the employer and employee positions on electronic monitoring at the workplace.

As an employee of an organization, your productivity during your time at work represents the performance portion of the pay-for-performance contract you entered into with the company when hired you. Therefore, your actions during that time are at the discretion of the company. The organization has an obligation to its stakeholders to operate as efficiently as possible, and to do so it must ensure that its company resources are not misused. From an employee's viewpoint, his or her contract should not intrude upon his or her civil rights as an individual. As such, employees should be notified of any electronic monitoring and its purpose. Electronic monitoring also implies that employees cannot be trusted, which raises the question: Why did the company hire that employee?



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Ethics and Technology | Key Terms

Key Terms - Ethics and Technology

Cyberliability: Employers can be held liable for the actions of their employees in their internet communications to the same degree as if those employers had written those communications on company letterhead.          

                               

Thick Consent:  When jobs are plentiful and the employee would have no difficulty in finding another position, then the employee has a realistic alternative if he or she finds a monitoring policy unacceptable, and consent can be classified as thick.

Extranet:  A private piece of a company’s internet network that is made available to customers and/or vendor partners on the basis of secured access by unique password.

                                                             

Thin Consent:  When an employee receives formal notification that the company will be monitoring all email and Web activity. Either at the time of hire or during employment and is made clear in that notifications that his or her continued employment with the company will be dependent on the employee’s agreement to abide by that monitoring. 

Intranet:  A company’s internal website, containing information for employee access only.     

                                                                    

Vicarious Liability:  A legal concept that means a party may be held responsible for injury or damage even when he or she was not actively involved in the incident.

Telecommuting:  The ability to work outside the office (from your home or anywhere else) and log into your company network (usually via a secure gateway such as a VPN, virtual private network).



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e