Ethical Issues Arising from Outsourcing Assignments in Universities

This report discusses the ethical issues arising from outsourcing assignments in universities. It analyses the case using ethical theories and justifies the best decision. The student's decision to outsource his/her assignment is considered unethical and dishonest. The report suggests that the student should complete the assignment himself/herself or consult with the teacher to extend the deadline. The report also highlights the negative consequences of outsourcing assignments. Subject: Network Management in Organisations. Course Code: NMO-101. College/University: Not mentioned.

Network Management in Organisations
Ethical issues arising from the use of ICT technologies

Table of Contents
Introduction of the case...................................................................................................................................2
Identification of ethical values.........................................................................................................................2
Analysis of the ethical issue..............................................................................................................................2
Utilitarian theory (consequence)..................................................................................................................2
Deontology theory (duty).............................................................................................................................3
Contractarianism theory (contract)..............................................................................................................3
Virtue theory (character)..............................................................................................................................3
Discussion.........................................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion........................................................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................................5
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Introduction of the case
Students have to make different assignments during a semester which increase their workload; however, it
prepares them for the test which they have to face in the real world. It teaches students how to effectively
manage their time so that they are able to complete each task within the given time limit. In this case, a
student is struggling to complete his/her assignments while at the same time he/she wanted to score a
good grade. The purpose of this pressure is to prepare the student so that he/she learn about effective
time management skills and it improves their critical thinking ability. In this case, the student decided to
outsource his/her work to a third party rather than facing the pressure and improve his/her critical thinking
ability. Due to the outsourcing of the work, the student was not able to understand the topic himself which
would have assisted him in his/her study and his/her career. Furthermore, outsourcing your homework or
assignment is ethically wrong; it is same as copying and pasting the content of the assignment from
somewhere else rather than writing completing itself. It is not the work which is submitted by the student,
and it contravenes with the academic integrity. It is considered as cheating, and the student can fail or
disqualify from the University for doing the same. This report will focus on evaluating the ethical values in
this case and analyse the ethical issues of the case by using ethical theories framework. Furthermore, the
best decision will be justified by analysing the finding, and a conclusion will be drawn.
Identification of ethical values
1. The student who is outsourcing his/her assignment is dishonest, and the act of outsourcing the
assignment is considered as cheating and breach of the student code of conduct [1].
2. The student did not learn anything by outsourcing the assignment because he/she did not evaluate
the facts or make a critical analyse of the subject matter which would have assisted him in his/her
professional life.
3. If the future employer of the student finds out about the action of the student, then he/she could
lose his/her job [2].
4. Ethically it is wrong to outsource the assignment to a third party as the student can fail or disqualify
for the university for doing the same because it is similar as copying and pasting the assignment
from somewhere else rather than writing the content himself.
Analysis of the ethical issue
Utilitarian theory (consequence)
This theory judges a situation by analysing its consequences. In this case, the student will be able to submit
his/her assignment on time, but he/she could fail or disqualify for not doing the assignment himself if the
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university finds out about the same. Furthermore, if he/she is able to save himself this time, then it will
have a negative impact on his/her professional life. If the future employer finds out about this action, then
the student could lose his/her job [3]. Thus, this action is unethical.
Deontology theory (duty)
This theory judges a situation based on the morality of the action rather than its consequences. In this case,
the actions of the student are wrong and illegal because it is considered as cheating and the student is
dishonest towards his/her academic career [4]. Thus, this action is unethical.
Contractarianism theory (contract)
This theory is considered as political theory, and it evaluates the morality of a situation based on the
legitimacy of the actions. It is wrong to outsource the assignment to a third party or to get someone’s help
to complete an assignment because it is considered as cheating and the student could be expelled for doing
the same [5]. Thus, this action is unethical based on this theory.
Virtue theory (character)
This theory judges the morality of a situation based on the character or honesty of the person. It is the duty
of a student to complete his/her homework or assignment himself and outsourcing the assignment is
considered as a dishonest act. It comes under that definition of cheating, and the student could fail for
doing the same [6]. Thus, this action is considered as unethical based on this theory as well.
Discussion
As discussed above, the analysis of the ethical issues based on the ethical theories shows that the decision
of the student is unethical based on the principle of each ethical theory. By outsourcing his/her homework
or assignment, the student did not learn anything about the subject, and during his/her professional life, he
would face serious consequences. It is also considered as cheating if the student submits an assignment
which is completed by someone else rather than himself. This action is dishonest and against the policy of
the university and it is considered as a breach of the student code of conduct. In case the future employer
of the student finds out about the actions of the student than he/she could lose his/her job. Therefore,
based on these factors, the best decision is that the student should try to complete his/her assignment
himself, or he/she should try to ask for an extension in the deadline. The main objective of the university is
to make the student capable of addressing issues in his/her professional life and outsourcing the work did
not help him become capable. Thus, this decision is the best because it is in the interest of the student,
university and the future employer.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, analyse of the case study based on ethical theories provides that it is wrong and unethical for
the student to outsource his assignment to a third party. By doing so, the student would not learn anything
about the course, and it would negatively affect his academic and professional career. The action of the
student is considered as cheating, and if the university finds out about the action of the student, then
he/she could fail or expel from the university. The best decision is that the student should try to complete
his/her work himself or try to consult with the teacher to extend the deadline for the assignment. This
decision is the best because it is in the interest of the student, university and the future employer.
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References
[1]P. Kaushik, "Outsourcing Homework May Ruin Your Education", HuffPost UK, 2014. [Online]. Available:
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/preetam-kaushik/outsourcing-homework_b_6252006.html. [Accessed:
31- May- 2018].
[2]T. Howarton-Garcia, "Homework Outsourcing Leaves Students High And Dry", The Smarter Consumer,
2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.sitejabber.com/resources/consumer-protection/homework-
outsourcing-leaves-students-high-and-dry/. [Accessed: 31- May- 2018].
[3]T. Lancaster and R. Clarke, "Contract cheating: the outsourcing of assessed student work", Handbook of
academic integrity, pp. 639-654, 2016.
[4]P. Newton and C. Lang, "Custom essay writers, freelancers, and other paid third parties", Handbook of
academic integrity, pp. 249-271, 2018.
[5]D. McCabe, "Cheating and honor: Lessons from a long-term research project", Handbook of academic
integrity, pp. 187-198, 2016.
[5]D. McCabe, "Cheating and honor: Lessons from a long-term research project", Handbook of academic
integrity, pp. 187-198, 2016.
[6]S. Owings and J. Nelson, "The essay industry", Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Economics,
General Research, vol. 15, pp. 1-21, 2014.
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