Doing Ethics Technique: A Case Study in Software Development

This report analyzes an ethical dilemma faced by a software developer in a project management scenario. The case study explores the ethical issues, implications, and potential solutions, highlighting the importance of ethical decision-making in software development. The report utilizes the 'Doing Ethics' technique to examine the situation, identify stakeholders, and evaluate different options for resolving the ethical conflict.

ITC506
Topics in Information Technology Ethics
Assessment 1
Doing Ethics Technique
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
1. What is going on?........................................................................................................................2
2. What are the facts?.......................................................................................................................2
3. What are the issues?.....................................................................................................................2
4. Who is affected?..........................................................................................................................2
Ethics analysis.................................................................................................................................3
5. What are the ethical issues and implications?.........................................................................3
6. What can be done about it?......................................................................................................3
7. What options are there?...........................................................................................................3
8. Which option is best – and why?.............................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
Reference.........................................................................................................................................5
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Introduction
Information and communications technology (ICT) is a collection of technology that is used to
handle broadcast media, telecommunications, network-based control or monitoring functions. I
work on video scenario whose link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBfJ07gfHyc.
1. What is going on?
In this Video, Client said to Project Manager that current software has a problem and need more
user-friendly software before the deadline of the project. It explained some dilemmas that
occurred during the software development and also measure the dilemmas. Ethical issues are
solved by the unethical options. In the given case, software developer faced the business
dilemmas and trying the solved the ethical issue through unethical options but the
implementation is difficult. In the end, it provides the reasonable results and leads to
accomplishments for the long-term goals (Wagner & Sanders, 2001).
2. What are the facts?
Completion of the project on deadlines a major challenge for the project manager of any project.
Different facts show that delay in testing leads the project to miss the given deadlines. Also
missing the deadlines affect the loss in confidence of stakeholders that are associated with the
project. This may result in losing the opportunities that are associated with the business growth
of organisation (Sussex, 2016).
3. What are the issues?
Open source code, illegal software (perform the task), Reverse engineering code, bugs and
competition are the ethical issues which affect the environment of development and software.
These are a serious issue that impacts the organization reputation and privacy policies. So the
organization preferred the installed advanced information and communication technologies that
enhance the profit and success of the organization (Singer & Vinson,2002).
4. Who is affected?
The ethical issue is creating legal issues in the organization that are a collection of rules which
are defined by the organization and software user. It occurred due to lack of user-friendly and
some other issue. These issues are affected the software developing and software user
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organization, and their staff. Customer may be creating a negative image of software developing
company due to the ethical problem (Jones, 1991).
Ethics analysis
5. What are the ethical issues and implications?
Ethical techniques are used to solve the ethical issue which arises during the software
development. Moral values like as respect, honesty are known as ethics of the organization that
developed a secure environment for the software development organization and their employees.
The risk is a major issue in the software development. Privacy is a measured risk due to a hacker
because they can heck the software and stolen the personal and sensitive information of the
company and their customer. It’s an ethical issue which affects the various businesses. Customer
and company cannot blame for the information confidential during the ethical issue occurrence
(Gála, & Basl, 2009).
6. What can be done about it?
Information and communication technology can be used in the software development that helps
to understand ethical dilemmas situations. Software organization developed a plan for the ethical
problems in the early phase. In the given case, Project Manager and software developer are two
persons that discussed on the ethical issue. Project Manager tells about software privacy issue
and also tells that software is not user-friendly. He asks the developer manage the software issue
as soon as possible. Security and encryption will be implemented for the software privacy and
make user-friendly software before the early lunch of the software.
7. What options are there?
Project manager tells the developer about the ethical problem and asks him to select the one
option for the organization betterment. The ethical dilemmas included the ethical values and
moral of the deals. Here, the developer provides three options to deal with ethical dilemmas.
In the first option, developer manipulated the project manager about software security and their
user-friendly behaviours. Project Manager said that software delivered with proper security
which leads the risk and delays in the software delivery. All team member will follow the project
manager instruction which makes developer action inconvenient.
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In the Second option, the developer launches the product with encryption ad ethical value which
may be created loses for the organization and team member due to delays.
In the third option, the developer submits the software at the time without encryption. The
developer works under pressure and project Manager Instructions. When the software is
launched without encryption and user-friendly GUI then organization face some critical issues
such leakage of customer’s data. It leads to company loss and creates the negative image which
decreases the reputation of the company. Team member faces imprisonment and legal penalties
consequences. The organization loses the loyalist of the staff and customer due to unethical
behaviours (Drake, & Schlachter, 2008).
8. Which option is best – and why?
The developer used the second option to solves the ethical problems according to beliefs and
values. Software team member also supports to select the option to resolved the ethical issue.
The developer tells the team member of software development that implementation of
encryptions and user-friendly GUI and access the software in the 30 – 45 days. Team member
and the manager gave the possible reactions to the decision that they will deliver the software
with encryptions and proper ethical values which are going to be followed by the software. The
third option gave a result which creates a better impression of software and also provides the
client's satisfaction even after caused interruptions in the software launch (Yeniyurt, Kim, Wu, &
Cavusgil, 2006).
Conclusion
In the report, I have explained ethics issue in the software development environments and also
tell about various problems that faced by the employees in the software development. Ethical and
Moral options are provided software that would help in long time run.
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Reference
 Drake, M. J., & Schlachter, J. T. (2008). A virtue-ethics analysis of supply chain
collaboration. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(4), 851-864
 Gála, L., & Basl, J., (2009). The role of ICT in business innovation. IDIMT-2009 System and
Humans–A Complex Relationship, 67-76.
 Jones, T. M. (1991). Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: An issue-
contingent model. Academy of management review, 16(2), 366-395.
 Singer, J., & Vinson, N. G. (2002). Ethical issues in empirical studies of software
engineering. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 28(12), 1171-1180.
 Sussex, T. (2016, February 1). Project Management Challenge: Missed Deadlines [Blog
post]. Retrieved from https://www.liquidplanner.com/blog/project-management-challenge-
series-missed-deadlines/
 Wagner, S. C., & Sanders, G. L. (2001). Considerations in ethical decision-making and
software piracy. Journal of Business Ethics, 29(1-2), 161-167.
 Yeniyurt, S., Wu, F., Kim, D., & Cavusgil, S. T. (2006). The impact of information
technology on supply chain capabilities and firm performance: A resource-based
view. Industrial Marketing Management, 35(4), 493-504.
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