IT Ethics Report: Ethical Analysis of the Willis Project Case Study

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the ethical dilemmas presented in the Willis Project case study. It identifies the core ethical conflicts arising from the actions of various ICT professionals, particularly concerning the project manager, junior developer, and program director. The analysis applies the Australian Computer Society (ACS) codes of professional conduct to evaluate these actions, focusing on principles like public interest, quality of life enhancement, honesty, competence, professional development, and professionalism. The report then offers specific recommendations, such as improved communication and adherence to ethical guidelines, to resolve the identified issues and ensure the project's ethical integrity. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of ethical practices in IT to prevent misuse of resources, protect data, and address issues like job displacement and inequality.

Running head: IT ETHICS
IT Ethics
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
3. Identifying the Main Ethical Dilemma within the Case Study....................................................2
3. Analysing the Ethical Dilemma by distinct Actions by different ICT Professionals with ACS
Codes of Professional Conduct........................................................................................................3
4. Suitable Recommendation for this Willis Project with Justification...........................................6
5. Conclusion...................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

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1. Introduction
An ethical approach is considered as an extremely important requirement in information
technology business or organization (Tavani, 2016). The main reason is that it creates a culture
of responsibility, excellence, integrity and trust within the subsequent utilization of resources.
Ethics also promotes privacy and confidentiality of sensitive data and reduces any type of
unauthorized accessibility to the computerized networks. As a result, any type of dishonesty and
conflict is avoided in the business and ethical dilemmas are reduced to a high level. Different
companies eventually deploy these codes of ethics within their policies, which highlight the
ethical responsibilities of users in the utilization of IT (Jasanoff, 2016). This report provides a
proper analysis of the case scenario for Willis Project after consideration of ACS codes of
professional conduct.
3. Identifying the Main Ethical Dilemma within the Case Study
Codes of ethics also prevent conflict of interests in the utilization of technology and then
demonstrate the quality of services and competences to a high level. Moreover, this type of
ethical approach is required in upholding the overall reputation of the entire profession of
information technology (Scenario 1. 2016). An ethical dilemma occurs when any situation is
going through unethical approach or significance. It is needed to ensure that under every
circumstance an ethical approach is being followed by the respective individuals eventually. The
distinct codes of ethics make sure that information technology resources are being utilized for
only authenticated as well as authorized purposes (Scenario 2: Project Manager. 2016). These
codes eventually prevent any type of sharing of access privileges like passwords amongst the
users. It secures the computerized systems from all types of malicious attacks. In the specific

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case scenario for Willis project, they have faced a distinct ethical dilemma and the project team
members were not being able to resolve it.
The manager of the project had not discussed anything regarding new changes and
modifications in the project with their program director (Scenario 2: Development Methodology.
2016). It was extremely unprofessional as well as unethical to not to include their program
director regarding any kind of change, as promised to their customers. Furthermore, this junior
developer have not even informed their project manager and promised the customer regarding
these changes; hence being unprofessional and unethical. He had to encourage the junior
developer in the process and also encouraged their junior developer in incorporation of such
changes (Scenario 3. 2016). Hence, the respective project director was not happy with these
steps.
3. Analysing the Ethical Dilemma by distinct Actions by different ICT Professionals with
ACS Codes of Professional Conduct
The Australian Computer Society codes of professional conduct can be referred to as
responsible for providing few distinct laws and codes, which are needed to be used by each and
every information and communication technology professional within their works to make sure
that any particular approach would be ethical as well as accurate (ACS Code of Professional
Conduct. 2014). These ACS codes comprises of the strongest significance and importance for
any specific standardized laws and even the failure in accepting these codes, leading to
professional negligence eventually. There exists 6 different codes and values in the ACS
professional conduct. These are the primacy of the public interest, the enhancement of quality of
life, honesty, competence, professional development and finally professionalism (Andrianov et

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al., 2015). Major actions could be undertaken by different ICT professionals for successful
analyses of the ethical dilemma and these actions are described below:
a) Discussing with the Junior Developer: The first as well as the most distinct action,
which could be undertaken by different ICT professionals for successful analyses of the ethical
dilemma of Willis project is discussing with their respective junior developer. It is extremely
efficient and effective for the specific case scenario that their junior developer would understand
regarding the significance of this particular project and must be taking up random decision for
making all types of changes within the project work without even discussing with their
respective project manager (Wickson, Strand & Kjølberg, 2015). It will be helpful for the project
in becoming the most successful one and their junior developer will also obtain knowledge
regarding the drastic steps and even reducing the issues properly.
b) Notifying their Project Director: The second important and noteworthy most distinct
action, which could be undertaken by different ICT professionals for successful analyses of the
ethical dilemma of Willis project is notifying their project director for making certain changes
that are being promised by Peter. This project director hence may have discussed with the
customer and then asked for additional payments or time and the specific software will be made
according to the requirement of their customer; hence maintaining customer satisfaction to a high
level (Brey, 2017). It is also considered as the major as well as the most distinctive professional
approach within the specific project.
Major inclusion of their ACS codes for professional conduct will be quite vital or
noteworthy for better analyses of these 2 above provided actions and activities by the respective
professionals of ICT for their Willis project. The details of these ACS codes for professional
conduct are described below:

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i) The Primacy of the Public Interest: This is the 1st as well as the most distinct code for
professional conduct for the Willis project. The respective professional of information and
communication technology will be eventually placing the interests of their customers and
employees on the highest level for their business and personal interests (ACS Code of
Professional Conduct. 2014). In spite of the fact that the junior developer had the intention of
ensuring that their customer is satisfied, the distinct approach was unprofessional and incorrect.
ii) The Enhancement of Quality of Life: The next distinct and important code for
professional conduct for the Willis project would be proper enhancement in the life’s quality of
the professional and his customers. The respective professional will even try to obtain such
improvement for their employees and hence make sure that the highest level of efficiency as well
as effectiveness is obtained within the specific project.
iii) Honesty: The third important code for professional conduct for the Willis project
would be incorporation of honesty (Tavani, 2016). A professional of information and
communication technology must be honest and also notify their client that the specified Willis
project may not be able to provide effective outcomes.
iv) Competence: It is yet another vital and significant or important code for professional
conduct for the Willis project. Any particular ICT professional should comprise of diligence as
well as competence in his or her work, so that better results are gained without much complexity
or issue. As a result, professionalism is increased and the project manager would become
successful eventually and issues would be resolved successfully.
v) Professional Development: The fifth effective and important code for professional
conduct for the Willis project would be ensuring that professional development is present in the

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organization under every significant aspect. It would ensure that the respective junior developer
has increased his professional development in the work and hence has gained success.
vi) Professionalism: Another distinct and important code for professional conduct for the
Willis project would be professionalism (Brey, 2017). The specific professional must increment
their veracity of these codes or regulations to make sure that maximum success is gained in the
project without any complexity.
4. Suitable Recommendation for this Willis Project with Justification
It is needed to ensure that the respective Willis project and the members of the project
should follow an ethical approach in their business and also deal with all types of complexities
and issues successfully without much problem. A significant and suitable recommendation or
suggestion for the project of Willis would be that the specific project manager must discuss the
issue with their respective project director to make sure that they have the complete ideology
about the various changes and modifications made to the software.
Hence, all types of negative consequences could had been avoided successfully for the
entire team as well as the customer. Moreover, if the program director would have known this
issue, he would have arranged for a meeting or discussion with the customer and also ask for the
additional time or payment for understanding about the fact that whether changes are feasible or
not and whether these could be involved within the entire project work eventually. Therefore,
this particular recommendation would have been highly effective for them and the negative
happenings would have been avoided easily.
5. Conclusion

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Hence, it can be concluded that ethics discourages different individuals from vandalizing
or misusage of the resources of information technology. There are certain codes of ethics present
that prevent the unlawful utilization of IT systems and resources through various activities like
fraud and distribution or displaying of the obscene materials. This ethical approach even
discourages the organizations from collection or utilization of customers’ data in such a manner
that could compromise the privacy and confidentiality. Major ethical dilemmas are resolved with
such approach like job displacement and gender inequality. This report has properly analyzed the
ethical dilemma of the Willis project after considering ACS codes of ethics.

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References
ACS Code of Professional Conduct. (2014). [online]. Accessed from
https://www.acs.org.au/content/dam/acs/rules-and-regulations/Code-of-Professional-
Conduct_v2.1.pdf [Accessed on 19 April 2020].
Andrianov, A., Kanke, V., Kuptsov, I., & Murogov, V. (2015). Reexamining the ethics of
nuclear technology. Science and engineering ethics, 21(4), 999-1018.
Brey, P. (2017). Ethics of emerging technology. The ethics of technology: Methods and
approaches, 175-191.
Jasanoff, S. (2016). The ethics of invention: technology and the human future. WW Norton &
Company.
Scenario 1. (2016) [online]. Accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kuUDCfd0Lw
[Accessed on 19 April 2020].
Scenario 2: Development Methodology. (2016). [online]. Accessed from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0npm9cEJBWY [Accessed on 19 April 2020].
Scenario 2: Project Manager. (2016). [online]. Accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=S0lgCfsVeOM [Accessed on 19 April 2020].
Scenario 3. (2016). [online]. Accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=TGWD4HNBd80 [Accessed on 19 April 2020].
Tavani, H. T. (2016). Ethics and technology. Wiley.
Wickson, F., Strand, R., & Kjølberg, K. L. (2015). The walkshop approach to science and
technology ethics. Science and engineering ethics, 21(1), 241-264.

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