Question

´Software Engineer Christopher is hired by software company, ABC Software, and involved in the design of specialized software for Gladstone City Council (GCC) in connection with the operations of facilities that impact on public health and safety, such as those that control air and water quality. Testing the software system is part of the design process. Christopher conducts extensive testing and finds that the software is safe to use under existing standards. But Christopher is aware that new draft standards are about to be released by the national standard setting organization, standards that the newly designed software may not meet. Christopher suggests that ABC Software and GCC perform additional testing on the software to see if it meets these new safety standards. Such testing would determine whether the software is suitable for release as it currently exists or whether further development is required. But GCC is eager to proceed and ABC Software is eager to satisfy its client and protect its finances and existing jobs. Doing the additional testing would be extremely costly and delay the project at least six months. This would put ABC Software at a competitive disadvantage and cost it a lot of money, putting the goals of protecting its finances at risk. However, ABC Software wants to be sure that the software is safe to use. ABC Software has requested Christopher's recommendation concerning the need for additional software testing. (adapted from Online Ethics Centre for Engineering and Science. Software Design Testing. Retrieved 24/9/2014 from http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases/ec96-4.aspx)

´a) State the ethical dilemma that confronts Christopher. b) Use bullet points to list the relevant facts as given in the scenario. c) What are the potential consequences and to whom, if the software is not tested further and the new standards are not met? d) What are the consequences and to whom, if the extra testing is done?    e) What conflicting duties does Christopher have in this scenario?   f) What rights do the general public, Gladstone City Council and ABC Software have in this scenario g) What virtues should Christopher exhibit in this scenario are observe in this scenario?                  i) Recommend the course of action that Christopher should take giving reasons based on some or all of your previous 6 answers (parts c to h)

Answer 1

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