You work in the IT department of your company. Your position allows you to access all computers in the building remotely. You are supposed to ask permission from each computer user before you access their files, but most of the IT employees never ask. Your ex-spouse just started working at the company. You are curious to find out what she is saying in her e-mails to her friends about you. Describe how each of three ethical frameworks (deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics) would deal with monitoring private employee communications in the workplace. Which ethical framework would you choose to follow?

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You work in the IT department of your company. Your position allows you to access all computers in the building remotely. You are supposed to ask permission from each computer user before you access their files, but most of the IT employees never ask. Your ex-spouse just started working at the company. You are curious to find out what she is saying in her e-mails to her friends about you. Describe how each of three ethical frameworks (deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics) would deal with monitoring private employee communications in the workplace. Which ethical framework would you choose

to follow?

Non-consequentialist or deontological approaches This approach, associated with Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), is sometimes referred to as ‘duty ethics’. [ Kant’s aim was to establish a set of absolute moral rules, devel- oped through the application of reason. He also put forward an acid test for evaluat- ing the quality of moral rules and this is termed: the categorical imperative. This states that: ‘I ought never to act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law.’ In other words, moral rules should follow the principle of reciprocity: do as you

would be done by. This premise can be found in the moral principles of many religious systems, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. See, for example, the Ten Commandments. Kant further stated: ‘Act in such a way that you always treat humanity . . . never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.’ The de?ning character- istics of this approach are the universal applicability of principles to all humanity, and basic respect for humans. A key notion for Kant was that of intentionality. It might well be that the outcome of an act leads to very bad consequences for people – for example, the closure of a site and subsequent job losses – but if one’s aims and intentions are good, then the act is a moral one. It’s all about motivation and meaning. Goodpaster (1984) has attempted to develop a set of rules along Kantian lines for business practice: 1. Avoid and prevent harming others. 2. Help those in need. 3. Do not lie or cheat. 4. Respect the rights of others. 5. Keep promises or contracts. 6. Obey the law. 7. Be fair. 8. Encourage others to follow these principles. ]

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If You recently discovered that the manager who hired you is e-mailing a competitor her resume along with the resumes of several top quality employees. Explain what ethical course of action should be taken and why. Include in your answer a detailed explanation of the ethical theory used. What are some possible consequences of your actions?

Weegy: seek to know why the manage is leaving and what could be done to fill the gap that will left in the company User: what would be the consequences for you if you told on your boss for e-mailing a competitor her resume along with the resumes of several top quality employees Weegy: seek to know why the manager is leaving and what could be done to fill the gap that will left in the company User: What is whistleblowing? How does it relate to ethics? How does it relate to the law? Weegy: Whistleblowing is officially defined as “making a disclosure that is in the public interest”. [ It will usually occur when an employee discloses to a public body, usually the police or a regulatory commission that their employer is partaking in unlawful practices. Whistleblowing is to be encouraged as it is an efficient and effective way of curbing unlawful practices. As a result there is significant legislation in place to protect whistleblowers. You cannot expect to receive legal protection, or expect your work to be deemed in the public interest if what you are disclosing is a trivial matter. Therefore, in order to amount to whistleblowing the disclosure must be in relation to serious activity such as miscarriages of justice, illegal activity, threats to individuals and/or damage to the environment. Whistleblowing is in the public interest and the individual whistleblower is therefore afforded legal protection. If you require more information on this you should contact a local solicitor. ] (More)

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Asked 6/18/2012 12:22:56 PM

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