Technology implication and use

(Risk of failure to understand)

*When we do not completely understand the technology, we will
not able to understand the ethical implications of our decisions
…therefore we will not be able to protect our own information
effectively.

*Question
Can your employer read your e-mail?
If you do not completely understand technology , your first response may
be (of course no .He does not have my password)
Experts tell us that any system is penetrable
*Question
Is it ethical?
*Employers have been known to randomly read and check e-mails to
ensure that it is used for business purposes not for personal purposes.
*The company policy informs that e-mails must only used for business
purposes or the employees should given notice that their e-mails may be
read
*Question
If technology ignorance can expose to legal liability?
When you believe that no one is watching , you may engage in activities
that you refrain from doing. Hitting the “delete” key deletes an e-mail
massage but not always delete it from the server. It might be retrieved by
your manager and may have a negative impact legally or you may be fired
from your work—but if you think about it a bit, you will expect harmful
consequences
Conclusion
There is a knowledge gap between people who understand the
technology and others who are unable to protect themselves
precisely as they do not understand
 Other challenges by technology use
(1) Continuous accessibility

*Technology allows for access to information that was never before

possible
Example
In doing a routine check, your supervisor may unintentionally discover
information of personal nature that have no relevance to your work
performance

*Technology allows us to work from anywhere (remove boundaries)

*Total accessibility may create conflicts as it blurs the lines between our
personal and professional lives.
*Your employer can reach you any time and any place you are in
(2)Facelessness

*If we take decisions face to face, you are more likely to care about the
impact of it on the person . Conversely if we take these decisions faceless,
you don not take into account the impact of it on the same person

We are more careless with our communication because they are easier to
conduct – just hit a button and they are sent
**Due to the need of ethics in technology , the Computer Ethics
Institute has created
“The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics”
 Why do firms monitor technology usage?

*Reasons
(1) To manage workplaces in order to place workers in appropriate positions

(2) To ensure effective , productive performance by preventing the loss of

productivity to inappropriate technology use

(3) To protect their information and to guard against theft

(4) To protect their investment in equipment and bandwidth and to protect

against legal liability
*In 2009, more than 50% of companies had fired an employee for e-
mail or internet policy violations(according to survey by the
American Management Association and the ePolicy Institute)
*66% of companies monitored employee internet connections and
44% monitored employee e-mail usage
**Without monitoring, how would they know what occurs?

*Question:
Do the firms will go to block social media sites in workplace for more
monitoring and control?
No,
According to Gartner,Inc,The number of organizations blocking access
to social media is dropping every year
(Fewer than 30% of large organizations will block employee access to
social media sites by 2014, compared with 50% in 2010)
 (Some statistics)
*6 billion people on the planet , 80% have a mobile phone
while 70% have a toothbrush
*33% of the world had internet access in 2011
*More than 70% of the population on the internet uses social
media sites
*During a typical workday, 61% of workers send personal e-
mails , 65% conduct web searches unrelated to work and 58%
of those with social media profiles check their profiles
 Hiring in social media age

*Questions:
*Are current practices of using online information for hiring
decisions ,ethical?
*Would organizations use information in the hiring process that
would result in illegal discrimination?
( race ,national ,sex , religion)
*Is it ethical to collect such information outside of the regular
hiring process? (performance evaluation process)
*Unauthorized use of these information to formulate a decision
or opinion about a candidate( googling a person, searching for
Facebook profile, using Spokeo which is online business site
that collects information from online sources and offers
subscriptions to its database)

*Hiring decisions may be based on sources you do not know

whether or not have biases against the candidate

*For more control, some firms inform the candidate that online
information may be used in the hiring process
 Recommendations
*If the existing hiring process works well and produces
successful, productive employees, there is no need to rely on
online information.
*If there are strong reasons to incorporate additional online
information, organizations should follow:
1-Disclose to candidates and enforce internally clear,
transparent rules and guidelines about the use of social media
for hiring purposes
*List your sources and let the candidate know in advance
*Ignore third parties
2-Resist the temptation to seek unnecessary online information
3-Develop understanding of online social media and role in the
communication of the candidates