Chapter 10

Chapter 10
ETHICS of IT ORGANIZATIONS

VIGNETTE
Problems With Suppliers

1. How can an organization ensure that all members of its supply chain will behave ethically?

     ANSWER : Your customers will always hold you responsible if your suppliers behave badly. First, create guidelines for your suppliers while the jargon-tastic term 'ethical supply chain management policy' makes us shudder, the idea behind term is very sound: create a list of guidelines for those involved in your supply chain to ensure at every point, suppliers are observing best practice. Second, look out for suppliers' credentials and last but not the least is waste making your supply chain ethical isn't all fair wages and eliminating child labour - how the chain deals with its waste equally important. ( http://www.smarta.com/advice/suppliers-and-trade/business-suppliers/three-ideas-make-your-supply-chain-more-ethical )

2. What responsibility does an organization have to ensure that its suppliers and business partners behave ethically?

     ANSWER : Partnership is based upon commitment, trust and continuous improvement. Marketing attempts to create an impression of a personal relationship to customers even if the supplier does not know the customers or even meet them. It is a pseudo-personal relationship, but, all the same, it could be an efficient one (Gummesson, 2002). Several employees from both the supplier and buyers side are involved in the relationship. They are involved in negotiation, communication, bargaining, the transfer of goods, services and money. Ethical issues and personal values always influence such transactions. ( http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/Jame/articles/supplier-customer-relationships.cfm )

CASE 3 : Manufacturers Compete on Green Computing

1. How have green computing efforts lowered the total cost of computer ownership?

     ANSWER : Green computing is an excellent to save money through reduce the power consumption and to lessen their negative impact on the environment.

2. Which approach can yield greater benefits- building greener computers or implementing programs that change users' behavior so that they operate their computers in a more responsible manner? Explain your response.

     ANSWER : Both are the approach that will yield a greater benefits because according to what I read that if you build a greener computer we can able to save money through the reduce of power consumption. While the users also, they have to be responsible to conserve energy or to overused the electricity.

3. Do research at the EPEAT Web site and determine which computer manufacturer currently has the best green computing ratings.

     ANSWER : The best computer manufacturer is Dell. Dell is the number one green technology brand, recognized for its extensive recycling program, the top ranked attribute sought by IT buyers. HP, IBM and Microsoft were noted for their energy efficient products and use of sustainable materials, while Apple held its position in the top five for designing products that are perceived to have a green look and feel. ( http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/it-buyers-rank-greenest-computer-companies.html )

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

SOCIAL NETWORKING

VIGNETTE

Twitter Emerges as News Source for Law Protesters

1. Many people question the value of Twitter's goal of helping people stay connected. Do the events in Iran illustrate the potential value to society of social networking tools such as Twitter? Are there other ways that Twitter and other social networks could be used by people organizations to add real value?

     ANSWER : Yes, the events in Iran illustrate the potential value to society on how they are connected to other people. They did not used the Twitter in a proper way. There are some social networking sites that will able to connect you in your friends, families and coworkers like Facebook, MySpace, Tagged and etc.

2. How trustworthy is the information one gleans from social network such as Twitter?

     ANSWER : Twitter is taking the world by storm, leaving Facebook and email in its wake. Industry analysts say that more than 2.25 million "tweets" - Titter messages - are now posted everyday worldwide. Tweets differ from email in two ways : they are public - anyone on Twitter can find and read them - and they are always short: a maximum of 140 characters long. Other Twitterers choose to " follow " your tweets and you, in turn, decide to follow theirs. This way, you can find out, for instance, that your friend is on a ski lift and your colleague needs feedback on a product idea. ( Tweets can contain links to other websites, documents or pictures. ) ( http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/4523494/How-to-Twitter-why-the-world-is-Twitter-crazy.html )

CASE 3 : Social Networking Disaster for Domino's

1. Some observers believe that if an organization does not respond  within the 24 hours, then the damage has been done- lack of management response is judged as an admission of guilt. Others feel that some time is required to gather facts and figure out what happened before responding. With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, how might Domino's have reacted more effectively?

     ANSWER : The Domino's must have to train their employees well . They have to required the management to gather facts and figure out what happend before the incident.

2. Do you find it unusual that Domino's response was primarily through the online media rather than the usual printed press releases? Does this seem an effective and appropriate way to respond under these circumstances? Why or Why not? Does Domino's use of the online media set a precedent for others to follow in the future?

     ANSWER : Domino's using online media than to printed press releases because it is easily to share and view to the people. I think, the Domino's president respond in a appropriate way to apologize for the initial repulsive of their business.

3. Identify three lessons that other companies could learn from Domino's experience.

     ANSWER : The bottom line for any business and the clear message from the Domino's Pizza experience is that listening to your customer pays. It is irrelevant whether you are a multi-billion dollar enterprise or a one-person business, your customer's perception of your product or service is the key to your success or failure. The lesson every businessperson can learn - without spending $75m - is that it's okay to make mistakes and get it wrong sometimes as long as you are honest enough and courageous enough to admit those mistakes and, even more importantly, are proactive in addressing them. Negative feedback and criticism can be profitable for your business if you handle it properly! ( http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/6271/What-Every-Business-can-Learn-from-Dominos-Pizza.html )

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

THE IMPACT of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY on PRODUCTIVITY and QUALITY of LIFE

VIGNETTE

Western Cape Striving to Eliminate the Digital Divide

1. How important is access to ICT in children's education?

     ANSWER : Through the access in Information and Communication Technology in children's education, it will gain more knowledge in the students.

2. What are the barriers that stand in the way of universal access to ICT for everyone who wants it?

     ANSWER :The barriers that stands in the way of universal access to ICT for everyone who wants it is they cannot afford to buy their own personal computers and don't have access in the Internet.

CASE 3 : Technological Advances Create Digital Divide in Health Care

1. Can you provide examples that either refute of confirm the idea that a gap exists between the kinds of healthcare services available to the wealthy and the poor in the United States?

     ANSWER : As human beings we are all valuable social entities whereby, through the force of morality, through implicitly forged covenants among us as individuals and between us and our governments, and through the natural rights we maintain as individuals and those we collectively surrender to the common good, it has been determined by nature, natural laws, and natural rights that human beings have the right, not the privilege to healthcare access. ( http://www.peh-med.com/content/2/1/2 )

2. Should healthcare organizations make major investments in telemedicine to provide improve services that only the wealthy can afford?

     ANSWER : No, the healthcare organizations must make a major investments in telemedicines to provide improved services not only for the wealthy persons but also for the poor. They must provide improved services that all of us can afford.

3. What are the drawbacks of telemedicine? What situations might not lend themselves to telemedicine solutions?

     ANSWER : The disadvantage of telemedicine is that most of the patients cannot afford of this kind of healthcare. Because of this, people might choose to die or to wait until they die than to pay an expensive telemedicine.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT


VIGNETTE
Boeing Dreamliner Faces a Few Bumps In The Road

1. Is this example of software problems holding up the introduction of a major new product and impacting a firm's customers and suppliers unusual, or is it a common occurrence?

     ANSWER : Both, the example software problems holding up the introduction if a major new product and impact a firm's customers and suppliers unusual and it is common occurrence because software defect will cause a software system to be fail. The result of that is, it will affect your customers who trust in your product.

2. What can organizations do to reduce the negative consequences of software development problems in the production of their products and the operation of their business processes and facilities?

     ANSWER : To reduce the negative consequences of software developments problems of the organization, they must have a software quality to which a software product meets the needs of its users and also the quality management focuses on defining, measuring, and refining the quality of development process and the products developed during its various stage.

CASE 3 : Patriot Missile Failure

1. With the benefit of hindsight, what steps could have been taken during development of the Patriot software to avoid the problems that led to the loss of life? Do you think these steps would have improved the Patriot's effectiveness enough to make it obvious that the missile was a strong deterrent against the Scud? Why or Why not?

     ANSWER : They have to pass and certified their  software to Quality Assurance testing so that it cannot cause a damages if they will use it.

2. What ethical decisions do you think the U.S. military made in choosing to deploy the Patriot missile to Israel and Saudi Arabia and in reporting the effectiveness of the Patriot system?

     ANSWER :They have to test their software to avoid accidents.

3. What key lessons from this example of safety-critical software development could be applied to the development of business information system software?

     ANSWER : They have to be sure about the safety-critical software on how it works. If it is reliable to use the software, then that is the time that you can use the software.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY


VIGNETTE
RIAA Fights Music Piracy

1. Is the RIAA's strong stand on copyright infringement helping or hurting the music recording industry?

     ANSWER : RIAA is helping to protect intellectual property rights and the First Amendment rights of artists, to perform research about the music industry and to monitor and review relevant laws, regulations and policies. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America )

2. Could an ISP's implementation and enforcement of the RIAA's multitier strategy have a negative impact on the ISP?

     ANSWER : Yes, because ISP is an organization that provide access to the Internet. The ISP must follow the RIAA because if the organization didn't follow, they will have a sanctions.

CASE 3 : Lotus v. Borland

1. Go to your school's computer lab or a PC software store and experiment with current versions of any two of the Quattro, Excel, or Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet programs. Write a brief paragraph summarizing the similarities the differences in the "look and feel" of these two programs.

     ANSWER : Quattro Pro is a spreadsheet program developed by Borland and now sold by Corel, most often as part of Corel's WordPerfect Office suite. Historically, Quattro Pro used keyboard similar to Lotus 1-2-3. It is commonly said to have been the forst program to use tabbed sheets. Actually, Boeing Calc had tabbed sheets earlier. It currently runs under the Windows operating system. Quattro Pro avioded the 65,536 row by 256 column spreadsheet limitations inherent to pre-2007 versions of Microsoft Excel by allowing a maximum worksheet size of one million rows 18,276 columns. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quattro_Pro )

2. The courts took several years to reverse their initial decision and rule in favor of Borland. What impact did this delay have on the software industry? How might things have been different if Borland had received an initial favorable ruling?

     ANSWER : Lotus sought to ban any program which had a compatible and menu structure. Program commands had not been considered to be covered before, but the commands of 1-2-3 were embedded in the words of the menu displayed on the screen. 1-2-3 won its case against Mosaic Software. However when they sued Borland over its Quattro Pro spreedsheet in Lotus v. Borland, the courts ruled that it was not a copyright violation to merely have a compatible command menu or language. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_1-2-3 )

3. Assume that you are the manager of Borland's software development. With the benefit of hindsight, what different decisions would you have made Quattro?

     ANSWER : If I will be a manager of Borland's software manager, i will resign in my work because if you have a big income, they will wander where you get that money.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

FREEDOM of SPEECH

VIGNETTE

Sexting

1. Does sexting represent a form of expression that is protected by the First Amendment?

     ANSWER : Yes, sexting represent a form of expression that is protected by the First Amendment right because sending sexual messages, nude or seminude photos, or sexually explicit videos over a cell phone it will consider this as child pornography.

2. What can be done to protect people from the dangers of sexting while still safeguarding our First Amendment Rights?

     ANSWER :  The parents will guide always their children against the sexting. They must teach their children what is right and what is wrong.

CASE 3 : The Electronic Frontier Foundation ( EFF )

1. Visit the EFF Web site at www.eff.org and develop a list of its current "hot" issues. Research one EFF issue that interests you, and write a brief paper summarizing EFF's position. Discuss whether you support this position and why.

     ANSWER :  No Backroom Deals to Regulate the Internet: Speak Out Against the Trans-Pacific Partnership! The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement currently being negotiated by United States and eight countries. Like ACTA, the TPP is being negotiated in secret, and on a fast timetable. We don't know what's in the TPP IP chapter or even what the US trade representative is pushing for in this agreement. That worries us. Entertainment industry executives who are members of the Industry Advisory Committee will likely get to see the agreement drafts - again - but the rest of us will be kept in the dark unless we speak up now. ( https://action.eff.org/o/9042/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8229 )

2. What reason might a form give for joining and supporting EFF?

     ANSWER : It provides funds for legal defense in court, presents amici curiae briefs, defends individuals and new technologies from what it considers baseless or misdirected legal threats, works to expose government malfeasance, provides guidance to the government and courts, organizes political action and mass mailings, supports some new technologies which it believes preserve personal freedoms, maintains a database and web sites of related news and information, monitors and challenges potential legislation that it believes would infringe on personal liberties and fair use, and solicits a list of what it considers patent abuses with intentions to defeat those that it considers without merit. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation )

3. The vice president of public affairs for your midsized telecommunications equipment company has suggested that the form donate $10,000 in equipment and services to EFF and become a corporate sponsor. The CFO has asked if you, the CIO, support this action. What would you say?

     ANSWER : If that is good to the people who are using technology well, I will support this kind of organization.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

PRIVACY

VIGNETTE

Privacy Concerns Abound with New IRS Systems

1. What information about you is being held, who is holding it, and what is this information being used for?

     ANSWER : This information talks about the privacy of one person.

2. What measures being taken to safeguard this information, and what happens if it is inadvertently disclosed or deliberately stolen?

     ANSWER :  They must have strengthen their security for the information of a person. To avoid stolen data, the organization must keep their employees information.

CASE 3 : Is Google Watching You?

1. How does Google's business model use personal data?

     ANSWER : Google can tracks what the user does, what words the user enters in the search engine, what sites the user visits, and the time and date of these events. Google uses this information to fine - tune advertising to the user needs and preferences.

2. What do you think are the major privacy concerns raised by Google's business model and applications?

     ANSWER : I think, the major privacy concerns raised by Google's business model and applications is that the user personal information can be share to the others.

3. Do you think Google has taken adequate measures to protect its users' privacy? Explain your answer.

     ANSWER : Yes, because the Google take action of concerns of the users.