Making it Stick | What can a well written code of ethics do? 1. It can capture what the organization understands ethical behavior to mean. 2. It can establish a detailed guide of acceptable behavior. 3. It can state policies for behavior in specific situations. 4. It can document punishments for violations of those policies

What can a well written code of ethics do?

1. It can capture what the organization understands ethical behavior to mean.

2. It can establish a detailed guide of acceptable behavior.

3. It can state policies for behavior in specific situations.

4. It can document punishments for violations of those policies.



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Making it Stick | What steps can be taken to create an ethical culture that is sustainable?

What steps can be taken to create an ethical culture that is sustainable?

1. Establish a code of ethics.

2. Support the code of ethics with extensive training for every member of the organization.

3. Hire an ethics officer.

4. Celebrate and reward ethical behavior demonstrated by employees.

5. Promote the organization's commitment to ethical behavior.

6. Continue to monitor the behavior as the organization grows.



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Ethics & Technology | Define the term vicarious liability and cyberliability

Define the term vicarious liability and cyberliability.

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.

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.        



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e  

Ethics & Technology | Case / Opinion | Telecommuting

Telecommuting

If you had a chance to work from home and telecommute, would you take it?  

If the opportunity meant that you had to allow your company to monitor every call on your phone and every keystroke on your computer, would you still take it?  

Explain why or why not.


Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Ethics & Technology | Case / Opinion | Should you be allowed to surf the Web at work?

Should you be allowed to surf the Web at work?  Why or why not?

Students’ answers will vary. 

Surfing the Web at work is a controversial issue. 

Certainly surfing the Web at work can be viewed as wasting company time and money and should be limited. 

On the other hand, employees need to be able to redirect their minds to something other than their work and come back to it with a fresh thought process. 

The biggest issue becomes which Web sites are employees viewing. 



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