Christina’s ethical dilemma in software testing: An ethical analysis

Running head: BUSINESS LAW
BUSINESS LAW
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

BUSINESS LAW1
Christina’s ethical dilemma
Christina, a programmer, would be requiring three weeks to complete the testing a
software and confirm it to be bug-free; yet the management is pressurizing her to sign the
documents in order to release the software to the public. This puts Christina in an ethical
dilemma as to whether to sign the papers of the test of the software as complete as asked
by the management, even though the software is not complete yet. She as a tester knows
that it is ethically incorrect and thus faces ethical dilemma.
Chris MacDonald’s methodology of analyzing ethical dilemma
For the purpose of analysing and resolving the ethical dilemma of the action of
Christina, the moral decision making methodology of Chris MacDonald has been followed. A
process of eight questions has been followed by this guide for identifying the moral or ethical
dilemmas and for analysing the dilemmas (MacDonald 2002).
 Recognizing the Moral Dimension
In this case, the moral dimension is the publicly release of the software containing minor
bugs and Christina signing the document of software confirming that the test has been
conducted properly even after knowing it to be untrue.
 Interested parties and their relationship
The interested parties in this case are Christina who works for the software development
company as a programmer, the company and the consumers of that softwares manufactured
by the company. The consumers are the individuals who would buy the product from the
company that intends to sell the software containing bugs.
 Values involved
In this case, the values involved are the ACS Code of Ethics and ACS Code of
Professional Conduct
 Analogous case
An ethical dilemma of similar nature can be seen in the case of One.Tel Limited,
which is an Australian telecommunication company. In this case the company became
insolvent due to their deviant behaviour towards the Code of Ethics laid down by Australian
Computer Society.
 Discussion with relevant others
According to the values of ACS Code of Professional Conduct Christine must consult
with the stakeholders regarding the dilemma as quickly as possible.
 Decision According to Legal and Organizational Rules
Christina’s signing on the test paper confirming all tests have been made properly
even after knowing it to be untrue, would violate the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) is
set out in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 as the software is
made for the common people, who are the consumers. They deserve a bug-free software
which the company is compromising in this case. The release of the software would also
violate the ACS Codes of Ethics and the ACS Code of Professional Conduct, for which
Christina might be held responsible later for not valuing public interest (Acs.org.au. 2019).
 Whether the decision is comfortable
It is evidently uncomfortable for Christina to sign the paper knowing that the software
is not bug-free yet.
 Discussion with relevant others