Conclusion

As IT professionals, it is very important to practice good ethics. The reason is simple; we ought to be accountable to our superiors, clients, colleagues and everyone around us. As we practice good ethics, we will realize that there is we improve. It helps us to better manage the different relationships formed when we work in the society.

Nobody employ us if they know that we are dishonest or unethical. We will have no clients and no suppliers etc. We can think and we know the possible damages, it is not easy to build trust, so let us not take it for granted and earn the trust of those around us by being honest and practicing good ethics.

You have read about the 7 steps to make ethical decisions. Let that be a guide for you if you are not sure. Always take one step back and ask "is this right?". We also know that IT Professionals are accountable to different groups of people, that is the same for anybody. We are all accountable to each other in one way or another. Practicing good ethics will bring forth intrinsic rewards such as being able to face one self and those around them. The person will also be respected for making an ethical decision. They (ethical IT professionals) will not find themselves involved in any legal issues.

To improve employees ethics, companies can also help educate their employees who are IT professionals to be ethical by making sure every new employee in the organization goes through a briefing on not only company culture, but also on the code of ethics. This is to ensure that employees know that they have to adhere to the code of ethics while still working for the organization.

Let us aspire to be an influence to those around us and let us look forward to a society that practices good ethics. It may be more than a dream come true. Let us not be discouraged and play a part and be the light that shines in the "darkness". Together, we can definitely make the society a better place.

Case 3: Competition

Your company’s rival wants to buy some confidential corporate information from you. They are offering you a much higher pay if you pass these information to them and quit from your current job.

a) You will quit and pass the information to them
b) You will inform your boss about it and ask him to be careful
c) You will ignore the rival company

Our Answer:
Option B. We will tell our boss to be wary and make sure that none of the employees in our company sells these confidential information to them.

Case 2 - Pirated software

Your boss bought a pirated software and ask you to install it in the company’s computer. What would you do? You can choose more than one answer

a) Expose your boss to the relevant authorities
b) Install the software, your boss is your authority, you ought to submit to him
c) Speak to your boss and explain that you will not do it because it is unethical, discourage him from using pirated software as well
d) Quit – You do not want to go against your conscience

Our Answer:Option C followed by Option A. We will first discourage him, and we will expose him to the relevant authorities should he not listen to us.

Case 1 - Late overdue work!

You were too busy, and you are unable to finish your project for a client that you cannot afford to offend. What would you do?

(a) Call him and apologise for not finishing the work on time, explain to him that you were to busy, and promise that you will deliver it to him by a new deadline

(b) Call him and apologise for not finishing the work on time, lie to him that you were sick, and promise that you will deliver it to him by a new deadline

Our Answer:
Option A. The reason being is that one should not lie, and we may have more to explain if the client finds out that we are lying. It was our mistake because we failed to deliver what we promised, so we should admit the mistake and ask for forgiveness.