Ethical Considerations in Software Development: A Case Study

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Added on 2024/07/29

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This case study examines the ethical implications of a software development project, 'EZEE Internet for your Office,' in the context of the Australian Computer Society Code of Professional Conduct. The project aims to create a distraction-free work environment by filtering access to social media and other non-work-related websites. The paper analyzes the project's alignment with the ACS Code, particularly regarding confidentiality, privacy, and the promotion of a professional work environment. It also explores the ethical considerations surrounding a new feature that allows administrators to grant specific users access to blocked websites while maintaining monitoring and recording capabilities. The case study concludes by discussing the importance of ethical decision-making in software development and the potential conflicts between moral and ethical considerations in the workplace.

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Table of Contents
Part A............................................................................................................................................... 3
a) In less than one page, justify the project in terms of the Australian Computer Society Code
of Professional Conduct............................................................................................................... 3
b) In less than one page, comment on this new feature also in terms of the Australian
Computer Society Code of Professional Conduct........................................................................4
c) Explain why you will or will not accept the task.....................................................................5
Part B............................................................................................................................................... 6
References........................................................................................................................................7
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Part A
a) In less than one page, justify the project in terms of the Australian Computer Society
Code of Professional Conduct.
Australian Computer Society Code of Professional Conduct is intended to illustrate that what are
the factors and elements that constitutes professional behavior. There are different clauses under
the code of ethics and it is required for any organization working in Australia to follow this
professional code of conducts. Working as a programmer in USQDevelopment organization, our
team has completed a project called “EZEE Internet for your Office” The objective of making
this project was to provide a efficient and effective Internet environment in the office through
filtering the distractions such as real time news, social media as well as the latest weather. There
are clauses in the code of professional conduct of ACS in which there is provisions to maintain
the professionalism at the work place. There should be great working environment and the office
environment should be distraction free (Board, 2014). Professional is required to take a calm and
knowledgeable stance on their operations by contributing towards the work with great sense of
engagement and enthusiasm. This project will help in enhancing the professionalism at the
workplace and due to lack of distraction, the professionals will be able to concentrate at their
work and provide a great quality work. Under a clause of 1.2.1 of code of professional conduct
there was a provision of maintaining the confidentiality and the secrecy of the information and
due to no access of the social media, there will be less chances of data leakage by any employee.
This project is justifiable as per the professional code of conduct because it satisfies different
terms of that code.
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b) In less than one page, comment on this new feature also in terms of the Australian
Computer Society Code of Professional Conduct.
As we have already understood about the Australian Computer Society Professional Code of
Conduct, It determines the professional behavior to be maintained at the workplace. In the
completed project “EZEE Internet for your office” some changes were required such as adding a
feature to the existing project to enable the administrator to give permission for certain
connections to bypass the filtering. This traffic will also be monitored and recorded. As per the
professional code of conduct of ACS, This feature is useful for the organization to maintain and
determine professional behavior. There is requirement of contacting the stakeholders or clients if
there are any conflicts or issues at workplace and their interest is getting affected by such
conflicts. These are required to be communicated to them and for that purpose, it is necessary
that an administrator could allow the professionals to access to some of the sites. All these
activities are going to be monitored hence there is no breach of confidentiality and privacy
clause. Professional behavior will be maintained at workplace by implementing this new feature
in the project. There are six elements in the professional code of ethics of ACS and these are
Supremacy of public interest, competence, honesty, professional development, professionalism
and the last enhance the quality of life of the stakeholders. All these elements are completely
fulfilled and there is no contradiction or violation of provision of this code (McDermid, 2015).
Hence the project is as per the professional code of ethics and the new additions required are also
as per the professional code.
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c) Explain why you will or will not accept the task.
We have given 24 months to prepare this project and now the project team leader wants us to
make certain additions to this project. This new feature is required to allow the administrator and
provide him privilege to allow certain connections to bypass the filtering but all these activities
should be monitored and controlled. There is a slight work required to add this feature to the
project. We will have to implement some protocol network analysis tools in the project so that all
the activities will be recorded and the senior management of the organization will be able to
record and monitor them. This is a required feature to stop any unprofessional activity at
workplace. Further, few sites those are locked in the project from the access, it is required to
unlock them to the customized access by the administrator only. These entire tasks will not take
a lot of time and the project will also be completed in all the senses and as per the requirement of
the organization. I will accept the task because we have worked on it earlier and if any
shortcoming is there it is my professional duty to complete the project and make the required
changes in it. I will accept the task because it is a command of my project team leader and there
is not a lot of work to make these modifications in the project to make it better.
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Part B
There is difference between moral and ethical. Any action or task or behavior is ethical or not, it
can be determined by the external sources such as code of ethics and code of professional
conduct. But these tasks or behavior are moral or not it depends on an individual’s own
perceptions that whether it is right or wrong (Christen, 2014). There may be cases where those
are moral but not ethical. I remember one such case happened at my workplace. There was a lady
named as Ilnaz from Iran which came for an interview in my organization. My manager was
quite impressed with her and offered her the job. He provided her with an IT project along with a
male colleague Mark. Ilnaz and Mark were required to complete that project together but Ilnaz’s
religion and culture do not allow her to be in isolation with such an unrelated man and even her
husband were not supporting her and threatening her to leave the job. She wanted to
communicate this to her manager. This was an unethical dilemma or situation for her at the
workplace but it is not an immoral situation because there is no on at fault as there should not be
any discrimination at the workplace on the basis or gender. Hence as per my point of view and
experience, this was an unethical situation but it was moral.
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References
 Board, B. A. C. (2014). Professional and ethical compliance code for behavior analysts.
 Christen, M. ed., 2014. Empirically informed ethics: Morality between facts and norms.
Springer International Publishing.
 McDermid, D. (2015). Ethics in ICT: an Australian perspective. Pearson Higher
Education AU.
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