The Difference Between Professionalism And Ethics

MSc
Informatio
n Systems
Manageme
nt
Pxxxxxxxx
De Montfort
University
Assignment - Project
Proposal
IMAT5262 Research,
Ethics &
Professionalism in
Computing

P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics &
Professionalism in Computing
Abstract
The main aim of this research is to address the impact of technology on privacy of
professionals working in the IT field and its ethical implications. This report evaluated that IT
professionals faced different ethical issues such as breaches of data and theft of data. It is
also discussed that there are different ethical guidelines that should be considered to avoid
ethical issues. It is also demonstrated that quantitative research would be used to gather
quantitative information related to the impact of technology on the privacy of professionals
working in the IT field and its ethical implications. It is identified that survey through
questionnaire would be used to gather the information regarding research concern. It is also
evaluated that statistical data analysis techniques would be used to analyse the data in a
statistical manner. It is also identified that for completing the project, there would be a need
for 9 weeks in research.
Key Words
IT professionals, ethical implications, privacy, breaches of data, and theft of data
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics &
Professionalism in Computing
Contents
1. Background...................................................................................................... 3
2. Research questions.......................................................................................... 3
3. Literature Review.............................................................................................. 3
4. Methodology Review......................................................................................... 7
5. Conclusion..................................................................................................... 11
6. References..................................................................................................... 12
APPENDICES........................................................................................................ 14
7. Appendices.................................................................................................... 14
8. Project Plan.................................................................................................... 14
9. Ethical Review Form....................................................................................... 14
10. Consent Form.................................................................................................. 19
11. Pilot study....................................................................................................... 20
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics &
Professionalism in Computing
1. Background
In IT Field Company, privacy is one of the most difficult personal and professional concerns
of modern times. However, privacy cannot be significantly identified without focusing on the
basic foundation regarding ethics. Professional workers cannot reach a meaningful
normative conclusion regarding workplace privacy obligations and rights without a common
and fundamental understanding regarding the ethical basis of justice as well as, thorough
comprehending about the organizational and individual issues and motivations (Veruggio,
Operto, and Bekey, 2016).
In this research, the impact of technology on the privacy of professionals working in the IT
field as well as, ethical implications would be discussed. It is identified that traditional ethical
analysis provides some instructions regarding how to assess the balance between the right
of workers to the privacy and needs of employers for data through which, the workplace
could be managed (De Goede, et. al., 2019).
However, guidance is not similar to the resolution as there is concern about workplace
privacy right. There is a need to draw ethical theory for advancing a mean through which,
feasible ethical balance related to workplace privacy could be addressed. The key focus is
about employee privacy specifically, because it is a critical field in which technology is
spurred through a desire for data and the ease of its assembly. It must make sure that
ethical analysis can remain effective with the possibility to create through innovations
(Leclercq-Vandelannoitte, 2017).
Individual privacy is a significant area that is illustrated clearly as a foundation for unethical
business attitude by the use of technologies. Firms can track the usage of the internet,
purchasing habits, individual movements, and gather individual data regarding millions of
consumers and possible clients. Whereas, governments have used legislation restricting the
set of individual information and permitting persons regarding some control through what
firms can gather and store. In addition, ethical businesses should decide independently of
legislation regarding feasible behavior (Luppicini and So, 2016).
2. Research questions
Following are the research questions:
RQ1: What is the conceptual understanding regarding the privacy of professionals working in
the IT field?
RQ2: How technology can impact on the privacy of professionals working in the IT field?
RQ3: What are the ethical implications to keep the privacy of professionals working in the IT
field?
3. Literature Review
According to Bredenoord Clevers and Knoblich (2017), data privacy protection could be
complex because of social technological risk and new security issues. This uncertainty exists
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics &
Professionalism in Computing
for abuse of technology that could be implemented to process and store the information. For
instance, considering the firm universal serial bus (USB) system home for individual
convenience may create risk about breaching the regulation of company where no firm
belongings shall leave firm premises in spite of authorization. This risk can become a data
threat when USB incorporates confidential firm information such as data regarding marketing
approach, records of personnel performance as well as, employee information like date of
birth and employee address. There is risk to take USB such as theft or loss.
Definition of Privacy
In the view of Quinn (2017), privacy could be illustrated as a personal situation of life that is
featured through exclusion from the persuasive. The aspect follows through the right to be
left alone as well as, states that there is a perception about privacy that sets the courses in
order to pass the privacy laws. In such a manner, privacy can be illustrated as natural right
that facilitates foundation for lawful rights. There is a right for privacy and is hence protected
under the privacy regulation.
On the other side, Manjikian (2017) stated that privacy could be significant right because it is
a required condition for other authority like personal autonomy. There is an association
between human dignity, privacy, as well as, freedom. There is a need to respect the privacy
of the individual and need to acknowledge the right of individuals to freedom as well as,
recognizing that individual as an independent person.
Different Categories of Private Information
According to Lowry Dinev and Willison (2017), privacy is illustrated as the entirety of data
that is applicable for an individual in the state related to isolation. There is fact that privacy
could be demonstrated by means of data that implies it is significant for distinguishing
different classes of privacy such as private communication and data that is associated with a
body of an individual for privacy, other personal data, as well as, information with respect to
possessions of an individual. Along with this, each of these classes is briefly described as
follow:
Private communications
On the other hand, Weckert (2017) evaluated that this class of privacy concerns is related to
all forms of personal communication where an individual wants to keep private. The data can
exchange at the time of reference interview among user and data professional that could be
identified as an instance.
Personal information
Patterson Wilkins and Painter (2018) have illustrated as those classes of data that refer to
only that specific individual such as financial information and bibliographic (name and
address). This kind of data is regarding the relevance of all classes about data professionals.
It is also highly associated with property rights. As per this, an individual does have control of
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics &
Professionalism in Computing
data that is associated with personal possessions in some instances. For instance, an
individual can keep the privacy of data regarding the places in which, a wallet is maintained.
The impact of technology on processes of personal and private data
Definition of Information Technology
In contrast to this, Stahl (2019) stated that before influencing about application of technology
in processing related to personal as well as, private data could be dealt. It is significant to
concisely pay focus on concept technology. In addition, information technology is related to
collecting, organizing, storage as well as, distribution of data in different formats through
indications of computer and telecommunications tools as per micro-electronics.
The Ethical Implications for application of Technology in Processing of data
In the view of Friedman and Hendry (2019), although technology has a higher effect on
collecting, storage, retrieval as well as, dissemination of data, its key ethical impact is
associated with inaccessibility or accessibility along with, data manipulation. It develops
possibility about wider and concurrent access of data. Through the implication, it is
becoming easier for accessing the private data of an individual by more individuals. In
contrast to this, an individual could be excluded through the required data in electronic
format through an indication of different security measures like passwords. The impact
related to the application of technology on individual privacy may manifest itself in different
fields.
On the other side, Wilkins (2018) stated that electronic assessment about an individual
within an organization is associated with personal data. It is performed through so-called
automated judgments. The justification through firms for application of such technology can
increase productivity. However, there is an ethical problem that pertains to the application of
these technologies. The privacy of an individual in an organization can threat by these
systems. It could lead to fear of feeling and of all ways that are known as a panopticon
situation.
In the opinion of Ferguson Thornley and Gibb (2016), reading and interception of e-mail
messages pose an ethical issue that is associated with private communication of a person. It
can technically prospect for intercepting the e-mail message as well as, reading thereof is
justified through firm since they initially see technology infrastructure as a resource that
belongs to firm and not individual. In addition to this, messages can be intercepted to identify
an individual to see whether they practice facility for private causes and to perform their task.
Main Ethical Issues
According to Stanton et al. (2017), in processing and handling of different sorts of personal
and private information, professionals working in IT fields can face different ethical concerns.
There is a need to decide the class of personal and private data in professional working. The
confidential treatment of these data is a key issue that is specifically increasing the data
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