Ethical Dilemma Essay
Question
Task: Proceed according to the following instructions.
- Identify an ethical dilemma or ethically questionable situation from ONE of the following four YouTube videos:
Video1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5M7ohdZ6qA - Undertake further research about the ethical issues you identified in your chosen video to assist you in analysing and discussing it in your essay.
- You are required to analyse the ethical dilemma you have identified above using the Doing Ethics Technique (DET).
Answer
Introduction: The constant increase on the dependence on information technology and computers for various purposes has become crucial. It is towards the functionality of the society along with its economy which has provided scope for the social, legal and ethical issues. Making ethical decisions is crucial in the field of software and computer engineering and has to be integrated with the professional skills. Engineering is a risky activity. However, major disasters in technology are very rare and unfortunate. Almost all of the business organizations dealing with information technology all across the world are very concerned regarding their positions in the market (Aliti, 2017).
They can only happen to maintain their positions by having highly secured business protocols, products and services. These aspects will remain confined to the company. Business organizations are very aware of the fact that operations of business in any sector have become extremely inextricably. They are associated with various elements of information technology. These elements are very complex for balancing the requirements and align all the invested parties. These further assist in the orientation of providing high quality services and products to the clients as well as to the customers(YouTube, 2018).
As per the YouTube video, the scenario of business in the information technology sector, like any other business organization, is filled with ethical dilemmas that are basically counteracted by employees at levels of management. For the assignment, the case of an ethical scenario of early launch of software has been highlighted (YouTube, 2018).
In the video, it has been observed that the project manager of an Information Technology development company had a conversation with the project director of a software development project. It has been observed that the project director was working with his team was scheduled for a delivery within a specific deadline. The project manager happens to get a call from the client who happens to ask for early launch of the software without the integration of any encryption on the software (Braude& Bernstein, 2016).
The program manager insists the project director to deliver the software month earlier than the scheduled date of delivery. Firstly, the pressure of completing the devising of the software a month earlier is a lot for the project director as well as the team developing it. Moreover, the pressure from the project manager for delivering the software without attaching any encryption raises a situation of ethical dilemma. Providing any software to any client without any encryption is highly risky. As per Davis (2017), it also carries a lot of legal obligations that will cause highly negative and serious consequences for the team, project director, project manager as well as the whole company. Further, the project manager went forward in bribing the project director regarding delivering the software earlier by one month (Davis, 2017).
When the project director t tried to explain and remind the consequences of submitting the software without encryption, the project manager tried to make him aware that he shall be paid significant amount of bonuses. He also tried to lure the project director with many offers that the company and the project director would get if he happens to submit the software before a month and without the encryption which is illegal.
The identification of the ethical dilemma is conducted by complying with the procedures of “Doing Ethics Technique”. This is evident from the fact that the project manager wanted the project director to submit the software without encryption before a month. He would be paid back in bonuses. The facts in this case also refer to the dialogues that were exchanged by both the persons involved in the scene (Simpson, Nevile&Burmeister, 2003). Ethical or non-ethical issues that can happen in this case are completely depended on the actions of the project director.
There are three possible scenarios which will decide the ethical and non-ethical implications and characteristics of the project director. It is clearly visible from the video that the project manager had unethical bent of mind in a professional setting. If the project director made any kind of unethical decision regarding the encryption often software, then the team developing the software, project director, project manager and the entire company will be at risk including the legal implications(Trevino, 1986).
The action of the project director can be of three possibilities. The first one can happen to the surrendering of the project director to the enforcement of the project manager. This will result in grave legal implications that can spoil the image as well as cease the entire business organization from operating. This will make the project director, the team, project manager and the company to be accountable legally in all aspects. Moreover, the software that company will submit tothe client will have high vulnerability or hacking which will cost a lot in terms of all aspects to both the clients and the service provider in this regard. Secondly, the project director could deny the suggestions given by the project manager and stick to the ethical processor delivering the software(Simpson, Nevile & Burmeister, 2003).
This will cause no obligations for any party; however, may result in friction between the project manager and his employment of allotment to next projects might get stalled. This might have implications on the growth in profession for the project director. The third possibility, in this regard, might include the project director to consult with his team of software development on every aspect. This may further result in both positive and negative resolutions and implications as that of both first and second possibilities (Braude& Bernstein, 2016).
Recommendation and Conclusion: It is definitely recommended top the project director to not succumb to the unethical procedure that the project manager is suggesting as it will lead to serious consequences. It is bets for the project director to consult with the team and fasten the development and encryption process to deliver the client with highly encrypted software. In the case ¸ he feels that it is not possible for submitting the software at such a constrained time limit, he should directly deny the project manager.
References
Aliti, A. (2017, March). Ethical dilemmas of software engineers. In Dilemmas 2015 Papers from the 18th Annual International Conference Dilemmas for Human Services: Organizing, Designing and Managing.
Braude, E. J., & Bernstein, M. E. (2016).Software engineering: modern approaches. Waveland Press.
Davis, M. (Ed.). (2017). Engineering ethics. Routledge.
Simpson, C., Nevile, L., &Burmeister, O. (2003).Doing Ethics: a universal technique in an accessibility context.Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 10(2).
Trevino, L. K. (1986). Ethical decision making in organizations: A person-situation interactionist model. Academy of management Review, 11(3), 601-617.
YouTube. (2018). Scenario 3: Early Launch. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5M7ohdZ6qA
