Explain how the concept of ethics relates to information systems, and provide several examples of ethical dilemmas.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

?Ethics is a set of beliefs about right and wrong behavior. Ethical behavior conforms to generally accepted social norms-many of which are almost universally accepted. In many situations, the decision on what course of action to take is further complicated because it involves significant value conflicts among the various stakeholders as to what is the fairest option to pursue. Such a decision represents an ethical dilemma, and all parties involved can benefit when ethical considerations are introduced into the decision-making process.
The use of information about people (employees, customers, business partners, etc.) requires balancing the needs of those who want to use the information against the rights and desires of the people whose information may be used. On the one hand, information about people is gathered, stored, analyzed, and reported because organizations can use it to make better decisions. Some of these decisions can affect people's lives profoundly-whether or not to extend credit to a new customer, to hire one job candidate versus another, or to offer a scholarship or not. In addition, increased competitiveness in the global marketplace has intensified the need to understand consumers' purchasing habits and financial condition. Companies use information they gather about people to target marketing efforts to consumers who are most likely to buy their products and services. Organizations also need basic information about existing customers in order to serve them better. It is hard to imagine an organization having a relationship with its customers without having data about them. Thus, many organizations implement customer relationship management (CRM) systems that collect and store key data from every interaction they have with a customer.