Social, Ethical and Policy Implications of Information Technology

by Brennan, Linda L.; Johnson, Victoria E.

• ISBN13: 9781591401681
• ISBN10: 1591401682
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-10-01
• Publisher: Igi Global

Summary

Legal and ethical issues have become a standard part of engineering and business schools' curricula. This has not been the case for computer science or management information systems programs, although there has been increasing emphasis on the social skills of these students. This leaves a frightening void in their professional development. Information systems pose unique social challenges, especially for technical professionals who have been taught to think in terms of logic, structures and flows. Social, Ethical and Policy Implications of Information Technology focuses on the human impact of information systems, including ethical challenges, social implications, legal issues, and unintended costs and consequences.

Table of Contents

Preface	vi
Linda L. Brennan, Mercer University, USA
Victoria E. Johnson, Mercer University, USA
SECTION I: SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Chapter I Global Perspectives on the Information Society	1	(28)
William J. McIver, Jr., University at Albany, USA
Chapter II Digital Divides: Their Social and Ethical Implications	29	(19)
Emma Rooksby, Charles Sturt University, Australia
John Weckent, Charles Sturt University, Australia
Chapter III The Perils of Access and Immediacy: Unintended Consequences of Information Technology	48	(11)
Linda L. Brennan, Mercer University, USA
Chapter IV What, Me, Worry? The Empowerment of Employees	59	(15)
Marsha Cook Woodbury, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
Chapter V Managing Workplace Privacy Responsibly	74	(24)
Richard A. Spinello, Boston College, USA
John Gallaugher, Boston College, USA
Sandra Waddock, Boston College, USA
Chapter VI Virtual Harms and Real Responsibility	98	(20)
Chuck Huff, St. Olaf College, USA
Deborah G. Johnson, University of Virginia, USA
Keith W. Miller, University of Illinois-Springfield, USA
SECTION II: ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS
Chapter VII Ethical Challenges for Information Systems Professionals	118	(12)
Gerald M. Hoffman, Northwestern University, USA
Chapter VIII Living Within Glass Houses: Coping with Organizational Transparency	130	(11)
Victoria E. Johnson, Mercer University, USA
Chapter IX Ethical Challenges of Information Systems: The Carnage of Outsourcing and Other Technology-Enabled Organizational Imperatives	141	(18)
David Wiencek, Mercer University, USA
Chapter X A Contrarian's View: New Wine in Old Bottles, New Economy and Old Ethics-Can it Work?	159	(24)
Marianne M. Jennings, Arizona State University, USA
SECTION III: POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Chapter XI Liability for System and Data Quality	183	(21)
Robert D. Sprague, Eastern New Mexico University, USA
Chapter XII Software Engineering as a Profession: A Moral Case for Licensure	204	(19)
J. Carl Ficarrotta, United States Air Force Academy, USA
Chapter XIII Copyright Law in the Digital Age	223	(11)
Jordan M. Blanke, Mercer University, USA
Chapter XIV "Digital Orphans": Technology's Wayward Children	234	(17)
Mark Kieler, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Michael J. West, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Chapter XV Compliance with Data Management Laws	251
Jack S. Cook, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), USA
Laura L. Cook, State University of New York at Geneseo, USA
SECTION IV: FURTHER IMPLICATIONS
Chapter XVI The Central Problem in Cyber Ethics and How Stories Can Be Used to Address It	214	(80)
John M. Artz, George Washington University, USA
About the Authors	294	(6)
Index	300