Unit 9.6
Professionalism, Ethics, and Morality in IT
IT 231: IT and Application
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- ✅ Define professionalism, ethics, and morality.
- ✅ Understand the importance of ethical behavior for IT professionals.
- ✅ Explain the purpose of a professional code of ethics.
The IT Professional's Responsibility
As an IT professional, you hold a position of significant trust and power.
You will have access to sensitive information and powerful tools that can impact individuals, businesses, and society.
This power demands a strong ethical foundation. ⚡
Core Concepts: A Three-Legged Stool
To understand professional conduct, we need to distinguish between three related ideas:
Let's define each one.
Defining the Terms 🔍
Morality
An individual's own personal principles regarding right and wrong. Your internal compass.
Ethics
Shared rules of conduct for a group or profession. The "rules of the road" for IT.
Professionalism
The competence and skill expected of a professional, including both technical ability and ethical behavior.
Professionalism: More Than Just Code
True professionalism is a combination of what you can do and how you choose to do it.
Technical Competence
- Securely managing a database
- Writing efficient algorithms
- Designing user-friendly interfaces
Ethical Behavior
- Protecting user privacy
- Maintaining data confidentiality
- Being honest about system limitations
One without the other is incomplete. A great IT professional excels at both.
Guiding Principles: The Code of Ethics
How do we ensure a shared standard of behavior across an entire industry?
A Code of Ethics is a formal document that provides principles and guidelines for ethical decision-making in a profession.
- It establishes a baseline for professional conduct.
- It provides a framework for navigating complex situations.
- Prominent organizations like the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) have a widely recognized code.
Practical Application: An Ethical Dilemma in Nepal
Scenario: Data Security at a FinTech Startup
An IT manager at a popular digital wallet service in Nepal discovers a minor bug that occasionally logs user transaction details in plain text. Fixing it will delay a major, hyped product launch by one week.
- The "Easy" Path: Launch on time, hope no one notices, and fix the bug quietly later. This prioritizes business goals over user security.
- The Ethical Path: Immediately inform management of the security risk, delay the launch, and fix the bug. This upholds the professional duty to protect user data, aligning with principles in Nepal's Privacy Act.
Discussion: Legal vs. Ethical
Can an action be legal, but unethical?
Example: A software company in Nepal develops an employee monitoring tool. The tool is legal to sell and use if disclosed to employees.
The company markets it aggressively, emphasizing features that track every keystroke and take screenshots every minute, promoting a culture of mistrust.
- Is the company's action ethical, even if it's legal?
- What ethical responsibilities does the software developer have?
Key Takeaways 📊
- Morality is personal; ethics are professional standards. While related, ethics provide a common framework for all IT professionals.
- Professionalism includes both technical competence and ethical behavior. You cannot be a true professional without both.
- Professional codes of ethics provide essential guidance. They help you make responsible and ethical decisions throughout your career.
Thank You!
Questions?
Next Topic: Chapter 7 - Intellectual Property
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