Question

Write three to four paragraphs using the below scenario and attach your submission. Remember to check the rubric before submitting.

Sharing Trade Secrets Scenario

Suppose there are two large, competing telecommunication firms in your city (Company X and Company Y). The companies are hostile to each other. You have worked for Company X for five years in a position that gives you access to company trade secrets. You are now interviewing for a job with Company Y that would be a substantial step up in your career. During the interview, you get the impression that Company Y expects you to share your knowledge, including the trade secrets, if they hire you.

1. What are the ethical issues involved?
2. What are the legal issues?
3. Are they the same as the ethical issues?

Let's say that you have signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of your condition of employment with Company X.

1. Does this change the ethics involved?
2. Suppose Company X fired you. Would the ethics involved change?

Answer 1

According to the question, If a Company hires you and it is a Substantial step up in your career. You can share your knowledge that you have gained but you can't share any trade secrets even if the rival company wants it from you.

As we know, the Five codes of Ethics

1. Integrity. Being straightforward, honest and truthful in all professional and business relationships.
2. Objectivity.
3. Professional competence and due care.
4. Confidentiality.
5. Professional behaviour.

Coming to the part of confidentiality, this becomes an ethical issues, If we share any trade secrets that we have learned from our previous organisation.

We can share the knowledge what we have learned and we can also use our experience to keep our current company better but we can't share any trade secrets.

• Privacy, accuracy, property and accessibility, these are the four major ethical issues which are involved in this case.
• Legal issues in information technology are addressed including elements of contracting, payment systems, digital signatures, privacy concerns, intellectual property, business torts and criminal liability including hacking, computer trespass and fraud.
• Ethical standards are based on the human principles of right and wrong. The differences between them are these: Legal standards are based on written law, while ethical standards are based on human rights and wrongs. Something can be legal but not ethical.
• If you sign a NDA, In its most basic form, a nondisclosure agreement is a legally enforceable contract that creates a confidential relationship between a person who holds some kind of trade secret (or other information) and a person to whom the secret will be disclosed. If you breach an NDA, you'll be able to pursue damages stemming from a breach of contract. Other legal recourses may include copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, and other various IP violations. So a company can use legal actions on you as it is a breach.
• No, It doesn't change the ethics involved as you have clearly signed the agreement.
• Ethics depends on the person, it is not something that anyone can bound to perform, it differs from person to person.Suppose if a company fires you, it depends on you as a person what you can do. Once a company fires you, there is no ethics for you, as the NDA doesn't stand valid as you're not part of the company anymore. So it depends on you how you react.