Case Study: Ethical Implications of Early Project Launch Decisions

This case study delves into the ethical considerations surrounding the early launch of a project, focusing on a scenario where the project lacks essential encryption functionality. It examines the conflict between the Project Manager, driven by client and CEO demands for an early release, and the Program Director, who recognizes the security risks. The analysis employs the 'Doing Ethics Technique' to explore the situation through Virtue Ethics, Deontology Ethics, and the Theory of Consequentialism. It identifies the stakeholders affected, including the project team, client, and end-users, and outlines potential ethical issues and their implications. The case study proposes and evaluates options to address the situation, such as acquiring additional resources or negotiating the launch date. The conclusion recommends finding additional internal resources to implement the encryption functionality to balance ethical considerations with project demands. The document is a student contribution to Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools.

Doing Ethics Technique
Table of Contents
Case Study...................................................................................................................................................3
Q1. What’s going on?..............................................................................................................................3
Q2. What are the facts?............................................................................................................................3
Q3. What are the issues (non-ethical)?....................................................................................................3
Q4. Who is affected?...............................................................................................................................3
Q5. What are the ethical issues and their implications?...........................................................................4
Virtue Ethics........................................................................................................................................4
Deontology Ethics...............................................................................................................................4
Theory of Consequentialism................................................................................................................4
Q6. What can be done about it?...............................................................................................................5
Q7. What are the options?.......................................................................................................................5
Q8. Which option is the best and why?...................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................6
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Doing Ethics Technique
Case Study
Q1. What’s going on?
Early launch of the project is the scenario that has been selected as the case study to analyze the
project situations using Doing Ethics Technique (DET). In this scenario, the Project Manager is
discussing the possibility of the early launch with the Program Director. The demand has come
from the project client and the organization’s CEO. The Program Director is not convinced with
the decision as the project is still missing out on an important functionality (Youtube, 2017).
Q2. What are the facts?
The Program Director has highlighted the facts associated with the early launch of the project.
The project currently does not have the encryption functionality implemented in it and the
development team will not be able to develop and implement the functionality in case of the
early launch of the project. The team will require time for the same. The absence of encryption
from the project will result in severe security occurrences and implications (Grundy, 2005).
Q3. What are the issues (non-ethical)?
Encryption is one of the mechanisms that are currently used for information privacy and
protection. There are many security risks and concerns that may take place in the projects which
may have a negative impact on the client information (Heeney, 2016). Exclusion of encryption of
the project may increase the likelihood of various security threats and attacks (Rainey & Goujon,
2011).
Q4. Who is affected?
 The decision of early launch will affect the project team as the team will not be able to
include the encryption functionality and will be held accountable for the errors in the
future.
 There will be a considerable affect on the client as the defects in the project will lead to
negative outcomes (Sollie, 2007).
 End users will be affected as the information and data present in the project will be at risk
of loss or leakage.
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Doing Ethics Technique
Q5. What are the ethical issues and their implications?
Virtue Ethics
Ethical theories have been developed by researchers in order to provide and generate the
mechanisms which may be used and applied to judge the ethical correctness of an activity
(Mather, 2007). One of such mechanisms is Virtue Ethics that gives priority to the virtues of the
parties involved as the basis of judgment.
As per Virtue Ethics, a particular task or act is termed as ethically correct if the virtues of the
doer are positive and beneficial in nature. Otherwise, the act is termed as ethically wrong. Project
Manager over here is aware of the missing functionality and its impact and is ready to go ahead
with the early launch because of his selfish motives to gain success.
The act is therefore judged as ethically inappropriate and incorrect on the basis of ethical
principles.
Deontology Ethics
There are certain rules and guidelines that are defined around every activity. These rules form the
basis of the judgment in the theory of Deontology Ethics. The higher the adherence to these rules
more is the ethical correctness (De George, 2006).
The primary rule of the business projects is the accomplishment of the project goals and
objectives. The security and privacy of the information is one of the important project goals
which shall be maintained. Also, there are organizational rules of professional ethics and code of
conduct that are also defined.
The decision by the Project Manager to carry on with the early launch in spite of the defects is a
clear violation of these rules. The act is therefore judged as ethically inappropriate and incorrect
on the basis of ethical principles of Deontology Ethics.
Theory of Consequentialism
Consequences are the outcomes of any activity that is carried out (Tavani, 2003). The nature and
type of the consequences of an activity is the basis of ethical correctness in this theory of
Consequentialism. If these consequences are positive and beneficial, then the activity is judged
as ethically correct and vice versa.
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Doing Ethics Technique
The possible consequences in this case are the loss of privacy of the customer information,
damage to the reputation of the organization, loss to the project client and risk to the job security
of the project team members. There may be a few short-terms outcomes that may be positive in
nature such as appreciation from the project client but with the emergence of the defects these
outcomes will be over-shadowed.
Due to the negative nature of the consequences involved, the act is judged as ethically
inappropriate and incorrect on the basis of ethical principles.
Q6. What can be done about it?
Project Manager and Program Director shall carry out a meeting with the internal members of
the project team to list down the possible scenarios that may occur. These scenarios shall be
based upon the ability to meet the early launch of the project with the encryption functionality
implemented in it.
Q7. What are the options?
 The Project Manager may ask for additional human resources that may assist the project
team to implement the encryption functionality in least amount of time.
 The remaining project resources in terms of schedule, budget and human resources shall
be re-allocated to the remaining functionalities.
 The client shall be made aware of the pending functionalities and negotiations in terms of
extending the delivery date shall be requested.
Q8. Which option is the best and why?
The best option that may be used in this case would be to look for the additional internal resources to
join the project team and assist the development and deployment of the encryption functionality in the
project.
The option will be apt in this case as it will be cost-effective in nature and the utilization of the internal
resources will not be objectionable. Also, the internal employees will be aware of the organizational
practices to follow and the nature of the project. There will be least amount of time that will be spent on
the training of the new joiners in the team.
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References
De George, R. (2006). Information technology, globalization and ethics. Ethics And Information
Technology, 8(1), 29-40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10676-006-9104-4
Grundy, F. (2005). Some ideas on constitutive ethics for information and communication
technologies. Journal Of Information, Communication And Ethics In Society, 3(4), 173-178.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14779960580000270
Marturano, A. (2010). Ethics, organizations and information systems. Journal Of Information,
Communication And Ethics In Society, 8(2).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jices.2010.36408baa.001
Mather, K. (2007). Ethics and Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and
Communication Technology. Journal Of Information, Communication And Ethics In
Society, 5(1), 43-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14779960710822683
Rainey, S., & Goujon, P. (2011). Toward a normative ethics for technology development.
Journal Of Information, Communication And Ethics In Society, 9(3), 157-179.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14779961111167649
Sollie, P. (2007). Ethics, technology development and uncertainty: an outline for any future
ethics of technology. Journal Of Information, Communication And Ethics In Society, 5(4),
293-306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14779960710846155
Tavani, H. (2003). Recent books on or related to ICT ethics. Ethics And Information Technology,
5(3), 177-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/b:etin.0000006845.81426.6d
Youtube. (2017). Scenario 3: Early Launch. YouTube. Retrieved 10 August 2017, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5M7ohdZ6qA
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