Ethics and Professionalism: Pico PC Manufacturing Case Study Analysis

This case study analyzes the ethical and legal implications of the Pico PC manufacturing company, focusing on its potential breaches of Australian legislation and the ACS Code of Ethics. The analysis highlights the company's disregard for employee health and safety by forcing workers to engage in activities that could lead to vision damage. The assignment identifies violations of the Work Health and Safety Act and the ACS Professional Conduct, emphasizing the importance of public interest, integrity, and professionalism. It examines specific breaches of the ACS Code of Ethics, including values, standards of conduct, and priorities. The recommendations advise Kushlani to inform the CEO about identifying impacted groups, potential conflicts, and the financial, social, and legal implications of their actions, as well as respecting the intellectual property of workers. The study references relevant Australian legislation and the ACS Code of Ethics to support its findings and recommendations.

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Professional Practice in IT
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Case Study 11 Analysis
Discussion
With regards to the Australian legislation, the identified case of Pico’s PC manufacturing
company falls under the cases that are reviewed by the Safe Work Australia policies for the
purpose of ensuring that the safety and health of employees are maintained (Work Health and
Safety 2017). As a national policy, the management of Pico should ensure that it meets the
requirements of Workplace Health and Safety as available in the regulations and acts of
Australia. One of the major offences likely to be made by the management of Pico includes
indulging workers in activities that may be of severe health implications and complications
(Work Health and Safety 2017). Forcing workers to glare into brightly illuminated objects, as
realized from the medical reports, would lead to blindness or damaged eyesight. Forcing
workers into such activities would attract penalties for the company. In case the management of
Pico proceeds to the execution of its project, the following Acts and regulations would be
breached:
i) ACT’s Work Health and Safety Act of 2011
ii) NSW’s Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011
iii) NT’s National Uniform Legislation Act of 2011
iv) Western Australia’s Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984
v) Queensland’s Work Health and Safety Act of 2012
Breach of the ACS Professional Conduct
a) Public Interest Primacy
Regarding this particular code, it should be noted that the views and the interests of the
community around Pico should supersede private or personal interests. If in any case there

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exists sectional interests as well as organizational conflicts, such should be resolved in a
manner that it favors the public’s interest. In your work, you should safeguard the interests of
your immediate stakeholders, provided that these interests do not conflict with the duty and
loyalty you owe to the public. In case 11, public interest includes public health matters, work
environment, and safety (ACS Code of Ethics 2017).
Australian Computer Society Code of Ethics that are violated in this case are:
a) Values and ideals
i) One must act with absolute integrity and professionalism when dealing with everyone
including the employees and the community.
ii) One must strive to ensure that the quality of life of those affected by their work is
maintained or even improved.
b) Standards of conduct
Each and every individual that is in a working relationship with others is required to consider the
Code of Ethics spirit for the purpose of resolving contentious and ambiguous issues regarding
ethical conduct (ACS Code of Ethics 2017).
c) Priorities
i) One must advice employers and clients and also and be advised on potential
conflicts of interests between legal requirements and assignments.
ii) I must advice and be advised on issues regarding conflicts of interest in connection
to one’s workplace.
Recommendations
Regarding the values of ACS, Kushlani should advice the CEO to:

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1. Be able to identify the group likely to be impacted and have their interests considered
before personal interests.
2. Outline any kind of potential conflicts that could arise between professional duties and
legal requirements.
3. Understand that the issue at hand traverses several other financial issues as well as
have social and legal implications that could be detrimental to the company.
4. Have the intellectual property of workers respected.

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Reference
ACS Code of Ethics (2017). ACS Code of Ethics. [online] Teaching.csse.uwa.edu.au. Available
at: http://teaching.csse.uwa.edu.au/units/CITS3200/ethics/acs-ethics.htm [Accessed 30
Aug. 2017].
Work Health and Safety (2017). Work Health and Safety (OHS) acts, regulations and codes of
practice. [online] Business.gov.au. Available at:
https://www.business.gov.au/info/run/workplace-health-and-safety/whs-oh-and-s-acts-
regulations-and-codes-of-practice [Accessed 30 Aug. 2017].