Situational influences on ethical decision-making in an IT context

Processes of ethical decision-making are thought to depend on the issue faced when making the decision. We examined the processes by examining student's reactions to five scenarios involving IT use. Data were collected using a questionnaire following a group discussion. The results showed that...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Information & management 2007-04, Vol.44 (3), p.313-320
Main Authors: Haines, Russell, Leonard, Lori N.K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Business ethics
Decision analysis
Decision making
Decision theory. Utility theory
Ethical behavior
Ethical decision-making
Ethics
Exact sciences and technology
Four-component model
Information technology
IT ethics
Moral intensity
Operational research and scientific management
Operational research. Management science
Perceived importance
Studies
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Summary:Processes of ethical decision-making are thought to depend on the issue faced when making the decision. We examined the processes by examining student's reactions to five scenarios involving IT use. Data were collected using a questionnaire following a group discussion. The results showed that ethical decision-making processes did indeed vary by scenario, suggesting that a single-issue approach is inadequate for studying ethical decision-making. Perceived importance of the ethical issue was a factor in the scenarios, but it did not have an all-inclusive influence on the decision-making of the participants. The results were considered in the context of theories and Mason's ethical issues of the information age. We offer advice to managers on how to limit unethical behavior.
ISSN:0378-7206
1872-7530
DOI:10.1016/j.im.2007.02.002